Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for bulimia nervosa. A community-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND Many apparently disparate risk factors have been implicated as causes of eating disorders. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that 2 broad classes of risk factors exist for bulimia nervosa: those that increase the risk for development of a psychiatric disorder in general and those that increase the risk of dieting. It was predicted that the latter are especially common among persons with bulimia nervosa. METHODS A case-control design was used involving 2 integrated comparisons. First, 102 subjects with bulimia nervosa were compared with 204 healthy control subjects without an eating disorder. Second, the same 102 subjects with bulimia nervosa were compared with 102 subjects with other psychiatric disorders. To reduce sampling bias, the subjects were recruited directly from the community. A broad range of putative risk factors was assessed. RESULTS The subjects with bulimia nervosa and the healthy control subjects differed in their rates of exposure to most of the putative risk factors. Far fewer differences were evident between the subjects with bulimia nervosa and the control subjects with other psychiatric disorders, although exposure to factors that were likely to increase the risk of dieting and to negative self-evaluation and certain parental problems (including alcohol use disorder) were substantially more common among those with bulimia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS The findings support the hypothesis that bulimia nervosa is the result of exposure to general risk factors for psychiatric disorder and risk factors for dieting. An unexpected finding was the particularly high rates of premorbid negative self-evaluation and certain parental problems among those with bulimia nervosa.
Wine consumption and 20-year mortality among late-life moderate drinkers.

OBJECTIVE This study examined level of wine consumption and total mortality among 802 older adults ages 55-65 at baseline, controlling for key sociodemographic, behavioral, and health status factors. Despite a growing consensus that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced total mortality, whether wine consumption provides an additional, unique protective effect is unresolved. METHOD Participants were categorized in three subsamples: abstainers, high-wine-consumption moderate drinkers, and low-wine-consumption moderate drinkers. Alcohol consumption, sociodemographic factors, health behavior, and health problems were assessed at baseline; total mortality was indexed across an ensuing 20-year period. RESULTS After adjusting for all covariates, both high-wine-consumption and low-wine-consumption moderate drinkers showed reduced mortality risks compared with abstainers. Further, compared with moderate drinkers for whom a high proportion of ethanol came from wine, those for whom a low proportion of ethanol came from wine were older, were more likely to be male, reported more health problems, were more likely to be tobacco smokers, scored lower on socioeconomic status, and (statistical trend) reported engaging in less physical activity. Controlling only for overall ethanol consumption, compared with moderate drinkers for whom a high proportion of ethanol came from wine, those for whom a low proportion of ethanol came from wine showed a substantially increased 20-year mortality risk of 85%. However, after controlling for all covariates, the initial mortality difference associated with wine consumption was no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS Among older adults who are moderate drinkers, the apparent unique effects of wine on longevity may be explained by confounding factors correlated with wine consumption.
Learning Tractable Probabilistic Models for Fault Localization

In recent years, several probabilistic techniques have been applied to various debugging problems. However, most existing probabilistic debugging systems use relatively simple statistical models, and fail to generalize across multiple programs. In this work, we propose Tractable Fault Localization Models (TFLMs) that can be learned from data, and probabilistically infer the location of the bug. While most previous statistical debugging methods generalize over many executions of a single program, TFLMs are trained on a corpus of previously seen buggy programs, and learn to identify recurring patterns of bugs. Widely-used fault localization techniques such as TARANTULA evaluate the suspiciousness of each line in isolation; in contrast, a TFLM defines a joint probability distribution over buggy indicator variables for each line. Joint distributions with rich dependency structure are often computationally intractable; TFLMs avoid this by exploiting recent developments in tractable probabilistic models (specifically, Relational SPNs). Further, TFLMs can incorporate additional sources of information, including coverage-based features such as TARANTULA. We evaluate the fault localization performance of TFLMs that include TARANTULA scores as features in the probabilistic model. Our study shows that the learned TFLMs isolate bugs more effectively than previous statistical methods or using TARANTULA directly.
Getting in touch with text: designing a mobile phone application for illiterate users to harness SMS

A large number of illiterate people -- 800 million worldwide -- are currently excluded from the benefits of asynchronous and cheap communication through text messages also known as SMS. Smart phones with touch screen will soon be in financial reach of illiterate people in developing countries. Our application EasyTexting allows illiterate users to listen to received SMS and compose text messages by augmenting words with touch-initiated text-to-speech support, icons for frequent phrases and by re-using words from previous messages. The application sends and receives plain SMS and makes no assumption on second parties' SMS editors. We present the motivation for this application derived from interviews and the evolution of the design along with an exploratory evaluation of the interface both with illiterate immigrants.
The Neural Bases of Event Monitoring across Domains: a Simultaneous ERP-fMRI Study

The ability to check and evaluate the environment over time with the aim to detect the occurrence of target stimuli is supported by sustained/tonic as well as transient/phasic control processes, which overall might be referred to as event monitoring. The neural underpinning of sustained attentional control processes involves a fronto-parietal network. However, it has not been well-defined yet whether this cortical circuit acts irrespective of the specific material to be monitored and whether this mediates sustained as well as transient monitoring processes. In the current study, the functional activity of brain during an event monitoring task was investigated and compared between two cognitive domains, whose processing is mediated by differently lateralized areas. Namely, participants were asked to monitor sequences of either faces (supported by right-hemisphere regions) or tools (left-hemisphere). In order to disentangle sustained from transient components of monitoring, a simultaneous EEG-fMRI technique was adopted within a block design. When contrasting monitoring versus control blocks, the conventional fMRI analysis revealed the sustained involvement of bilateral fronto-parietal regions, in both task domains. Event-related potentials (ERPs) showed a more positive amplitude over frontal sites in monitoring compared to control blocks, providing evidence of a transient monitoring component. The joint ERP-fMRI analysis showed that, in the case of face monitoring, this transient component relies on right-lateralized areas, including the inferior parietal lobule and the middle frontal gyrus. In the case of tools, no fronto-parietal areas correlated with the transient ERP activity, suggesting that in this domain phasic monitoring processes were masked by tonic ones. Overall, the present findings highlight the role of bilateral fronto-parietal regions in sustained monitoring, independently of the specific task requirements, and suggest that right-lateralized areas subtend transient monitoring processes, at least in some task contexts.
Phytotoxicity of 4,8-Dihydroxy-1-tetralone Isolated from Carya cathayensis Sarg. to Various Plant Species

The aqueous extract from Carya cathayensis Sarg. exocarp was centrifuged, filtered, and separated into 11 elution fractions by X-5 macroporous resin chromatography. A phenolic compound, 4,8-dihydroxy-1-tetralone (4,8-DHT) was isolated from the fractions with the strongest phytotoxicity by bioassy-guided fractionation, and investigated for phytotoxicity on lettuce (Latuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), onion (Allium cepa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The testing results showed that the treatment with 0.6 mM 4,8-DHT could significantly depress the germination vigor of lettuce and wheat, reduce the germination rate of lettuce and cucumber, and also inhibit radicle length, plumule length, and fresh weight of seedlings of lettuce and onion, but could significantly promote plumule length and fresh weight of seedlings of cucumber (p < 0.05). For the tested five plants, the 4,8-DHT was the most active to the seed germination and seedling growth of lettuce, indicating that the phytotoxicity of 4,8-DHT had the selectivity of dosage, action target (plant type) and content (seed germination or seedling growth).
An experimental comparison of localization methods

Localization is the process of updating the pose of a robot in an environment, based on sensor readings. In this experimental study, we compare two methods for localization of indoor mobile robots: Markov localization, which uses a probability distribution across a grid of robot poses; and scan matching, which uses Kalman filtering techniques based on matching sensor scans. Both these techniques are dense matching methods, that is, they match dense sets of environment features to an a priori map. To arrive at results for a range of situations, we utilize several different types of environments, and add noise to both the dead-reckoning and the sensors. Analysis shows that, roughly, the scan-matching techniques are more efficient and accurate, but Markov localization is better able to cope with large amounts of noise. These results suggest hybrid methods that are efficient, accurate and robust to noise.
Tailored Gallium(III) chelator NOPO: synthesis, characterization, bioconjugation, and application in preclinical Ga-68-PET imaging.

The bifunctional chelator NOPO (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-bis[methylene(hydroxymethyl)phosphinic acid]-7-[methylene(2-carboxyethyl)phosphinic acid]) shows remarkably high Ga(III) complexation efficiency and comprises one carboxylic acid moiety which is not involved into metal ion coordination. An improved synthetic protocol affords NOPO with 45% overall yield. Stepwise protonation constants (log Ka), determined by potentiometry, are 11.96, 5.22, 3.77, and 1.54; the stability constant of the Ga(III) complex is log KGaL = 25.0. Within 5 min, (68)Ga(III) incorporation by NOPO is virtually quantitative at room temperature between pH 3 and 4, and at 95 °C at pH ranging from 0.5 to 7, at NOPO concentrations of 30 μM and 10 μM, respectively. During amide bond formation at the distant carboxylate using the HATU coupling reagent, an intramolecular phosphinic acid ester (phosphilactone) is formed, which is cleaved during (68)Ga complexation or in acidic media, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Phosphilactone formation can also be suppressed by complexation of Zn(2+) prior to conjugation, the resulting zinc-containing conjugates nevertheless being suitable for direct (68)Ga-labeling. In AR42J (rat pancreatic carcinoma) xenografted CD-1 nude mice, (68)Ga-labeled NOPO-NaI(3)-octreotide conjugate ((68)Ga-NOPO-NOC) showed high and fully blockable tumor uptake (13.9 ± 5% ID/g, 120 min p.i., compared to 0.9 ± 0.4% ID/g with 5 mg/kg of nonlabeled peptide). Uptake in other tissues was generally below 3% ID/g, except appearance of excretion-related activity accumulation in kidneys. NOPO-functionalized compounds tend to be more hydrophilic than the corresponding DOTA- and NODAGA-conjugates, thus promoting fast and extensive renal excretion of (68)Ga-NOPO-radiopharmaceuticals. NOPO-functionalized peptides provide suitable pharmacokinetics in vivo and meet all requirements for efficient (68)Ga-labeling even at room temperature in a kit-like manner.
Value-Directed Compression of POMDPs

We examine the problem of generating state-space compressions of POMDPs in a way that minimally impacts decision quality. We analyze the impact of compressions on decision quality, observing that compressions that allow accurate policy evaluation (prediction of expected future reward) will not affect decision quality We derive a set of sufficient conditions that ensure accurate prediction in this respect, illustrate interesting mathematical properties these confer on lossless linear compressions, and use these to derive an iterative procedure for finding good linear lossy compressions. We also elaborate on how structured representations of a POMDP can be used to find such compressions.
Monitoring mycophenolate in liver transplant recipients: Toward a therapeutic range

Predose plasma mycophenolic acid (MPA) concentrations measured with a semi‐automated enzyme‐multiplied immunoassay were related to adverse events (e.g., rejection, leukopenia, infection), drug dose, and clinical status in 147 adult and 63 pediatric liver allograft recipients receiving adjunctive immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). In 12 of 13 acute rejection episodes, predose MPA levels were below the 1 mg/L cut‐off defined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The relative risk of developing infection or leukopenia increased more than 3‐fold above predose MPA levels of 3 to 4 mg/L. Plasma MPA levels correlated weakly (r2 = 0.081) with MMF dose and the dose / level relationship was variably influenced by age, the indication for MMF, concentrations of serum albumin and creatinine, and comedication with tacrolimus or cyclosporine. The median mycophenolate dose required per unit mycophenolate level was 50% lower in children than in adults. Comparable drug requirements were also decreased by renal dysfunction (by 40 and 43% in adults and children, respectively), and in patients prescribed MMF alone rather than with tacrolimus or cyclosporine. However, in patients with serum albumin less than 35g/L, MMF dose requirements were higher than in those with normal albumin levels (by 2.1‐ and 2.6‐fold in adults and children, respectively). In adults, 44.7% achieved clinically acceptable therapeutic MPA concentrations at a dose less than 1 g MMF twice daily and only 6.3% required 1.5 g twice daily as suggested by the manufacturer. The immunoassay was a rapid, reliable, and acceptably precise technique in which only 10.8% of measurements were unproductive. In conclusion, our data suggests that MPA predose level monitoring is both clinically‐ and cost‐effective and that a therapeutic range of 1 to 3.5mg/L (by immunoassay) is applicable in liver allograft recipients given adjunctive MMF. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:492–502.)
The anxiolytic effects of resistance exercise

Numerous studies have revealed the beneficial effects of regular exercise across a variety of mental health measures. Although a great deal of attention has been paid to the role of aerobic exercise, less is known about the role of resistance exercise (i.e., strength training) in mental health outcomes. Resistance exercise includes a broad group of procedures that evoke repeated muscle action against resistances above those encountered in daily life. A growing body of literature has identified anxiolytic effects of resistance exercise in human populations after both single-bout sessions and long-term training. This research has shown that resistance training at a low-to-moderate intensity (<70% 1 repetition maximum) produces the most reliable and robust decreases in anxiety. Importantly, anxiolytic effects have been observed across a diverse range of populations and dependent measures. These findings provide support for the use of resistance exercise in the clinical management of anxiety.
Levels of Heavy Metals in Soil Sample from Active Automobile Workshops in Benin City

The evaluation of heavy metals contamination of soils as a means of monitoring the status of the environment for the good of the ecosystem is crucial. Benin city was subdivided into four zones (south east SE, south west SW, north east NE and north west NW) In this study, top soil (TS) and distance top soil (DTS) samples from three hundred and thirty-nine auto repair workshops in Benin City, Nigeria were assessed for physico-chemical properties and heavy metals (HMs), using standard methods. The main soil properties (pH, cation exchange capacity, total organic carbon and particle sizes) were determined for a network of representative sampling sites. The results shows that the average levels of the heavy metals (excluding Fe) in soil samples from within and 30 m away from the automobile workshops in the various zones are 143.1 (88.6), 118.6 (86.9), 129.1 (79.2) and 143.3 (113.0) for SE, SW, NE and NW respectively (the values in bracket represents DTS). When compared with mean concentrations for other cities. The results revealed higher concentrations of heavy metals in topsoil samples than in 30 m away from the epicentre samples. The samples from North West and South East part of the city had higher Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents than samples from the other Locations. All the heavy metals show significant differences in their means across the two sampling locations (TS and DTS). The correlation analysis showed that all the heavy metals were significantly correlated with each other. The principal component analysis produced only one component which accounted for 69.414% of the total variation between the heavy metals.
Effects of Furosemide Applied Chronically to the Round Window: A Model of Metabolic Presbyacusis

Hearing thresholds in elderly humans without a history of noise exposure commonly show a profile of a flat loss at low frequencies coupled with a loss that increases with frequency above ∼2 kHz. This profile and the relatively robust distortion product otoacoustic emissions that are found in elderly subjects challenge the common belief that age-related hearing loss (presbyacusis) is based primarily on sensory-cell disorders. Here, we examine a model of presbyacusis wherein the endocochlear potential (EP) is reduced by means of furosemide applied chronically to one cochlea of a young gerbil. The model results in an EP that is reduced from 90 to ∼60 mV, a value often seen in quiet-aged gerbils, with no concomitant loss of hair cells. Resulting measures of cochlear and neural function are quantitatively similar to those seen in aging gerbils and humans, e.g., a flat threshold loss at low frequencies with a high-frequency roll-off of approximately −8.4 dB/octave. The effect of the EP on neural thresholds can be parsimoniously explained by the known gain characteristics of the cochlear amplifier as a function of cochlear location: in the apex, amplification is limited to ∼20 dB, whereas in the base, the gain can be as high as 60 dB. At high frequencies, amplification is directly proportional to the EP on an ∼1 dB/mV basis. This model suggests that the primary factor in true age-related hearing loss is an energy-starved cochlear amplifier that results in a specific audiogram profile.
Effect of multidisciplinary disease management for hospitalized heart failure under a national health insurance programme

Aim Multidisciplinary disease management programmes (MDPs) for heart failure have been shown to be effective in Western countries. However, it is not known whether they improve outcomes in a high population density country with a national health insurance programme. Methods In total, 349 patients hospitalized because of heart failure were randomized into control and MDP groups. All-cause death and re-hospitalization related to heart failure were analyzed. The median follow-up period was approximately 2 years. Results Mean patient age was 60 years; 31% were women; and 50% of patients had coronary artery disease. MDP was associated with fewer all-cause deaths [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.27–0.91, P = 0.02] and heart failure-related re-hospitalizations (HR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.25–0.77, P = 0.004). MDP was still associated with better outcomes for all-cause death (HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.29–0.98, P = 0.04) and heart failure-related re-hospitalization (HR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.26–0.81, P = 0.007), after adjusting for age, diuretics, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, sodium, and albumin. However, MDPs’ effect on all-cause mortality and heart failure-related re-hospitalization was significantly attenuated after adjusting for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers or &bgr;-blockers. A stratified analysis showed that MDP combined with guideline-based medication had synergistic effects. Conclusions MDP is effective in lowering all-cause mortality and re-hospitalization rates related to heart failure under a national health insurance programme. MDP synergistically improves the effectiveness of guidelines-based medications for heart failure.
Denoising-Based Turbo Compressed Sensing

Turbo compressed sensing (Turbo-CS) is an efficient iterative algorithm for sparse signal recovery with partial orthogonal sensing matrices. In this paper, we extend the Turbo-CS algorithm to solve compressed sensing problems involving a more general signal structure, including compressive image recovery and low-rank matrix recovery. A main difficulty for such an extension is that the original Turbo-CS algorithm requires a prior knowledge of the signal distribution that is usually unavailable in practice. To overcome this difficulty, we propose to redesign the Turbo-CS algorithm by employing a generic denoiser that does not depend on the prior distribution, and hence the name denoising-based Turbo-CS (D-Turbo-CS). We then derive the extrinsic information for a generic denoiser by following the Turbo-CS principle. Based on that, we optimize the parametric extrinsic denoisers to minimize the output mean-square error (MSE). Explicit expressions are derived for the extrinsic SURE-LET denoiser used in image denoising and also for the singular value thresholding denoiser used in low-rank matrix denoising. We find that the dynamics of D-Turbo-CS can be well described by a scaler recursion called MSE evolution, similar to the case for Turbo-CS. Numerical results demonstrate that D-Turbo-CS considerably outperforms the counterpart algorithms in both reconstruction quality and running time.