Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Gamma Interferon Tests for the Detection of Tuberculosis Infection

The QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) is a new FDA approved test for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This test detects the release of interferon-gamma (IFNγ) in whole blood from sensitized persons when it is incubated with mixtures of synthetic peptides representing 2 proteins present in M. tuberculosis: early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10). These antigens have greater specificity than tests using purified protein derivative (PPD) as the tuberculosis antigen. The CDC recommends that QFT-G may be used in all circumstances in which the TB skin test is currently used, including contact investigations, evaluation of recent immigrants, and sequential-testing surveillance programs for infection control (e.g., those for health-care workers). Advantages of the QFT-G include: no false-positive reactions from previous BCG vaccination; no cross-reactivity with non-tuberculous mycobacterium infections; and, better detection of active tuberculosis.
Stress Induces Endotoxemia and Low-Grade Inflammation by Increasing Barrier Permeability

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of work absence, disability, and mortality worldwide. Most of these diseases are associated with low-grade inflammation. Here, we hypothesize that stresses (defined as homeostatic disturbances) can induce low-grade inflammation by increasing the availability of water, sodium, and energy-rich substances to meet the increased metabolic demand induced by the stressor. One way of triggering low-grade inflammation is by increasing intestinal barrier permeability through activation of various components of the stress system. Although beneficial to meet the demands necessary during stress, increased intestinal barrier permeability also raises the possibility of the translocation of bacteria and their toxins across the intestinal lumen into the blood circulation. In combination with modern life-style factors, the increase in bacteria/bacterial toxin translocation arising from a more permeable intestinal wall causes a low-grade inflammatory state. We support this hypothesis with numerous studies finding associations with NCDs and markers of endotoxemia, suggesting that this process plays a pivotal and perhaps even a causal role in the development of low-grade inflammation and its related diseases.
Stellar Evolutionary Effects on the Abundances of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Supernova-Condensed Dust in Galaxies

Spectral and photometric observations of nearby galaxies show a correlation between the strength of their mid-IR aromatic features, attributed to PAH molecules, and their metal abundances, leading to a deficiency of these features in low-metallicity galaxies. In this paper we suggest that the observed correlation represents a trend of PAH abundance with galactic age, reflecting the delayed injection of carbon dust into the ISM by AGB stars in the final post-AGB phase of their evolution. AGB stars are the primary sources of PAHs and carbon dust in galaxies, and recycle their ejecta back to the ISM after only a few hundred million years of evolution on the main sequence. In contrast, more massive stars that explode as Type II supernovae inject their metals and dust almost instantaneously after their formation. We first determined the PAH abundance in galaxies by constructing detailed models of UV-to-radio SEDs of galaxies that estimate the contribution of dust in PAH-free H II regions, and of PAHs and dust in photodissociation regions, to the IR emission. All model components, the galaxies’ stellar content, the properties of their H II regions, and their ionizing and nonionizing radiation fields and dust abundances, are constrained by their observed multiwavelength spectra. After determining the PAH and dust abundances in 35 nearby galaxies using our SED model, we use a chemical evolution model to show that the delayed injection of carbon dust by AGB stars provides a natural explanation for the dependence of the PAH content in galaxies on metallicity. We also show that larger dust particles giving rise to the far-IR emission follow a distinct evolutionary trend closely related to the injection of dust by massive stars into the ISM.
Housing Bubbles and Policy Analysis

This paper provides a theory of credit-driven housing bubbles in an infinite-horizon production economy. Entrepreneurs face idiosyncratic investment tax distortions and credit constraints. Housing is an illiquid asset and also serves as collateral for borrowing. A housing bubble can form because houses command a liquidity premium. The housing bubble can provide liquidity and relax credit constraints, but can also generate inefficient overinvestment. Its net effect is to reduce welfare. Property taxes, Tobin’s taxes, macroprudential policy, and credit policy can prevent the formation of a housing bubble.
Investigating the double-edged sword: Two forms of cultural diversity and their effects on team processes and effectiveness

Firms’ international scope of activities and growing workforce mobility foster the development of teams which are composed of members with different cultural backgrounds. Research on cultural diversity has found large inconsistencies concerning the effects of multicultural team compositions. This led to seeing cultural diversity as a double-edged sword with a potential to yield positive and negative effects in organizations. In contrast to much previous cultural diversity research, this work has conceptualized and measured cultural diversity as deep-level diversity across multiple cultural value dimensions. With a sample of 97 international and multicultural entrepreneurship teams, this research empirically tested effects of two forms of cultural diversity (separation and variety) on team processes and effectiveness. Findings show that cultural diversity in the form of variety has the positive effect of higher creativity in teams, while cultural diversity as separation has negative effects of lower communication quality and lower creativity. The effects of diversity on creativity, however, do not further influence team innovativeness. In addition to the main effects, the results include mediating effects with team processes of communication, task conflict, and task reflexivity. The thesis discusses theoretical implications for diversity research and provides suggestions for practitioners in global team management.
Anatomy of a P2P Content Distribution system with Network Coding

In this paper we present our experiences with a P2P content distribution system that uses Network Coding. Using results from live trials, we are able to present a detailed performance analysis of such P2P system from a variety of novel perspectives. We show that Network Coding incurs little overhead, both in terms of CPU processing and I/O activity, and it results in smooth and fast downloads. To ensure secure transfers, we describe a novel scheme that verifies encoded blocks on-the-fly and analyze its performance. We also study the effect of peers behind NATs and firewalls and show the robustness of the system to large number of unreachable peers.
An empirical evaluation of interactive visualizations for preferential choice

Many critical decisions for individuals and organizations are often framed as preferential choices: the process of selecting the best option out of a set of alternatives. This paper presents a task-based empirical evaluation of ValueCharts, a set of interactive visualization techniques to support preferential choice. The design of our study is grounded in a comprehensive task model and we measure both task performance and insights. In the experiment, we not only tested the overall usefulness and effectiveness of ValueCharts, but we also assessed the differences between two versions of ValueCharts, a horizontal and a vertical one. The outcome of our study is that ValueCharts seem very effective in supporting preferential choice and the vertical version appears to be more effective than the horizontal one.
Efficacy, tolerability, and biomarker analyses from a phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of gefitinib as maintenance therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (INFORM; C-TONG 0804).

LBA7511 The full, final text of this abstract will be available in Part II of the 2011 Annual Meeting Proceedings, distributed onsite at the Meeting on June 4, 2011, and as a supplement to the June 20, 2011, issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Maximum a Posteriori Adaptation of the Centroid Model for Speaker Verification

Maximum a posteriori adapted Gaussian mixture model (GMM-MAP) is widely used in speaker verification. GMMs have three sets of parameters to be adapted: means, covariances, and weights. However, practice has shown that it is sufficient to adapt the means only. Motivated by this, we formulate maximum a posteriori vector quantization (VQ-MAP) procedure which stores and adapts the mean vectors (centroids) only. Experiments on the NIST 2001 and NIST 2006 corpora indicate that VQ-MAP gives comparable accuracy with GMM-MAP with simpler implementation and faster adaptation.
Antibody replacement therapy in primary antibody deficiencies and iatrogenic hypogammaglobulinemia

Antibody replacement therapy has been used in the treatment of primary antibody deficiencies (PADs) for several decades, and an evidence-based guideline for its treatment is currently available. By contrast, the use of antibody replacement therapy in iatrogenic hypogammaglobulinemia (IHG), a condition that is associated with immunosuppressive medication, has hardly any evidence base and no guidelines. As IHG can be equally as severe as PAD and is much more prevalent, evidence-based guidelines are urgently needed. This review will focus on the differences and similarities between PAD and IHG and the use of antibody replacement therapy in both conditions. Suggestions for the development of evidence-based guidelines and future research are given.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ( CFS ) associated with Staphylococcus spp . bacteremia , responsive to thiacetarsamide sodium in 7 dogs

The challenges of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), often called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), to analytical and medical approaches are connected to the fact that its diagnosis is largely based on subjective complaints in the absence of reliable tests [3, 11, 25]. The pathogenesis of CFS/ME is unknown [7] and no consistent cellular or biochemical alteration has been found which could be used to differentiate the condition from similar fatigue-related diseases [9]. CFS/ME in people is characterized by highly variable patterns of symptoms including prolonged debilitating fatigue, muscle cramps, multi-joint pain, sore throat, headaches, cervical lymphadenopathy, low-grade fever, loss of libido, irritable bowel and neurocognitive disorders [25]. Some physicians accept the existence of CFS, while others are convinced that it exist only in the minds of the sufferers [17].
PTSD and violence

This thesis aims to explore the role of trauma in an individual’s pathway to violence. Professionals consider offenders’ history of trauma when assessing risk of violence, and research has found an established relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and perpetration of violence. Military populations may be particularly vulnerable to this relationship. The introduction explores relevant theories. The second chapter presents a systematic review of literature relating to the relationship between PTSD and violence in military populations. Few mediating psychological processes have been identified, therefore the role of cognition is considered. Chapter Three examines the psychometric properties of a measure of violent thoughts – the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts (FAVT). This measure is used alongside the Schedule of Imagined Violence (SIV) in a research study in Chapter Four which aims to empirically assess the role of violent cognitions in mediating the relationship between PTSD and violence in a military population. The results support the relationship between PTSD and violence, PTSD and violent cognitions, and violent cognitions and violent behaviour. Violent fantasy measured by the SIV mediated this relationship. However, the violent thoughts measured by the FAVT did not account for a sufficient amount of the variance, suggesting there are other mediating factors. These findings are discussed in the final chapter contextualised in the literature and the implications for practice. Finally, it is considered whether a unique pathway to violence exists for military populations with PTSD, and a model of this pathway is presented based on the findings of this thesis.
Novel mutations associated with carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency

The most common form of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) deficiency occurs in adults and is characterized by muscle pain, stiffness, and myoglobinuria, triggered by exercise, fasting, or other metabolic stress. This study reports the molecular heterogeneity of CPT2 mutations and their biochemical consequences among a series of 59 individuals who were suspected of having CPT II deficiency based on the decreased CPT activity observed in muscle or leukocytes samples, clinical findings, or referral for mutation analysis from other laboratories. Only 19 subjects were considered to be at particularly high risk of CPT II deficiency based on review of their clinical symptoms and residual CPT activity. The samples were initially screened for 11 mutations with allele‐specific oligonucleotides (ASO). Extensive sequence analysis was subsequently performed on 14 samples which either had a CPT2 mutation detected by ASO screening or the residual CPT activity was below that observed in ASO positive samples. Three known (P50H, S113L, and F448L) and three novel mutations were identified among 13 individuals in this study. A single nucleotide polymorphism was also identified 11 bp distal to the CPT2 polyadenylation site that will be useful for linkage analysis. Two of the new mutations were single nucleotide missense mutations, R503C and G549D, that occurred in highly conserved regions of the CPT isoforms, and the third was a frameshift mutation, 413 delAG, caused by a 2‐bp deletion upstream of a previously identified missense mutation, F448L. The 413 delAG mutation was the second most common mutation identified in our study (20% of mutant alleles) and all individuals with the mutation were of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry suggesting a defined ethnic origin for the mutation. Despite rigorous mutation analysis, six of 13 individuals identified with CPT2 mutations remained as heterozygotes. We propose that heterozygosity for certain CPT2 mutations, S113L and R503C, is sufficient to render individuals at risk of clinical symptoms. Hum Mutat 13:210–220, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Nature and Function of Trust in Schools

Our purpose was to advance and test a theoretical model of the nature and function of trust in schools. Unlike other studies, ours specified school trust as a latent construct manifested through parent and teacher trust perceptions. We hypothesized that trust would have a larger direct effect on collective teacher efficacy and achievement motivation than on school performance. Furthermore, we predicted that the total effects of trust on school performance would be stronger than the total effect of poverty. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. Results support the prediction that trust provides a lubricant for effective school performance by having more direct influence on social conditions than on actual performance. We also found that trust attenuates the negative relationship between poverty and school achievement.
Value Positions in E-Government Strategies: Something is (not) Changing in the State of Denmark

Clarifying what value new information systems (IS) may help to create for government organizations and society is a central concern in the public sector. National e-government strategies present such efforts to clarify the value entailed by IS, however, what is considered valuable is inﬂuenced by value positions deeply enshrined in the traditions of public administration. We present a theory directed content analysis of value positions in the national e-government strategy for Denmark published for the first time in 1994 and latest in 2016. Our comparison of the value positions in the two e-government strategies show consistency over time when looking at the ideals of professionalism, service, and efficiency. While the least dominant ideal of engagement, has declined. The 22-year timespan separating the development of these two strategies had major technological advances, but little transformational impact on Danish e-government strategies in their general value positions. We discuss how our findings contribute to previous research on values in e-government and have practical implications for working with e-government strategies.
Altered Associative Learning and Learned Helplessness in Major Depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and recurrent disorder. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that up to 16% of the general population will suffer from at least one clinical episode of depression in their lifetime with women being affected more frequently than men (for a review, see [1]). The World Health Organization considers depressive disorders as one of the leading causes of disease worldwide, accounting for about 4.4% of total disability adjusted life years (DALY; [2]). Longitudinal studies indicate that up to 85% of depressed patients suffer from multiple episodes [3], and that 15-20% of episodes take a chronic course [4]. However, a unitary model providing axiomatic factors related to the development and maintenance of depression has not been established so far, what is most likely due to substantial heterogeneity in the etiology and symptomatology of depressive syndromes [5].
The influence of adult attachment styles on coping with bereavement

This study explored the associations between adult attachment style, coping style, religious beliefs, and experiences with grief. Participants from local bereavement and religious groups completed questionnaires about these constructs. Hyp. 1-2 predicted that greater endorsement of Secure and Dismissingly Avoidant attachment styles would be associated with less Subjective Distress. Results partially supported these hypotheses. Hyp. 3-6 predicted that the relationship between a Substitute Attachment Figure and adult attachment style would be associated with religious beliefs. Results did not support these hypotheses. Hyp. 7-9 predicted that greater endorsement of Secure and Dismissingly Avoidant attachment styles would be associated with more problem solving strategies. Higher endorsement of a Fearfully Avoidant attachment style would be associated with greater avoidance while higher endorsement of a Preoccupied style of attachment would be associated with more rumination. Results partially supported these hypotheses. Discussion centers on the qualitative aspects of the Substitute Attachment Figures and suggestions for future research.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy under spinal versus general anesthesia: a prospective, randomized study.

BACKGROUND For laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), the use of spinal anesthesia may offer several advantages over general anesthesia. The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to compare the surgical outcome of LC performed under general anesthesia to that of LC performed under spinal anesthesia. METHODS Sixty patients were randomly assigned to either the SALC (spinal anesthesia LC group, 30 patients) or GALC group (general anesthesia LC group, 30 patients). Intraoperative events related to spinal anesthesia, postoperative complications, and pain scores were recorded. Patient satisfaction as to the anesthetic technique received was assessed 2 weeks postoperatively by direct patient questionnaire. RESULTS In both groups, all procedures were completed laparoscopically. In the SALC group, all procedures were completed under spinal anesthesia and there were no anesthetic conversions. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean operative time between both groups. For the first 2 and 4 hours postoperatively, the mean pain score of the SALC group was statistically significantly lower than that of the GALC group. For the first 24 hours postoperatively, the mean number of analgesic ampoules/patient was statistically significantly lower in the SALC group. In the SALC group, 28 patients (93.3%) considered the technique "very well," compared with 30 patients (100%) in the GALC group. The difference in the overall patient satisfaction scores between both studied groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS LC performed under spinal anesthesia is feasible, safe, and is associated with significantly less early postoperative pain, compared to that performed under general anesthesia.
Social Group Discovery from Surveillance Videos: A Data-Driven Approach with Attention-Based Cues

This paper presents an approach to discover social groups in surveillance videos by incorporating attention-based cues to model group behaviors of pedestrians in videos. Group behaviors are modeled as a set of decision trees with the decisions being basic measurements based on positionbased and attention-based cues. Rather than enforcing explicit models, we apply tree-based learning algorithms to implicitly construct the decision tree models. The experimental results demonstrate that incorporating attention-based cues significantly increased the estimation accuracy compared to the conventional approaches that used position-based cues alone.
Adaptive Noise Cancellation Using Deep Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller

This paper proposes a deep cerebellar model articulation controller (DCMAC) for adaptive noise cancellation (ANC). We expand upon the conventional CMAC by stacking single-layer CMAC models into multiple layers to form a DCMAC model, and derive a backpropagation training algorithm to learn the DCMAC parameters. Compared with the conventional CMAC, the DCMAC can characterize nonlinear transformations more effectively because of its deep structure. Experimental results confirm that the proposed DCMAC model outperforms the CMAC in terms of residual noise in an ANC task, showing that the DCMAC provides enhanced capability to model channel characteristics.