Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patch-Ordering-Based Wavelet Frame and Its Use in Inverse Problems

In our previous work, we have introduced a redundant tree-based wavelet transform (RTBWT), originally designed to represent functions defined on high dimensional data clouds and graphs. We have further shown that RTBWT can be used as a highly effective image-adaptive redundant transform that operates on an image using orderings of its overlapped patches. The resulting transform is robust to corruptions in the image, and thus able to efficiently represent the unknown target image even when it is calculated from its corrupted version. In this paper, we utilize this redundant transform as a powerful sparsity-promoting regularizer in inverse problems in image processing. We show that the image representation obtained with this transform is a frame expansion, and derive the analysis and synthesis operators associated with it. We explore the use of this frame operators to image denoising and deblurring, and demonstrate in both these cases state-of-the-art results.
Inhaled Corticosteroids in Asthma: Promoting or Protecting Against Atherosclerosis?

Background Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease of the respiratory system. However, it may also induce systemic effects. Although reports suggest patients with asthma are at increased risk of cardiovascular events, the association between asthma and atherosclerosis is unclear. The aim of the present study was to compare the progression of atherosclerosis between patients with asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroids and healthy controls. Material/Methods In 102 adult patients with asthma, markers of arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity and augmentation index) were evaluated by applanation tonometry. Structural atherosclerotic changes (intima-media complex thickness and presence of atherosclerotic plaque) were assessed sonographically. Lipid profile and fasting glucose level were measured. Clinical data concerning the course of asthma, its severity, and management strategy were obtained. A group of 102 healthy, age-matched controls were examined according to the same protocol. Results The majority of patients presented well-controlled asthma of moderate severity. When adjusted for weight, age, and systolic blood pressure, no significant differences were observed in pulse wave velocity, in augmentation index, or in intima-media complex thickness between groups. In controls, atherosclerotic plaque occurred significantly more often than in patients with asthma (p=0.0226). Moreover, in patients with asthma, the intima-media complex thickness of the right common carotid artery was significantly correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (R2=−0.2951, p=0.0083). There was no significant difference in any of the atherosclerosis markers between different types and doses of administered inhaled corticosteroids. Conclusions Patients with bronchial asthma presented a decreased risk of atherosclerosis in comparison to healthy controls.
Challenges Associated With Prolonged Survival of Patients With Thalassemia: Transitioning From Childhood to Adulthood

Thalassemia is a chronic condition that presents a range of clinical and psychosocial challenges. Although recent advances in the treatment of thalassemia can prolong patient life spans, problems may arise when patients are transferred from pediatric health care settings to adult health care settings. These issues and our recommendations for handling them are discussed.
Apparent competition with an exotic plant reduces native plant establishment.

Biological invasions can change ecosystem function, have tremendous economic costs, and impact human health; understanding the forces that cause and maintain biological invasions is thus of immediate importance. A mechanism by which exotic plants might displace native plants is by increasing the pressure of native consumers on native plants, a form of indirect interaction termed "apparent competition. " Using experimental exclosures, seed addition, and monitoring of small mammals in a California grassland, we examined whether exotic Brassica nigra increases the pressure of native consumers on a native bunchgrass, Nassella pulchra. Experimental plots were weeded to focus entirely on indirect effects via consumers. We demonstrate that B. nigra alters the activity of native small-mammal consumers, creating a gradient of consumption that dramatically reduces N. pulchra establishment. Previous work has shown that N. pulchra is a strong competitor, but that it is heavily seed limited. By demonstrating that consumer pressure is sufficient to curtail establishment, our work provides a mechanism for this seed limitation and suggests that, despite being a good competitor, N. pulchra cannot reestablish close to B. nigra within its old habitats because exotic-mediated consumption preempts direct competitive exclusion. Moreover, we find that apparent competition has a spatial extent, suggesting that consumers may dictate the rate of invasion and the area available for restoration, and that nonspatial studies of apparent competition may miss important dynamics.
Early referral, diagnosis, and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: evidence for changing medical practice

OBJECTIVES To study the delay in starting disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and any changes in medical practice between 1980 and 1997. METHODS 198 consecutive RA patients attending the rheumatology clinics at a teaching hospital, for routine review, had their case sheet reviewed. The dates of symptom onset, general practitioner (GP) referral, first clinic appointment and first use of DMARD were recorded. Data were collected on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, and the presence/absence of erosions at the first clinic assessment. Patients were split into four groups according to the date of their first clinic assessment—before 1986, 1987–9, 1990–3, and 1994–7. RESULTS There was a sharp drop in the delay between symptom onset and GP referral (before 1986, 21 months; 1987–89, 23 months; 1990–3, 7 months; 1994–7, 4 months, p<0.03), and in the delay between first assessment at the rheumatology clinic and the start of DMARD treatment (before 1986, 32 months; 1987–89, 21 months; 1990–1993, 8 months; 1994–7, 1 month, p<0.001). The number of patients given DMARD treatment within six months of symptom onset increased from 5% (before 1994) to 44% (1994–7). Seventy three per cent of patients waiting more than a year from symptom onset to first clinic appointment already had erosive change, compared with 34% of patients seen within a year. CONCLUSIONS Patients are being referred earlier in their disease, and DMARDs are prescribed sooner in the disease course. There has been a substantial increase in the proportion of patients treated with a DMARD within six months of symptom onset.
A 3-band switched-inductor LC VCO and differential current re-use doubler achieving 0.7-to-11.6 GHz tuning range

This paper presents a 3-bit switched inductor, 8-bit switched capacitor VCO utilizing frequency aware switch sizing to achieve 157% tuning range (0.7-5.8 GHz). Implemented in 65nm CMOS, the VCO maintains phase noise between -128 and -116 dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset across the tuning range. A current reuse differential frequency doubler extends the tuning range to 0.7-11.6 GHz (177%). The FOMTs of the stand alone VCO as well as that of the VCO-doubler combination vary between 191 to 209 dBc/Hz over their respective tuning ranges.
[Prevalence of mental disorders and associated factors: results from the ESEMeD-Spain study].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The ESEMeD-Spain project is an epidemiological study about mental disorders in Spain. We present 12 month-prevalence and lifetime-prevalence of the main mood, anxiety and alcohol use disorders; the influence of sociodemographic factors on its presence and age of onset of the disorders. SUBJECTS AND METHOD Cross-sectional household survey of a representative sample of the population of Spain 18 years or older. Sample size was 5.473 individuals. The WHO World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) was used. Response rate was 78.6%. Results have been weighted to represent the population of Spain. RESULTS 19.5% of the individuals presented a mental disorder sometime in their lifetime (lifetime-prevalence) and 8.4% in the last 12 months (12 month-prevalence). The most frequent mental disorder was major depressive episode, with a 12-month prevalence of 3.9% and a lifetime-prevalence of 10.5%. The other most lifetime prevalent disorders were specific phobia, alcohol abuse disorder, and dysthymia. Factors associated to presenting a mental disorder were being female, being separated, divorced or widowed, and being unemployed, on sick leave or incapacitated. Social phobia, agoraphobia and specific phobia appear at younger ages, while mood disorders and panic disorder appears later in life. CONCLUSIONS The ESEMeD-Spain study can provide careful outcomes to understand the impact of mental disorders in Spain.
Variation in nitrogen components of sheep milk in sub-Mediterranean area

The aim of this study was to evaluate seasonal variation in urea content and other nitrogen compounds (protein, casein, non-protein nitrogen content) of sheep milk as a tool for monitoring the protein nutritional status over the period of two years. The study was performed on three family farms with 150 to 300 sheep per farm using semi-extensive farming management based on pasture, typical for sub-Mediterranean area. Bulk-tank milk samples were taken during the entire milking period (from March to July or August, depending on the year) and were analysed for protein, casein, non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and urea content. Significant effect of the year was observed on urea and NPN content (P<0.05). In addition, seasons had a significant effect on milk protein, urea and casein content (P<0.01). Variations in nitrogen components of sheep milk in Dalmatian hinterland have been significant due to the fact that the semi-extensive farming systems could be strongly affected by climate which directly influence on the quantity and quality of pasture.
Are we educating engineers for sustainability? Comparison between obtained competences and Swedish industry's needs

Purpose – The aim of this study is to contribute to the quality improvement and long-term strategic development of education for sustainable development (ESD) in engineering education curricula. Design/methodology/approach – The content in 70 courses in environment and SD were characterized and quantified using course document text analysis. Additionally, two questionnaires were sent to students and alumni at Chalmers, and interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with representatives from 16 Swedish companies and five organizations. Findings – It was found that industry demands a broader range of competences in SD amongst engineers in general than what is currently provided. In total, 35 per cent of alumni claim they encounter sustainability issues from sometimes to daily in their work. However, only half of them believe they possess enough competences to make decisions from a sustainability perspective. Quantity, coverage and the level of integration in the educational programme all appear to be important for the students' perceived competences on SD and for the importance that they put on achieving SD. Originality/value – Earlier research has reported on how to further develop the idea and design of ESD and on competence needs in general. Few attempts have been made to assess industry's needs of competences in SD. This paper sheds light on how engineering universities educate for SD and benchmarks this to industry's needs in an exploratory case study, using Chalmers as an example.
How does information help? : the search for career-related information by adolescents

CURRENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS 2013Professor and Chair – Department of Library and Information Studies University at Buffalo – Graduate School of Education, Buffalo, NY, USA 2010Adjunct Professor – School of Information Studies Charles Sturt University – Faculty of Education, Wagga Wagga, Australia 2009Member Scholar – International Institute for Qualitative Methodology University of Alberta – Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton AB, Canada
Determinants of Emotion Duration and Underlying Psychological and Neural Mechanisms

Emotions are traditionally considered to be brief states that last for seconds or a few minutes at most. However, due to pioneering theoretical work of Frijda and recent empirical studies, it has become clear that the duration of emotions is actually highly variable with durations ranging from a few seconds to several hours, or even longer. We review research on determinants of emotion duration. Three classes of determinants are identified: features related to the (a) emotion-eliciting event (event duration and event appraisal), (b) emotion itself (nature of the emotion component, nature of the emotion, and emotion intensity), and (c) emotion-experiencing person (dispositions and emotion regulatory actions). Initial evidence on the psychological and neural mechanisms that underlie their effects is discussed.
Position Calibration Techniques Comparison for Sensorless Control PMSM Based on Variance Adjustment and Angle Regulation

this paper compares two types of position calibration techniques: angle PI regulation and stochastic variance adjustment applied in three state-estimation observers and flux-linkage observer for sensorless control Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM). Three types of state-estimation observers are Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), Linear Kalman Filter (LKF) and Single Dimension Luenberger observer (SDL). Experimental result shows that the difference between various sensorless state-estimation techniques is decided by error calibration type.
Pragmatism as ventriloquism: Creating a dialogue among seven traditions in the study of communication

In this article, I propose to respond to Craig’s (1999) call for a dialogue between what he identified as the seven traditions in the study of communication, as well as Russill’s (2005) positioning of pragmatism as a meta-perspective on the seven others. I show that a way to respond to Craig and Russill consists of considering communication as an activity of ventriloquism, a thesis that is, as I demonstrate, congruent with the pragmatist meta-tradition. Communicating and experiencing the world, according to the pragmatist view, indeed amounts to responding or reacting to what one considers a situation requires, demands or requests, which is precisely what a ventriloqual view tries to analyze and unveil. I then introduce a dialogue between this ventriloqual view of pragmatism and the seven traditions that Craig identified.
Phasic Dopamine Release in the Rat Nucleus Accumbens Symmetrically Encodes a Reward Prediction Error Term

Making predictions about the rewards associated with environmental stimuli and updating those predictions through feedback is an essential aspect of adaptive behavior. Theorists have argued that dopamine encodes a reward prediction error (RPE) signal that is used in such a reinforcement learning process. Recent work with fMRI has demonstrated that the BOLD signal in dopaminergic target areas meets both necessary and sufficient conditions of an axiomatic model of the RPE hypothesis. However, there has been no direct evidence that dopamine release itself also meets necessary and sufficient criteria for encoding an RPE signal. Further, the fact that dopamine neurons have low tonic firing rates that yield a limited dynamic range for encoding negative RPEs has led to significant debate about whether positive and negative prediction errors are encoded on a similar scale. To address both of these issues, we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure reward-evoked dopamine release at carbon fiber electrodes chronically implanted in the nucleus accumbens core of rats trained on a probabilistic decision-making task. We demonstrate that dopamine concentrations transmit a bidirectional RPE signal with symmetrical encoding of positive and negative RPEs. Our findings strengthen the case that changes in dopamine concentration alone are sufficient to encode the full range of RPEs necessary for reinforcement learning.
International migration and adverse birth outcomes: role of ethnicity, region of origin and destination

Background The literature on international migration and birth outcomes shows mixed results. This study examined whether low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth differed between non-migrants and migrant subgroups, defined by race/ethnicity and world region of origin and destination. Methods A systematic review and meta-regression analyses were conducted using three-level logistic models to account for the heterogeneity between studies and between subgroups within studies. Results Twenty-four studies, involving more than 30 million singleton births, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with US-born black women, black migrant women were at lower odds of delivering LBW and preterm birth babies. Hispanic migrants also exhibited lower odds for these outcomes, but Asian and white migrants did not. Sub-Saharan African and Latin-American and Caribbean women were at higher odds of delivering LBW babies in Europe but not in the USA and south-central Asians were at higher odds in both continents, compared with the native-born populations. Conclusions The association between migration and adverse birth outcomes varies by migrant subgroup and it is sensitive to the definition of the migrant and reference groups.
Using ELM Techniques to Predict Data Centre VM Requests

Data centre prediction models can be used to forecast future loads for a given centre in terms of CPU, memory, VM requests, and other parameters. An effective and efficient model can not only be used to optimize resource allocation, but can also be used as part of a strategy to conserve energy, improve performance and increase profits for both clients and service providers. In this paper, we have developed a prediction model, which combines k-means clustering techniques and Extreme Learning Machines (ELMs). We have shown the effectiveness of our proposed model by using it to estimate future VM requests in a data centre based on its historical usage. We have tested our model on real Google traces that feature over 25 million tasks collected over a 29-day time period. Experimental results presented show that our proposed system outperforms other models reported in the literature.
Doppler Embolic Signals in Cerebrovascular Disease and Prediction of Stroke Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose— Asymptomatic embolic signals (ES) detected using transcranial Doppler have been reported in patients with potential cerebral embolic sources. They may be useful in risk stratification and in assessing therapies. First, it is essential to show whether they predict stroke risk. Methods— A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine the prognostic value of ES in different potential cerebral embolic sources. Studies were identified that used transcranial Doppler to detect ES and included prospective stroke/TIA follow-up. Numbers of ES-positive and ES-negative patients were extracted with stroke/TIA and stroke alone outcomes. Results— ES are most frequent in large artery disease, less frequent in cardioembolic stroke, and infrequent in lacunar stroke. Data relating ES to future stroke risk were available for acute stroke, large artery disease, and the perioperative period of carotid endarterectomy. For symptomatic carotid stenosis, ES predicted stroke alone (OR, 9.57; 95%CI, 1.54 to 59.38; P=0.02) and stroke/TIA (OR, 6.36; 95% CI, 2.90–13.96; P<0.00001). For asymptomatic carotid stenosis, ES predicted stroke alone (OR, 7.46; 95% CI, 2.24–24.89; P=0.001) and stroke/TIA (OR, 12.00; 95% CI, 2.43–59.34; P=0.002) but with heterogeneity (P=0.004). In acute stroke ES predicted stroke alone (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.17–5.08; P=0.02) and stroke/TIA (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.64–8.38; P=0.002). A high frequency of ES immediately after carotid endarterectomy predicted stroke alone (OR, 24.54; 95% CI, 7.88–76.43; P<0.00001) and stroke/TIA (OR, 32.04; 95% CI, 11.36–90.39; P<0.00001). Conclusion— ES predict stroke risk in acute stroke, symptomatic carotid stenosis, and postoperatively after carotid endarterectomy; in asymptomatic carotid stenosis, data are less robust. In these conditions ES may be useful in risk stratification and in assessing therapeutic efficacy. For other embolic sources, further prospective data are required.
Suprascapular Nerve Block for Shoulder Pain in the First Year After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose— Shoulder pain is a common complication after stroke that can impede participation in rehabilitation and has been associated with poorer outcomes. Evidence-based treatments for hemiplegic shoulder pain are limited. Suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) is a safe and effective treatment of shoulder pain associated with arthritic shoulder conditions, but its usefulness in a stroke population is unclear. Methods— We undertook a randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of SSNB in a population of 64 stroke patients (onset < 1 year) with hemiplegic shoulder pain. The primary outcome was pain measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes were disability (Modified Rankin Scale, Croft Disability Index) and quality of life (EuroQol Health Questionnaire). All participants were assessed before randomization, and at 1, 4, and 12 weeks postintervention. Both groups continued with routine therapy. Results— Although both intervention and control groups demonstrated reduction in pain score, participants who received SSNB consistently demonstrated superior, statistically significant pain reduction compared with placebo. Mean VAS reduction in the SSNB group was >18 mm greater than participants receiving placebo injection. The number needed to treat with SSNB to reduce 1 stroke survivor’s pain by 50% at 4 weeks is 4. No significant differences in function or quality of life were observed. No adverse events were reported. Conclusions— Suprascapular nerve block is a safe and effective treatment for patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.anzctr. org.au. Unique identifier: ACTRN12609000621213.
Superconducting characteristics of 4-Å carbon nanotube–zeolite composite

We have fabricated nanocomposites consisting of 4-Å carbon nanotubes embedded in the 0.7-nm pores of aluminophosphate-five (AFI) zeolite that display a superconducting specific heat transition at 15 K. MicroRaman spectra of the samples show strong and spatially uniform radial breathing mode (RBM) signals at 510 cm−1 and 550 cm−1, characteristic of the (4, 2) and (5, 0) nanotubes, respectively. The specific heat transition is suppressed at >2 T, with a temperature dependence characteristic of finite-size effects. Comparison with theory shows the behavior to be consistent with that of a type II BCS superconductor, characterized by a coherence length of 14 ± 2 nm and a magnetic penetration length of 1.5 ± 0.7 μm. Four probe and differential resistance measurements have also indicated a superconducting transition initiating at 15 K, but the magnetoresistance data indicate the superconducting network to be inhomogeneous, with a component being susceptible to magnetic fields below 3 T and other parts capable of withstanding a magnetic field of 5 T or beyond.