Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a questionnaire for the assessment of physical activity in epidemiological studies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a questionnaire for measuring physical activity within Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We designed the Sub-Saharan Africa Activity Questionnaire (SSAAQ), based upon existing questionnaires and an activity survey carried out in Cameroon. The questionnaire targeted past-year occupation, walking/cycling and leisure-time activities, and was administered by trained interviewers on two occasions, 10-15 days apart to 89 urban and rural consenting Cameroonians aged 19-68 years. Reliability was assessed by inter-interview comparison and repeatability coefficients (standard deviation of the test-retest difference). Validation was performed against a 24-hour heart rate monitoring and accelerometer recording. RESULTS The questionnaire was highly reproducible (rho = 0.95; P < 0.001). The inter-interview difference did not differ significantly from 0, with a repeatability coefficient of 0.46-1.46 hours. Total energy expenditure from the questionnaire was significantly correlated to heart rate monitoring (rho = 0.41-0.63; P < 0.05) and accelerometer measures (rho = 0.60-0.74; P < 0.01). Subject's self ranking of their activity did not match the questionnaire's quartiles of activity. CONCLUSIONS The present study presents the design and confirms the reliability and validity of SSAAQ in a rural and urban population of Cameroon and shows that subject's self ranking of activity might not accurately serve epidemiological purpose.
Image Restoration with Morphological Erosion and Exemplar-Based Texture Synthesis

Image restoration provides a means to reconstruct damaged regions of an image. The paper presents a new restoration algorithm, which implements the filling of damaged region with morphological erosion, and propagates structure/texture features of the known region into the damaged region with exemplar-based texture synthesis. The method can retain the continuity of image isophotes between the known region and the restored damaged region, and output a complete, natural-looking image. Through comparative experiments with some existing methods, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm in removing large objects as well as thin scratches.
Pervasive pressure solution transfer in a quartz sand

The kinetics of deformation of a quartz aggregate by pervasive pressure solution can be, under certain conditions of temperature and grain size, strongly dependent upon the diffusivity of silica into the grain-to-grain contacts. An analysis of the factors affecting this key parameter (and less well constrained in the analysis of the problem of rock deformation by pressure solution) is presented. This analysis is based on recent advances on studying silica surfaces and particularly on the existence of a silica gel layer on the silica surfaces undergoing dissolution. By reinvestigating the electroviscous effect occurring at the grain-to-grain contact the present analysis shows that the diffusivity of silica at the grain-to-grain contacts is likely to be relatively similar to that in the bulk pore water (maybe 1 order of magnitude smaller but not more). This contradicts the previous work by Rutter [1976], which has been the key reference used in many subsequent papers to justify an extremely low value for the diffusivity of silica at the grain-to-grain contacts (5 orders of magnitude smaller than the diffusivity of silica in free water). This finding has dramatic implications concerning the deformation rate of quartz sands and sandstones by pressure solution in sedimentary basins with regard to (1) the limiting step affecting the kinetics of the process (diffusion of the solute or dissolution/precipitation chemistry) and (2) the existence of a thermodynamic equilibrium state when deformation by pressure solution occurs over geological timescales. A poroviscoplastic model is used to describe deformation associated with pervasive pressure solution transfer in quartz sands. This model is shown to be consistent with the current state of knowledge of the surface chemistry of silica. In addition, the comparison between this model and both laboratory and field data is rather good.
Interleukin-7 Mediates Selective Expansion of Tumor-redirected Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTLs) without Enhancement of Regulatory T-cell Inhibition

Purpose: The antitumor activity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)–redirected CTLs should be enhanced if it were possible to increase their proliferation and function after adoptive transfer without concomitantly increasing the proliferation and function of regulatory T cells (Treg). Here, we explored whether the lack of IL-7Rα in Treg can be exploited by the targeted manipulation of the interleukin-7 (IL-7) cytokine–cytokine receptor axis in CAR-engrafted Epstein–Barr Virus–specific CTLs (EBV-CTLs) to selectively augment their growth and antitumor activity even in the presence of Treg. Experimental Design: We generated a bicistronic retroviral vector encoding a GD2-specific CAR and the IL-7Rα subunit, expressed the genes in EBV-CTLs, and assessed their capacity to control tumor growth in the presence of Treg in vitro and in vivo when exposed to either interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-7 in a neuroblastoma xenograft. Results: We found that IL-7, in sharp contrast with IL-2, supports the proliferation and antitumor activity of IL-7Rα. CAR-GD2+ EBV-CTLs both in vitro and in vivo even in the presence of fully functional Treg. Conclusions: IL-7 selectively favors the survival, proliferation, and effector function of IL-7Rα-transgenic/CAR-redirected EBV-CTLs in the presence of Treg both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, IL-7 can have a significant impact in sustaining expansion and persistence of adoptively CAR-redirected CTLs. Clin Cancer Res; 20(1); 131–9. ©2013 AACR.
Dynamic 3D scene analysis for acquiring articulated scene models

In this paper we present a new system for a mobile robot to generate an articulated scene model by analyzing complex dynamic 3D scenes. The system extracts essential knowledge about the foreground, like moving persons, and the background, which consists of all visible static scene parts. In contrast to other 3D reconstruction approaches, we suggest to additionally distinguish between static parts, like walls, and movable objects like chairs or doors. The discrimination supports the reconstruction process and additionally, delivers important information about interaction objects. Here, the movable object detection is realized object independent by analyzing changes in the scenery. Furthermore, in the proposed system the background scene is feedbacked to the tracking part yielding a much better tracking and detection result which improves again the 3D reconstruction. We show in our experiments that we are able to provide a sound background model and to extract simultaneously persons and object regions representing chairs, doors, and even smaller movable objects.
Silver–antimony deposits of Central Asia: physico-chemical model of formation and sources of mineralisation

Questions on the origin of Ag–Sb deposits are considered for several large economic ore districts in Central Asia: southeast Pamir (Tajikistan), Talas in northern Tien Shan (Kyrgyzstan), southeast Altai and northwest Mongolia, and Verkhoyansk province (Yakutia). The Ag–Sb mineralisation of Central Asia is spatially and temporally associated with alkaline mafic magmatism, and occasionally with coeval granitoid magmatism. Ag–Sb deposits have close spatial and temporal relationships with granitoid and alkaline mafic magmatism. The Ag–Sb deposits were formed in the temperature range 50–280°C, from Ag-specific reduced two-phase hydrothermal fluids containing a highly concentrated chloride solution (NaCl > FeCl2 > CaCl2 > KCl > MnCl2) and a high-density CO2+ CH4 ± N2 gaseous phase. Fluid salinities range widely from 40 to 0.1 wt% NaCl equiv. Geochemical specialisation of Ag–Sb ore is caused by chemical features of chloride brines enriched in Ag, Sb, Pb and Cu, with a relatively low Au content (≤10−6 mol/kg) within a pH of 3.5–4. The highest temperatures, concentrations of solutions and ore elements in the ore fluids were found in early quartz of siderite–tetrahedrite veins from below-ore level of the ore-forming system. Vertical zonation of the Ag–Sb mineralisation is caused by precipitation of different mineral associations from the same solution with temperatures decreasing towards the upper parts of the system. Sufficient vertical range of mineralisation (600–800 m) and relatively low Ag contents in the ore (300–600 ppm) result from the temperature decrease and absence of geochemical barriers. Higher temperature gradient and dilution of magmatogenic fluid with meteoric water was a geochemical barrier for the Ag-rich ore formation in a narrow (about 400 m) main ore deposition zone. Lateral zonation of Ag–Sb mineralisation is related to a staged development of the ore-forming process and deposition of different stage mineral associations at the beginning and end of the hydrothermal process. The Ag–Sb deposits are polygenic in terms of sources of ore elements and ore-forming fluids. Ore elements may have been inherited from magmatic and terrigenous host-rocks of different ages. Temporal correlation of the Ag–Sb mineralisation with alkaline mafic magmatism, He isotope composition and Hg contents in the ores confirm participation of a mantle source in the formation of the Ag–Sb deposits.
Electronic Reprint Applied Crystallography Dammif, a Program for Rapid Ab-initio Shape Determination in Small-angle Scattering Applied Crystallography Dammif, a Program for Rapid Ab-initio Shape Determination in Small-angle Scattering

Author(s) of this paper may load this reprint on their own web site or institutional repository provided that this cover page is retained. Republication of this article or its storage in electronic databases other than as specified above is not permitted without prior permission in writing from the IUCr. Many research topics in condensed matter research, materials science and the life sciences make use of crystallographic methods to study crystalline and non-crystalline matter with neutrons, X-rays and electrons. Articles published in the Journal of Applied Crystallography focus on these methods and their use in identifying structural and diffusion-controlled phase transformations, structure-property relationships, structural changes of defects, interfaces and surfaces, etc. Developments of instrumentation and crystallographic apparatus, theory and interpretation, numerical analysis and other related subjects are also covered. The journal is the primary place where crystallographic computer program information is published. DAMMIF, a revised implementation of the ab-initio shape-determination program DAMMIN for small-angle scattering data, is presented. The program was fully rewritten, and its algorithm was optimized for speed of execution and modified to avoid limitations due to the finite search volume. Symmetry and anisometry constraints can be imposed on the particle shape, similar to DAMMIN. In equivalent conditions, DAMMIF is 25–40 times faster than DAMMIN on a single CPU. The possibility to utilize multiple CPUs is added to DAMMIF. The application is available in binary form for major platforms.
ProtoFlex: Towards Scalable, Full-System Multiprocessor Simulations Using FPGAs

Functional full-system simulators are powerful and versatile research tools for accelerating architectural exploration and advanced software development. Their main shortcoming is limited throughput when simulating large multiprocessor systems with hundreds or thousands of processors or when instrumentation is introduced. We propose the ProtoFlex simulation architecture, which uses FPGAs to accelerate full-system multiprocessor simulation and to facilitate high-performance instrumentation. Prior FPGA approaches that prototype a complete system in hardware are either too complex when scaling to large-scale configurations or require significant effort to provide full-system support. In contrast, ProtoFlex virtualizes the execution of many logical processors onto a consolidated number of multiple-context execution engines on the FPGA. Through virtualization, the number of engines can be judiciously scaled, as needed, to deliver on necessary simulation performance at a large savings in complexity. Further, to achieve low-complexity full-system support, a hybrid simulation technique called transplanting allows implementing in the FPGA only the frequently encountered behaviors, while a software simulator preserves the abstraction of a complete system. We have created a first instance of the ProtoFlex simulation architecture, which is an FPGA-based, full-system functional simulator for a 16-way UltraSPARC III symmetric multiprocessor server, hosted on a single Xilinx Virtex-II XCV2P70 FPGA. On average, the simulator achieves a 38x speedup (and as high as 49×) over comparable software simulation across a suite of applications, including OLTP on a commercial database server. We also demonstrate the advantages of minimal-overhead FPGA-accelerated instrumentation through a CMP cache simulation technique that runs orders-of-magnitude faster than software.
Potential-Aware Imperfect-Recall Abstraction with Earth Mover's Distance in Imperfect-Information Games

There is often a large disparity between the size of a game we wish to solve and the size of the largest instances solvable by the best algorithms; for example, a popular variant of poker has about $10^{165}$ nodes in its game tree, while the currently best approximate equilibrium-finding algorithms scale to games with around $10^{12}$ nodes. In order to approximate equilibrium strategies in these games, the leading approach is to create a sufficiently small strategic approximation of the full game, called an abstraction, and to solve that smaller game instead. The leading abstraction algorithm for imperfect-information games generates abstractions that have imperfect recall and are distribution aware, using $k$-means with the earth mover's distance metric to cluster similar states together. A distribution-aware abstraction groups states together at a given round if their full distributions over future strength are similar (as opposed to, for example, just the expectation of their strength). The leading algorithm considers distributions over future strength at the final round of the game. However, one might benefit by considering the trajectory of distributions over strength in all future rounds, not just the final round. An abstraction algorithm that takes all future rounds into account is called potential aware. We present the first algorithm for computing potential-aware imperfect-recall abstractions using earth mover's distance. Experiments on no-limit Texas Hold'em show that our algorithm improves performance over the previously best approach.
Rapid Prototyping Technologies and their Applications in Prosthodontics, a Review of Literature

The early computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems were relied exclusively on subtractive methods. In recent years, additive methods by employing rapid prototyping (RP) have progressed rapidly in various fields of dentistry as they have the potential to overcome known drawbacks of subtractive techniques such as fit problems. RP techniques have been exploited to build complex 3D models in medicine since the 1990s. RP has recently proposed successful applications in various dental fields, such as fabrication of implant surgical guides, frameworks for fixed and removable partial dentures, wax patterns for the dental prosthesis, zirconia prosthesis and molds for metal castings, and maxillofacial prosthesis and finally, complete dentures. This paper aimed to offer a comprehensive literature review of various RP methods, particularly in dentistry, that are expected to bring many improvements to the field. A search was made through MEDLINE database and Google scholar search engine. The keywords; ‘rapid prototyping’ and ‘dentistry’ were searched in title/abstract of publications; limited to 2003 to 2013, concerning past decade. The inclusion criterion was the technical researches that predominately included laboratory procedures. The exclusion criterion was meticulous clinical and excessive technical procedures. A total of 106 articles were retrieved, recited by authors and only 50 met the specified inclusion criteria for this review. Selected articles had used rapid prototyping techniques in various fields in dentistry through different techniques. This review depicted the different laboratory procedures employed in this method and confirmed that RP technique have been substantially feasible in dentistry. With advancement in various RP systems, it is possible to benefit from this technique in different dental practices, particularly in implementing dental prostheses for different applications.
The Upper Cambrian bradoriid ostracod Cyclotron lapworthi is a hesslandonid

Abstract Cyclotron lapworthi (Groom, 1902), one of the few British Cambrian bradoriid ostracod species known from a large number of specimens, is redescribed. It has an interdorsum, thus indicating a hesslandonid affinity. The ontogeny of C. lapworthi does not demonstrate a clear distinction of its individual moult stages but does show marked changes in the development of nodes and lobes. C. lapworthi shows wide variation in carapace shape possibly indicating that its valves were thin and relatively flexible. In England and Canada C. lapworthi is restricted to the Upper Cambrian Olenus Zone. C. lapworthi may also occur coevally in the Upper Cambrian of Sweden.
Differential corticospinal tract degeneration in homozygous ‘D90A’ SOD-1 ALS and sporadic ALS

Background The homogeneous genotype and stereotyped phenotype of a unique familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (patients homozygous for aspartate-to-alanine mutations in codon 90 (homD90A) superoxide dismutase 1) provides an ideal model for studying genotype/phenotype interactions and pathological features compared with heterogeneous apparently sporadic ALS. The authors aimed to use diffusion tensor tractography to quantify and compare changes in the intracerebral corticospinal tracts of patients with both forms of ALS, building on previous work using whole-brain voxelwise group analysis. Method 21 sporadic ALS patients, seven homD90A patients and 20 healthy controls underwent 1.5 T diffusion tensor MRI. Patients were assessed using ‘upper motor neuron burden,’ El Escorial and ALSFR-R scales. The intracranial corticospinal tract was assessed using diffusion tensor tractography measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, and radial and axial diffusivity obtained from its entire length. Results Corticospinal tract FA was reduced in sporadic ALS patients compared with both homD90A ALS patients and controls. The diffusion measures in sporadic ALS patients were consistent with anterograde (Wallerian) degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. In sporadic ALS, corticospinal tract FA was related to clinical measures. Despite a similar degree of clinical upper motor neuron dysfunction and disability in homD90A ALS patients compared with sporadic ALS, there were no abnormalities in corticospinal tract diffusion measures compared with controls. Conclusions Diffusion tensor tractography has shown axonal degeneration within the intracerebral portion of the corticospinal tract in sporadic ALS patients, but not those with a homogeneous form of familial ALS. This suggests significant genotypic influences on the phenotype of ALS and may provide clues to slower progression of disease in homD90A patients.
Citrate Anticoagulation During Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Pediatric Critical Care

Objective: To provide the pediatric intensivist an in-depth understanding of citrate as regional anticoagulant during continuous renal replacement therapy. Data Sources and Data Selection: We searched the PubMed.gov database using the initial key words: citrate anticoagulation [title] AND continuous; citrate [title] AND pediatric AND continuous; prospective pediatric renal replacement AND citrate; and regional citrate anticoagulation. Additional searchers were performed using EMBASE, CINAHL, and SCOPUS with similar keywords and limits. Further articles were gathered from bibliographic references of relevant studies and reviews. Only articles published in English were reviewed. Data Extraction and Data Synthesis: In the pediatric population, there are no prospective interventional or randomized studies comparing regional versus systemic anticoagulation. However, there are 11 (retrospective and prospective observational studies) in the pediatric population using citrate anticoagulation. These studies have shown that regional citrate anticoagulation in the pediatric population can be effective, provide equivalent circuit survival, and decrease bleeding compared with heparin anticoagulation. In the adult population, there are six prospective randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of regional citrate anticoagulation versus heparin. Two systematic reviews with meta-analysis of these six trials have been performed. The adult data on the use of regional citrate anticoagulation during continuous renal replacement therapy show a decreased risk of bleeding and at the least equivalent circuit survival as compared to heparin. Current pediatric and adult studies support regional citrate anticoagulation as an effective alternative to systemic heparin anticoagulation in most patient populations. Conclusions: Continuous renal replacement therapy is the most common modality of renal replacement in the critical care setting. Regional anticoagulation is an ideal option in a critically ill child after recent surgery or with coagulopathy. Therefore, regional citrate anticoagulation in the pediatric critical care population requiring renal replacement therapy is commonly employed. Complications of citrate anticoagulation can be avoided with a greater understanding of the properties and clearance of citrate. Continued reporting of observational data and the development of prospective multicenter trials using citrate anticoagulation are needed to ensure safe and standardized care in the pediatric population.
Research of Topography Changes by Artificial Structures and Scattering Mechanism in Yoobu-Do Inter-tidal Flat Using Remote Sensing Data

20세기 후반부터 유부도 주위에서 하구언 축조 등 비교적 큰 규모의 간척사업들이 진행되었다. 이러한 간척사업의 시작으로 인공구조물들이 연안에 축조됨에 따라 주변 해역의 해류, 조위 및 조류의 변화를 야기하여 퇴적 및 침식으로 인한 연안지형의 변화가 예상된다. 따라서 이 연구에서는 유부도 조간대를 포함하는 Landsat TM/ETM+자료를 1998년부터 2012년까지 획득한 후 waterline 기법을 적용하여 인공구조물 축조에 의한 지형변화를 탐지하였다. 그 결과 유부도의 동쪽, 북동쪽, 서쪽 조간대에서 주로 퇴적이 일어났으며 그 면적이 약 4.5 km2 이상 되었다. 한편, RADARSAT-2의 완전편파 SAR자료에 Freeman-Durden decomposition을 적용하여 퇴적이 뚜렷이 일어난 지역에 대한 산란특성을 분석하였다. 그 결과 동쪽 퇴적지역은 서쪽 및 북동쪽의 퇴적지역과는 다른 산란특징이 관찰되었으며, 이는 퇴적환경의 차이로 인해 다른 종류의 퇴적물이 퇴적되어 발생한 것으로 여겨진다.
Unemployment Duration and Exit States in Britain

This Paper presents new evidence on the determinants of unemployment duration for men and women in Britain in the 1990s, using a nationally representative data set. It examines the impact of individual and local labour market characteristics on the probability of unemployment spells ending with moves into full and part-time employment, self-employment and economic inactivity. The data show that the median duration of unemployment spells among men, at 5 months, is almost double that for women, although much of this differential is explained by exits to part-time work and economic inactivity among women. Multivariate analysis suggests that policies to reduce unemployment duration and encourage full-time work, especially among men, should be targeted towards those aged 25 and over on entering unemployment and on increasing education levels. Mothers are found to have significantly lower exit rates into full-time work than both men and childless women.