Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poor environmental tracking can make extinction risk insensitive to the colour of environmental noise

The relative importance of environmental colour for extinction risk compared with other aspects of environmental noise (mean and interannual variability) is poorly understood. Such knowledge is currently relevant, as climate change can cause the mean, variability and temporal autocorrelation of environmental variables to change. Here, we predict that the extinction risk of a shorebird population increases with the colour of a key environmental variable: winter temperature. However, the effect is weak compared with the impact of changes in the mean and interannual variability of temperature. Extinction risk was largely insensitive to noise colour, because demographic rates are poor in tracking the colour of the environment. We show that three mechanisms—which probably act in many species—can cause poor environmental tracking: (i) demographic rates that depend nonlinearly on environmental variables filter the noise colour, (ii) demographic rates typically depend on several environmental signals that do not change colour synchronously, and (iii) demographic stochasticity whitens the colour of demographic rates at low population size. We argue that the common practice of assuming perfect environmental tracking may result in overemphasizing the importance of noise colour for extinction risk. Consequently, ignoring environmental autocorrelation in population viability analysis could be less problematic than generally thought.
Detection of Methylated SEPT9 in Plasma Is a Reliable Screening Method for Both Left- and Right-Sided Colon Cancers

Background Methylated Septin 9 (SEPT9) is a sensitive biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC) from peripheral blood. However, its relationship to cancer localization, guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) have not been described. Methodology/Principal Findings Plasma samples were collected for SEPT9 analysis from patients with no evidence of disease (NED) (n = 92) before colonoscopy and CRC (n = 92) before surgical treatment. DNA was isolated and bisulfite-converted using Epi proColon kit 2.0. Qualitative determination was performed using Epi proColon 2.0 RT-PCR assay. Samples for gFOBT and CEA analysis were collected from NED (n = 17 and 27, respectively) and CRC (n = 22 and 27, respectively). SEPT9 test was positive in 15.2% (14/92) of NED and 95.6% (88/92) of CRC, including 100% (67/67) from stage II to stage IV CRC and 84% (21/25) of stage I CRC when a sample was called positive if 1 out of 3 PCR replicates was positive. In a second analysis (2 out of 3 PCR replicates) specificity improved to 99% (91/92) of NEDs, at a sensitivity of 79.3% (73/92) of SEPT9 positives in CRC. gFOBT was positive in 29.4% (5/17) of NED and 68.2% (15/22) of CRC and elevated CEA levels were detected in 14.8% (4/27) of NED and 51.8% (14/27) of CRC. Both SEPT9 (84.8%) and CEA (85.2%) showed higher specificity than gFOBT (70.6%). SEPT9 was positive in 96.4% (54/56) of left-sided colon cancer (LSCC) cases and 94.4% (34/36) of right-sided colon cancer (RSCC) cases. gFOBT was positive in 83.3% (10/12) of cases with LSCC and 50% (5/10) of cases with RSCC, elevated CEA was detected 60% (9/15) of LSCC and 41.7% (5/12) of RSCC. Conclusions/Significance The high degree of sensitivity and specificity of SEPT9 in plasma makes it a better method to detect CRC than gFOBT and CEA, even for the more difficult to detect RSCC.
MicroRNA in Ovarian Cancer: Biology, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutic Opportunities

Ovarian cancer comprises one of the three major malignant tumor types in the female reproductive system. The mortality rate of this cancer is the highest among all gynecological tumors, with ovarian cancer metastasis constituting an important cause of death. Therefore, markers for disease prediction and prognosis are highly desirable for early diagnosis as well as for helping optimize and personalize treatment. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs), which consist of short-sequence RNAs that do not encode a protein, have emerged as new biomarkers in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. By pairing with bases specific to the target messenger RNA (mRNA), miRNAs cause degradation of the target mRNA or inhibit its translation, thereby regulating various cellular processes including cell proliferation and adhesion. Increasing numbers of studies have shown that miRNA expression abnormality plays an important role in the development of ovarian cancer. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of miRNA action, current research regarding their role in the suppression or promotion of ovarian cancer, and their use as markers for diagnosis of prognosis or as therapeutic targets for this disease. Finally, we present future perspectives regarding the clinical management of ovarian cancer and the role for miRNAs therein.
WORMStore: A Specialized Object Store for Write-Once Read-Many Workloads

The recent increase in interest for batch analytics has resulted in extensive use of distributed frameworks such as Hadoop and Dryad. Batch analytics-as the name suggests, perform many computations on large volumes of data. That is, large quantities of data are ingested once and read many times mostly in large chunks, which is characterized as write-once read-many (WORM) workload. The storage part of these distributed frameworks (say, HDFS in Hadoop) use file systems such as ext4 or XFS as native object stores to store objects as files in individual nodes of the distributed system. These general purpose file systems were designed with broader goals such as POSIX-compliance, optimal performance for a wide range of file size, user friendliness, etc. However, most of these features are not required for a native object store in distributed file systems. WORM Store is a light weight object store that is designed exclusively for use in distributed systems for WORM workload. WORM Store provides interesting advantages such as the ability to pre-fetch large objects, small metadata to data ratio, media aware data/metadata placement, etc. As WORM Store is log-structured, it provides the ability to recover upon failure. Our experiments show that WORM Store provides a 28% increase in the read throughput per node in a Hadoop cluster.
Lower and Upper Bounds for Minimum Energy Broadcast and Sensing Problems in Sensor Networks

In this paper, we study the problem of power transmission and sensing ranges assignment wireless sensor network nodes so that to minimize power consumption while ensuring broadcasting task or sensing process. A first novelty is that our model takes into account both the transmission and the reception costs when evaluating the energy consumption of a broadcasting task. We establish a new analytical model and derive lower and upper bounds on region covering. Moreover, we show that the lower bound is asymptotically optimal and can be approached up to epsi
Activin A, a product of fetal Leydig cells, is a unique paracrine regulator of Sertoli cell proliferation and fetal testis cord expansion

Formation of tubular structures relies upon complex interactions between adjacent epithelium and mesenchyme. In the embryonic testes, dramatic compartmentalization leads to the formation of testis cords (epithelium) and the surrounding interstitium (mesenchyme). Sertoli cells, the epithelial cell type within testis cords, produce signaling molecules to orchestrate testis cord formation. The interstitial fetal Leydig cells, however, are thought only to masculinize the embryo and are not known to be involved in testis cord morphogenesis. Contrary to this notion, we have identified activin A, a member of the TGF-β protein superfamily, as a product of the murine fetal Leydig cells that acts directly upon Sertoli cells to promote their proliferation during late embryogenesis. Genetic disruption of activin βA, the gene encoding activin A, specifically in fetal Leydig cells resulted in a failure of fetal testis cord elongation and expansion due to decreased Sertoli cell proliferation. Conditional inactivation of Smad4, the central component of TGF-β signaling, in Sertoli cells led to testis cord dysgenesis and proliferative defects similar to those of Leydig cell-specific activin βA knockout testes. These results indicate that activin A is the major TGF-β protein that acts directly on Sertoli cells. Testicular dysgenesis in activin βA and Smad4 conditional knockout embryos persists into adulthood, leading to low sperm production and abnormal testicular histology. Our findings challenge the paradigm that fetal testis development is solely under the control of Sertoli cells, by uncovering an active and essential role of fetal Leydig cells during testis cord morphogenesis.
Systematic Review of Solutions Proposed for Product Line Economics

This paper presents a systematic review of all the solutions addressing different economic aspect of software product lines (SPL), e.g. SPL adoption cost-benefits, PL architecture decisions, SPL test strategies project cost overrun and so on, presented for the years 2000 to 2007. The goal of the review is to analyze the level of empirical application and/or validation of the proposed solutions with the purpose of mapping maturity as well as to what extent proposed solutions might be proven in terms of usability and usefulness. The important finding of this review is that although many economic solutions for SPL have been proposed over the years, the absence of qualitative and quantitative results from empirical application and/or validation makes it difficult to evaluate the potential of proposed solutions with respect to their usability and/or usefulness in relation to industry adoption. Suggestions have been presented to improve the existing situation.
An Interactive 3D Preoperative Planning and Training System for Minimally Invasive Vascular Surgery

Virtual reality based preoperative planning for Minimally Invasive Vascular Intervention is useful, not only for increasing the success rate of operation, but also used as a training tool for improving doctors' skills. In this paper we present an interactive 3D preoperative planning and training system with haptic device. In this system, we present an intelligent trajectory planning algorithm for searching an optimal path automatically along the centerline in two ways: from the suitable inserting point to the specific target location or to the most of objectives. Also, for the purpose of interactive training, we connect the haptic device to the end of guide wire and propose an algorithm that enables the simulator to model guide wire and catheter insertions realistically through essential operations i.e. pushing, pulling and twisting actions. We demonstrate experiment results to show that the 3D preoperative planning and training system is usable for simulating guide wire insertion procedures with complex blood vessel structures.
Antipsychotic treatment and sexual functioning in first-time neuroleptic-treated schizophrenic patients

The present study examined sexual functioning among first-time treated schizophrenia patients at the time that they initiated antipsychotic treatment, and again 3 and 6 months later. These first-time treated patients comprise a subgroup of 570 schizophrenia patients who were part of a cohort of 7655 patients enrolled in the Intercontinental Schizophrenia Outpatient-Health Outcomes observational study (IC-SOHO). As part of a brief clinical assessment conducted at entry to the study, and after 3 and 6 months of antipsychotic medication, patients were asked to rate their sexual functioning, and the investigator was asked to rate the extent to which the patient had neuroleptic-related loss of libido and sexual dysfunction. After being treated, patients treated with olanzapine showed the lowest prevalence of neuroleptic-induced sexual difficulties. At 3 months, there were significant differences between the treatment groups on neuroleptic-related loss of libido, neuroleptic-related sexual dysfunction and change in patient-rated sexual dysfunction. At 6 months, the difference between the groups on neuroleptic-related loss of libido was statistically significant. There were no significant differences between males and females. Many recent onset patients appear to suffer from problems of sexual functioning. Olanzapine may offer an advantage in this area.
Architectures and APIs: Assessing Requirements for Delivering FPGA Performance to Applications

Reconfigurable computing leveraging field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) is one of many accelerator technologies that are being investigated for application to high performance computing (HPC). Like most accelerators, FPGAs are very efficient at both dense matrix multiplication and FFT computations, but two important aspects of how to deliver that performance to applications have received too little attention. First, the standard API for important compute kernels hides parallelism from the system. Second, the issue of system architecture is virtually never addressed. This paper explores both issues and their implications for applications. We find that high bandwidth, low latency connectivity can be important, but the right API can be even more important
Map: a scalable monitoring system for dependable 802.11 wireless networks

Many enterprises deploy 802.11 wireless networks for mission-critical operations; these networks must be protected for dependable access. This article introduces the MAP project, which includes a scalable 802.11 measurement system that can provide continuous monitoring of wireless traffic to quickly identify threats and attacks. We discuss the MAP system architecture, design decisions, and evaluation results from a real testbed.
A Probability-Driven Multilayer Framework for Scheduling Intermittent Renewable Energy

A probability-driven, multilayer framework is proposed in this paper for ISOs to schedule intermittent wind power and other renewables. The fundamental idea is to view the intermittent renewable energy as a product with a lower quality (i.e., the probability of energy availability in real time) than dispatchable power plants, such as thermal or hydro plants, from the operators' viewpoint. Multiple layers which consider the probability of delivery are proposed such that various loads (critical or non-essential controllable loads) may participate in different layers in the energy market. A layer with a lower expected probability of energy availability is generally anticipated to have a lower price. This is similar to having different prices for commodities of varying qualities. A methodology is proposed to gradually merge the multilayers in the day-ahead market to a single deterministic layer in real time. The merge is necessary because the market must be deterministic in real time, whether sources are available or not. This is also aligned with the higher accuracy of forecasts when the time frame moves closer to real time. Further, the proposed scheduling framework is extended to consider the transmission constraints with a case study based on a modified PJM 5-bus system.
Gapped Suffix Arrays: a New Index Structure for Fast Approximate Matching

Approximate searching using an index is an important application in many ﬁelds. In this paper we introduce a new data structure called the gapped suﬃx array for approximate searching in the Hamming distance model. Building on the well known ﬁltration approach for approximate searching, the use of the gapped suﬃx array can improve search speed by avoiding the merging of position lists.
How comparable are tests of apraxia?

Objective: To compare commonly used tests for the diagnosis of apraxia. Measures: People with unilateral left hemisphere lesions, diagnosed with apraxia, were compared in their scoring on commonly used tests for apraxia (n = 17). Setting: Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre, Oxford, England, a specialist inpatient neurological unit. Results: Production moment correlations were low, or did not reach signi”cance level between three tests for ideomotor apraxia (r = 0.46 p < 0.05 one-tailed test, r = 0.005 NS, r = –0.23 NS, df = 15). Six of the seventeen apraxic patients scored above cut-off point on one test, but below cut-off point on others, indicating that commonly used tests for apraxia may not be reliable for diagnosis if used singly. Internal consistency within tests was also variable (Cronbach’s a 0.72, 0.85, 0.85). Conclusion: The commonly used tests for apraxia may identify different people as ‘apraxic’, possibly by eliciting different aspects of apraxia and identifying potential subtypes of the condition. The use of multiple tests is, therefore, recommended in order to identify people with apraxia. The need for repeat reliability studies for apraxia assessments, together with a search for a ‘gold standard’ test is apparent.
Seasonal Patterns of Asthma in Children and Adolescents Presenting at Emergency Departments in Korea

Purpose Seasonal variations in asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits have long been recognized. This study aimed to investigate the seasonal patterns of asthma in children and adolescents who presented at emergency departments in Korea. Methods We analyzed the National Emergency Department Information System records from 117 emergency departments in Korea that comprised all of the patients with asthma who were aged 3-18 years and who presented at the emergency departments from 2007 to 2012. The children and adolescents were divided into 3 groups based on their ages, namely, 3-6 years, 7-12 years, and 13-18 years. The data were tabulated, and graphs were created to show the seasonal trends in the monthly numbers of emergency department visits as a consequence of asthma. Results A total of 41,128 subjects were identified, and the male-to-female ratio was 1:0.5. General ward admissions comprised 42.6% (n=17,524 patients) of the emergency department visits, and intensive care unit admissions comprised 0.8% (n=335 patients) of the emergency department visits. The monthly numbers of emergency department visits for asthma varied according to the season, with high peaks during fall, which was from September to November, and low levels in summer, which was from June to August. Conclusions Important differences in the seasonal patterns of emergency department visits for asthma were evident in children and adolescents. Identifying seasonal trends in asthma-related emergency department visits may help determine the causes and reduce the likelihood of asthma exacerbation.
Traditional Chinese medicine composition for treating bone fracture

The invention provides a traditional Chinese medicine composition for treating bone fracture. The traditional Chinese medicine composition mainly comprises drynaria baronii, safflower, divaricate saposhnikovia roots, angelica dahurica, arisaema consanguineum schott, hirudo, frankincense, myrrh, radix cyathulae, Himalayan teasel roots, pyritum, whole angelica sinensis, resina draconis and forsythia. The traditional Chinese medicine composition has effects of relieving inflammation, easing pain, relaxing muscles, stimulating blood circulation, removing stasis and swelling, clearing away heat and toxic materials, accelerating bone formation and the like. Swelling of a wounded part of a wounded person suffering from mild bone fracture is removed and the wounded person does not feel painful after the wounded person uses the traditional Chinese medicine composition for 2-3 days, the wounded person can move freely after using the traditional Chinese medicine composition for 7-8 days, and a wounded person suffering from severe bone fracture can move freely after using the traditional Chinese medicine composition for about 15 days. Besides, the traditional Chinese medicine composition is good in healing effect, and relapse is difficult. In addition, various raw materials of the traditional Chinese medicine composition are easy to obtain and low in cost, a preparation process is simple and is easy to operate, and the traditional Chinese medicine composition is easy to popularize and high in curative effect, and becomes effective fast.
Classification of communication disabilities in children: contribution of the International Classification on Functioning, Disability and Health

Problems in communication serve as frequent markers of developmental delay and disability in childhood. Documentation of delayed or atypical receptive or expressive communication is one of the key diagnostic factors in the identification of children for intervention and support. This paper (1) reviews issues in classification and measurement of communication disabilities, (2) presents an overview of the development and publication of the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and (3) identifies the implications of the ICF for children and youths with communication disabilities. As a conceptual framework, the ICF may be used productively to define the focus for different efforts to address children's language and communication difficulties. Impairments of a physical or mental nature can be covered in the Body Function and Body Structure components, complementing the information provided by the ICD-10 with descriptive documentation. The component of Activities, encompassing performance aspects of communication, lends itself to functional assessment and intervention in habilitation and education programs. The component of Participation provides an operational basis for policy initiatives focusing on social integration and community life. Finally, the Environmental Factors component serves as a framework for identifying the nature and extent of access and opportunity for individuals and populations.
Family Structure and Adolescent Well Being: The Mediating Effects of Family Cohesion and Parental Leadership

Title of Thesis: FAMILY STRUCTURE AND ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF FAMILY COHESION AND PARENTAL LEADERSHIP Lauren Ann Messina, Master of Science, 2010 Thesis Directed by: Associate Professor Leigh A. Leslie Department of Family Science Research comparing single-parent households to two-parent households suggests better outcomes for adolescents of two-parent households. Much of this research has narrowly focused on assessing the benefits of family structure. The current study explores the family processes of family cohesion and parental leadership as mediators of child well-being in single and two-parent families. Child well-being is assessed through using adolescent self reports of attachment style. Findings indicate no relationship between the proposed mediators, family structure, and adolescent secure attachment. Family structure did not have an impact on the potential mediating variables so mediation could not be established. The possible meaning of the lack of relationship in this sample is discussed. FAMILY STRUCTURE AND ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF FAMILY COHESION AND PARENTAL LEADERSHIP