Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Approximating the Spectrum of a Graph

The spectrum of a network or graph $G=(V,E)$ with adjacency matrix A , consists of the eigenvalues of the normalized Laplacian $L= I - D^-1/2 A D^-1/2 $. This set of eigenvalues encapsulates many aspects of the structure of the graph, including the extent to which the graph posses community structures at multiple scales. We study the problem of approximating the spectrum, $łambda = (łambda_1,\dots,łambda_|V| )$, of G in the regime where the graph is too large to explicitly calculate the spectrum. We present a sublinear time algorithm that, given the ability to query a random node in the graph and select a random neighbor of a given node, computes a succinct representation of an approximation $\widetilde łambda = (\widetilde łambda_1,\dots,\widetilde łambda_|V| )$, such that $\|\widetilde łambda - łambda\|_1 łe ε |V|$. Our algorithm has query complexity and running time $exp(O(1/\eps))$, which is independent of the size of the graph, $|V|$. We demonstrate the practical viability of our algorithm on synthetically generated graphs, and on 15 different real-world graphs from the Stanford Large Network Dataset Collection, including social networks, academic collaboration graphs, and road networks. For the smallest of these graphs, we are able to validate the accuracy of our algorithm by explicitly calculating the true spectrum; for the larger graphs, such a calculation is computationally prohibitive. The spectra of these real-world networks reveal insights into the structural similarities and differences between them, illustrating the potential value of our algorithm for efficiently approximating the spectrum of large large networks.
Accuracy of death certificate diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to determine the reliability of official mortality statistics in estimating long term trends of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Italy. DESIGN--The study was a mortality follow up of cases of ALS. SETTING--Piedmond Region, northern Italy. SUBJECTS--Cases of ALS were identified from multiple sources between 1966 and 1985. MAIN RESULTS--Cause of death was determined for the cases who died between 1970 and 1985. Death certificates were obtained in 488 out of 510 cases (95.7%). ALS was mentioned in 365 (74.8%) of cases. The most frequent erroneous diagnoses were multiple sclerosis and malignant tumours. Demographic variables, such as sex, age at death, province of death, and calendar year of death, did not influence the percentage of true positive cases significantly. CONCLUSIONS--The death certificate diagnosis of ALS appears to be adequate for use in descriptive and analytical epidemiology.
"Deliberative Public Opinion in Presidential Primaries: Evidence from the Online Deliberative Poll" *

Media coverage of political campaigns typically highlights the horserace and strategic aspects of campaigns at the expense of the candidates' positions and records on matters of policy and governance. Reports on the latest polls or behind-the-scenes strategic maneuvers far outnumber reports on the candidates' worldviews, policy pledges, or previous records of decision-making (for a review of the evidence, see Iyengar et al., 2004). These tendencies are especially pronounced during the early stages of nomination campaigns. With a relatively large field of sometimes unfamiliar candidates, the task of delineating platforms and records is even harder than in November. Reporters find it far easier to use poll numbers, fund raising data, and attendance at campaign events to handicap the contest pronouncements on the issues, which are important but repetitive, the state of the horse race is new news. The media's focus on the horse race makes the results from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary disproportionately influential. These first real tests of public support generate a torrent of reports on the " winners " and " losers " and the future trajectory of the race which can lead either to dramatic surges in subsequent electoral support or rapid winnowing from the race. The 2004 Democratic primaries have provided textbook examples. Over the space of just a few weeks, beginning with the Iowa caucuses, John Kerry rose from a self-financed, under-achieving candidate to the presumptive nominee, while Howard Dean fell from front-runner to " underdog " to certain loser. Thus horse race coverage grants disproportionate influence to small samples of voters from two small, unrepresentative states. 2 For their part, the media are partly following voters, who, whatever they say, exhibit a strong behavioral preference for reading and hearing about the horse race, rather than policy issues (Iyengar et al., 2004). The horse race is what attracts the most viewers and sells the most newspapers and magazines. But that is partly because, as decades of survey research have shown, most voters know so little about policy issues and the candidates' positions on them, which may in turn be a function of media behavior Given what they see, hear, and read, all but the most determined voters have little choice but to rely heavily on the candidates' sheer visibility and appearance of electability (Bartels, 1988; Brady and Johnston, 1987). It is, in short, a vicious circle. The relative invisibility of issues in primary …
Maximum likelihood DOA estimation and asymptotic Cramer-Rao bounds for additive unknown colored noise

This paper is devoted to the maximum likelihood estimation of multiple sources in the presence of unknown noise. With the spatial noise covariance modeled as a function of certain unknown parameters, e.g., an autoregressive (AR) model, a direct and systematic way is developed to find the exact maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of all parameters associated with the direction finding problem, including the direction-of-arrival (DOA) angles /spl Theta/, the noise parameters /spl alpha/, the signal covariance /spl Phi//sub s/, and the noise power /spl sigma//sup 2/. We show that the estimates of the linear part of the parameter set /spl Phi//sub s/ and /spl sigma//sup 2/ can be separated from the nonlinear parts /spl Theta/ and /spl alpha/. Thus, the estimates of /spl Phi//sub s/ and /spl sigma//sup 2/ become explicit functions of /spl Theta/ and /spl alpha/. This results in a significant reduction in the dimensionality of the nonlinear optimization problem. Asymptotic analysis is performed on the estimates of /spl Theta/ and /spl alpha/, and compact formulas are obtained for the Cramer-Rao bounds (CRB's). Finally, a Newton-type algorithm is designed to solve the nonlinear optimization problem, and simulations show that the asymptotic CRB agrees well with the results from Monte Carlo trials, even for small numbers of snapshots. >
Analysis dictionary learning based on Nesterov's gradient with application to SAR image despeckling

We focus on the dictionary learning problem for the analysis model. A simple but effective algorithm based on Nesterov's gradient is proposed. This algorithm assumes that the analysis dictionary contains unit ℓ2 norm atoms and trains the dictionary iteratively with Nesterov's gradient. We show that our proposed algorithm is able to learn the dictionary effectively with experiments on synthetic data. We also present examples demonstrating the promising performance of our algorithm in despeckling synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images.
A series of enterococcal brain abscesses

Background: Neurosurgeons in developing countries come across brain abscess frequently, but Enterococcus as a cause of abscess is rare. Aims: To describe clinical profile and treatment of a series of patients with enterococcal brain abscess. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed microbiological records of patients with brain abscess to identify Enterococcus as a causative organism. Results: 12 patients (nine males) were diagnosed to have enterococcal brain abscess. All were due to E. species. Conclusions: The clinical feature and management are not different from other etiological agents. The prognosis of enterococcal brain abscess is more favourable than bacteremia.
Growth of White Matter in the Adolescent Brain: Role of Testosterone and Androgen Receptor

The growth of white matter during human adolescence shows a striking sexual dimorphism; the volume of white matter increases with age slightly in girls and steeply in boys. Here, we provide evidence supporting the role of androgen receptor (AR) in mediating the effect of testosterone on white matter. In a large sample of typically developing adolescents (n = 408, 204 males), we used magnetic resonance imaging and acquired T1-weighted and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) images. We also measured plasma levels of testosterone and genotyped a functional polymorphism in the AR gene, namely the number of CAG repeats in exon 1 believed to be inversely proportional to the AR transcriptional activity. We found that the testosterone-related increase of white-matter volume was stronger in male adolescents with the lower versus higher number of CAG repeats in the AR gene, with testosterone explaining, respectively, 26 and 8% of variance in the volume. The MTR results suggest that this growth is not related to myelination; the MTR decreased with age in male adolescents. We speculate that testosterone affects axonal caliber rather than the thickness of the myelin sheath.
The risk factors, consequences, treatment, and importance of gestational depression

Nowadays, mental problems have become an important health issue, the most frequent of which in pregnancy is depression. Gestational depression is known to increase gestational complications and negatively affect maternal and fetal health. The frequency of gestational depression and depressive symptoms are 10-30%. Risk factors vary according to genetic, psychologic, environmental, social, and biologic factors. Maternal morbidity and mortality rates increase in pregnant women who do not receive treatment, obstetric complications and negative fetal consequences are seen, and the incidence of postpartum depression increases. Due to all these important consequences, healthcare providers who manage pregnant women should be informed about the frequency, symptoms, and screening methods of postpartum depression, the significance of the consequences of undiagnosed and untreated depression on the health of mother and baby, and the importance of early diagnosis. Pregnant women who are at risk should be screened and detected, and directed to related centers. In this review, we briefly review the definition of gestational depression, its frequency, risk factors, complications, screening, treatments, and the procedures that need to be performed the diagnostic process.
Control of RNA Stability by NrrF, an Iron-Regulated Small RNA in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

ABSTRACT Regulation of gene expression by small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) plays a critical role in bacterial response to physiological stresses. NrrF, a trans-acting sRNA in Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has been shown in the meningococcus to control indirectly, in response to iron (Fe) availability, the transcription of genes encoding subunits of succinate dehydrogenase, a Fe-requiring enzyme. Given that in other organisms, sRNAs target multiple mRNAs to control gene expression, we used a global approach to examine the role of NrrF in controlling gonococcal transcription. Three strains, including N. gonorrhoeae FA1090, an nrrF deletion mutant, and a complemented derivative, were examined using a custom CombiMatrix microarray to assess the role of this sRNA in controlling gene expression in response to Fe availability. In the absence of NrrF, the mRNA half-lives for 12 genes under Fe-depleted growth conditions were longer than those in FA1090. The 12 genes controlled by NrrF encoded proteins with biological functions including energy metabolism, oxidative stress, antibiotic resistance, and amino acid synthesis, as well as hypothetical proteins and a regulatory protein whose functions are not fully understood.
Hospice volunteer as patient advocate: A trait approach

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine traits of hospice volunteers that facilitate their success in this informal caregiving role, with the larger goal of alleviating the family caregiver burden and providing additional support to the hospice patient. To achieve this goal, a new scale was developed to tap into how hospice volunteers view their patient advocacy role. Method: Participants were 136 trained hospice volunteers from the Midwest who had direct contact with hospice patients. Volunteers mailed anonymous surveys that included measures of argumentativeness, locus of control, attitudes toward patient advocacy, and key demographic items. A new scale was developed to measure patient advocacy by hospice volunteers called the Hospice Volunteer as Patient Advocate. Results: Submitting this scale to exploratory factor analysis, two factors emerged: duty as patient advocate and support of patient rights. After performing a multiple regression analysis, results showed that female volunteers who were high in internal locus of control were more likely to perceive that volunteers have a duty as patient advocates. Younger volunteers with more years of volunteer experience, higher levels of internal locus of control, and lower external locus of control were more likely to support patient rights. Significance of results: The findings of this study could be used to formalize hospice volunteers' role as patient advocates, thus better utilizing them as committed, caring communicators and improving patient-centered care at end-of-life.
A stereotype threat account of boys' academic underachievement.

Three studies examined the role of stereotype threat in boys' academic underachievement. Study 1 (children aged 4-10, n = 238) showed that girls from age 4 years and boys from age 7 years believed, and thought adults believed, that boys are academically inferior to girls. Study 2 manipulated stereotype threat, informing children aged 7-8 years (n = 162) that boys tend to do worse than girls at school. This manipulation hindered boys' performance on a reading, writing, and math test, but did not affect girls' performance. Study 3 counteracted stereotype threat, informing children aged 6-9 years (n = 184) that boys and girls were expected to perform similarly. This improved the performance of boys and did not affect that of girls.
Onset of Resin Micro-cracks in Unidirectional Glass Fiber Laminates with Integrated SHM Sensors: Numerical Analysis

The embedment of micro-sensors and micro-devices into composite laminates for structural health monitoring systems leads to stress/strain concentrations due to geometrical and material discontinuities around such embedded inclusions, with high potential to initiate premature failures. This article presents the efforts to estimate the effects of these stress/strain concentrations induced by the integration of rectangular-shape sensors within unidirectional fiber-glass composites. The micro-crack initiation sites and the failure load are predicted using finite-element simulations. Good agreement has been found between the numerical results and the experimental findings presented in an accompanying paper.
Simulation of Light-Matter Interaction and Two-Photon Absorption Induced Charge Deposition by Ultrashort Optical Pulses in Silicon

Nonlinear beam propagation software is used to calculate quantitatively the two-photon absorption (TPA)-induced charge-density profiles generated in silicon by focused femtosecond laser pulses under conditions that are experimentally relevant for single-event effects studies. The described approach permits simulation and prediction of the impact of various optical nonlinearities on the beam propagation through, and generation of free carriers in silicon for F/#s approaching one. It is found that, even at moderate incident laser pulse energies, the nonlinear-optical processes of nonlinear refraction, free-carrier absorption, and free-carrier refraction all contribute, and must be considered in describing the TPA-induced charge generation in silicon. Free-carrier refraction is found to play the dominant role in distorting the charge density profile at larger pulse energies. The simulation results are validated with experimentally measured beam sizes for different focusing conditions.
Recombinant PDGF enhances megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro

Summary. The effect of recombinant platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) on both murine and human megakaryocyte colony formation was studied in the plasma clot culture system. PDGF significantly stimulates megakaryocyte colony formation in a dose‐dependent manner. The minimum concentration which had a significant stimulating effect on colony forming unit megakaryocyte (CFU‐MK) was lOng/ml and maximum stimulation occurred at 50 ng/ml. The effect of PDGF was compared with that of interleukin (IL)‐3, IL‐6, granulocyte‐macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF), erythropoietin (EPO) and acid fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) on megakaryocyte colony formation. The results showed that megakaryocyte colony stimulating activity of PDGF was slightly higher than those of GM‐CSF and aFGF, but lower than those of IL‐3, IL‐6 and EPO. The effect of PDGF in combination with IL‐3 or IL‐6 on megakaryocyte colony formation was also investigated. No synergistic action was found between PDGF and IL‐3 or IL‐6, but an additive effect was observed with IL‐3 plus IL‐6. We also studied the effects of PDGF in combination with anti‐IL6, anti‐IL‐3 or anti‐GM‐CSF antibody. The increase of megakaryocyte colony formation induced by PDGF was partially inhibited by anti‐IL‐6 or anti‐GM‐CSF antibody but not by anti‐IL‐3 antibody. These results indicate that PDGF is a positive regulator for megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro and IL‐6 and GM‐CSF may play a role in the mechanism whereby PDGF stimulates megakaryocytopoiesis.
Early changes in peripheral blood T cells during primary infection of rhesus macaques with a pathogenic SIV

Primary infection of rhesus macaques with pathogenic strains of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) leads to rapid and dynamic changes in both viral load and T cell counts in the peripheral blood. We have performed a sequential analysis of peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 T cells in five macaques during the 8 weeks following SIVmac251 infection. We observed a transient lymphopenia of both CD4 and CD8 T cells during the first 2 weeks, followed by a rebound. The primary phase of infection was associated with changes in the T cells expressing CD25, CD69, or HLA‐DR and with a priming of the peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 T cells for a process of apoptosis in vitro that was enhanced by CD95 (Fas) ligation, and was detected in two macaques as early as 7 days after infection. Despite the small numbers of animals studied, the importance of the early transient CD4 and CD8 T lymphopenia was positively correlated with the viral load. No correlation was found, however, between the level of activation markers expressed or of priming for apoptosis in peripheral blood T cells and the viral load. Our findings suggest the possibility that the early activation and priming for apoptosis of CD4 and CD8 T cells may involve indirect, host‐related, mechanisms, or alternatively, that the T cells that remain in the peripheral blood during primary infection do not adequately reflect the viral‐mediated changes in T cell activation and death that may occur in the lymphoid organs throughout the body.
Intramuscular DNA Vaccination of Juvenile Carp against Spring Viremia of Carp Virus Induces Full Protection and Establishes a Virus-Specific B and T Cell Response

Although spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) can cause high mortalities in common carp, a commercial vaccine is not available for worldwide use. Here, we report a DNA vaccine based on the expression of the SVCV glycoprotein (G) which, when injected in the muscle even at a single low dose of 0.1 µg DNA/g of fish, confers up to 100% protection against a subsequent bath challenge with SVCV. Importantly, to best validate vaccine efficacy, we also optimized a reliable bath challenge model closely mimicking a natural infection, based on a prolonged exposure of carp to SVCV at 15°C. Using this optimized bath challenge, we showed a strong age-dependent susceptibility of carp to SVCV, with high susceptibility at young age (3 months) and a full resistance at 9 months. We visualized local expression of the G protein and associated early inflammatory response by immunohistochemistry and described changes in the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and antiviral genes in the muscle of vaccinated fish. Adaptive immune responses were investigated by analyzing neutralizing titers against SVCV in the serum of vaccinated fish and the in vitro proliferation capacity of peripheral SVCV-specific T cells. We show significantly higher serum neutralizing titers and the presence of SVCV-specific T cells in the blood of vaccinated fish, which proliferated upon stimulation with SVCV. Altogether, this is the first study reporting on a protective DNA vaccine against SVCV in carp and the first to provide a detailed characterization of local innate as well as systemic adaptive immune responses elicited upon DNA vaccination that suggest a role not only of B cells but also of T cells in the protection conferred by the SVCV-G DNA vaccine.
Sources of Hospital Variation in Short-Term Readmission Rates After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background— Risk-standardized all-cause 30-day readmission rates (RSRRs) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been endorsed as a national measure of hospital quality. Little is known about variation in the performance of hospitals on this measure, and whether high hospital rates of readmission after PCI are due to modifiable deficiencies in quality of care has not been assessed. Methods and Results— We estimated 30-day, all-cause RSRRs for all nonfederal PCI-performing hospitals in Massachusetts, adjusted for clinical and angiographic variables, between 2005 and 2008. We assessed if differences in race, insurance type, and PCI and post-PCI characteristics, including procedural complications and discharge characteristics, could explain variation between hospitals using nested hierarchical logistic regression models. Of 36 060 patients undergoing PCI at 24 hospitals and surviving to discharge, 4469 (12.4%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Hospital RSRRs ranged from 9.5% to 17.9%, with 8 of 24 hospitals being identified as outliers (4 lower than expected and 4 higher than expected). Differences in race, insurance, PCI, and post-PCI factors accounted for 10.4% of the between-hospital variance in RSRRs. Conclusions— We observed wide variation in hospital 30-day all-cause RSRRs after PCI, most of which could not be explained by identifiable differences in procedural and postprocedural factors. A better understanding of etiologies of hospital variation is necessary to determine whether this measure is an actionable assessment of hospital quality, and, if so, how hospitals might improve their performance.
Relationship between Self-Esteem and Depression

129 males and females enrolled in introductory educational psychology participated in the study to determine the relationship between self-esteem and depression in college students. Each subject was administered a self-esteem checklist and a scale intended to measure depression on one occasion. The correlation between self-esteem and depression for the total group was . 55; the value for males was . 53, foe females . 56.