Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genes, environments, and sex: factors of importance in atopic diseases in 7—9–year‐old Swedish twins

Various atopic manifestations among adults have been shown to be influenced mainly by genetic factors. With the increase in prevalence of atopic diseases in recent years, especially among children, a great deal of attention has been given to environmental causes. In a study of 1480 Swedish twin pairs, 7—9 years old, we examined the importance of genetic and environmental factors in asthma, hay fever, eczema, and urticaria. Structural equation model fitting showed 33–76% of the variation in liability to the diseases to be due to genetic effects. Shared environmental effects were also important for hay fever and urticaria in both sexes and for eczema among girls. The clustering of atopic disease in families was almost entirely due to a common set of genes, but each disease manifestation also seemed to have specific genes of importance. Investigation of unlike‐sex twins showed that boys had a higher cumulative incidence of asthma and hay fever than girls, whereas girls had a higher incidence of eczema. Thus, it may be concluded that although genetic factors are of major importance in atopic manifestation in children, both environmental and sex‐related factors play a role.
Accuracy of Cancer Information on the Internet: A Comparison of a Wiki with a Professionally Maintained Database

6058 Background: A Wiki is a website which can be directly, openly edited; Wikipedia, a collaborative encyclopedia, is a well-known example. Due to a Wiki's lack of editorial control and formal structure, we hypothesized that the content would be less complete and less accurate than that presented on a formal, peer-reviewed web site. Our goal was to compare the coverage, accuracy, and readability of cancer information from a Wiki (Wikipedia) with a peer-reviewed web site, the patient-oriented National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query (PDQ) comprehensive cancer database. Methods: For each of ten cancer types, an appraisal form was created to include content of epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and controversial topics in cancer care. Statements were obtained and validated from standard oncology texts. Medically-trained personnel scored PDQ and Wikipedia web pages for accuracy and presentation of controversies. Reliability was assessed using inter-observer variability (correlati.
CER-ETH – Center of Economic Research at ETH Zurich Dynamics of Indirect Land-Use Change: Empirical Evidence from Brazil

The expansion of a given land use may affect deforestation directly if forests are cleared to free land for this use, or indirectly, via the displacement of other land-use activities from non-forest areas towards the forest frontier. Unlike direct land conversion, indirect land-use changes affecting deforestation are not immediately observable. They require the linking of changes occurring in different regions. This paper empirically assesses the possible indirect effects of sugarcane expansion in Brazil’s state of São Paulo, on forest conversion decisions in the country’s Amazon region. Further, it examines the evidence for a mechanism through which these effects might materialize, namely a displacement of cattle ranching activities from São Paulo state to the Amazon. The results suggest a positive relationship between sugarcane expansion and deforestation. This indirect land-use effect is shown to be a dynamic process materializing over 10 to 15 years.
Thrombospondin-1 Is Downregulated by Anoxia and Suppresses Tumorigenicity of Human Glioblastoma Cells

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new capillaries from preexisting blood vessels, results from a disruption of the balance between stimulatory and inhibitory factors. Here, we show that anoxia reduces expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a natural inhibitor of angiogenesis, in glioblastoma cells. This suggests that reduced oxygen tension can promote angiogenesis not only by stimulating the production of inducers, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, but also by reducing the production of inhibitors. This downregulation may significantly contribute to glioblastoma development, since we show that an increase in TSP-1 expression is sufficient to strongly suppress glioblastoma cell tumorigenicity in vivo.
Postperovskite phase equilibria in the MgSiO3–Al2O3 system

We investigate high-P,T phase equilibria of the MgSiO3–Al2O3 system by means of the density functional ab initio computation methods with multiconfiguration sampling. Being different from earlier studies based on the static substitution properties with no consideration of Rh2O3(II) phase, present calculations demonstrate that (i) dissolving Al2O3 tends to decrease the postperovskite transition pressure of MgSiO3 but the effect is not significant (≈-0.2 GPa/mol% Al2O3); (ii) Al2O3 produces the narrow perovskite+postperovskite coexisting P,T area (≈1 GPa) for the pyrolitic concentration (xAl2O3 ≈6 mol%), which is sufficiently responsible to the deep-mantle D″ seismic discontinuity; (iii) the transition would be smeared (≈4 GPa) for the basaltic Al-rich composition (xAl2O3 ≈20 mol%), which is still seismically visible unless iron has significant effects; and last (iv) the perovskite structure spontaneously changes to the Rh2O3(II) with increasing the Al concentration involving small displacements of the Mg-site cations.
Antitoxic Immunity in Experimental Cholera: Observations with Purified Antigens and the Ligated Ileal Loop Model

Rabbits immunized with purified antigens, choleragen and choleragenoid (cholera exo-enterotoxin and natural toxoid), were found to resist intra-intestinal challenge with a variety of strains of cholera vibrios. The resistance occurred in the absence of a significant antibacterial antibody response. In fact, the antigens were incapable of protecting mice against the septicemic infection of the standard mouse protection test used for bioassay of conventional cholera vaccines. The immunized rabbits did, however, develop a significant antitoxin titer demonstrable by passive hemagglutination, although the presence of antitoxic coproantibody could not be established conclusively. The results suggest the potential value of antitoxic immunity in cholera and are consistent with the existence of only one serological type of cholera exo-enterotoxin.
A survey on retention practice among orthodontists in Malaysia

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate retention practices commonly employed by orthodontists. The objectives were to identify the types of retainer frequently used and to investigate the variations in retention practice. Methods A total of 97 orthodontists were randomly selected, and a questionnaire consisting of 25 multiple-choice questions sent to them by mail. Upon receiving of the completed questionnaires, the data were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 32 responses were received; among these, 59.4% of orthodontists' practiced is in a government setting and 40.6% were in private practice. A vacuum-formed retainer was the most commonly used removable retainer for both maxillary (46.9%) and mandibular (46.9%) arches, followed by a Hawley retainer (maxilla, 43.8%; mandible, 37.5%), and a fixed retainer (maxilla, 3.1%; mandible, 9.4%). Of the responding orthodontists, 78.1% prescribed full-time wear (more than 20 h per day) for a duration of 3–9 months for a maxillary arch, compared to 71.9% for the mandibular arch. Only 18.8% of the orthodontists prescribed part-time wear of the retainer for the maxillary arch, compared to 21.9% for the mandibular arch. The majority of orthodontists did not instruct their patients to stop wearing removable retainers (71.9%) or fixed retainers (66.8%) at any specific time and they preferred their patients to continue wearing retainers. Conclusions Vacuum-formed retainers are the most commonly used retainers among orthodontists. The majority of orthodontists prescribed full-time wear for more than 20 h per day with a duration of 3–9 months and preferred indefinite use of the retainer.
A maker-community-friendly implementation of a smart and green office environment: Lessons learned

To support economic growth, it is generally agreed that the supply of electrical energy has to meet, or exceed, the demand for electrical energy. Assuming the above statement holds true, at least two options exist when one considers how the supply side can be matched to the demand side as far as electrical energy is concerned. One option is, albeit at the detriment of economic growth, to maintain the existing supply-side capacity in the provision of electrical energy. The second option is to reduce the demand-side need for electrical energy. Our research aim is to support efforts in reducing demand-side electrical energy needs. Minimising electrical energy needs in the office environment, whilst maintaining a comfortable working environment for the occupants, is a problem currently receiving significant attention. The Internet of Things is one technological approach that holds the promise of assisting engineers and architects in moving closer to a solution to this problem. In this paper we report on lessons learned as we instrumented an office that forms part of an Internet of Things research project that aims to reduce demand-side electrical energy consumption.
Are Striatal Tyrosine Hydroxylase Interneurons Dopaminergic?

Striatal GABAergic interneurons that express the gene for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) have been identified previously by several methods. Although generally assumed to be dopaminergic, possibly serving as a compensatory source of dopamine (DA) in Parkinson's disease, this assumption has never been tested directly. In TH–Cre mice whose nigrostriatal pathway had been eliminated unilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine, we injected a Cre-dependent virus coding for channelrhodopsin-2 and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein unilaterally into the unlesioned midbrain or bilaterally into the striatum. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in striatal slices revealed that both optical and electrical stimulation readily elicited DA release in control striata but not from contralateral striata when nigrostriatal neurons were transduced. In contrast, neither optical nor electrical stimulation could elicit striatal DA release in either the control or lesioned striata when the virus was injected directly into the striatum transducing only striatal TH interneurons. This demonstrates that striatal TH interneurons do not release DA. Fluorescence immunocytochemistry in enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)–TH mice revealed colocalization of DA, l-amino acid decarboxylase, the DA transporter, and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 with EGFP in midbrain dopaminergic neurons but not in any of the striatal EGFP–TH interneurons. Optogenetic activation of striatal EGFP–TH interneurons produced strong GABAergic inhibition in all spiny neurons tested. These results indicate that striatal TH interneurons are not dopaminergic but rather are a type of GABAergic interneuron that expresses TH but none of the other enzymes or transporters necessary to operate as dopaminergic neurons and exert widespread GABAergic inhibition onto direct and indirect spiny neurons.
Platelet-monocyte cross talk and tissue factor expression in stable angina vs. unstable angina/non ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Tissue factor (TF), the major procoagulant in vivo, is usually absent from blood cells. However, since both monocyte TF (MoTF) expression and platelet activation are present in acute coronary syndrome we hypothesized that MoTF expression may in part depend on monocyte platelet aggregate (MPA) formation in coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with unstable angina/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI, n = 20) had significantly higher levels of MoTF (17.4 ± 3.1MFI) and MPAs (CD42b:273 ± 183MFI; CD62P:256.3 ± 48.5MFI) than patients with stable angina (SA, n = 40; MoTF:13.2 ± 2.2MFI, p = 0.001; CD42b:160 ± 113MFI, p = 0.025; CD62P:118.7 ± 24.5MFI, p = 0.018) as measured by whole blood flow cytometry on CD14+-cells. TF-activity of isolated mononuclear cells (MNC) was elevated in UA/NSTEMI (75 ± 27 pg/mL) in comparison to SA (47 ± 17 pg/mL, p = 0.001) as determined by chromogenic assay, and TF mRNA expression in isolated MNC was more frequent in UA/NSTEMI than in SA (50% vs. 18.2%; p = 0.017). MoTF expression significantly correlated with the constitutive platelet marker CD42b (r = 0.69, p < 0.001) and the platelet activation marker CD62P (r = 0.47, p = 0.001) on CD14+-cells suggesting its association with MPAs in UA/NSTEMI. In addition, MoTF expression correlated with MoTF activity of isolated MNC (r = 0.41, p = 0.01) and plasma levels of the F1.2 prothrombin fragment (r = 0.35, p = 0.02). In conclusion, MoTF and MPAs are elevated in UA/NSTEMI compared with SA. MoTF expression correlates with platelet mass and activity attached to monocytes.
Ranking Classes of Search Engine Results

Ranking search results is an ongoing research topic in information retrieval. The traditional models are the vector space, probabilistic and language models, and more recently machine learning has been deployed in an effort to learn how to rank search results. Categorization of search results has also been studied as a means to organize the results, and hence to improve users search experience. However there is little research to-date on ranking categories of results in comparison to ranking the results themselves. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic ranking model that includes categories in addition to a ranked results list, and derive six ranking methods from the model. These ranking methods utilize the following features: the class probability distribution based on query classiﬁcation, the lowest ranked document within each class and the class size. An empirical study was carried out to compare these methods with the traditional ranked-list approach in terms of rank positions of click-through documents and experimental results show that there is no simpler winner in all cases. Better performance is attained by class size or a combination of the class probability distribution of the queries and the rank of the document with the lowest list rank within the class.
Antibodies to MHC Class II Molecules Induce Autoimmunity: Critical Role for Macrophages in the Immunopathogenesis of Obliterative Airway Disease

Previous studies have shown that intrabronchial administration of antibodies (Abs) to MHC class I resulted in development of obliterative airway disease (OAD), a correlate of chronic human lung allograft rejection. Since development of Abs specific to mismatched donor HLA class II have also been associated with chronic human lung allograft rejection, we analyzed the role of Abs to MHC class II in inducing OAD. Administration of MHC class II Abs (M5/114) to C57BL/6 mice induced the classical features of OAD even though MHC class II expression is absent de novo on murine lung epithelial and endothelial cells. The induction of OAD was accompanied by enhanced cellular and humoral immune responses to self-antigens (Collagen V and K- α1Tubulin). Further, lung-infiltrating macrophages demonstrated a switch in their phenotype predominance from MΦ1 (F4/80+CD11c+) to MΦ2 (F4/80+CD206+) following administration of Abs and prior to development of OAD. Passive administration of macrophages harvested from animals with OAD but not from naïve animals induced OAD lesions. We conclude that MHC class II Abs induces a phenotype switch of lung infiltrating macrophages from MΦ1 (F4/80+CD11c+) to MΦ2 (F4/80+CD206+) resulting in the breakdown of self-tolerance along with an increase in autoimmune Th17 response leading to OAD.
Health Care Professionals’ Perspectives of the Experiences of Family Caregivers During In-Patient Cancer Care

Being a family member of a patient who is being treated in an acute care setting for cancer often involves a number of challenges. Our study describes Norwegian cancer care health professionals’ perceptions of family members who served as family caregivers (FCs) and their need for support during the in-hospital cancer treatment of their ill family member. Focus group discussions were conducted with a multidisciplinary team of 24 experienced social workers, physicians, and nurses who were closely involved in the patients’ in-hospital cancer treatment and care. Drawing on qualitative hermeneutic analysis, four main themes describe health professionals’ perceptions of FCs during the patient’s in-hospital cancer care: an asset and additional burden, infinitely strong and struggling with helplessness, being an outsider in the center of care, and being in different temporalities. We conclude that it is a challenge for health care professionals to support the family and create room for FC’s needs in acute cancer care. System changes are needed in health care, so that the patient/FC dyad is viewed as a unit of care in a dual process of caregiving, which would enable FCs to be given space and inclusion in care, with their own needs simultaneously considered alongside those of the patient.
Helicobacter pylori ‘rescue’ regimen when proton pump inhibitor‐based triple therapies fail

Even with the currently most effective treatment regimens, about 10–20% of patients will fail to obtain eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection. Therefore, in designing a treatment strategy, we should not focus on the results of primary therapy alone, but also on the final (overall) eradication rate.
Cervical length at mid‐gestation in screening for preterm birth in twin pregnancy

Short cervical length (CL) in mid‐gestation is considered predictive of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). The medical literature suggests 20 mm as the cut‐off for high risk in twin pregnancies. Our objective was to assess the predictive value of CL for spontaneous PTB < 32 weeks' gestation in twin pregnancies and to calculate the cut‐off point with the best sensitivity and specificity.
Beyond Fitts' law: models for trajectory-based HCI tasks

As a developing discipline, research results in the field of human computer interaction (HCI) tends to be "soft". Many workers in the field have argued that the advancement of HCI lies in "hardening" the field with quantitative and robust models. In reality, few theoretical, quantitative tools are available in user interface research and development. A rare exception to this is Fitts' law. Extending information theory to human perceptual-motor system, Paul Fitts (1954) found a logarithmic relationship that models speed accuracy tradeoffs in aimed movements. A great number of studies have verified and / or applied Fitts' law to HCI problems, such as pointing performance on a screen, making Fitts' law one of the most intensively studied topic in the HCI literature.
Nonlinear, fractal, and spectral analysis of the EEG of lizard, Gallotia galloti.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) from dorsal cortex of lizard Gallotia galloti was analyzed at different temperatures to test the presence of fractal or nonlinear structure during open (OE) and closed eyes (CE), with the aim of comparing these results with those reported for human slow-wave sleep (SWS). Two nonlinear parameters characterizing EEG complexity [correlation dimension (D2)] and predictability [largest Lyapunov exponent (λ1)] were calculated, and EEG spectrum and fractal exponent β were determined via coarse graining spectral analysis. At 25°C, evidence of nonlinear structure was obtained by the surrogate data test, with EEG phase space structure suggesting the presence of deterministic chaos (D2 ∼6, λ1 ∼1.5). Both nonlinear parameters were greater in OE than in CE and for the right hemisphere in both situations. At 35°C the evidence of nonlinearity was not conclusive and differences between states disappeared, whereas interhemispheric differences remained for λ1. Harmonic power always increased with temperature within the band 8-30 Hz, but only with OE within the band 0.3-7.5 Hz. Qualitative similarities found between lizard and human SWS EEG support the hypothesis that reptilian waking could evolve into mammalian SWS.
Transformations in the Couplings Among Intellectual Abilities and Constituent Cognitive Processes Across the Life Span

Two-component theories of intellectual development over the life span postulate that fluid abilities develop earlier during child development and decline earlier during aging than crystallized abilities do, and that fluid abilities support or constrain the acquisition and expression of crystallized abilities. Thus, maturation and senescence compress the structure of intelligence by imposing age-specific constraints upon its constituent processes. Hence, the couplings among different intellectual abilities and cognitive processes are expected to be strong in childhood and old age. Findings from a population-based study of 291 individuals aged 6 to 89 years support these predictions. Furthermore, processing robustness, a frequently overlooked aspect of processing, predicted fluid intelligence beyond processing speed in old age but not in childhood, suggesting that the causes of more compressed functional organization of intelligence differ between maturation and senescence. Research on developmental changes in functional brain circuitry may profit from explicitly recognizing transformations in the organization of intellectual abilities and their underlying cognitive processes across the life span.
Florida Cognitive Activities Scale: Initial development and validation

We used a rational-empirical approach in the construction and validation of a cognitive activity scale for use with elderly populations. The scale development effort produced a 25-item scale with a reasonably high level of internal consistency in a sample of 200 elderly individuals. Scale scores were positively correlated with years of education and measures of various domains of cognitive ability. In a separate cross-validation sample, a similar pattern of reliability and validity coefficients was obtained. The full scale score was found to contribute significantly to the prediction of cognitive ability after controlling for the effects of age, education, and gender. Two subscales (Higher Cognitive Abilities and Frequent Cognitive Abilities) and a measure of self-reported maintenance of cognitive activity were also developed. In a separate study, the maintenance score was found to differ significantly between the validation sample and a sample of individuals with a history of neurological disorder, with a moderate effect size (d approximately = .7). Further cross-validation studies in minority groups and groups of varying socioeconomic status will be critical in establishing the research and clinical value of the scale and subscales. (JINS, 2005, 11, 108–116.)
Prediction-Based Gesture Detection in Lecture Videos by Combining Visual, Speech and Electronic Slides

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for gesture detection in lecture videos by combining visual, speech and electronic slides. Besides accuracy, response time is also considered to cope with the efficiency requirements of real-time applications. Candidate gestures are first detected by visual cue. Then we modify HMM models for complete gestures to predict and recognize incomplete gestures before the whole gestures paths are observed. Gesture recognition is used to verify the results of gesture detection. The relations between visual, speech and slides are analyzed. The correspondence between speech and gesture is employed to improve the accuracy and the responsiveness of gesture detection