Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship of adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome to parental metabolic syndrome.

CONTEXT We determined the relationship of metabolic syndrome (MBS) to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that parental MBS is related to the PCOS phenotype in their offspring. DESIGN/SETTING We phenotyped for MBS and PCOS in our General Clinical Research Center. PATIENTS Girls with PCOS, 12-19 yr old (n = 36, including one pair of siblings), and their parents (35 mothers, 19 fathers) were recruited from the Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic. Healthy girls, 12-19 yr old (n = 21), were recruited as a reference population. INTERVENTIONS We measured anthropometrics, blood pressure, fasting lipids and androgens, oral glucose tolerance, and ultrasonographically determined polycystic ovary status. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES MBS in parents, and PCOS features in mothers, were related to the presence of PCOS features in probands. RESULTS Fathers had strikingly high prevalence of excess adiposity (94% were obese or overweight) and MBS (79%). Premenopausal mothers more commonly had MBS (36%) than features of PCOS (< or =22%). Polycystic ovaries in proband offspring of premenopausal mothers were associated with maternal polycystic ovaries only in a minority of cases. Proband polycystic ovary status was completely concordant to fathers' MBS status (P = 0.008), but not their own or their mothers' MBS status, in families whose premenopausal mothers lacked polycystic ovaries. Proband prevalence of MBS was 27.8%, 3-fold greater than expected for obesity status. CONCLUSION Familial factors related to paternal MBS seem to be fundamental to the pathogenesis of PCOS.
Crystalline silicon solar cells with doped epitaxial silicon films obtained at low-temperature by PECVD

In spite of dramatic improvements in thin film technologies, crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells are still leading the photovoltaic market thanks to continuous progress. In this field, one innovative way is the development of thin silicon epitaxial films (epi-Si) on (100) c-Si wafers to fabricate the emitter and/or back surface field of solar cells. Among the possible techniques, we used radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (rf-PECVD) for it is a low thermal budget, scalable, wide-spread process in photovoltaics and it is well-suited to make solar cells on thin c-Si wafers (< 150 µm) without too much stress induced.
Speech rhythm and timing of a speech-impaired speaker

We made quantitative rhythmic and timing measurements on speech samples obtained a 61 year-old monolingual female English speaker who is reported to have required a rare but possible case of Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). The phonetic characteristics of speech produced by individuals with FAS affects both suprasegmental and segmental properties. We used a large scale of speech samples to overcome difficulties of comparison due to the lack of speech samples before the accident. The results showed that the speaker has greater variability than control speakers, and that speech rate is slower, but that the rhythmic patterns were more to the stress timed. The results imply that the greater variability of the rhythmic and timing patterns in the speech-impaired speaker can be used as a means of identifying areas of speech production in the speech-impaired speaker.
Minimum Sum Expected Distortion in Cooperative Networks

In this paper, we consider a wireless cooperative multimedia decode-and-forward network wherein one relay may assist multiple source-destination pairs. By exploiting the global channel state information at the relay, we propose a power allocation, a time allocation and an iterative joint power-time allocation algorithm to minimize the sum expected distortion. Firstly, we separately optimize the relay's transmission power and the system transmission time allocated to each source-destination pair such that the sum expected distortion can be minimized. Then, we propose an iterative joint power-time allocation algorithm subject to the relay's total power constraint to further improve the distortion performance. The proposed iterative algorithm is guaranteed to converge to an optimal, despite not necessarily globally optimal, point and can achieve the minimum sum expected distortion among all the schemes.
Improving the selection of true incident cases of low back pain by screening retrospective administrative data

The difficulty in identifying the onset of low back pain (LBP) limits the capacity to determine the incidence of LBP at the population level and, further, to identify risk factors. In the literature, incidence cohorts have been built with patients initially considered LBP‐free for 6–12 months prior to their selection. This ‘clearance period’ might not be sufficient to exclude recurrent patients having experienced previous LBP episodes and might result in a misclassification bias.
Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and of Reduction of Antibiotic Use on Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Nonsusceptible Pneumococci in Children With Acute Otitis Media

Background: Penicillin resistance among pneumococci has increased in the past 15 years. The implementation of widespread vaccination with the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) and the reduction of inappropriate antibiotic use could help reduce antibiotic resistance. Methods: Between September 2001 and June 2004, 89 pediatricians distributed throughout France took part in this prospective study. We obtained 1906 nasopharyngeal swabs for culture from children aged 6 to 24 months with acute otitis media (AOM). At the same time as PCV7 was introduced into the routine immunization schedule, a plan to promote judicious antibiotic use was established. We recorded the frequency of antibiotic use, as well as the dates of immunization with PCV7. Results: The proportion of PCV7-vaccinated children (≥1 dose) increased from 8.2% (year 1) to 61.4% (year 3). The proportion of children who received antibiotics within 3 months before enrollment decreased from 51.8% in year 1 to 40.9% in year 3 (P < 0.001). Overall pneumococcal carriage and carriage of PCV7 serotypes decreased during the 3-year period by 16% (P < 0.001) and 35% (P < 0.001), respectively. Rates of highly penicillin resistant strains (PRP) decreased yearly: 15.4%, 10.6%, 6.7% (P < 0.001), respectively. Risks for PRP carriage were 4.2% for immunized children who had not received antibiotics, 8.6% for those vaccinated who also had received antibiotics, 10.3% for unimmunized children who had not received antibiotics, and 16.2% for unimmunized children who had received antibiotics (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Implementation of PCV7, combined with a reduction in antibiotic use, in a country with a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci appears to have a strong impact on the carriage of penicillin nonsusceptible pneumococci in children with AOM.
Potential for Online Grocery Shopping n the Urban Area of Vienna

The market for Internet shopping in the food industry has gained increased interest of retailers especially in Central European countries like Austria. Recent experiences in the US and optimistic estimates (Green et al. 1998; Kutz 1998) show that the potential for selling groceries online might be substantial even in Europe. Accordingly, companies of the grocery industry in Austria are monitoring technological developments to better understand when to move into this new emerging market. Generally, the diffusion of the Internet and the availability of cheap computer equipment created a new type of customer who wants an easy and convenient alternative to regular shopping in supermarkets. Especially in urban areas online shopping offers new potentials to increase market shares and attract new target groups. These new virtual stores can also serve as tools for management and marketing research (Burke 1996), and for improved communication with customers (Bauer et al. 1996).
Territorial dynamics of Mexican Ant‐thrushes Formicarius moniliger revealed by individual recognition of their songs

The ability to monitor interactions between individuals over time can provide us with information on life histories, mating systems, behavioural interactions between individuals and ecological interactions with the environment. Tracking individuals over time has traditionally been a time- and often a cost-intensive exercise, and certain types of animals are particularly hard to monitor. Here we use canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) to identify individual Mexican Ant-thrushes using data extracted with a semi-automated procedure from song recordings. We test the ability of CDA to identify individuals over time, using recordings obtained over a 4-year period. CDA correctly identified songs of 12 individual birds 93.3% of the time from recordings in one year (2009), while including songs of 18 individuals as training data. Predicting singers in one year using recordings from other years indicated some instances of variation, with correct classification in the range of 67–88%; one individual was responsible for the great majority (66%) of classification errors. We produce temporal maps of the study plot showing that considerably more information was provided by identifying individuals from their songs than by ringing and re-sighting colour-ringed individuals. The spatial data show site fidelity in males, but medium-term pair bonds and an apparently large number of female floaters. Recordings can be used to monitor intra- and intersexual interactions of animals, their movements over time, their interactions with the environment and their population dynamics.
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene rearrangements in cytological samples of non–small cell lung cancer: Comparison with histological assessment

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements are detected in approximately 5% of cases of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients who are positive for ALK rearrangements may be successfully treated with the ALK inhibitor crizotinib. Because advanced‐stage lung cancers are not suitable for surgical resection, approximately 70% of patients are diagnosed via preoperative specimens. In the current study, the authors evaluated the suitability of stained cytologic direct smears and cell blocks for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to determine ALK status compared with small biopsies.
Statistical models for natural scene data

This thesis considers statistical modelling of natural image data. Obtaining advances in this field can have significant impact for both engineering applications, and for the understanding of the human visual system. Several recent advances in natural image modelling have been obtained with the use of unsupervised feature learning. We consider a class of such models, restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs), used in many recent state-of-the-art image models. We develop extensions of these stochastic artificial neural networks, and use them as a basis for building more effective image models, and tools for computational vision. We first develop a novel framework for obtaining Boltzmann machines, in which the hidden unit activations co-transform with transformed input stimuli in a stable and predictable way throughout the network. We define such models to be transformation equivariant. Such properties have been shown useful for computer vision systems, and have been motivational for example in the development of steerable filters, a widely used classical feature extraction technique. Translation equivariant feature sharing has been the standard method for scaling image models beyond patch-sized data to large images. In our framework we extend shallow and deep models to account for other kinds of transformations as well, focusing on in-plane rotations. Motivated by the unsatisfactory results of current generative natural image models, we take a step back, and evaluate whether they are able to model a subclass of the data, natural image textures. This is a necessary subcomponent of any credible model for visual scenes. We assess the performance of a stateof-the-art model of natural images for texture generation, using a dataset and evaluation techniques from in prior work. We also perform a dissection of the model architecture, uncovering the properties important for good performance. Building on this, we develop structured extensions for more complicated data comprised of textures from multiple classes, using the single-texture model architecture as a basis. These models are shown to be able to produce state-of-the-art texture synthesis results quantitatively, and are also effective qualitatively. It is demonstrated empirically that the developed multiple-texture framework provides a means to generate images of differently textured regions, more generic globally varying textures, and can also be used for texture interpolation, where the approach is radically different from the others in the area.
Winery vermicomposts to control the leaching of diuron, imidacloprid and their metabolites: Role of dissolved organic carbon content

Soil organic amendment addition is an effective practice in Mediterranean areas due to its associated high agricultural benefits and its potential to reduce the pesticide impact on water resources. However, their metabolites have received scarce attention, even when they may pose more risk than their parent compounds. Two winery vermicomposts obtained from spent grape marc (V1) and the mixture vine shoot-biosolid vinasses (V2) have been investigated as low cost organic amendments to minimize the leaching of diuron, imidacloprid and their metabolites in columns packed with a sandy loam (S1) and a silty-clay loam soil (S2) under steady state flow conditions. In the unamended soil columns, leached amounts of diuron were 75% and 53% in S1 and S2, respectively. Its metabolites (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methylurea, DPMU; and 3,4-dichlorophenylurea, DPU) percolated less than 35% of the total applied amount. The amount of the metabolite 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) was 2% and 30% for S1 and S2, respectively. Leaching of imidacloprid was 79% and 96% for S1 and S2, respectively, while its metabolite 6-chloronicotinic acid (CNA) was entirely leached. In the vermicompost-amended columns, the leaching of diuron was reduced 2 to 3-fold. DPMU and DPU were also significantly reduced (more than 6-fold). DCA did not appear in any of the leachates of the amended soil columns. Imidacloprid leaching was reduced 1 to 2-folds in the amended columns. The amendments did not affect the transport of CNA. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the vermicomposts did not enhance pesticide transport throughout the soil in any case. This qualitative study presents these vermicomposts as an effective potential low-cost tool in reducing pesticide and metabolite leaching. The next step would be to test them under more realistic conditions.
PERFORMANCE OF GLADIOLUS (Gladiolus grandiflora L.) CULTIVARS UNDER THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF BAGH AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR PAKISTAN

The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of most suitable cultivar under the climatic conditions of Bagh. Five cultivars of Gladiolus namely Amsterdam, Applause, Fidelio, Peter pears and Priscilla were evaluated for their adoptability and performance. Results on vegetative characteristics showed that cultivars Applause and Amsterdam took less number of days for sprouting, Fidelio and Priscilla produced more plants per corm and Applause obtained maximum plant height. Results on floral characteristics showed that cultivar Applause and Peter pears were earlier for spike emergence, Priscilla and Peter pears took minimum days to flowering, maximum florets were produced by Peter pears and Applause, Applause obtained maximum spike length and Peter pears remained attractive for longer time. Results on corm and cormels characteristics showed that Peter pears produced more corms, Applause produced maximum cormels and gained maximum corm size, maximum corm weight was recorded in Fidelio. From the results we conclude that keeping in view the vegetative and reproductive characteristics Applause, Peter pears and Fidelio are recommended for general cultivation.
Medical Applications of Scleral Contact Lenses: 1. A Retrospective Analysis of 343 Cases

The medical indications for, and outcome of scleral contact lens wear in 517 eyes of 343 patients attending a Scleral Contact Lens Clinic during a 5-year period from July 1988 to June 1993 were analysed. Keratoconus was the most common condition requiring scleral lens wear (36.2%), followed by aphakia (18.4%), postpenetrating keratoplasty (12.0%), irregular astigmatism secondary to corneal disease (12.0%), high myopia (12.8%), and ocular surface disorders (6.4%). The main indication was visual (85.8%), whereas therapeutic indications accounted for 8.2% of cases. Seventy-six percent of cases had previously failed with other types of contact lenses. The majority of patients were initially fitted with impression moulded polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) lenses (90.5%); other scleral lens types included preformed PMMA lenses, preformed high Dk gas-permeable (GP) lenses, and a GP/PMMA hybrid scleral lens design. Initial scleral lens fitting was successful in 93.2% of cases, and 71% remained successful with a mean duration of 11.8 years' follow-up. Complications included corneal vascularisation (13.3% of eyes), episodes of corneal oedema (7.4%), corneal abrasion (3.1%), and giant papillary conjunctivitis (1.7%). In addition to 19 eyes initially fitted with GP lenses, there were 99 eyes initially wearing PMMA lenses that were subsequently refitted with GP scleral lenses.
Percentile Distributions of Birth Weight according to Gestational Ages in Korea (2010-2012)

The Pediatric Growth Chart (2007) is used as a standard reference to evaluate weight and height percentiles of Korean children and adolescents. Although several previous studies provided a useful reference range of newborn birth weight (BW) by gestational age (GA), the BW reference analyzed by sex and plurality is not currently available. Therefore, we aimed to establish a national reference range of neonatal BW percentiles considering GA, sex, and plurality of newborns in Korea. The raw data of all newborns (470,171 in 2010, 471,265 in 2011, and 484,550 in 2012) were analyzed. Using the Korean Statistical Information Service data (2010–2012), smoothed percentile curves (3rd–97th) by GA were created using the lambda-mu-sigma method after exclusion and the data were distinguished by all live births, singleton births, and multiple births. In the entire cohort, male newborns were heavier than female newborns and singletons were heavier than twins. As GA increased, the difference in BW between singleton and multiples increased. Compared to the previous data published 10 years ago in Korea, the BW of newborns 22–23 gestational weeks old was increased, whereas that of others was smaller. Other countries' data were also compared and showed differences in BW of both singleton and multiple newborns. We expect this updated data to be utilized as a reference to improve clinical assessments of newborn growth.
High cholesterol and triglyceride values in Swedish males and females: increased risk of fatal myocardial infarction. First report from the AMORIS (Apolipoprotein related MOrtality RISk) study.

In over 300,000 Swedish males and females aged 20 to 79 years total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured consecutively between 1985 and 1989. In a subsample of about 35,000 individuals apolipoprotein (apo) B (indicating atherogenic) and apo A-I (anti-atherogenic) were also measured. In the age group 40-49 years, 24% of the males and 12% of the females had hypercholesterolemia (> or = 6.5 mmol/L) and 14% and 3%, respectively had hypertriglyceridemia (> or = 2.3 mmol/L). Combined hyperlipidemia occurred in this age group in 7% of the males and in 1% of the females and was more common in males. In the same age group, 21% of the males and 8% of the females had high atherogenic apo B values (> 1.5 g/L). Low apo A-I was found in the whole population (20-79 years) in 13% of the males and in 10% of the females and varied only little with age. In the AMORIS (Apolipoprotein related MOrtality RISk) study these individuals are followed prospectively. The relations between lipids and apo B and apo A-I levels and risk for fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are analyzed to investigate which of these lipids/apolipoproteins best predict AMI either as single determinants or in combination. After a mean observation time of about 22 months there is a 3-6-fold increase in AMI in relation to increasing cholesterol levels in males of 40-59 years. The largest increase was seen in the 40-49-year age group. A similar relationship was also found for triglycerides and AMI. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of passive pneumoperitoneum on oesophageal pressure, cardiovascular parameters and blood gas analysis in horses.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Standing surgical procedures are being employed to an ever-greater extent in horses. Pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery might adversely affect the work of breathing. OBJECTIVES To determine whether development of pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery adversely influences the work of breathing. METHODS Eight healthy mature horses were equipped with carotid artery and thoracic vena cava catheters and an intraluminal manometry system. The following measurements were obtained before and at +5, +10, +15 and +30 min following establishment of pneumoperitoneum by paralumbar puncture using an 8 gauge needle: vital signs, oesophageal pressure, gastric pressure, arterial and central venous blood pressures, and arterial and mixed venous blood gas analyses. RESULTS Significant changes in oesophageal pressure, central venous pressure and results of arterial and mixed venous blood gas analysis were not detected. Arterial diastolic and mean pressures and rectal temperature increased slightly (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Passive pneumoperitoneum did not adversely affect breathing mechanics or haemodynamic variables under experimental conditions. Changes in arterial pressure could have occurred as a response to the passive pneumoperitoneum or be related to handling stress. Subtle variations in rectal temperature were not clinically relevant and likely resulted from stress associated with restraint. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE It is unlikely that mature horses will develop signs of respiratory difficulty as a result of the development of passive pneumoperitoneum during standing laparoscopy.
Disintegrant properties of banana starch obtained from the unripe fruits of Musa sapientum L

Banana starch obtained from unripe fruits of Musa sapientium L. has been evaluated as disintegrant in comparison with official corn starch. The physicochemical and material properties of the starches were evaluated and the properties of paracetamol tablet prepared by wet granulation using the starches as endo-disintegrants were determined. The results indicated that the physicochemical and material properties of banana starch varied considerably from corn starch. Scanning electron microscopy showed that banana starch granules were oval or ellipsoidal in shape while corn starch granules were angular or polyhedral in shape. The crushing strength (CS) of paracetamol tablets increased with disintegrant concentration while friability decreased. Tablets containing banana starch exhibited higher CS but lower friability than those containing corn starch. Paracetamol tablets containing banana starch had longer disintegration times than those containing corn starch although there were no significant (p >0.05) differences in the disintegration time of tablets. The results showed that banana starch compared well with corn starch as disintegrant.