Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surveying Ground Water Level Using Remote Sensing: An Example over the Seco and Hondo Creek Watershed in Texas

The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellite data has been applied to various vegetation studies. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using the NDVI response to plant water content to predict ground water level over a watershed located in the Edwards Aquifer of Texas, USA. Results showed that the precipitation data collected inside the watershed were not highly correlated to ground water depth within 10 d of the event, though a 60‐foot sinkhole in the study site was expected to collect rainfall and recharge ground water in a short time. Alternatively, the NDVI derived from SPOT‐VEGETATION satellite data and potential evapotranspiration (PET) based on the Hargreaves PET model were significantly correlated to ground water depth. Moreover, the stream flow measurements were correlated to ground water level as well. Two simple models were developed for estimating ground water levels in the artesian and recharge zones. Independent validations were performed to verify both models. All three variables (NDVI, PET, and stream flow) were directly or indirectly related to the precipitation. The PET was mainly controlled by air temperature, and the temperature was negatively related to precipitation. The NDVI values were affected by both temperature and precipitation, and the amount of rainfall was strongly correlated to the stream flow. This study initiated a unique approach to surveying ground water level based on satellite information and meteorological data.
Development and Evaluation of a Fluorescent Antibody-Drug Conjugate for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer

Antibodies are widely available and cost-effective research tools in life science, and antibody conjugates are now extensively used for targeted therapy, immunohistochemical staining, or in vivo diagnostic imaging of cancer. Significant advances in site-specific antibody labeling technologies have enabled the production of highly characterized and homogenous conjugates for biomedical purposes, and some recent studies have utilized site-specific labeling to synthesize bifunctional antibody conjugates with both imaging and drug delivery properties. While these advances are important for the clinical safety and efficacy of such biologics, these techniques can also be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Furthermore, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) used for tumor treatment generally remain distinct from conjugates used for diagnosis. Thus, there exists a need to develop simple dual-labeling methods for efficient therapeutic and diagnostic evaluation of antibody conjugates in pre-clinical model systems. Here, we present a rapid and simple method utilizing commercially available reagents for synthesizing a dual-labeled fluorescent ADC. Further, we demonstrate the fluorescent ADC’s utility for simultaneous targeted therapy and molecular imaging of cancer both in vitro and in vivo. Employing non-site-specific, amine-reactive chemistry, our novel biopharmaceutical theranostic is a monoclonal antibody specific for a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) biomarker conjugated to both paclitaxel and a near-infrared (NIR), polyethylene glycol modified (PEGylated) fluorophore (DyLight™ 680-4xPEG). Using in vitro systems, we demonstrate that this fluorescent ADC selectively binds a CEA-positive pancreatic cancer cell line (BxPC-3) in immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry, exhibits efficient internalization kinetics, and is cytotoxic. Model studies using a xenograft of BxPC-3 cells in athymic mice also show the fluorescent ADC’s efficacy in detecting tumors in vivo and inhibiting tumor growth more effectively than equimolar amounts of unconjugated drug. Overall, our results demonstrate that non-selective, amine-targeting chemistry is an effective dual-labeling method for synthesizing and evaluating a bifunctional fluorescent antibody-drug conjugate, allowing concurrent detection, monitoring and treatment of cancer.
Direct Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty for Acute Middle Cerebral Artery Trunk Occlusion: An Alternative Option to Intra-arterial Thrombolysis

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for patients with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) trunk occlusion. Methods— Over the past 9 years, a total of 70 patients with acute MCA trunk occlusion were treated with intra-arterial reperfusion therapy. In the last 5 years, 34 patients were treated with direct PTA, and subsequent thrombolytic therapy was added if necessary for distal embolization. The other 36 patients, mainly in the first 4 years, were treated with thrombolytic therapy alone and were used as controls. Pretherapeutic neurological status was evaluated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to assess clinical outcome at 90 days. Results— There were no significant differences in pretherapeutic National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and duration of ischemia between the 2 groups. The rate of partial or complete recanalization in the PTA group was 91.2%, whereas that in the thrombolysis-alone group was 63.9% (P <0.01). The incidence of large parenchymal hematoma with neurological deterioration in the PTA group was 2.9%, while that in the thrombolysis-alone group was 19.4% (P =0.03). Although direct PTA did not improve the rate of favorable outcome (mRS score 0 or 1; 41.7% for the thrombolysis-alone group versus 52.9% for the PTA group;P =0.48), outcome in terms of independence (mRS score 0, 1, 2) was significantly better in the PTA group (73.5%) than in the thrombolysis-alone group (50.0%;P =0.04). Conclusions— Although definitive conclusions on the comparative merits of these 2 therapies cannot be drawn because of an open trial, direct PTA may be an effective alternative option to intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute MCA trunk occlusion.
Breech Delivery and Intelligence: A Population-Based Study of 8,738 Breech Infants

OBJECTIVE: Long-term intellectual performance in breech-presented infants may be negatively affected by vaginal delivery. We evaluated the effect of presentation at birth and delivery mode on intellectual performance at age 18 years in a nationwide population study. METHODS: We studied 8,738 male infants in breech and 384,832 males in cephalic presentation registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, 1967–1979, and linked to data registered at the National Conscript Service, 1984–1999. Test scores of intelligence testing at conscription were presented as standard nine (“stanine”) scores. Mean stanine scores and odds ratios of low score were computed and adjusted for birth order, maternal age, and education. RESULTS: Mean stanine score was slightly higher among breech-presented males than among cephalic-presented males (5.26 versus 5.22, P = .05), whereas after adjustment the difference disappeared (P = .3). Breech-presented infants had lower mean scores if delivered by cesarean compared with vaginal breech delivery (P = .03), and cephalic-presented males scored lower if their mothers had a cesarean delivery instead of a vaginal delivery (P < .001). Comparing cesarean and vaginal delivery in breech births, the odds ratio of having a stanine score less than or equal to 3 was 1.12 (95% confidence interval 0.92,1.36), after adjustment for confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Presentation at birth did not affect adult intellectual performance. Cesarean delivery of breech-presented infants did not improve adult intellectual performance when compared with a vaginal delivery. The excess perinatal hazards of breech-presented infants with a vaginal delivery were not reflected in adult intellectual performance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2
Uniquely monopolar-partitionable block graphs

As a common generalization of bipartite and split graphs, monopolar graphs are defined in terms of the existence of certain vertex partitions. It has been shown that to determine whether a graph has such a partition is NP-complete for general graphs and polynomial for several classes of graphs. In this paper, we investigate graphs that admit a unique such partition and call them uniquely monopolar-partitionable graphs. By employing a tree trimming technique, we obtain a characterization of uniquely monopolar-partitionable block graphs. Our characterization implies a polynomial time algorithm for recognizing them.
A gigabit multidrop serial backplane for high-speed digital systems based on asymmetrical power splitter

The maximum data rate in today's available multidrop backplanes is significantly limited due to signal integrity concerns. In this brief, a novel gigabit multidrop serial link configuration for high-speed digital systems based on newly developed asymmetrical broadband power splitters with matching trace impedance, is presented. The proposed power splitter features good impedance match at all ports without the insertion losses being inherent to common resistive power splitters. Experimental results obtained from implemented prototypes demonstrate a satisfactory operation of the proposed multidrop serial backplane for a data rate above 3.5 Gbps.
Cross‐Sectional Evaluation of Periodontal Status and Microbiologic and Rheumatoid Parameters in a Large Cohort of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

BACKGROUND This study evaluates periodontal conditions and microbiologic findings and their influence on rheumatologic disease parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS One hundred and sixty-eight patients with RA were included. A healthy control group (HC, n = 168) was composed according to age, sex, and smoking habits. Rheumatologic data (duration of illness, Disease Activity Score 28, rheumatic factor [RF], anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide [aCCP], medications) were extracted from patients' records. Dental examination included: 1) dental findings (decayed, missing, and/or filled adult teeth [DMF-T] index); 2) gingival inflammation (papillary bleeding index [PBI]); and 3) periodontal status (probing depth [PD], attachment loss [AL]). Periodontal condition was classified as healthy/mild, moderate, or severe periodontitis. Subgingival biofilm was analyzed regarding 11 periodontopathogenic bacteria. Statistical analyses included: 1) Kolmogorov-Smirnov test; 2) Mann-Whitney U test; 3) Pearson χ2 test; 4) Kruskal-Wallis test; and 5) regression analysis; level of significance α = 5%. RESULTS Mean DMF-T was significantly higher in patients with RA (19.3 ± 4.8) than in HC group (16.9 ± 5.8), especially owing to number of missing teeth (RA = 6.0 ± 5.4, HC = 3.1 ± 3.3; P <0.01). Patients with RA had a significantly higher proportion of increased PD (P <0.01) and AL compared with HC group (P <0.01). Moderate to severe periodontitis was noted in 98% of patients with RA and 82% of the HC group (P <0.01). RF-positive patients with RA suffered from worse periodontal conditions than RF-negative patients (P = 0.01). Age, PBI, and presence of Treponema denticola (P <0.03) are related to periodontal condition in patients with RA. Although not statistically significant, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum occur in higher concentrations more often in aCCP-positive patients with RA (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS Patients with RA had worse periodontal conditions than HC participants. Although a trend for higher F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis concentrations in aCCP-positive patients with RA was found, importance of periodontal pathogenic bacteria and rheumatoid parameters in the interrelationship between periodontitis and RA remains unclear.
Implantation of green tea catechin α-tricalcium phosphate combination enhances bone repair in rat skull defects.

UNLABELLED The purpose of the present study is to investigate effects of the combination of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) on bone regenerative capacity in a bilateral rat calvarial bone defect model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bilateral 5-mm-diameter calvarial defects were created in adult male Wistar rats and filled with preparations of EGCG (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg) combined with α-TCP particles. This was done by dissolving EGCG in 100% ethanol (50 μL/14 mg) and dropping under sterile condition. The control group was left unfilled (n = 8). The animals were sacrificed at 2 and 4 weeks. Radiological images were taken, and histological analysis was done. Six animals from control (0 mg EGCG + α-TCP) group and (0.2 mg EGCG+ α-TCP) group were labeled with fluorescent dyes and histomorphometrically analyzed (n = 6) at 2 and 4 weeks. RESULTS Histomorphometric analysis revealed that the combination of EGCG and α-TCP at doses of 0.1 and 0.2 mg yielded significantly more new bone formation than untreated control group at 2 and 4 weeks (p > 0.05). Mineral apposition rate at 0.2-TCP group was enhanced compared with the one of the positive control α-TCP group at 4 weeks (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION The combination of α-TCP particles and 0.2 mg EGCG stimulates maximum bone regeneration in rat calvarial defects, and this combination would be potentially effective as bone graft material.
‘There is fear but there is no other work’: a preliminary qualitative exploration of the experience of sex workers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract Two decades of conflict and insecurity have had a devastating impact on many in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including marginalised groups such as sex workers. In the province of North Kivu, many residents face desperate conditions that render them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. As a result, many turn to the sex trade in what can often be described as ‘survival sex’. This small-scale qualitative study explores the experience of urban sex workers in the eastern region of the DRC. Sex workers were recruited at their place of business and asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Eight participants were recruited, including seven women and one man. Our analysis identified several themes: (1) economic hardship as a catalyst for joining the sex trade, (2) significant work-related violence and (3) a paucity of available resources or assistance. Responses to specific prompts indicated that sex workers do not trust law enforcement and there are significant barriers to both medical care and local resources. Further studies of this vulnerable population and its needs are encouraged in order to develop programmes that provide the means to manage the hazards of their work and obtain an alternative source of income.
Phase noise reveals early category-specific modulation of the event-related potentials

Previous studies have found that the amplitude of the early event-related potential (ERP) components evoked by faces, such as N170 and P2, changes systematically as a function of noise added to the stimuli. This change has been linked to an increased perceptual processing demand and to enhanced difficulty in perceptual decision making about faces. However, to date it has not yet been tested whether noise manipulation affects the neural correlates of decisions about face and non-face stimuli similarly. To this end, we measured the ERPs for faces and cars at three different phase noise levels. Subjects performed the same two-alternative age-discrimination task on stimuli chosen from young–old morphing continua that were created from faces as well as cars and were calibrated to lead to similar performances at each noise-level. Adding phase noise to the stimuli reduced performance and enhanced response latency for the two categories to the same extent. Parallel to that, phase noise reduced the amplitude and prolonged the latency of the face-specific N170 component. The amplitude of the P1 showed category-specific noise dependence: it was enhanced over the right hemisphere for cars and over the left hemisphere for faces as a result of adding phase noise to the stimuli, but remained stable across noise levels for cars over the left and for faces over the right hemisphere. Moreover, noise modulation altered the category-selectivity of the N170, while the P2 ERP component, typically associated with task decision difficulty, was larger for the more noisy stimuli regardless of stimulus category. Our results suggest that the category-specificity of noise-induced modulations of ERP responses starts at around 100 ms post-stimulus.
An Exploration into the Use of Contextual Document Clustering for Cluster Sentiment Analysis

In this paper we consider whether the thematic document clustering approach of Contextual Document Clustering is able to capture the overall sentiment of a cluster of documents. We provide a novel mechanism to determine the sentiment of a cluster based on the latter approach and assess the approach on three data sets formed from the NY Times annotated corpus. We demonstrate that CDC does provide a strong tendency to capture the sentiment of a cluster.
Variations in Coulomb Stress Accumulation Along the San Andreas Fault System

[1] Stress accumulation rates along the primary segments of the San Andreas Fault system are computed using a three-dimensional (3-D) elastic half-space model with realistic fault geometry. The model is developed in the Fourier domain by solving for the response of an elastic half-space due to a point vector body force and analytically integrating the force from a locking depth to infinite depth. This approach is then applied to the San Andreas Fault system using published slip rates along 18 major fault strands of the fault zone. GPS-derived horizontal velocity measurements spanning the entire 1700 × 200 km region are then used to solve for apparent locking depth along each primary fault segment. This simple model fits remarkably well (2.43 mm/yr RMS misfit), although some discrepancies occur in the Eastern California Shear Zone. The model also predicts vertical uplift and subsidence rates that are in agreement with independent geologic and geodetic estimates. In addition, shear and normal stresses along the major fault strands are used to compute Coulomb stress accumulation rate. As a result, we find earthquake recurrence intervals along the San Andreas Fault system to be inversely proportional to Coulomb stress accumulation rate, in agreement with typical coseismic stress drops of 1–10 MPa. This 3-D deformation model can ultimately be extended to include both time-dependent forcing and viscoelastic response.
Trustworthy Refactoring via Decomposition and Schemes: A Complex Case Study

Widely used complex code refactoring tools lack a solid reasoning about the correctness of the transformations they implement, whilst interest in proven correct refactoring is ever increasing as only formal verification can provide true confidence in applying tool-automated refactoring to industrial-scale code. By using our strategic rewriting based refactoring specification language, we present the decomposition of a complex transformation into smaller steps that can be expressed as instances of refactoring schemes, then we demonstrate the semi-automatic formal verification of the components based on a theoretical understanding of the semantics of the programming language. The extensible and verifiable refactoring definitions can be executed in our interpreter built on top of a static analyser framework.
Moving in three-dimensional space: frames of reference, vectors, and coordinate systems.

We move in a three-dimensional world. What are the motor commands that generate movements o a target in space, and how is sensory information used to control and coordinate such movements? To answer these questions, one must determine how spatial parameters are encoded by the activity of neurons. Within the last decade, experimenters have begun to study a variety of movements in three-dimensional space. Among these are "reflexive" (or postural) eye, head, and body movements elicited vestibular and visual stimuli; orienting movements of the eyes, head, and body subserved by the superior collieulus (or in lower vertebrates, the optic tectum); and arm movements with their neural correlates in motor cortex. The neural systems that are involved in the production of each of these movements must deal with aspects that are particular to that task, and specialized reviews are available on each of these topics (Georgopoulos 1986; Knudsen et al 1987; Simpson 1984; Sparks 1986). Nevertheless, the question of spatial representation is a theme common to each of these
Volunteers in America: How Volunteerism and American Civil Society Shape Our Museums

This thesis examines the intersection of volunteerism, museum studies, and American civil society within two Denver area art museums. There is much current scholarship that focuses on the relationship between museums and community, yet does not often address the role of museum volunteerism within such a context. This thesis therefore also examines the intersection of community and museum volunteerism, presenting a starting point for future researchers to continue studying museum volunteerism within the context of civic engagement. This thesis finds that, while the ideology of American civil society plays a role in museum volunteerism, personal motivations are more likely to push an individual to volunteer. It also concludes that volunteers are currently less likely to see museums as civically engaged places than other institutions. Finally, this thesis presents possible actions to help museum staff and community partners create a more civically engaged museum volunteer corps.
Contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention in simple lesions: risk factors and incidence are affected by the definition utilized.

AIM To compare the incidence, and risk factors, in-hospital and at the 18-month prognosis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) according to the definition utilized: as an increase in serum creatinine (Scr) ≥ 0.5 mg/dL (CIN 1) or as an increase in Scr ≥ 25% above baseline values (CIN 2). METHODS AND RESULTS We prospectively evaluated CIN according to two different definitions in 150 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in simple lesions employing a low-medium dose of contrast media. Incidence of CIN was higher using the CIN 2 definition than CIN 1 (9.3% vs. 4%; p=0.0133). Patients with CIN 1 had a higher incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (66.7% vs. 13.9%; p=0.006), higher mean serum creatinine levels (1.35±0.42 vs. 0.98±0.35; p=0.001) and lower mean eGFR levels (58.3±19.6 vs. 84±25.9; p=0.002). Patients with CIN 2 had a higher incidence of anemia (57.1% vs. 30.9%; p=0.049) and a higher mean contrast media volume was used (142.6±62.2 mL vs. 110.6±57.2 mL; p=0.05). In the multivariate analysis the only significant variable associated with CIN (CIN 2) was a higher volume of contrast media (OR=1.01; p=0.04). There were no differences in the major in-hospital events, but patients with CIN (both definitions) had a longer in-hospital stay. A persistent rise in serum creatinine at discharge occurred in only one patient. There were no differences between patients with and without CIN in events at the follow-up, with the exception of an increased risk of new hospitalization in patients with CIN 2. CONCLUSION After PCI employing low-medium dose of contrast media the incidence of CIN varied according to the definition used. Neither of the two definitions offers additional information compared with the other. Chronic kidney disease and baseline parameters of renal function are the risk factors associated with CIN 1; anemia and higher volume of contrast media are associated with CIN 2.