Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building 3-D Statistical Shape Models by Direct Optimization

Statistical shape models are powerful tools for image interpretation and shape analysis. A simple, yet effective, way of building such models is to capture the statistics of sampled point coordinates over a training set of example shapes. However, a major drawback of this approach is the need to establish a correspondence across the training set. In 2-D, a correspondence is often defined using a set of manually placed ¿landmarks¿ and linear interpolation to sample the shape in between. Such annotation is, however, time-consuming and subjective, particularly when extended to 3-D. In this paper, we show that it is possible to establish a dense correspondence across the whole training set automatically by treating correspondence as an optimization problem. The objective function we use for the optimization is based on the minimum description length principle, which we argue is a criterion that leads to models with good compactness, specificity, and generalization ability. We manipulate correspondence by reparameterizing each training shape. We describe an explicit representation of reparameterization for surfaces in 3-D that makes it impossible to generate an illegal (i.e., not one-to-one) correspondence. We also describe several large-scale optimization strategies for model building, and perform a detailed analysis of each approach. Finally, we derive quantitative measures of model quality, allowing meaningful comparison between models built using different methods. Results are given for several different training sets of 3-D shapes, which show that the minimum description length models perform significantly better than other approaches.
Treatment of functional limitations at the knee in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy

The gait of ambulatory children with cerebral palsy frequently involves abnormal knee motion. Spasticity, muscle contracture formation, impairments of motor control, weakness, balance deficits, and extrapyramidal motions can all contribute to the functional limitations imposed at the knee. Careful clinical evaluation of the child and their gait must be performed in order to determine the best individual course of treatment. Often, three‐dimensional motion analysis with assessment of muscle activity and force is necessary to completely assess the complexities of gait. Several typical gait patterns have been described involving the knee, including ‘jump knee’, ‘crouch’, ‘true equinus’, ‘apparent equinus’, ‘recurvatum’ and ‘stiff knee’ gait. Each of these gait patterns is defined here and discussed using case examples. These typical gait patterns are usually accompanied by involvement at the hip and ankle and may be combined with transverse plane rotational abnormalities. Treatment options such as rehabilitation (physiotherapy, casting, strengthening, and/or orthoses), spasticity management (intramuscular injections of phenol, alcohol, and botulinum toxin type A) and orthopaedic approaches are discussed for each entity.
Hybrid Cochlear Implantation: Clinical Results and Critical Review in 13 Cases

Objective: To substantiate the benefits of hybrid cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with residual low-frequency hearing. Study Design: Prospective study of patients in a manufacturer-sponsored clinical trial. Setting: Independent referral center for CI. Patients: Thirteen patients who met candidacy criteria for a hybrid CI. The 10 women and 3 men had a mean age of 51 years. Intervention: Preoperative evaluation, CI with a Nucleus Hybrid cochlear implant, subsequent programming, and diagnostic testing. Main Outcome Measures: Benefits of high-frequency electrical stimulation from the hybrid CI as measured by conventional audiometry, consonant-nucleus-consonant monosyllabic word and Bamford-Kowal-Bench sentence in noise testing at quarterly intervals per protocol. Results: Follow-up ranged from 3 to 24 months. All 13 patients had preserved hearing immediately postoperative. However, one lost residual hearing 7 days postoperatively, and 2 patients had delayed hearing losses at 2 and 24 months, the latter apparently due to barotrauma; however, this was not conclusive. Another had a bilateral symmetrically progressive hearing loss. Six patients showed changes in low-frequency hearing less than 10 dB; 2 showed changes in the range 11 to 20 dB; 2, 21 to 30 dB; and 3, more than 50 dB. Eleven of 13 had improved consonant-nucleus-consonant words ranging up to 83% when tested with hearing aid + CI in the operated ear. Four subjects exhibited improvement in Bamford-Kowal-Bench sentence in noise testing, although only one subject showed a significant decline associated with bilateral progression in hearing impairment. Conclusion: Combined electrical and acoustical hearing can result in significant improvement in speech understanding. Only one patient lost residual hearing as a direct result of surgery. Two others had delayed losses. There are no absolute predictive factors as to success with hybrid CI, just as there are none for conventional CI. Similarly, wide variation in results may occur. Further studies may clarify factors involved in such variation.
Exploiting Publication Contents and Collaboration Networks for Collaborator Recommendation

Thanks to the proliferation of online social networks, it has become conventional for researchers to communicate and collaborate with each other. Meanwhile, one critical challenge arises, that is, how to find the most relevant and potential collaborators for each researcher? In this work, we propose a novel collaborator recommendation model called CCRec, which combines the information on researchers’ publications and collaboration network to generate better recommendation. In order to effectively identify the most potential collaborators for researchers, we adopt a topic clustering model to identify the academic domains, as well as a random walk model to compute researchers’ feature vectors. Using DBLP datasets, we conduct benchmarking experiments to examine the performance of CCRec. The experimental results show that CCRec outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of precision, recall and F1 score.
Curiouser and Curiouser: The Macrocyclic Lactone, Abamectin, Is also a Potent Inhibitor of Pyrantel/Tribendimidine Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors of Gastro-Intestinal Worms

Nematode parasites may be controlled with drugs, but their regular application has given rise to concerns about the development of resistance. Drug combinations may be more effective than single drugs and delay the onset of resistance. A combination of the nicotinic antagonist, derquantel, and the macrocyclic lactone, abamectin, has been found to have synergistic anthelmintic effects against gastro-intestinal nematode parasites. We have observed in previous contraction and electrophysiological experiments that derquantel is a potent selective antagonist of nematode parasite muscle nicotinic receptors; and that abamectin is an inhibitor of the same nicotinic receptors. To explore these inhibitory effects further, we expressed muscle nicotinic receptors of the nodular worm, Oesophagostomum dentatum (Ode-UNC-29:Ode-UNC-63:Ode-UNC-38), in Xenopus oocytes under voltage-clamp and tested effects of abamectin on pyrantel and acetylcholine responses. The receptors were antagonized by 0.03 μM abamectin in a non-competitive manner (reduced Rmax, no change in EC50). This antagonism increased when abamectin was increased to 0.1 μM. However, when we increased the concentration of abamectin further to 0.3 μM, 1 μM or 10 μM, we found that the antagonism decreased and was less than with 0.1 μM abamectin. The bi-phasic effects of abamectin suggest that abamectin acts at two allosteric sites: one high affinity negative allosteric (NAM) site causing antagonism, and another lower affinity positive allosteric (PAM) site causing a reduction in antagonism. We also tested the effects of 0.1 μM derquantel alone and in combination with 0.3 μM abamectin. We found that derquantel on these receptors, like abamectin, acted as a non-competitive antagonist, and that the combination of derquantel and abamectin produced greater inhibition. These observations confirm the antagonistic effects of abamectin on nematode nicotinic receptors in addition to GluCl effects, and illustrate more complex effects of macrocyclic lactones that may be exploited in combinations with other anthelmintics.
Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Health Mobile Apps for Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Living in Rural Communities.

BACKGROUND Many adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), living in rural communities, are not optimally managing the disease through their diet and physical activities. Mobile apps have the potential to facilitate self-management activities, such as providing educational content, assisting with problem solving, and self-regulation. The goal of this study was to understand the perceived barriers, benefits, and facilitators among rural adults with T2D regarding the use of free mobile apps available in Apple App store or Google Play store for diabetes management or behavior monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four focus groups were conducted with 18 participants with T2D who owned a smartphone (age: M = 54.4, SD = 12.7; 27.8% male). The participants were asked about their general app and health-specific app usage. They were then shown features of four apps related to diabetes self-management (Glucose Buddy, mySugr, MyFitnessPal, and MapMyWalk) and prompted to provide feedback. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS Four themes were identified as follows: (1) perceived barriers to use or continuous use, (2) perceived benefits of desired features of diabetes self-management, (3) facilitators to motivate use, and (4) information sharing with family, friends, and health professionals. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide initial user perceptions regarding the feasibility and acceptability of mobile apps for T2D self-management. These findings regarding perceived barriers, benefits, and facilitators can guide the development and design of apps for individuals with T2D and help researchers determine best practices when developing apps for other chronic conditions.
Mechanisms for altered endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in isolated kidneys from experimental hypertensive rats.

To study mechanisms for attenuated endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in hypertension, we examined the effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on renal vascular resistance (RVR) and release rates of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in kidneys isolated from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt-hypertensive (DOCA salt) rats, and Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats. Decreases in RVR by ACh were smaller in hypertensive rats than in their normotensive controls. The release rate of nitric oxide into the perfusate, which was estimated using nitrite-nitrate as an index, did not differ between SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). However, the release rate of EDRF was markedly decreased in both DOCA salt rats and Dahl S rats compared with their normotensive controls (10(-7) M ACh: DOCA salt 45 +/- 6 vs. control 410 +/- 60 pmol.min-1.g-1 kidney wt, P < 0.001). In SHR, high-K+ perfusion or pretreatment with glibenclamide, inhibitors of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), significantly reduced ACh-induced vasorelaxation only in WKY, resulting in no differences in the RVR reduction between SHR and WKY. Thus attenuated ACh-induced vasorelaxation in the SHR kidney may be attributed to a decrease in EDHF, but to a decrease in EDRF in DOCA salt rats and Dahl S rats.
Community-level Correlates of Crime Rates in Rhode Island

The built environment has been associated with community health through numerous studies (Wilcox 2003). Past research into built environments effect on community crime has identified increased green spaces as having a protective effect on property and violent crime rates (Kuo 2001). Kuo and others examine how crime rates are either positively or negatively associated with specified built environment features. The goal of this study is to identify which business types and institutions demonstrate an increased risk or protective effect on community crime rates. It is hypothesized that business types and institutions associated with low social capital crime rates will have a positive correlation with crime rates and outdoor recreation centers/facilities have a protective effect on crime. The data collected includes 2016-2017 Rhode Island average crime rates for general crime, assault, sexual assault, robbery and burglary and 19 built environment characteristics within the 39 Rhode Island county police precincts. Partial least squares regression analysis was performed to model the effects of business types on general crime rates, assault rates, robbery rates, burglary rates, and sex crime rates. The analysis identified a greatest increasing effect on burglary rates with pawn shops and strip clubs, while outdoor recreation centers and fire stations demonstrated the greatest protective effects. An increasing effect on robbery rates was associated with worship centers and pawn shops, while outdoor recreation centers again demonstrated the largest protective effect. The largest increasing effect on sex crime rates was libraries and gun dealers. The predictors that were most positively and negatively associated with violent assault were pawn shop rates and pain treatment center rates, respectively. The study found that outdoor recreation facilities was the only predictor to consistently demonstrated significant protective effects against all 4 specific crime rate types observed. Further research investigating latent factors within Rhode Island communities is necessary.
Analysis of the Energy Quantization Effects on Single Electron Inverter Performance through Noise Margin Modeling

Possible integration of Single Electron Transistor (SET) with CMOS technology is making the study of semiconductor SET more important than the metallic SET and consequently, the study of energy quantization effects on semiconductor SET devices and circuits is gaining significance. In this paper, for the first time, the effects of energy quantization on SET inverter performance are examined through analytical modeling and Monte Carlo simulations. It is observed that the primary effect of energy quantization is to change the Coulomb Blockade region and drain current of SET devices and as a result affects the noise margin, power dissipation, and the propagation delay of SET inverter. A new model for the noise margin of SET inverter is proposed which includes the energy quantization effects. Using the noise margin as a metric, the robustness of SET inverter is studied against the effects of energy quantization. It is shown that SET inverter designed with C_T : C_G = 1/3 (where C_T and C_G are tunnel junction and gate capacitances respectively) offers maximum robustness against energy quantization.
Meta-analysis of short sleep duration and obesity in children and adults.

BACKGROUND Recent epidemiological studies suggest that short sleep duration may be associated with the development of obesity from childhood to adulthood. OBJECTIVES To assess whether the evidence supports the presence of a relationship between short sleep duration and obesity at different ages, and to obtain an estimate of the risk. METHODS We performed a systematic search of publications using MEDLINE (1996-2007 wk 40), EMBASE (from 1988), AMED (from 1985), CINHAL (from 1982) and PsycINFO (from 1985) and manual searches without language restrictions. When necessary, authors were contacted. Criteria for inclusion were: report of duration of sleep as exposure, BMI as continuous outcome and prevalence of obesity as categorical outcome, number of participants, age, and gender. Results were pooled using a random effect model. Sensitivity analysis was performed, heterogeneity and publication bias were also checked. Results are expressed as pooled odds ratios (OR [95% confidence intervals, CIs]) and as pooled regression coefficients (beta; 95% CIs). RESULTS Of 696 studies identified, 45 met the inclusion criteria (19 in children and 26 in adults) and 30 (12 and 18, respectively) were pooled in the meta-analysis for a total of 36 population samples. They included 634,511 participants (30,002 children and 604,509 adults) from around the world. Age ranged from 2 to 102 years and included boys, girls, men and women. In children the pooled OR for short duration of sleep and obesity was 1.89 (1.46 to 2.43; P < 0.0001). In adults the pooled OR was 1.55 (1.43 to 1.68; P < 0.0001). There was no evidence of publication bias. In adults, the pooled beta for short sleep duration was -0.35 (-0.57 to -0.12) unit change in BMI per hour of sleep change. CONCLUSIONS Cross-sectional studies from around the world show a consistent increased risk of obesity amongst short sleepers in children and adults. Causal inference is difficult due to lack of control for important confounders and inconsistent evidence of temporal sequence in prospective studies.
Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy associated with ring chromosome 18

Abstract Phenotypic and clinical features of individuals with ring chromosome 18 [r(18)] vary with the extent of deletion of the short (18p-) or long arm (18q-). Most patients with r(18), therefore, demonstrate a clinical spectrum of both 18p- and 18q- deletions. Short stature, microcephaly, mental and motor retardation, craniofacial dysmorphism and extremity abnormalities are the most commonly reported features in patients with r(18). Abnormalities of chromosome 18, especially 18p- syndrome, are often reported with autoimmune thyroid disease and growth hormone deficiency, but reports of endocrine abnormalities associated with r(18) are rare. Here, we report a case of an African-American female with hyperthyroidism, type 1 diabetes mellitus, vitiligo and IgA deficiency associated with a r(18) chromosome complement. This patient additionally had mild intellectual disability and dysmorphic features. Karyotype analysis showed a de novo ring chromosome 18 (deletion 18q23-18qter and deletion 18p11.3-18pter). Although this unique association of autoimmune polyglandular endocrinopathy with ring chromosome 18 could be coincidental, we speculate that a gene or genes on chromosome 18 might play a role in the autoimmune process.
Interest Rate And Stock Market Returns In Namibia

This paper analyses the causal relationship between interest rate and stock market return in Namibia for the period 1996 to 2012. The analysis was done through cointegrated vector autoregression methods. The analysis reveals that there is a negative relationship between stock market returns and interest rates in Namibia. Causality test indicates that there is bi-directional causality between stock market returns and interest rate in Namibia. The results suggest that contractionary monetary policy through higher interest rate decreases stock market returns in Namibia.
Socio-demography and medical history as predictors of health-related quality of life of breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND Even after completion of conventional treatment, breast cancer survivors continue to exhibit a variety of psychological and physical symptoms, affecting their quality of life. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between socio-demography, medical characteristics and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of a sample of breast cancer survivors in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS This pilot cross-sectional survey was conducted among breast cancer survivors (n=40) who were members of Breast Cancer Support Group Centre Johor Bahru. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to identify the relationships between socio-demography, medical characteristics and HR-QOL of the participants. RESULTS Living with family and completion of treatment were significant predictive factors of self-rated QOL, while living with family and ever giving birth significantly predicted satisfaction with health and physical health. Psychological health had moderate correlations with number of children and early cancer stage. Survivors' higher personal income (>MYR4,500) was the only significant predictor of social relationship, while age, income more than MYR4,500 and giving birth significantly predicted environment domain score. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggested the survivors coped better in all four HR-QOL domains if they were married, lived with family, had children and were employed.
Strategic tools in China/strategic tools: an investigation into strategy in practice in China

In the last decades, we have been observing an increasingly dynamic and turbulent environment, where change seems to be something unavoidable and ubiquitous. This scenario of permanent instability has boosted strategy significance since its object of study is the relationship between organizations and their environment. Besides, the increased complexity agonizes the limitations of human cognition and increases bias in strategic decisions. Under this prism, companies throughout the world search for strategic practices that enable them to handle the environment volatile conditions. Therefore, strategic tools such as SWOT Analysis, Scenario Analysis or Balanced Scorecard have progressively gained importance in organizational life. Some literature also indicates that strategy tools are important to create a sense of organizational direction and to improve strategic thinking. Moreover, companies invest vast amount of resources (for example, time, money, intellectual capital) in acquiring and implementing the tools. There have not been that many studies concerning strategic tools use around the world. For a more meaningful observation of strategic tools use in a wider geographical area we have conducted a strategic tools use survey in Mainland China. The study was spread out to Beijing city, Shaanxi province and Shanxi province and 158 questionnaires were collected. From our survey, we found that SWOT analysis is the most used tool, and followed by PEST Analysis, Brain Storming and Resource Analysis. In addition, our findings in regard to large size companies show that they consider strategic tool increase the rational of the decision making and helped to clarify the strategy of the company. Key words: Strategic tools, strategy-as-practice, China.
Psychosocial factors in sustained attention work and contribution to work related musculoskeletal disorders

As a result of an upward trend in automation, the requirement for supervisory monitoring and consequently, cognitive demand has increased in automated manufacturing. The incidence of musculoskeletal disorders has also increased in the manufacturing sector. A model was developed based on survey data to test if distress and worry mediate the relationship between psychosocial factors (job control, cognitive demand, social isolation and skill discretion), stress states and upper body musculoskeletal complaints in highly automated manufacturing companies (n=235). These constructs facilitated the development of a statistically significant model with good fit statistics (RMSEA 0.057, TLI 0.924, CFI 0.935). Cognitive demand was shown to be related to higher distress in employees and distress pre-empts a higher incidence of self-reported shoulder and lower back complaints. The model also links job control to self-reported upper back complaints with worry as the mediating variable while social isolation is related to neck and lower back symptoms via distress.