Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Approaches and tools for measuring disability in low and middle-income countries.

PURPOSE To review the current state-of-the-art of measuring disability in the context of countries where leprosy is endemic. BACKGROUND Estimates of the prevalence of disability are often based on scanty data, collected with a myriad of different instruments. This is true for all four components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF); 1) body functions and structures, 2) activities and participation, 3) personal factors and 4) environmental factors, and for disability-related quality of life. There is an urgent need for data on leprosy-related disability, as well as for data on disability due to other causes. Data is needed as baseline for rehabilitation programmes, individual interventions, for programme monitoring and evaluation and for advocacy. RESULTS Measurement instruments and qualitative data collection techniques now exist which are directly applicable in the context of most leprosy-endemic countries. We discuss several instruments compatible with the ICF conceptual framework. A validated generic instrument for measuring impairment is currently not available. For measuring activity and participation, we recommend the WHODAS, the SALSA scale and the Participation Scale. We recommend an inclusive focus, where people with leprosy-related disability are seen as a sub-group of people with disability in the wider context, since many of their needs are the same as those of others. The need for validation and collection of normative reference data is also discussed. CONCLUSIONS Programmes and research projects should choose an appropriate set of tools and methods and seek to apply these systematically. This choice should be guided by data on the validity of these tools in the concerned context. Instruments should be revalidated formally in every new context. Similarly, locally relevant normative data should be collected and applied to ensure that decisions are based on valid interpretations and conclusions.
Intelligent driving diagnosis based on a fuzzy logic approach in a real environment implementation

This paper considers the problem of diagnosing people's driving skills under real driving conditions using GPS data and video records. For this real environment implementation, a brand new intelligent driving diagnosis system based on fuzzy logic was developed. This system seeks to propose an abstraction of expert driving criteria for driving assessment. The analysis takes into account GPS signals such as: position, velocity, accelerations and vehicle yaw angle; because of its relation with drivers' maneuvers. In that sense, this work presents in the first place, the proposed scheme for the intelligent driving diagnosis agent in terms of its own characteristics properties, which explain important considerations about how an intelligent agent must be conceived. Secondly, it attempts to explain the scheme for the implementation of the intelligent driving diagnosis agent based on its fuzzy logic algorithm, which takes into account the analysis of real-time telemetry signals and proposed set of driving diagnosis rules for the intelligent driving diagnosis, based on a quantitative abstraction of some traffic laws and some secure driving techniques. Experimental testing has been performed in driving conditions. All tested drivers performed the driving task on real streets. The testing results show that our intelligent driving diagnosis system allows quantitative qualifications of driving performance with a high degree of reliability.
Impact of Trans-Atlantic-Pacific Ocean Dipole–like pattern on summer precipitation variability over West Africa

ABSTRACT Recent findings indicate that rainfall variability over West Africa is characterized by more positive anomalies in the last four decades. The authors demonstrate that the recent interannual rainfall variability is linked to an air–sea phenomenon that occurs in the tropical Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean, and then propose the Trans-Atlantic-Pacific Ocean Dipole (TAPOD) index as a measure for this tropical ocean phenomenon, which is found to be closely correlated with the West African summer rainfall anomalies. Using observational and reanalysis datasets, composite analysis suggests that enhanced precipitation in West Africa is associated with the positive phase of the TAPOD, which is characterized by warm sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the tropical Atlantic and cool SSTAs in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. During the positive phase of the TAPOD, there are significant westerly anomalies over the tropical Atlantic Ocean, which drives anomalous water vapor convergence over West Africa, leading to enhanced precipitation in the region. Graphical Abstract
ESTIMATING PHENOTYPIC SELECTION IN AGE‐STRUCTURED POPULATIONS BY REMOVING TRANSIENT FLUCTUATIONS

An extension of the selection differential in the Robertson–Price equation for the mean phenotype in an age‐structured population is provided. Temporal changes in the mean phenotype caused by transient fluctuations in the age‐distribution and variation in mean phenotype among age classes, which can mistakenly be interpreted as selection, will disappear if reproductive value weighting is applied. Changes in any weighted mean phenotype in an age‐structured population may be decomposed into between‐ and within‐age class components. Using reproductive value weighting the between‐age class component becomes pure noise, generated by previous genetic drift or fluctuating selection. This component, which we call transient quasi‐selection, can therefore be omitted when estimating age‐specific selection on fecundity or viability within age classes. The final response can be computed at the time of selection, but can not be observed until lifetime reproduction is realized unless the heritability is one. The generality of these results is illustrated further by our derivation of the selection differential for the continuous time age‐structured model with general age‐dependent weights. A simple simulation example as well as estimation of selection components in a house sparrow population illustrates the applicability of the theory to analyze selection on the mean phenotype in fluctuating age‐structured populations.
Neuroinflammation is not a Prerequisite for Diabetes-induced Tau Phosphorylation

Abnormal phosphorylation and aggregation of tau is a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder for which Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a risk factor. In animal models for DM, the phosphorylation and aggregation of tau is induced or exacerbated, however the underlying mechanism is unknown. In addition to the metabolic dysfunction, DM is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation. This was reported to be associated with a neuroinflammatory response in the hypothalamus of DM animal models. Neuroinflammation is also implicated in the development and progression of AD. It is unknown whether DM also induces neuroinflammation in brain areas affected in AD, the cortex and hippocampus. Here we investigated whether neuroinflammation could be the mechanistic trigger to induce tau phosphorylation in the brain of DM animals. Two distinct diabetic animal models were used; rats on free-choice high-fat high-sugar (fcHFHS) diet that are insulin resistant and streptozotocin-treated rats that are insulin deficient. The streptozotocin-treated animals demonstrated increased tau phosphorylation in the brain as expected, whereas the fcHFHS diet fed animals did not. Remarkably, neither of the diabetic animal models showed reactive microglia or increased GFAP and COX-2 levels in the cortex or hippocampus. From this, we conclude: 1. DM does not induce neuroinflammation in brain regions affected in AD, and 2. Neuroinflammation is not a prerequisite for tau phosphorylation. Neuroinflammation is therefore not the mechanism that explains the close connection between DM and AD.
Adaptive Paired Page Prebackup Scheme for MLC NAND Flash Memory

Multilevel cell (MLC) NAND flash memory is more cost effective compared with single-level cell NAND flash memory as it can store two or more bits in a memory cell. However, in MLC flash memory, a programming operation can corrupt the paired page under abnormal termination. In order to solve the paired page problem, a backup scheme is generally used, which inevitably causes performance degradation and shortens the lifespan of flash memory. In this paper, we propose a more efficient paired page prebackup scheme for MLC flash memory. It adaptively exploits interleaving, copyback operations, and parity data to reduce the prebackup overhead. In experiments, the proposed scheme reduced the backup overhead by up to 78%.
Angiogenesis Is Impaired by Hypercholesterolemia: Role of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine

BackgroundMany angiogenic factors require endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) to exert their effects. Recently, an endogenous competitive antagonist of NO synthase has been characterized: asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). Elevated plasma levels of ADMA reduce NO synthesis in hypercholesterolemia. Accordingly, we hypothesized that hypercholesterolemia impairs angiogenesis by an ADMA-dependent mechanism. Methods and ResultsAngiogenesis was assessed with the use of a disk angiogenesis system implanted subcutaneously in normal (E+) mice or apolipoprotein (apo)E-deficient hypercholesterolemic (E−) mice. After 2 weeks, the disks were removed, and the fibrovascular growth area was used as an index of angiogenesis. Basal and fibroblast growth factor–stimulated angiogenesis was impaired in E− mice, associated with an elevation in plasma ADMA. Oral administration of l-arginine reversed the impairment of angiogenesis in E− mice. By contrast, oral administration of l-nitroarginine (an exogenous antagonist of NO synthase) reduced angiogenesis. When added directly to the disk, ADMA dose-dependently inhibited basal and fibroblast growth factor–induced angiogenesis, an effect that was reversed by oral administration of l-arginine. ConclusionsThe derangement of the NO synthase pathway that occurs in hypercholesterolemia is associated with an impairment of angiogenesis. The lipid-induced impairment of angiogenesis can be reversed by oral administration of l-arginine and can be mimicked in normocholesterolemic animals by administration of an NO synthase antagonist. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that ADMA is an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis.
Synthetic protocell biology: from reproduction to computation

Cells are the building blocks of biological complexity. They are complex systems sustained by the coordinated cooperative dynamics of several biochemical networks. Their replication, adaptation and computational features emerge as a consequence of appropriate molecular feedbacks that somehow define what life is. As the last decades have brought the transition from the description-driven biology to the synthesis-driven biology, one great challenge shared by both the fields of bioengineering and the origin of life is to find the appropriate conditions under which living cellular structures can effectively emerge and persist. Here, we review current knowledge (both theoretical and experimental) on possible scenarios of artificial cell design and their future challenges.
The Effect of In Vitro Cultivation on the Transcriptome of Adult Brugia malayi

Background Filarial nematodes cause serious and debilitating infections in human populations of tropical countries, contributing to an entrenched cycle of poverty. Only one human filarial parasite, Brugia malayi, can be maintained in rodents in the laboratory setting. It has been a widely used model organism in experiments that employ culture systems, the impact of which on the worms is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Using Illumina RNA sequencing, we characterized changes in gene expression upon in vitro maintenance of adult B. malayi female worms at four time points: immediately upon removal from the host, immediately after receipt following shipment, and after 48 h and 5 days in liquid culture media. The dramatic environmental change and the 24 h time lapse between removal from the host and establishment in culture caused a globally dysregulated gene expression profile. We found a maximum of 562 differentially expressed genes based on pairwise comparison between time points. After an initial shock upon removal from the host and shipping, a few stress fingerprints remained after 48 h in culture and until the experiment was stopped. This was best illustrated by a strong and persistent up-regulation of several genes encoding cuticle collagens, as well as serpins. Conclusions/Significance These findings suggest that B. malayi can be maintained in culture as a valid system for pharmacological and biological studies, at least for several days after removal from the host and adaptation to the new environment. However, genes encoding several stress indicators remained dysregulated until the experiment was stopped.
Petrogenesis of plagiogranite and associated diorites and mafic rocks in the Habana–Matanzas ophiolites, northwestern half of central Cuba

Structural field relationships, petrography and geochemical features of plagiogranites and associated intermediate (diorite) to mafic rocks (basalt and gabbro) of the Habana–Matanzas ophiolites in northern Cuba suggest that these felsic and mafic rock units represent a boundary case between forearc and volcanic arc ophiolite types. Subduction-related basalts can be subdivided into back-arc, back-arc to forearc, forearc and volcanic arc types. The majority of the basalts plot in the oceanic arc (as well as joint oceanic arc–continental arc) field of the Th/Yb–Nb/Yb diagram. The samples that classify as volcanic arc basalts plot in the continental arc field of the Th/Yb–Nb/Yb diagram and within the island arc tholeiite and boninite fields in the V–Ti diagram. The Habana–Matanzas plagiogranites and associated basalts, diabases and gabbros display significantly negative Ta–Nb anomalies and are depleted in heavy rare earth elements. 40Ar/39Ar whole-rock plateau ages of these plagiogranites reveal minimum crystallization ages of 98.11 ± 0.50 Ma, providing the first important time constraint for suprasubduction zone oceanic crust formation on the island of Cuba. Based on our petrogenetic modelling and geochemical characterization, we conclude that magmas of the plagiogranites and associated intermediate rocks of the Habana–Matanzas ophiolites were derived from partial melting of highly depleted, pre-existing crustal rocks (basalt and/or gabbro). Thematic collection: This article is part of the ‘Tethyan ophiolites and Tethyan seaways collection’ available at: https://www.lyellcollection. org/cc/tethyan-ophiolites-and-tethyan-seaways
A real-time stereo-vision system for moving object and obstacle detection in AVG and AMR applications

This paper presents a real-time system for moving object and obstacle detection (MOOD) based on stereo vision. A disparity map is calculated to have a 3D representation of the scene and to recognize obstacles. The best methods in literature have been employed and opportunely modified to obtain the best compromise between the high frame-rate and the high accuracy requirements. An efficient algorithm for motion vector analysis, based on optical flow, is used to segment moving objects and obstacles. The application domain is automatic vehicle guidance (AVG) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR), in which a stereo vision system is applied on board. Results are presented with reference to a synthetic database created ad hoc to evidence some interesting cases of object/obstacle trajectories.
Approximating Selected Non-dominant Timescales by Markov State Models

We consider time-continuous, reversible Markov processes on large or continuous state space. For a practical analysis of such processes it is often necessary to construct low dimensional approximations, like Markov State Models (MSM). MSM have been used for this purpose in several applications, particularly in molecular dynamics; see [16] for an example. One of the main goals of MSMs is the correct approximation of slow processes in the system. Recently, it was possible to understand under which conditions a MSM inherits the most dominant timescales of the original Markov process [7, 6]. However, all rigorous statements known have yet been concerned with the approximation of the absolutely slowest processes in the system, i.e., its dominant timescales. In this article, we will show that it is also possible to design MSMs to reproduce selected non-dominant timescales and which approximation quality can be achieved.
Study of noise robust voice activity detection based on periodic component to aperiodic component ratio

This paper describes a study of noise robust voice activity detection (VAD) utilizing the periodic component to aperiodic component ratio (PAR). Although environmental sound changes dynamically in the real world, conventional noise robust features for VAD are sensitive to the non-stationarity of noise, which yields variations in the signal to noise ratio, and sometimes requires apriori noise power estimations. To overcome this problem, we adopt the PAR as an acoustic feature for VAD that is insensitive to the non-stationarity of noise. Hearing research also suggests that the decomposition of the periodic and aperiodic components plays an important role in the human auditory system. The proposed method first estimates the PAR of the observed signals with a harmonic filter in the frequency region. Then it detects the presence of target speech signals based on the voice activity likelihood defined in relation to the PAR. The performance of the proposed VAD algorithm was examined by using simulated and real noisy speech data. Comparisons confirmed that the proposed VAD algorithm outperforms the conventional VAD algorithms particularly in the presence of non-stationary noise.
Presence and Embodiment in Mobile Phone Communication

This paper explores the temporal and spatial characteristics of mobile phone communication, comparing the experience of presence in phone calls and in virtual reality environments. It is argued that in phone communication interactional affordances create an experience of presence and a degree of embodiment. The theoretical framework adopted combines Goffman’s frame analysis with Gibson’s affordance theory and a situated cognition perspective. The concept of presence is clarified by an analysis of embodiment. The traditional view of embodiment is criticised as assuming a Cartesian mind/body dualism. An alternative view of embodiment is developed which challenges the dichotomies of virtual and physical embodiment, and of virtual and physical environments.
The Impact of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on the Oocyte and the Preimplantation Embryo

Whereas the importance of close monitoring and tight glycemic control in diabetic pregnancies cannot be ignored, the growing body of knowledge surrounding the different effects of diabetes mellitus on the earliest stages of reproduction underscores the need for aggressive screening among reproductive-aged women at risk for diabetes and the importance of preconceptual counseling among women with known diabetes. This article reviews the salient pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes in reproduction, specifically within the context of the preovulatory oocyte and the preimplantation embryo. In doing so, this review illustrates the need for novel and safe therapies and interventions tailored to address the specific characteristics of these diseases in the periconceptual period.
Parametric Runtime Verification of Multiagent Systems ( Extended Abstract )

Parametricity [14] is an important feature of a monitoring system for making runtime verification (RV) more effective, since, typically, correctness of traces depends on the specific data values that are carried by the monitored events of the trace, and that, in general, cannot be predicted statically. Typically, the correctness of an interaction protocol may depend on the values exchanged by agents; protocols may also be parametric in the involved agents, and resources, and this parametricity is naturally reflected on the data carried by values. In this work we propose parametric trace expressions, an extension to trace expressions [7, 2], expressly designed for parametric RV of multiagent systems. Such an extension is achieved by introducing variables in trace expressions that are substituted with data values at runtime, when events are matched during monitoring.
Genomewide association study of 14 , 000 cases of seven common diseases and 3 , 000 shared controls Supplementary Information

One important step in the analysis of genome-wide SNP data is determining a set of quality-assurance filters identifying problem SNPs while discarding as few high quality SNPs as possible. To this end the WTCCC Design and Analysis Group (DAG) investigated a number of different statistics related to genotype clustering, including ratios of cluster mean and variance within and across sample collections (2 control groups plus 7 diseases). As noted in the main text, the best " metric " we found for CHIAMO for identifying difficult-to-call SNPs is the proportion of missing data. One interesting feature of our QC analyses was the identification of several hundred SNPs which resemble Supplementary Figure 24. For these SNPs, some collections show three tight clusters, whereas others show six distinct clusters: two for each genotype. In fact, all such SNPs show the three cluster pattern in UKBS, RA and CAD and the six cluster pattern in 58C, BD, CD, HT, T1D and T2D. Furthermore, investigation of which specific samples appear in the clusters closer to the origin of the graph revealed that these samples were always the same, and came from early plates in the experiment run at the Affymetrix R&D facility, whereas the samples in the more distantly spaced clusters (and all samples from UKBS, RA and CAD) were processed at the Affymetrix Services Lab. (Based on our QC metrics both laboratories generated data of similar quality.) We note this observation for two reasons: first that specific laboratory conditions can significantly affect the raw data generated on the Affymetrix 500K chip, and second that such experimental aberrations might be incorrectly followed up as possible copy number variants or other * List of participants and affiliations appear at the end of the Main paper. biological processes of interest. While we have ruled out any such explanations, we are left with questions about the experimental process such as why only a few SNPs are affected in this fashion. Note that CHIAMO had no difficulty in correctly calling genotypes when there are these six clusters present, so this artefact had no effect on our analyses. The plots of missing data rates per sample (Supplementary Figure 25) show a change-point roughly midway through our study, where there is a small but noticeable increase in overall rates. Although we investigated several possibilities, the reasons for this are not clear. There are also plate effects in missing data rates. Again, …