Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Descriptive Characterization of Psycho-Trauma, Psychological Distress, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among Children and Adolescent Internally Displaced Persons in Kaduna, Nigeria

Background A postelection violent conflict in Kaduna resulted in 800 deaths and 65,000 displaced people leading to setting up of camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs). We set out to determine the prevalence and pattern of psycho-traumatic stressful life events, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among child/adolescents IDPs. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study of 73 child/adolescent IDPs were selected by total sampling. Stressful life event checklist measured conflict-related trauma and reaction of adolescents to traumatic stress (RATS) measured post-trauma reaction of children/adolescents. Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 37 for Adolescents measured psychological distress associated with trauma. Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children was used for diagnosis of PTSD. Results Of 73 respondents, 3 (4.1%) had probable PTSD, 2 (2.7%) had definitive PTSD, and mean score of the child/adolescent IDPs on HSCL-37A and RATS was 44.7 (SD = 6.3) and 31.9 (SD = 5.7), respectively. Most frequently occurring psychological distress among female participants was suddenly scared for no reason 7 (19.5%) and becoming angry easily and feeling fearful 5 (13.9%). The average score for female participants were higher than that for males on depressive and anxiety subscale of HSCL-37A. Conclusion We concluded that children/adolescent IDPs were exposed to psycho-trauma following postelection violent conflict and developed psychological distress. However, the low prevalence of psychological distress and PTSD suggested that living with parents and psychosocial intervention provided could have led to much lower morbidity.
The eel retina. Receptor classes and spectral mechanisms

Light and electron microscopy revealed that there are both rods and cones in the retina of the eel Anguilla rostrata. The rods predominate with a rod to cone ratio of 150:1. The spectral sensitivity of the dark- adapted eyecup ERG had a peak at about 520 nm and was well fit by a vitamin A2 nomogram pigment with a lambdamax = 520 nm. This agrees with the eel photopigment measurements of other investigators. This result implies that a single spectral mechanism--the rods--provides the input for the dark-adapted ERG. The spectral sensitivity of the ERG to flicker in the light-adapted eyecup preparation was shifted to longer wavelengths; it peaked at around 550 nm. However, there was evidence that this technique might not have completely eliminated rod intrusion. Rod responses were abolished in a bleached isolated retina preparation, in which it was shown that there were two classes of cone-like mechanisms, one with lambdamax of 550 nm and the other with lambdamax of less than 450 nm. Ganglion cell recording provided preliminary evidence for opponent-color processing. Horizontal cells were only of the L type with both rod and cone inputs.
Head injury as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: the evidence 10 years on; a partial replication

Objective: To determine, using a systematic review of case-control studies, whether head injury is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. We sought to replicate the findings of the meta-analysis of Mortimer et al (1991). Methods: A predefined inclusion criterion specified case-control studies eligible for inclusion. A comprehensive and systematic search of various electronic databases, up to August 2001, was undertaken. Two independent reviewers screened studies for eligibility. Fifteen case-control studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria, of which seven postdated the study of Mortimer et al. Results: We partially replicated the results of Mortimer et al. The meta-analysis of the seven studies conducted since 1991 did not reach significance. However, analysis of all 15 case-control studies was significant (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.06), indicating an excess history of head injury in those with Alzheimer’s disease. The finding of Mortimer et al that head injury is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease only in males was replicated. The excess risk of head injury in those with Alzheimer’s disease is only found in males (males: OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.47 to 2.06; females: OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.47). Conclusions: This study provides support for an association between a history of previous head injury and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Laplacian mesh optimization

We introduce a framework for triangle shape optimization and feature preserving smoothing of triangular meshes that is guided by the vertex Laplacians, specifically, the uniformly weighted Laplacian and the discrete mean curvature normal. Vertices are relocated so that they approximate prescribed Laplacians and positions in a weighted least-squares sense; the resulting linear system leads to an efficient, non-iterative solution. We provide different weighting schemes and demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework on a number of detailed and highly irregular meshes; our technique successfully improves the quality of the triangulation while remaining faithful to the original surface geometry, and it is also capable of smoothing the surface while preserving geometric features.
Supervised Descent Method and Its Applications to Face Alignment

Many computer vision problems (e.g., camera calibration, image alignment, structure from motion) are solved through a nonlinear optimization method. It is generally accepted that 2nd order descent methods are the most robust, fast and reliable approaches for nonlinear optimization of a general smooth function. However, in the context of computer vision, 2nd order descent methods have two main drawbacks: (1) The function might not be analytically differentiable and numerical approximations are impractical. (2) The Hessian might be large and not positive definite. To address these issues, this paper proposes a Supervised Descent Method (SDM) for minimizing a Non-linear Least Squares (NLS) function. During training, the SDM learns a sequence of descent directions that minimizes the mean of NLS functions sampled at different points. In testing, SDM minimizes the NLS objective using the learned descent directions without computing the Jacobian nor the Hessian. We illustrate the benefits of our approach in synthetic and real examples, and show how SDM achieves state-of-the-art performance in the problem of facial feature detection. The code is available at www.humansensing. cs. cmu.edu/intraface.
Rapid Interactions between Lexical Semantic and Word Form Analysis during Word Recognition in Context: Evidence from ERPs

We used ERPs to investigate the time course of interactions between lexical semantic and sublexical visual word form processing during word recognition. Participants read sentence-embedded pseudowords that orthographically resembled a contextually supported real word (e.g., “She measured the flour so she could bake a ceke…”) or did not (e.g., “She measured the flour so she could bake a tont…”) along with nonword consonant strings (e.g., “She measured the flour so she could bake a srdt…”). Pseudowords that resembled a contextually supported real word (“ceke”) elicited an enhanced positivity at 130 msec (P130), relative to real words (e.g., “She measured the flour so she could bake a cake…”). Pseudowords that did not resemble a plausible real word (“tont”) enhanced the N170 component, as did nonword consonant strings (“srdt”). The effect pattern shows that the visual word recognition system is, perhaps, counterintuitively, more rapidly sensitive to minor than to flagrant deviations from contextually predicted inputs. The findings are consistent with rapid interactions between lexical and sublexical representations during word recognition, in which rapid lexical access of a contextually supported word (CAKE) provides top–down excitation of form features (“cake”), highlighting the anomaly of an unexpected word “ceke. ”
Two Residues Predominantly Dictate Functional Difference in Motility between Shewanella oneidensis Flagellins FlaA and FlaB*

Background: Flagellins with little sequence variability in multiple-flagellin systems nonetheless differ substantially in function. Results: Motility differences resulting from S. oneidensis flagellin paralogs FlaA and FlaB are due to amino acid composition rather than regulation. Conclusion: Two residue positions predominantly dictate differences in motility mediated by the two flagellins. Significance: This work provides great insight into our understanding of functional difference between duplicated proteins. Nearly half of flagellated microorganisms possess a multiple-flagellin system. Although a functional filament can be formed from one of multiple flagellins alone in many bacteria, it is more common that one flagellin is the major constituent and others contribute. Underlying mechanisms proposed for such scenarios cover flagellin regulation of various levels, including transcription, translation, post-translational modification, secretion, and filament assembly. In Shewanella oneidensis, the flagellar filament is composed of FlaA and FlaB flagellins; the latter is the major one in terms of motility. In this study, we showed that regulation of all levels except for filament assembly is indistinguishable between these two flagellins. Further analyses revealed that two amino acid residues predominantly dictated functional difference with respect to motility. Given that Shewanella prefer a solid surface-associated life style, of which filaments consisting of either FlaA or FlaB are equally supportive, we envision that roles of flagella in surface adhesion and formation of bacterial communities are particularly important for their survival and proliferation in these specific niches.
Genome-wide (over)view on the actions of vitamin D

For a global understanding of the physiological impact of the nuclear hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) the analysis of the genome-wide locations of its high affinity receptor, the transcription factor vitamin D receptor (VDR), is essential. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) in GM10855 and GM10861 lymphoblastoid cells, undifferentiated and lipopolysaccharide-differentiated THP-1 monocytes, LS180 colorectal cancer cells and LX2 hepatic stellate cells revealed between 1000 and 13,000 VDR-specific genomic binding sites. The harmonized analysis of these ChIP-seq datasets indicates that the mechanistic basis for the action of the VDR is independent of the cell type. Formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements sequencing (FAIRE-seq) data highlight accessible chromatin regions, which are under control of 1,25(OH)2D3. In addition, public data, such as from the ENCODE project, allow to relate the genome-wide actions of VDR and 1,25(OH)2D3 to those of other proteins within the nucleus. For example, locations of the insulator protein CTCF suggest a segregation of the human genome into chromatin domains, of which more than 1000 contain at least one VDR binding site. The integration of all these genome-wide data facilitates the identification of the most important VDR binding sites and associated primary 1,25(OH)2D3 target genes. Expression changes of these key genes can serve as biomarkers for the actions of vitamin D3 and its metabolites in different tissues and cell types of human individuals. Analysis of primary tissues obtained from vitamin D3 intervention studies using such markers indicated a large inter-individual variation for the efficiency of vitamin D3 supplementation. In conclusion, a genome-wide (over)view on the genomic locations of VDR provides a broader basis for addressing vitamin D's role in health and disease.
Overcoming functional impairment in postpartum depressed or anxious women: a pilot trial of desvenlafaxine with flexible dosing

Objectives: Antidepressants are the first line treatment for moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD) in perinatal and general populations. However, there appears to be paucity of evidence around antidepressant use in women with postpartum depression or anxiety. Selection of an appropriate antidepressant is crucial in promoting efficacy, optimizing tolerability, and managing comorbid anxiety or depression. Our aim was to investigate the treatment effect and tolerability profile of desvenlafaxine, and to examine the functionality of women with postpartum depression or anxiety after desvenlafaxine treatment. Methods: Fifteen postpartum women with depression or anxiety completed this 12-week prospective pilot study with a flexible dose of desvenlafaxine (50–100 mg). Participants were recruited at a tertiary care level program. Measures of depression (Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, MADRS), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, HAM-A), worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire, PSWQ) and functional impairment (Sheehan Disability Scale, SDS) were completed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Results: In the intention-to-treat analysis (n = 17), the majority of women responded to medication (88.2%, n = 15), and reached remission of depressive (82.4%, n = 14) and anxiety symptoms (82.4%, n = 14). Remission of depression was achieved in a mean of 6.9 weeks [standard deviation (SD) = 3.01] at a mean dose of 71 mg/day (SD = 25.7). Significant decreases were observed on PSWQ worry scores (p < 0.0001) and SDS scores for social (p < 0.0001) and family life impairment (p < 0.0001). The medication was generally well tolerated. Conclusion: The results of our prospective pilot study suggest that treatment with desvenlafaxine of postpartum mothers with depression or anxiety can lead to symptom remission and restoration of functionality.
Flipping the classroom to teach Millennial residents medical leadership: a proof of concept

Introduction The ongoing changes in health care delivery have resulted in the reform of educational content and methods of training in postgraduate medical leadership education. Health care law and medical errors are domains in medical leadership where medical residents desire training. However, the potential value of the flipped classroom as a pedagogical tool for leadership training within postgraduate medical education has not been fully explored. Therefore, we designed a learning module for this purpose and made use of the flipped classroom model to deliver the training. Evidence The flipped classroom model reverses the order of learning: basic concepts are learned individually outside of class so that more time is spent applying knowledge to discussions and practical scenarios during class. Advantages include high levels of interaction, optimal utilization of student and expert time and direct application to the practice setting. Disadvantages include the need for high levels of self-motivation and time constraints within the clinical setting. Discussion Educational needs and expectations vary within various generations and call for novel teaching modalities. Hence, the choice of instructional methods should be driven not only by their intrinsic values but also by their alignment with the learners’ preference. The flipped classroom model is an educational modality that resonates with Millennial students. It helps them to progress quickly beyond the mere understanding of theory to higher order cognitive skills such as evaluation and application of knowledge in practice. Hence, the successful application of this model would allow the translation of highly theoretical topics to the practice setting within postgraduate medical education.
Generation of fast interpreters for Huffman compressed bytecode

Embedded systems often have severe memory constraints requiring careful encoding of programs. For example, smart cards have on the order of 1K of RAM, 16K of non-volatile memory, and 24K of ROM. A virtual machine can be an effective approach to obtain compact programs but instructions are commonly encoded using one byte for the opcode and multiple bytes for the operands, which can be wasteful and thus limit the size of programs runnable on embedded systems. Our approach uses canonical Huffman codes to generate compact opcodes with custom-sized operand fields and with a virtual machine that directly executes this compact code. We present techniques to automatically generate the new instruction formats and the decoder. In effect, this automatically creates both an instruction set for a customized virtual machine and an implementation of that machine. We demonstrate that, without prior decompression, fast decoding of these virtual compressed instructions is feasible. Through experiments on Scheme and Java, we demonstrate the speed of these decoders. Java benchmarks show an average execution slowdown of 9%. Compression factors highly depend on the original bytecode and the training sample, but typically vary from 30% to 60%.
Improving the quality of mesh simplification with texture saliency measurement

The objective of this paper is to study the effect of using visual attention (saliency) of an object's texture to improve the quality of mesh simplification. We present an extension for QSlim method [Garland and Zhou, `Quadric-based simplification in any dimension', 2005] which uses saliency measurement and we evaluate simplified meshes in terms of geometry loss and synthetic view-dependent image-based measurement.
Processing of hepatitis C virus core protein is regulated by its C‐terminal sequence

Polyprotein processing of plus‐strand RNA viruses is important in the regulation of gene production and replication. The core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV), constructing the viral particle, is processed from its precursor polyprotein and observed as two forms, p23 and p21. Production of p21 by cleavage at the C‐terminus of p23 is considered crucial to viral assembly and replication. In this study, this processing step was compared between clones isolated from two patients with fulminant hepatitis and from five patients with chronic hepatitis by an in vitro translation assay and cell transfection assay. The p21 core protein was predominant from the clone isolated from one of the fulminant hepatitis patient (p21 core protein production was 65.98%), while p23 was abundant with clones from five chronic hepatitis patients (p21 core protein production was 7.11±1.62%) and clone from another fulminant hepatitis patient (p21 core protein production was 13.36%). Investigations with chimeric and mutation‐introduced constructs revealed that four amino acid residues in the C‐terminus of the core region are responsible for this difference. The data suggest that core protein processing is regulated by C‐terminus mutations. J. Med. Virol. 69:357–366, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interleukin-13 in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: relationship with the autoantibody profile.

OBJECTIVE Several cytokines play a role in the production of autoantibodies such as RF and ANA by B-lymphocytes; the role of IL-13 in this process has not been previously studied. We investigated the relationship between the serum concentration of this cytokine and circulating autoantibodies. METHODS IL-13 serum levels, as well as RF and ANA, were evaluated in 282 patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases including RA (n=84), SLE (n= 114), SS (n=52) and Scl (n=32). RESULTS Serum levels of IL-13 (pg/ml) were significantly higher in patients with RA (p < 0.00003), SLE (p < 0.03), SS (p < 0.0007), or Scl (p < 0.025) compared to controls. IL-13 serum levels correlated with those of RF in RA (p < 0.00001), SLE (p < 0.003) and Scl (p < 0.03). IL-13 levels were higher in RA (p<0.0003), SLE (p<0.005) and Scl (p<0.05) patients with RF than in patients without RF. SS patients with antiSSA/Ro antibodies had significantly higher IL-13 levels than SS patients without this autoantibody (p < 0.04). No statistically significant correlation was found between IL-13 levels and any other antinuclear autoantibody, total immunoglobulin levels or the main clinicalfeatures of each disease. CONCLUSION The evidence of higher IL-13 levels in our RA, SLE, SS and Scl patients confirms that this cytokine is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. The relationship of this cytokine with RF in RA, SLE and Scl, as well as with antiSSA/ Ro antibody in SS, strengthens the hypothesis that it plays a role in autoantibody production. However, the different autoantibody synthesis by B-cells recognises different pathways depending on the underlying autoimmune disease.
Classification of Fault Type on Loop-Configuration Transmission System Using Support Vector Machine

This paper proposed to applied Support vector machine (SVM) algorithm for classified the fault type on the 500 kV transmission systems with connected in loop configuration. The fault signal was simulated using ATPDraw/EMTP program at frequency 200 kHz. The fault detection was analyzing the high frequency component by discrete wavelet transform (DWT). For the first stage, the coefficient of DWT was used for the fault detection. After the fault can be detected, the fault classification will be identified using SVM algorithm. The maximum coefficient from wavelet transform was used as input pattern of SVM to classify the type of fault. The input pattern of SVM consists of 4 input; maximum coefficient of DWT in all phase current and zero sequence current. For the SVM process, the fault classification used the five model of SVM because each model is working in parallel to avoid mistake (or error). In addition, the same input in five model were simultaneously used while the output of each models is differently according to specification of model. The overall result of 2160 case studies data can be summarized that the fault classification using SVM algorithm is highly satisfactory.
The Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Treatment of Lung Metastases

ABSTRACT Introduction: The ideal surgical approach for pulmonary metastasectomy remains controversial. Thoracoscopic surgery may offer advantages in quality of life outcomes, with equivalent oncologic long-term results. This study aimed to demonstrate the validity of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the treatment of lung metastases. Methods: In all 224 patients who underwent 300 VATS metastasectomies from January 2000 to December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty-nine patients underwent major resection (68 thoracoscopic lobectomies and one pneumonectomy) and 155 patients underwent a wedge resection/segmentectomy. Complete curative pulmonary resections were performed in 219 (97%) cases. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate survival curves. Univariate and subsequent multivariate Cox model regression were performed to identify independent factors of overall survival. Results: One hundred eighty-six patients developed lung metastases from epithelial tumors, 28 from sarcomas, seven from melanomas, and three from germ cell tumors. The final pathological examination revealed no cases of R1 disease. After a mean follow-up of 40 months, 118 patients (53%) had died. According to a multivariate analysis, a better prognosis was not observed for patients with a particular histological type; in addition, disease-free interval time, age, number of metastases, and type of surgery did not have any statistical influence on long-term survival. Conclusions: Thoracoscopic surgery is a safe and efficacious procedure, with a five-year overall survival that is equivalent to open surgery.