Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
on-convex polyhedral volume of interest selection

We introduce a novel approach to specify and edit volumes of interest (VOI for short) interactively. Enhancing the capabilities of standard systems we provide tools to edit the VOI by defining a not necessarily convex polyhedral bounding object. We suggest to use low-level editing interactions for moving, inserting and deleting vertices, edges and faces of the polyhedron. The low-level operations can be used as building blocks for more complex higher order operations fitting the application demands. Flexible initialization allows the user to select within a few clicks convex VOI that in the classical clipping plane model need the specification of a large number of cutting planes. In our model it is similarly simple to olume of interest (VOI) on-convex sub-volume selection ser interaction olyhedra lipping planes uzzy selection select non-convex VOI. Boolean combinations allow to select non-connected VOI of arbitrary complexity. The polyhedral VOI selection technique enables the user to define VOI with complex boundary structure interactively, in an easy to comprehend and predictable manner. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. D polygons olume editing
Limits on efficient human mindreading: convergence across Chinese adults and Semai children.

We tested Apperly and Butterfill's (2009, Psychological Review, 116, 753) theory that humans have two mindreading systems whereby the efficient-system guiding anticipatory glances displays signature limits that do not apply to the flexible system guiding verbal predictions. Experiments 1 and 2 tested urban Mainland-Chinese adults (n = 64) and Experiment 3 tested Semai children living in the rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia (3- to 4-year-olds, n = 60). Participants - across different ages, groups and methods - anticipated others' false-beliefs about object-location but not object-identity. Convergence in signature limits signalled that the early-developing efficient system involved minimal theory-of-mind. Chinese adults and older Semai children showed flexibility in their direct predictions. The flexible mindreading system in ascribing others' beliefs as such was task-sensitive and implicated maturational and cultural contributions.
Morphogenesis of the fibrous sheath in the marsupial spermatozoon

The spermatozoon fibrous sheath contains longitudinal columns and circumferential ribs. It surrounds the axoneme of the principal piece of the mammalian sperm tail, and may be important in sperm stability and motility. Here we describe its assembly during spermiogenesis in a marsupial, the brush‐tail possum, and compare its structural organization with that of eutherian mammals, birds and reptiles. Transmission electron microscopy showed that possum fibrous sheath assembly is a multistep process extending in a distal‐to‐proximal direction along the axoneme from steps 4 to 14 of spermiogenesis. For the most part, assembly of the longitudinal columns occurs before that of the circumferential ribs. Immunohistochemical and immunogold labelling showed that fibrous sheath proteins are first present in the spermatid cytoplasm; at least some of the proteins of the sheath precursors differ from those in the mature fibrous sheath. That immunoreactivity develops after initiation of chromatin condensation suggests that fibrous sheath proteins, or their mRNAs, are stored within the spermatid cytoplasmic lobule prior to their assembly along the axoneme. These findings are similar to those in laboratory rats, and thus suggests that the mode of fibrous sheath assembly evolved in a common ancestor over 125 million years ago, prior to the divergence of marsupial and eutherian lineages.
A Study of the Diagnostic Accuracy and Reliability of the Scoliometer and Adam's Forward Bend Test

Study Design. Study of the diagnostic accuracy and interexaminer reliability of scoliosis diagnostic tests. Objectives. To estimate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the Scoliometer (National Scoliosis Foundation, Watertown, MA) and Adam's forward bend test in diagnosing scoliosis, and to determine the interexaminer reliability of the Scoliometer and Adam's forward bend test. Summary of Background Data. Exposure to diagnostic radiation in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis may result in a small but significant increase in cancer rates. The full‐spine radiographic examination remains the standard procedure for the assessment of scoliosis. There is a need for a valid and reliable noninvasive test to assess scoliosis. Methods. Two examiners independently assessed 105 patients presenting to a scoliosis clinic for trunk asymmetry with Adam's forward bend test and axial trunk rotation with the Scoliometer. The Cobb method served as the gold standard. Results. The interexaminer agreement for the Scoliometer is excellent in the thoracic spine and substantial in the lumbar spine. The interexaminer measurement error shows poor precision for thoracic and lumbar Scoliometer measurements. The interexaminer agreement for Adam's forward bend test is substantial in the thoracic spine and poor in the lumbar spine. Adam's forward bend test is more sensitive than the Scoliometer in detecting thoracic curves measuring 20° or more by the Cobb method. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggests that the use of the Scoliometer marginally improves the ability of diagnosing a scoliosis in the thoracic spine. Conclusions. The Scoliometer and Adam's forward bend tests have adequate interexaminer reliability for the assessment of thoracic curves. The Scoliometer has better interexaminer agreement in the lumbar spine. However, the Scoliometer has a high level of interexaminer measurement error that limits its use as an outcome instrument. Because Adam's forward bend test is more sensitive than the Scoliometer, the authors believe that it remains the best noninvasive clinical test to evaluate scoliosis.
Four acute confusion assessment instruments: reliability and validity for use in long-term care facilities.

Frail older adults in long-term care (LTC) facilities are at high risk for acute confusion. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of four acute confusion instruments for use in LTC: the Clinical Assessment of Confusion-A (CAC-A), the Clinical Assessment of Confusion-B (CAC-B), the NEECHAM Confusion Scale (NEECHAM), and the Visual Analog Scale for Acute Confusion (VASAC). Seventy-four residents from two LTC facilities were evaluated for acute confusion using the four instruments as well as the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM IV) criteria for delirium. Coefficient alphas were . 82 for the CAC-A, . 86 for the CAC-B, and . 80 for the NEECHAM. Interrater reliability on 30 paired evaluations was . 90 for the CAC-B, . 87 for the NEECHAM, and . 80 for the VAS-AC. All instruments were correlated with the MMSE and the DSM IV criteria for delirium at the p < . 001 level. Predictive validity was supported for the CAC-B, the NEECHAM, and the VAS-AC. Discriminant validity using the GDS was supported for the VAS-AC. Construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis was supported for the NEECHAM, with a two-factor structure. Based on this study, the VAS-AC is recommended for use as a general screening instrument and when it is positive for acute confusion, the NEECHAM should be used for a more indepth assessment.
Stable one-legged hopping without feedback and with a point foot

We present two-dimensional monopods that are capable of stable periodic hopping motions without any feedback. It is shown that a large foot radius is not necessary for self-stabilization and that even one-legged robots with a point foot can perform open-loop stable motions although they have no statically stable standing position. The concept of open-loop stability implies that the actuators receive purely periodic torque or force inputs that are never altered with any feedback to prevent the robot from falling. The robots consist of a toroidal body and a leg that are connected by a hinge powered by a torque. The leg bounces on an adjustable spring. The design of these robots and the choice of model parameter values leading to stable motions is a difficult task that has been accomplished using newly developed stability optimization methods.
Measuring food security status among households in Osun State, Nigeria

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the food security status of 150 households in Osun state of Nigeria. The study area was chosen because relatively little energy consumption data are available concerning this geographical location. Design/methodology/approach – The study used both primary and secondary data. The suitable households sample was chosen by multi-stage random sampling technique. The methodology employed to group the households into either food secure or food insecure is by comparing daily per capita calorie consumption by each household with the threshold daily per capita calorie requirement of 2,710 kcal/day/adult equivalent. This method has proven to be efficient in measuring food security at household level. Findings – The results of the study reveal that majority of the households surveyed are food insecure that is their daily per capita calorie intake falls below the recommended daily per capita calorie requirement. The food insecure households constitute 54 per cent, .
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) boards and corporate governance: The Ghanaian experience

This paper seeks to examine the Boards of NGOs in line with best corporate governance practices using evidence from Ghana. Data collected were analysed using a comparative case approach which involved a comparison of the Boards of the four (4) main categories of NGOs in Ghana to ascertain whether they exhibit differences or similarities. NGOs in Ghana exhibited some weaknesses ranging board appointment to other board characteristics which depart from international best practices. Besides, there are no reference guides for NGO Board or codes on governance for NGOs in Ghana like in other countries. Therefore, there is the need to develop codes/by-laws or reference guidelines for NGOs, supported by an enabling environment to realise the full potential of NGOs.
Performance analysis of a multi-user diversity in a SIMO spectrum sharing system

In this paper, a performance analysis is presented for a multi-user selection diversity in a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) spectrum sharing system. In the considered system, multiple secondary users (SUs) try to utilize the licensed spectrum of the primary user (PU) in an opportunistic manner, in which an interference constraint and a quality of service for the primary user are satisfied. The average achievable channel capacity and the outage probability performance of the system are analyzed and mathematical closed-form expressions are derived for the system under study. The performances of the system are evaluated using the derived mathematical formulas in different cases. In addition, Monte-Carlo simulation results are also provided to show the accuracy and correctness of the performed analysis.
Shocks and Shock Absorbers in Japanese Bonds and Banks During the Global Financial Crisis

During the global financial crisis (GFC), Japan and the U.S. differed in at least two important ways: (1) while markets were stable in Japan then, the bubbles in the U.S. housing and financial markets burst and (2) while Japanese banks suffered few losses, huge losses badly weakened U.S. banks. In addition, and unlike the U.S., Japan requires firms' balance sheets to show, not only their total debt, but also the components of their debt: bonds, loans, and other debt. We used data for listed, non-financial, Japanese firms' bonds, bank loans, and other debt to investigate whether the 2008 "Lehman shock" in the U.S. disrupted Japanese bond markets. The Japanese data al-lowed us to estimate how much the Lehman shock affected Japanese firms' bonds outstanding and issued and to estimate how much, in turn, the Lehman shock resulted in firms' getting more loans from Japanese banks. The estimates revealed important cross-currents during the crisis. Our estimates implied that, while the crisis reduced bond issuance, it was accompanied by enough more bank loans to raise total debt. During the crisis, both bonds outstanding and bond issuance responded less to prior bond shortfalls and responded less to their maturing bonds. Second, while it greatly reduced bonds issued and outstanding at smaller, listed firms, the crisis boosted them at the very largest firms. In contrast, bank loans then rose more at smaller firms. Third, bank loans rose more, and bonds outstanding fell more, at firms with greater exposure to foreign sales. Fourth, the crisis led firms, and especially larger firms, to hold more cash and fewer securities and to reduce costs. Fifth, capital expenditures generally declined during the crisis, but declined significantly less at larger firms.
Multiple Roles for the C-terminal Tail of the Chemokine Scavenger D6*

D6 is a heptahelical receptor that suppresses inflammation and tumorigenesis by scavenging extracellular pro-inflammatory CC chemokines. Previous studies suggested this is dependent on constitutive trafficking of stable D6 protein to and from the cell surface via recycling endosomes. By internalizing chemokine each time it transits the cell surface, D6 can, over time, remove large quantities of these inflammatory mediators. We have investigated the role of the conserved 58-amino acid C terminus of human D6, which, unlike the rest of the protein, shows no clear homology to other heptahelical receptors. We show that, in human HEK293 cells, a serine cluster in this region controls the constitutive phosphorylation, high stability, and intracellular trafficking itinerary of the receptor and drives green fluorescent protein-tagged β-arrestins to membranes at, and near, the cell surface. Unexpectedly, however, these properties, and the last 44 amino acids of the C terminus, are dispensable for D6 internalization and effective scavenging of the chemokine CCL3. Even in the absence of the last 58 amino acids, D6 still initially internalizes CCL3 but, surprisingly, exposure to ligand inhibits subsequent CCL3 uptake by this mutant. Progressive scavenging is therefore abrogated. We conclude that the heptahelical body of D6 on its own can engage the endocytotic machinery of HEK293 cells but that the C terminus is indispensable for scavenging because it prevents initial chemokine engagement of D6 from inhibiting subsequent chemokine uptake.
Rethinking Acculturation: A Study of Alcohol Use of Korean American Adolescents in Southern California

Given the considerable variability in drinking practices among Asian American groups, the generalizations that suggest an increase in their alcohol use associated with acculturation need to be questioned. Also, the experience of children of immigrants growing up in the United States may be much more complex than a focus on acculturation can capture. Informed by the theory of segmented assimilation, this study addresses two research questions: (1) Is acculturation associated with alcohol use of Korean American adolescents? and (2) What other social, economic, and cultural forces influence their alcohol use? Survey data were collected from 202 adolescents of Korean descent. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that acculturation was not a significant predictor of most measures of alcohol use, while peer influence, scholastic achievement/ aspirations, and current smoking were predictive. Gender and social class were unrelated to drinking. Findings suggest focusing research on an integrative approach to understanding drinking in complex social, economic, and social contexts may be useful.
Different localization of epstein‐barr virus genome in two subclones of the burkitt lymphoma cell line namalwa

The Epstein‐Barr virus genome contained in the Burkitt lymphoma line Namalwa was previously localized to the short arm of chromosome I. Analysis of a different subline of the same Namalwa line by means of Southern analysis carried out on genomic DNA, as well as in situ hybridization, showed a localization on the X chromosome.
ICT, Complementary Firm Strategies and Firm Performance

This doctoral thesis analyses from different perspectives the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICT), complementary firm strategies and firm performance. One chapter examines the role of ICT and decentralized workplace organization for productivity. Two chapters analyse the association between firms' ICT use, international trade activities and productivity. The empirical analyses are based on data from firms located in Germany from the manufacturing or service sector.
Methods for current statistical analysis of excess pneumonia-influenza deaths.

THE USE of excess mortality as an index for recognition of influenza outbreaks is well known through the detailed studies of the late Dr. Selwyn Collins. In his historical reviews, the sequence of influenza outbreaks in the United States was traced back to the late 19th century, and in analytical studies age differen¬ tials and other factors were investigated. A bibliography of Collins' many papers in this field was recently published (1). Collins' primary, if not sole, interest in ex¬
Effect of Aberrations on the Self-Imaging Phenomenon

Diffraction gratings are used in measurement devices for scientific and industrial applications. As it is well known, self-images appear in the near field when diffraction gratings are illuminated with a coherent beam, such as a plane wave. This effect has been analyzed in depth and its behavior is well known under ideal grating and illumination conditions. Usually, the illumination beam is not perfectly collimated but it presents a certain degree of aberration. In this work we analyze the behavior of the self-images of an ideal amplitude grating when it is illuminated by an aberrated beam. As it is expected the contrast of the self-images decrease when the order of them increases and also when the aberration degree increases. In some cases, contrast inversion is also produced for high degree aberrations.
Psychophysical customization of directional transfer functions for virtual sound localization.

The accuracy of virtual localization when using nonindividualized external-ear transfer functions can be improved by scaling the transfer functions in frequency [Middlebrooks, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 106, 1493–1510 (1999)]. The present letter describes a psychophysical procedure by which listeners identified appropriate scale factors. The procedure ran on nonspecialized equipment, took as little as 20 min, and could be used successfully by inexperienced listeners. Scale factors obtained from the psychophysical procedure approximated factors computed from acoustical measurements from individual listeners. Roughly equivalent virtual-localization accuracy was obtained using scale factors derived from acoustical measurements, from the psychophysical procedure, or from listeners’ physical dimensions.
Treatment of neglected divergent dislocation of hamatometacarpal complex with a circular spider plate

Despite being limited by application of a single implant to a non-traumatized radius, our study demonstrates that a fixed-angle volar plate can be placed distal to the watershed line without intra-articular penetration and that intra-articular penetration can be reliably identified with 100% sensitivity when combining the four described views. Although clinically we try not to position a volar plate distal to the watershed line of the distal radius, sometimes this distal positioning of the plate is necessary to capture the most distal fracture fragments. In this situation, it is helpful to know how distal the plate can be positioned without the screws being intra-articular. Distal positioning of the volar plate can cause flexor tendon irritation and necessitate hardware removal.
Frailty Across the Spectrum of Ankle-Brachial Index

We investigated the burden of frailty across the spectrum of ankle-brachial index (ABI < 0.9, 0.9 ≤ ABI < 1.1, 1.1 ≤ ABI < 1.4 and ≥1.4) using data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) in respondents aged >50 years. Criteria used to identify frailty status included weight loss, slow walking speed, weakness, exhaustion, and low physical activity. Participants meeting 1 to 2 criteria were classified as prefrail, and those meeting ≥3 criteria were classified as frail. Prevalence of frailty in respondents with ABI < 0.9 (17.5%) and 0.9 ≤ ABI < 1.1 (6.7%) was higher than in participants with normal ABI-1.1 ≤ ABI < 1.4 (4.7%). In multivariable multinomial logistic regression models, ABI < 0.9 predicted frailty (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08-4.94) and prefrailty (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 0.90-2.07). Higher prevalence of frailty was seen in participants with ABI ≥ 1.4 (7.3%), P = . 39. Frailty predicted general and cardiovascular mortality in participants with ABI < 0.9. Frailty mediates increased morbidity and mortality seen in peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Quantizer characteristics important for quantization index modulation

Quantization Index Modulation (QIM) has been shown to be a promising method of digital watermarking. It has recently been argued that a version of QIM can provide the best information embedding performance possible in an information theoretic sense. This performance can be demonstrated via random coding using a sequence of vector quantizers of increasing block length, with both channel capacity and optimal rate-distortion performance being reached in the limit of infinite quantizer block length. For QIM, the rate-distortion performance of the component quantizers is unimportant. Because the quantized values are not digitally encoded in QIM, the number of reconstruction values in each quantizer is not a design constraint, as it is in the design of a conventional quantizer. The lack of a rate constraint in QIM suggests that quantizer design for QIM involves different condiderations than does quantizer design for rate-distortion performance. Lookabaugh has identified three types of advantages of vector quantizers vs. scalar quantizers. These advantages are called the space-filling, shape, and memory advantages. This paper investigates whether all of these advantages are useful in the context of QIM. QIM performance of various types of quantizers is presented and a heuristic sphere-packing argument is used to show that, in the case of high-resolution quantization and a Gaussian attack channel, only the space-filling advantage is necessary for nearly optimal QIM performance. This is important because relatively simple quantizers are available that do not provide shape and memory gain but do give a space-filling gain.