Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Operator Workload, During Partially-Autonomous Vehicle Operations

Abstract : A series of three field experiments were conducted to evaluate the level of autonomous mobility for the Army's Experimental Unmanned ground Vehicle (XUV), during which an assessment of operator mental workload was performed. Workload data collection methods employed were the "NASA Task Load Index", the "Overall Workload" scale, and experimenter observation during partially autonomous operations, conducted within relevant operating environments including open arid, vegetated, and urban terrains. Although the vehicle was able to successfully traverse terrain unaided at a rate of almost 95%, the level of mental workload increased significantly during periods when human intervention became necessary. Terrain difficulty revealed the most significant effect, followed by an effect for distances traveled. Topography changes, resulting from inclement weather, caused unexpected increases in workload during voyages over what was thought to be the less difficult terrain, articulating the benefit for conducting tests within actual environments in exposing critical operational issues. Additionally, perceived mental workload was highly influenced during conduct of the more deliberate type missions (cautious approches to and from points of interest). The NASA-TLX subscale categories "Temporal" (the amount of time pressure felt), followed closely by "Mental" (the degree of recalling or calculating require), revealed highest workload demand, and comparison of NASA-TLX "Global" ratings with the "Overall Workload" collection method show acutely high correlation, demonstrating the latter an advantageous less obtrusive collection technique. Though the information exposed may be considered most beneficial as baseline performance criterion, it is reasonable to anticipate that as future operators become expected to perform ancillary assignments, reserve human mental capacities should logically decrease.
Understanding Others: Imitation, Language, Empathy

Brain imaging techniques allow the mapping of cognitive functions onto neural systems, but also the understanding of mechanisms of human behavior. In a series of imaging studies we have described a minimal neural architecture for imitation. This architecture comprises a brain region that codes an early visual description of the action to be imitated, a second region that codes the detailed motor specification of the action to be copied, and a third region that codes the goal of the imitated action. Neural signals predicting the sensory consequences of the planned imitative action are sent back to the brain region coding the early visual description of the imitated action, for monitoring purposes ("my planned action is like the one I have just seen"). The three brain regions forming this minimal neural architecture belong to a part of the cerebral cortex called perisylvian, a critical cortical region for language. This suggests that the neural mechanisms implementing imitation are also used for other forms of human communication, such as language. Indeed, imaging data on warping of chimpanzee brains onto human brains indicate that the largest expansion between the two species is perisylvian. Functional similarities between the structure of actions and the structure of language as it unfolds during conversation reinforce this notion. Additional data suggest also that empathy occurs via the minimal neural architecture for imitation interacting with regions of the brain relevant to emotion. All in all, we come to understand others via imitation, and imitation shares functional mechanisms with language and empathy.
Clinical Application of Arterial Spin-Labeling MR Imaging in Patients with Carotid Stenosis: Quantitative Comparative Study with Single-Photon Emission CT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Arterial spin-labeling is an emerging technique for noninvasive measurement of cerebral perfusion, but concerns remain regarding the reliability of CBF quantification and clinical applications. Recently, an ASL implementation called QUASAR was proposed, and it was shown to have good reproducibility of CBF assessment in healthy volunteers. This study aimed to determine the utility of QUASAR for CBF assessment in patients with cerebrovascular diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with carotid stenosis underwent CBF quantification by ASL (QUASAR) within 3 days of performance of 123I-iodoamphetamine-SPECT. CVR to acetazolamide also was assessed by ASL and SPECT. In surgically treated patients, the respective scans before and after the procedures were compared. RESULTS: Regional CBF and CVR values measured by ASL were significantly correlated and agreed with those measured by SPECT (rs = 0.92 and 0.88, respectively). A Bland-Altman plot demonstrated good agreement between 2 methods in terms of CBF quantification. Furthermore, ASL could detect pathologic states such as hypoperfusion, impaired vasoreactivity, and postoperative hyperperfusion, equivalent to SPECT. However, ASL tended to overestimate CBF values especially in high-perfusion regions. CONCLUSIONS: ASL perfusion MR imaging is clinically applicable and can be an alternative method for CBF assessment in patients with cerebrovascular diseases.
Influence of Second Language (L2) Proficiency on the Measure of ‘Spatiotemporal Index’ of Bilabial Utterances in Typical Kannada (L1) English (L2) Bilingual Speakers

The Spatiotemporal Index (STI) of Lower lip (LL) across L1 (Kannada) and L2 (English) in High Proficient (HP)/Early and ‘Low Proficient (LP)/Late typical Kannada (L1)-English (L2) bilinguals was analyzed. A bilabial utterance pair matched for syllable structure and length, phonetic complexity, and overall duration across L1 and L2 were uttered 10 times in each language randomly using language switching paradigm by ‘HP/Early’ (n = 7) and ‘LP/Late’ (n = 7) bilinguals. The mean STI was significantly different across languages and L2 language proficiency, supporting the use of differential speech motor control strategies by participants to maintain phonetic distinctiveness across languages. The STI was more variable in HP/Early bilinguals across L1 and L2 than LP/Late bilinguals and HP/Early bilinguals showed higher variability in Kannada (L1), reflecting higher organizational flexibility and movement control along with successful suppression of the non target language (L2). The mean STI in LP/Late bilinguals did not differ significantly across languages suggesting reduced movement flexibility and inability to suppress the interfering effect of L1 on L2. The results are discussed in the perspective of the measure of STI reflecting an intra articulatory global movement variability that is sensitive in understanding the movement control differences in the speech production of bilinguals. The findings are also discussed in the backdrop of bilingual speech production models and possible influence of ‘Cross Linguistic Interference’ on articulatory movement stability across L1 and L2.
Opinion paper on utility of point-of-care biomarkers in the emergency department pathways decision making

Abstract Overcrowding of the emergency department (ED) is rapidly becoming a global challenge and a major source of concern for emergency physicians. The evaluation of cardiac biomarkers is critical for confirming diagnoses and expediting treatment decisions to reduce overcrowding, however, physicians currently face the dilemma of choosing between slow and accurate central-based laboratory tests, or faster but imprecise assays. With improvements in technology, point-of-care testing (POCT) systems facilitate the efficient and high-throughput evaluation of biomarkers, such as troponin (cTn), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). In this context, POCT may help ED physicians to confirm a diagnosis of conditions, such as acute coronary syndrome, heart failure or kidney damage. Compared with classic laboratory methods, the use of cTn, BNP, and NGAL POCT has shown comparable sensitivity, specificity and failure rate, but with the potential to provide prompt and accurate diagnosis, shorten hospital stay, and alleviate the burden on the ED. Despite this potential, the full advantages of rapid delivery results will only be reached if POCT is implemented within hospital standardized procedures and ED staff receive appropriate training.
Sarcopenia as a Determinant of Blood Pressure in Older Koreans: Findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) 2008–2010

Background Blood pressure (BP) is directly and causally associated with body size in the general population. Whether muscle mass is an important factor that determines BP remains unclear. Objective To investigate whether sarcopenia is associated with hypertension in older Koreans. Participants We surveyed 2,099 males and 2,747 females aged 60 years or older. Measurements Sarcopenia was defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by body weight (ASM/Wt) that was <1 SD below the gender-specific mean for young adults. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2. Subjects were divided into four groups based on presence or absence of obesity or sarcopenia. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mmHg, a diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mmHg, or a self-reported current use of antihypertensive medications. Results The overall prevalence of hypertension in the four groups was as follows 49.7% for non-obese non-sarcopenia, 60.9% for non-obese sarcopenia, 66.2% for obese non-sarcopenia and 74.7% for obese sarcopenia. After adjustment for age, gender, regular activity, current smoking and alcohol use, the odds ratio (OR) for having hypertension was 1.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23–1.84) in subjects in the non-obese sarcopenia group, 2.08 (95% CI = 1.68–2.57) in the obese non-sarcopenia group and 3.0 (95% CI = 2.48–3.63) in the obese sarcopenia group, compared with the non-obese non-sarcopenia group (p for trend <0.001). Controlling further for body weight and waist circumference did not change the association between hypertension and sarcopenia. The association between sarcopenia and hypertension was more robust in the subjects with diabetes mellitus. Conclusion Body composition beyond BMI has a considerable impact on hypertension in elderly Koreans. Subjects with sarcopenic obesity appear to have a greater risk of hypertension than simply obese or sarcopenia subjects.
Titanium trisulfide monolayer: theoretical prediction of a new direct-gap semiconductor with high and anisotropic carrier mobility.

A new two-dimensional (2D) layered material, namely, titanium trisulfide (TiS3 ) monolayer, is predicted to possess novel electronic properties. Ab initio calculations show that the perfect TiS3 monolayer is a direct-gap semiconductor with a bandgap of 1.02 eV, close to that of bulk silicon, and with high carrier mobility. More remarkably, the in-plane electron mobility of the 2D TiS3 is highly anisotropic, amounting to about 10 000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) in the b direction, which is higher than that of the MoS2 monolayer, whereas the hole mobility is about two orders of magnitude lower. Furthermore, TiS3 possesses lower cleavage energy than graphite, suggesting easy exfoliation for TiS3 . Both dynamical and thermal stability of the TiS3 monolayer is examined by phonon-spectrum calculation and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulation. The desired electronic properties render the TiS3 monolayer a promising 2D atomic-layer material for applications in future nanoelectronics.
The solution structure of double helical arabino nucleic acids (ANA and 2′F-ANA): effect of arabinoses in duplex-hairpin interconversion

We report here the first structure of double helical arabino nucleic acid (ANA), the C2′-stereoisomer of RNA, and the 2′-fluoro-ANA analogue (2′F-ANA). A chimeric dodecamer based on the Dickerson sequence, containing a contiguous central segment of arabino nucleotides, flanked by two 2′-deoxy-2′F-ANA wings was studied. Our data show that this chimeric oligonucleotide can adopt two different structures of comparable thermal stabilities. One structure is a monomeric hairpin in which the stem is formed by base paired 2′F-ANA nucleotides and the loop by unpaired ANA nucleotides. The second structure is a bimolecular duplex, with all the nucleotides (2′F-ANA and ANA) forming Watson–Crick base pairs. The duplex structure is canonical B-form, with all arabinoses adopting a pure C2′-endo conformation. In the ANA:ANA segment, steric interactions involving the 2′-OH substituent provoke slight changes in the glycosidic angles and, therefore, in the ANA:ANA base pair geometry. These distortions are not present in the 2′F-ANA:2′F-ANA regions of the duplex, where the –OH substituent is replaced by a smaller fluorine atom. 2′F-ANA nucleotides adopt the C2′-endo sugar pucker and fit very well into the geometry of B-form duplex, allowing for favourable 2′F···H8 interactions. This interaction shares many features of pseudo-hydrogen bonds previously observed in 2′F-ANA:RNA hybrids and in single 2′F-ANA nucleotides.
Fibrinolytic changes in pregnant women on highly active antiretroviral therapy

Objectives: To report on the changes in fibrinolytic activity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected pregnant women who are undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Methods: Blood was collected from 50 HIV positive women on HAART (test subjects), and 50 HIV positive women not on HAART (controls). These women were attending the prevention of mother to child clinic (PMTCT) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria from January to June 2014. Standard manual techniques were used to estimate plasma fibrinogen concentration (PFC), euglobulin lysis time (ELT), packed cell volume (PCV), and plasma viscosity (PV). Results: The mean ± standard error of mean (SEM) of PFC was 4.02±0.13g/l and ELT from the test subjects was 378±15 mins was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared with the control subjects (PFC 3.46±0.12g/l and ELT 267±9.0mins). The PCV or hematocrit values in the test subject was 29.1±0.38%, which was significantly lower (p<0.05) compared with the control subject (31.3±0.43%). The PV in the test subject was 1.76±0.02 mPa/s, while the control subjects was higher (1.73±0.02 mPa/s). This increase was not statistically significant (p>0.05). There were differences in the various parameters investigated when the various trimesters were compared. These differences did not, however, follow a particular pattern. Conclusion: Highly active antiretroviral therapy can cause changes in fibrinolytic activity that may predispose pregnant women to hyperfibrinogenemia and anemia.
The Metamorphoses of Kinship

A declining marriage rate, rising divorce rate, families breaking up and reforming, homosexual marriage and adoption. Where are the transformations in the family today taking us? In order to understand what is happening and what awaits us, the world-renowned anthropologist Maurice Godelier has decided to open up the whole question of kinship, surveying the accumulated experiences of humanity as regards marriages and unions, the organization of lines of descent, sexuality and sexual prohibitions. In parallel, Godelier studies the history of the study of kinship, from the nineteenth century to the present, in order to develop his own hypotheses. He concludes that it is nowhere the case that a man and a woman are sufficient on their own to bring a child into existence, and nowhere are relations of kinship or the family the foundation stone of a society. Godelier argues that the changes of the last thirty years do not herald disappearance or death agony of kinship but rather its remarkable metamorphosis - one that, ironically, has brought us closer to the "traditional" societies studied by ethnologists.
Spectrum of Complement-Mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathies: Pathogenetic Insights Identifying Novel Treatment Approaches

Abstract Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a rare but severe disorder characterized by endothelial cell activation and thrombus formation. It manifests with the triad of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and organ failure. Prompt diagnosis and treatment initiation are crucial for long-term outcome. TMA often manifests subsequent to infectious events, of which (enterohemorrhagic) Escherichia coli is the most frequently reported. TMA also occurs on the background of genetic/autoimmune defects in the complement system (atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome [aHUS]) and underlying conditions, such as pregnancy, transplantation, drugs, other glomerulopathies, vasculitides, or metabolic defects. Complement activation or defects in its regulation have now been described in an increasing number of acquired diseases with TMA. Coinciding with this expanding spectrum of complement-mediated diseases, the question arises which patients might benefit from a complement-targeted therapy. Success of therapy depends on the individual contribution of complement activation in disease pathogenesis. The advent of eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody that blocks terminal complement activation, has markedly improved outcome and quality of life in patients with aHUS. This review discusses the contribution of complement and highlights its complex interaction with inflammation, coagulation, and the endothelium. Treatment experiences focusing on eculizumab therapy are discussed in detail across the emerging spectrum of complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathies.
IAC-POP: FINDING THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF RESOLVED GALAXIES

IAC-pop is a code designed to solve the star formation history (SFH) of a complex stellar population system, like a galaxy, from the analysis of the color–magnitude diagram (CMD). It uses a genetic algorithm to minimize a χ2 merit function comparing the star distributions in the observed CMD and the CMD of a synthetic stellar population. A parameterization of the CMDs is used, which is the main input of the code. In fact, the code can be applied to any problem in which a similar parameterization of an experimental set of data and models can be made. The method's internal consistency and robustness against several error sources, including observational effects, data sampling, and stellar evolution library differences, are tested. It is found that the best stability of the solution and the best way to estimate errors are obtained by several runs of IAC-pop with varying the input data parameterization. The routine MinnIAC is used to control this process. IAC-pop is offered for free use and can be downloaded from the site http://iac-star.iac. es/iac-pop. The routine MinnIAC is also offered under request, but support cannot be provided for its use. The only requirement for the use of IAC-pop and MinnIAC is referencing this paper and crediting as indicated in the site.
Systematic Study on Genetic and Epimutational Profile of a Cohort of Amsterdam Criteria-Defined Lynch Syndrome in Singapore

Background Germline defects of mismatch repair (MMR) genes underlie Lynch Syndrome (LS). We aimed to gain comprehensive genetic and epigenetic profiles of LS families in Singapore, which will facilitate efficient molecular diagnosis of LS in Singapore and the region. Methods Fifty nine unrelated families were studied. Mutations in exons, splice-site junctions and promoters of five MMR genes were scanned by high resolution melting assay followed by DNA sequencing, large fragment deletions/duplications and promoter methylation in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 were evaluated by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Tumor microsatellite instability (MSI) was assessed with five mononucleotide markers and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was also performed. Results Pathogenic defects, all confined to MLH1 and MSH2, were identified in 17 out of 59 (28.8%) families. The mutational spectrum was highly heterogeneous and 28 novel variants were identified. One recurrent mutation in MLH1 (c.793C>T) was also observed. 92.9% sensitivity for indication of germline mutations conferred by IHC surpassed 64.3% sensitivity by MSI. Furthermore, 15.6% patients with MSS tumors harbored pathogenic mutations. Conclusions Among major ethnic groups in Singapore, all pathogenic germline defects were confined to MLH1 and MSH2. Caution should be applied when the Amsterdam criteria and consensus microsatellite marker panel recommended in the revised Bethesda guidelines are applied to the local context. We recommend a screening strategy for the local LS by starting with tumor IHC and the hotspot mutation testing at MLH1 c.793C>T followed by comprehensive mutation scanning in MLH1 and MSH2 prior to proceeding to other MMR genes.
The Benefits of Financial Statement Comparability

Investors, regulators, academics, and researchers all emphasize the importance of financial statement comparability. However, an empirical construct of comparability is typically not specified. In addition, little evidence exists on the benefits of comparability to users. This study attempts to fill these gaps by developing a measure of financial statement comparability. Empirically, this measure is positively related to analyst following and forecast accuracy, and negatively related to analysts’ dispersion in earnings forecasts. These results suggest that financial statement comparability lowers the cost of acquiring information, and increases the overall quantity and quality of information available to analysts about the firm.
Predicting Place of Death in the Program of All‐Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): Participant versus Program Characteristics

OBJECTIVES To assess the relationship between participant-specific and program-specific characteristics and the place of death in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). DESIGN A retrospective, population-based, cross-sectional study. SETTING PACE is a community-based managed care model serving a frail, nursing home-eligible population of Medicare beneficiaries. PARTICIPANTS Two thousand two hundred sixty-three PACE decedents from 12 sites that were fully capitated for Medicare and Medicaid by mid-1997. MEASUREMENTS Participant-specific characteristics include the range of demographic, functional, and cognitive status; skilled care needs; medical conditions; and advance care directives measures. The PACE site-specific indicator was also included to assess the effect of program sites on place of death. Bivariate, logistic, and multinomial logit models were employed. RESULTS The probability of death at home is twice as great (45%) for PACE program participants as for the general population of older Americans. Twenty-one percent of PACE participants die in hospitals, compared with 53% of Medicare beneficiaries. Participants who are older and live in the community have a significantly greater (P< .05) probability of dying at home than does an average PACE enrollee. Those with a do-not-resuscitate order are 7.4% less likely to die in the hospital than are those without. PACE participants with a live-in informal caregiver are 10.3% (P< .05) less likely to die at home than those without a caregiver. When all participant characteristics were accounted for, there remained significant variation in the place of death by PACE plan. We found the least amount of site-specific variation in deaths occurring at home and the most variation in deaths occurring in hospitals. CONCLUSION Nationally, the low rate of home death has prompted some to conclude that it is unlikely that we will, as a society, decide to take our dying older people back into our homes. The PACE experience suggests that it is possible to modify this trend. The results indicate that patient and program characteristics are both important in predicting the place of death. The variation across PACE sites suggests that an opportunity for narrowing these gaps, and reducing the proportion of hospital deaths, exists. The PACE end-of-life practice style could potentially be applied to other populations and may have important public policy implications.