Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcome predictors and new score of critically ill cirrhotic patients with acute renal failure.

BACKGROUND End-stage liver disease is often complicated by renal function disturbances. Cirrhotic patients with acute renal failure admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) have high mortality rates. This work seeks to identify specific predictors of hospital mortality in critically ill cirrhotic patients with acute renal failure. METHODS A total of 111 patients with cirrhosis and acute renal failure were admitted to ICU from March 2003 to February 2005. Twenty-six demographic, clinical and laboratory variables were prospectively gathered as predictors of survival on the first day of ICU admission. RESULTS The overall hospital mortality rate was 81.1%. The univariate analysis identified 11 of the 32 variables as prognostically valuable. The multiple logistic regression analysis (excluding five scoring systems) indicates that the mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum bilirubin, respiratory failure and sepsis on the first day in ICU are significantly related to prognosis. The best Youden index (sensitivity + specificity - 1) yields cutoff points of 80 MAP (in mmHg) and 80 serum bilirubin (in micromol/L) (or 4.7 mg/dL) and indicates acute respiratory failure and sepsis. A simple model for mortality is developed on the basis of these four readily available parameters on Day 1 of ICU admission. The new score (MBRS score: MAP + bilirubin + respiratory failure + sepsis) displays an excellent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.898 +/- 0.031, P < 0.001). The mortality rate exceeds 90% when the MBRS (MAP + bilirubin + respiratory failure + sepsis) score is 2 or higher. CONCLUSION The MBRS score is a straightforward, reproducible and easily adopted evaluative tool with good prognostic abilities, which generates objective data for patient families and physicians and supplements a clinical judgment of prognosis.
An Optical Indoor Positioning System for the mass market

Extended Abstract We propose the design and implementation of an optical odometry-based positioning system that is sufficiently precise to fit many popular applications of indoor navigation, such as autonomously moving robots, shopping cart navigation or support of elderly and physically challenged people. More than this, the system is lightweight in the sense that it introduces only a little extra power-and weight budget to the envisioned target gadget. Finally, it has a low bill of material, which makes it perfectly well suited for mass– production. Basically, it is about a modified optical mouse equipped with a compass element and a light barrier, which we prototyped, tested and qualified for the shopping cart application. The following paragraphs are organized as follows: First, the principles of optical odometry are introduced and the state of the art is sketched. Then, we describe the design concept and implementation results of the proposed positioning system. After that, we devote a section to tests carried out and measurement results obtained from our prototype. Finally, we summarize and give an outlook on future steps and ideas for possible improvements.
On Sampling of Band-Limited Signals Associated With the Linear Canonical Transform

Sampling is one of the fundamental topics in the signal processing community. Theorems proposed under this topic form the bridge between the continuous-time signals and discrete-time signals. Several sampling theorems, which aid in the reconstruction of signals in the linear canonical transform (LCT) domain, have been proposed in the literature. However, two main practical issues associated with the sampling of the LCT still remain unresolved. The first one relates to the reconstruction of the original signal from nonuniform samples and the other issue relates to the fact that only a finite number of samples are available practically. Focusing on these issues, this paper seeks to address the above from the LCT point of view. First, we extend several previously developed theorems for signals band-limited in the Fourier domain to signals band-limited in the LCT domain, followed by the derivation of the reconstruction formulas for finite uniform or recurrent nonuniform sampling points associated with the LCT. Simulation results and the potential applications of the theorem are also proposed.
Aprendizaje desde la perspectiva del estudiante: modelo teórico de enseñanza y aprendizaje 3P

The Theoretical Model 3P John Biggs (1993) describes the interactions of factors Omen, Process and Product, as key elements of the teaching and learning process in higher education. The research corresponds to a descriptive “bibliometric” study design retrospective ex post (Montero and Leon, 2002), is set based on the analysis and interpretation of the literature and the theoretical ratio of the conclusions and findings presented by leading researchers of the area. The 3P Model emphasizes the process factor, mainly in metacognitive processes: Approaches to learning, which are based on the motives and strategies used by students when faced a learning situation and intervening variables, such as, concepts, styles and learning orientation, organization macro / micro, and characteristics, both personal and professional teacher.
Human Metapneumovirus, Peru

We retrospectively studied 420 pharyngeal swab specimens collected from Peruvian and Argentinean patients with influenzalike illness in 2002 and 2003 for evidence of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). Twelve specimens (2.3%) were positive by multiple assays. Six specimens yielded HMPV isolates. Four of the 6 isolates were of the uncommon B1 genotype.
The influence of parental divorce, parental temporary separation and parental relationship quality on children’s school readiness

We use the first three waves of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a longitudinal and representative UK survey, to explore the interrelationship between parental divorce, parental temporary separation and parental relationship quality on cognitive abilities and psychological dimensions of the children at age five. By using an appropriate imputation method, we apply the augmented inverse propensity weighted estimator to test the hypothesis that parental divorce may be a positive experience for children with parents in high-distress unions, while the dissolution of low-distress unions may have a negative effect. Overcoming some of the limitations of previous research, we find that that the dissolution of high-quality parental unions has the most harmful effects on children, especially concerning conduct problems. We also find that children who experienced parental temporary separation - which has been absent in most previous research - have more conduct and hyperactivity problems than children from stable or divorced families.
Radiation Protection Lessons-Experiences with operating beams for neutrino experiments

The high demand for more intense neutrino beams is closely related to an increase of the production of radioactive isotopes in target caverns, decay tunnels and hadron stop areas. This paper gives a (short) summary of radiation protection lessons learned from the past CERN neutrino facility WANF and also from presently operating facilities like NuMI or CNGS.
Bone Marrow Cells in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Create a Proinflammatory Microenvironment Influencing Normal Hematopoietic Differentiation Fates

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a serious public health problem in the pediatric population worldwide, contributing to 85% of deaths from childhood cancers. Understanding the biology of the disease is crucial for its clinical management and the development of therapeutic strategies. In line with that observed in other malignancies, chronic inflammation may contribute to a tumor microenvironment resulting in the damage of normal processes, concomitant to development and maintenance of neoplastic cells. We report here that hematopoietic cells from bone marrow B-ALL have the ability to produce proinflammatory and growth factors, including TNFα, IL-1β, IL-12, and GM-CSF that stimulate proliferation and differentiation of normal stem and progenitor cells. Our findings suggest an apparently distinct CD13+CD33+ population of leukemic cells contributing to a proinflammatory microenvironment that may be detrimental to long-term normal hematopoiesis within B-ALL bone marrow.
Managing Ontological Ambiguity : Extending the Knowledge Management Framework

This Information Systems research investigates Ontological Ambiguity as a specific problem in the management of ontologies. Ontologies are a class of software artifacts that seek to capture the basic essence of an organization’s structure and dynamics, identify the relevant objects and actors and describe their relationships. They then can be executed functionally through software applications. In this context, ontologies are considered strategic information assets and their management now becomes a critical managerial activity. At present, however, most organizations are not aware that they have a significant number of ontologies that are ambiguous. This research plans looks at defining the notion of Ontological Ambiguity as well as using mixed methods to investigate the nature of ambiguous ontologies. The overall objective is to support investigation into causes and the consequences of the presence of ambiguous ontologies in organizations in the context of the knowledge management framework of new knowledge creation.
Exogenous Expression of N-Cadherin in Breast Cancer Cells Induces Cell Migration, Invasion, and Metastasis

E- and N-cadherin are calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules that mediate cell–cell adhesion and also modulate cell migration and tumor invasiveness. The loss of E-cadherin–mediated adhesion has been shown to play an important role in the transition of epithelial tumors from a benign to an invasive state. However, recent evidence indicates that another member of the cadherin family, N-cadherin, is expressed in highly invasive tumor cell lines that lacked E-cadherin expression. These findings have raised the possibility that N-cadherin contributes to the invasive phenotype. To determine whether N-cadherin promotes invasion and metastasis, we transfected a weakly metastatic and E-cadherin–expressing breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, with N-cadherin and analyzed the effects on cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. Transfected cells expressed both E- and N-cadherin and exhibited homotypic cell adhesion from both molecules. In vitro, N-cadherin–expressing cells migrated more efficiently, showed an increased invasion of Matrigel, and adhered more efficiently to monolayers of endothelial cells. All cells produced low levels of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9, which was dramatically upregulated by treatment with FGF-2 only in N-cadherin–expressing cells. Migration and invasion of Matrigel were also greatly enhanced by this treatment. When injected into the mammary fat pad of nude mice, N-cadherin–expressing cells, but not control MCF-7 cells, metastasized widely to the liver, pancreas, salivary gland, omentum, lung, lymph nodes, and lumbar spinal muscle. The expression of both E- and N-cadherin was maintained both in the primary tumors and metastatic lesions. These results demonstrate that N-cadherin promotes motility, invasion, and metastasis even in the presence of the normally suppressive E-cadherin. The increase in MMP-9 production by N-cadherin–expressing cells in response to a growth factor may endow them with a greater ability to penetrate matrix protein barriers, while the increase in their adherence to endothelium may improve their ability to enter and exit the vasculature, two properties that may be responsible for metastasis of N-cadherin–expressing cells.
Aerosol plume transport and transformation in high spectral resolution lidar measurements and WRF-Flexpart simulations during the MILAGRO Field Campaign

Abstract. The Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) experiences high loadings of atmospheric aerosols from anthropogenic sources, biomass burning and wind-blown dust. This paper uses a combination of measurements and numerical simulations to identify different plumes affecting the basin and to characterize transformation inside the plumes. The High Spectral Resolution Lidar on board the NASA LaRC B-200 King Air aircraft measured extinction coefficients and extinction to backscatter ratio at 532 nm, and backscatter coefficients and depolarization ratios at 532 and 1064 nm. These can be used to identify aerosol types. The measurement curtains are compared with particle trajectory simulations using WRF-Flexpart for different source groups. The good correspondence between measurements and simulations suggests that the aerosol transport is sufficiently well characterized by the models to estimate aerosol types and ages. Plumes in the basin undergo complex transport, and are frequently mixed together. Urban aerosols are readily identifiable by their low depolarization ratios and high lidar ratios, and dust by the opposite properties. Fresh biomass burning plumes have very low depolarization ratios which increase rapidly with age. This rapid transformation is consistent with the presence of atmospheric tar balls in the fresh plumes.
“I Pray That We Will Find a Way to Carry on This Dream”: How a Law Enforcement Crackdown United an Online Community

Durkheim claimed that punishment of crime generates social cohesion as “honorable” people are united in emotional, passionate condemnation of those who transgress society’s moral boundaries. This study examines reactions to punishment in the punished group. Specifically, it examines how members of an online community responded when law enforcement shut down their websites. Drawing on data from three discussion forums, the author argues that the crackdown produced solidarity and enhanced a particular moral worldview that strengthened the community and enabled it to survive by migrating en masse to new websites.
A Heuristic for Ordering a Linear Block Code to Minimize Trellis State Complexity

| An important problem in the theory and application of block code trellises is to nd a coordinate permutation for a given code that minimizes the trellis state complexity. In this paper we show that the problem of minimizing a given component of the state complexity proole is NP-complete. We describe an algorithm, though not guaranteed to nd an optimal coordinate ordering, uses a heuristic descent technique to nd \good" solutions to the problem. We have applied this algorithm to various codes, and our results are tabulated.
Camera Control and Multimedia Interaction using Individual Object Recognition

Currently, most of the automated, computer vision assisted camera control policies are based on human events, such as the speaker gesture and position changes. In addition to these events, in this paper, we introduce a set of natural camera control and multimedia synchronization schemes based on the individual object interaction. We describe in detail, how our unique method, in which the head-pose estimation are used to compute the region of interest (ROI) for recognizing the hand-held object. We explain, from our results, how our approach has achieved robustness, efficiency and unambiguous object interaction during real-time video shooting.
Structure and returns: toward a refined understanding of Internet use and social capital

ABSTRACT This study carves out a promising theoretical space to investigate how general and specific Internet use may facilitate various returns of social capital by separating the structural embeddedness of social capital from the returns of social capital. Drawing on a randomly sampled survey of adult residents in a major US city, we examine how general Internet use, interacted with network diversity, contributes to various returns of social capital: bonding and bridging, online and offline. We further unpack general Internet use to specific Internet use and explore their relations with the returns of social capital. The results show that general Internet use is positively related to all the online bonding, online bridging, and offline social capital returns, whereas specific Internet use (i.e., informational, participatory, and recreational) is only positively related to online but not offline returns of social capital. Network diversity moderates the relationship between general Internet use and offline returns of social capital.
Subthalamic Nucleus Activity in the Awake Hemiparkinsonian Rat: Relationships with Motor and Cognitive Networks

Oscillatory activity in both beta and gamma ranges has been recorded in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and linked to motor function, with beta activity considered antikinetic, and gamma activity, prokinetic. However, the extent to which nonmotor networks contribute to this activity is unclear. This study uses hemiparkinsonian rats performing a treadmill walking task to compare synchronized STN local field potential (LFP) activity with activity in motor cortex (MCx) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), areas involved in motor and cognitive processes, respectively. Data show increases in STN and MCx 29–36 Hz LFP spectral power and coherence after dopamine depletion, which are reduced by apomorphine and levodopa treatments. In contrast, recordings from mPFC 3 weeks after dopamine depletion failed to show peaks in 29–36 Hz LFP power. However, mPFC and STN both showed peaks in the 45–55 Hz frequency range in LFP power and coherence during walking before and 21 days after dopamine depletion. Interestingly, power in this low gamma range was transiently reduced in both mPFC and STN after dopamine depletion but recovered by day 21. In contrast to the 45–55 Hz activity, the amplitude of the exaggerated 29–36 Hz rhythm in the STN was modulated by paw movement. Furthermore, as in PD patients, after dopamine treatment a third band (high gamma) emerged in the lesioned hemisphere. The results suggest that STN integrates activity from both motor and cognitive networks in a manner that varies with frequency, behavioral state, and the integrity of the dopamine system.
Drone-based Privacy Interfaces: Opportunities and Challenges

Providing users with awareness and control about privacy-sensitive information flows is a major challenge in Internet of Things scenarios, because of constrained input and output capabilities of the involved sensors and devices. We propose the use of autonomous personal drones, specifically nanocopters, as device-independent drone-based privacy interfaces. Nanocopters have the potential to indicate privacy risks, visualize information flows, and provide tangible privacy controls within a smart environment without being tethered to specific IoT devices. We provide an overview of recent advancements in human-drone interaction and describe our vision of leveraging personal drones as privacy indicators and controls, including a discussion of opportunities and associated challenges.
Gaming Motivation and Problematic Video Gaming: The Role of Needs Frustration

Motivation is often used as a predictor of a problematic style of video game engagement, implying that individuals’ gaming undermines optimal functioning. Drawing from recent advances in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the present study explores the links between gaming motivations, the daily frustration of basic psychological needs, and reports of problematic video gaming (PVG). A sample of 1,029 participants (72.8% male; M = 22.96 years; SD = 4.13 years) completed items regarding their gaming engagement and gaming motivation as well as their experience of needs frustration and PVG symptoms. Results revealed positive associations between gaming motivations and PVG, and between daily needs frustration and PVG. Finally, after comparing several competing models, a mediational model whereby needs frustration explained the association between individuals’ gaming motivation and PVG emerged as best fitting the data. The discussion addresses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings in the context of recent research.
Facility locations revisited: An efficient belief propagation approach

This paper studies the fixed-charge facility location problem---an important problem in logistics and operations research that has wide application to many areas of commerce and industry. The problem is to locate a small number of facilities among nodes in a network to provide good service to the client nodes while confining the total construction cost. The problem is NP-hard, but of sufficient importance to warrant developing practical heuristics. To handle large instances, we propose an algorithm based on recent advances in belief propagation and graphical models. In particular, we adapt a form of affinity propagation to approximate the problem at hand. Our experimental results demonstrate significant improvements over other popular heuristics for large-scale facility location problems.
On the relative effect of spawning asynchrony, sperm quantity, and sperm quality on paternity under sperm competition in an external fertilizer

How much of a fitness benefit is obtained by dominant males of external fertilizers from releasing ejaculates in synchrony with female egg-release when engaging in sperm competition, and what is the most important sperm trait for paternity in these situations? The Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is an external fertilizer experiencing intense male-male competition over reproductive opportunities including sperm competition. To compensate for their disadvantage the sneaker males, which often spawn out of synchrony with the female, produce more and faster sperm than the guarding males. We used controlled in vitro fertilization trials with experimentally produced dominant and subordinate, sneaker males to test what effect relative synchrony in gamete release, sperm quality (i.e., motility and velocity) and sperm quantity have on a male’s fertilization success in pair-wise sperm competitions. When the sneaker males released ejaculates after the guarding male there was no overall difference in fertilization success. The quality (i.e., motility and velocity) of a male’s sperm relative to that of the competing male was the best predictor of male fertilization success regardless of their mating tactic and spawning synchrony. The relative number of sperm cells also had an effect on fertilization success, but mainly when the dominant and sneaker male ejaculated synchronously. Our close imitation of natural sperm competition in charr shows that the sneaker males of external fertilizing species may fully compensate for their disadvantaged mating role by producing ejaculates of higher quality - an adjustment strangely not met by dominants.
An alternating direction method for total variation denoising

We consider the image denoising problem using total variation (TV) regularization. This problem can be computationally challenging to solve due to the non-differentiability and non-linearity of the regularization term. We propose an alternating direction augmented Lagrangian (ADAL) method, based on a new variable splitting approach that results in subproblems that can be solved efficiently and exactly. The global convergence of the new algorithm is established for the anisotropic TV model. For the isotropic TV model, by doing further variable splitting, we are able to derive an ADAL method that is globally convergent. We compare our methods with the split Bregman method [T. Goldstein and S. Osher, The split Bregman method for l1-regularized problems, SIAM J. Imaging Sci. 2 (2009), pp. 323],which is closely related to it, and demonstrate their competitiveness in computational performance on a set of standard test images.