Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF DAY 14 BLAST PERCENTAGE AND THE ABSOLUTE BLAST INDEX IN BONE MARROW OF CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

The product of the percentage blasts on the bone marrow aspirate (BMA) and the biopsy cellularity has been termed the "absolute blast index aspirate" (ABI-aspirate) and is used to measure disease response on day 7 of induction therapy. The authors compared the event-free survival (EFS) in high-risk and standard-risk patients as identified by the ABI-aspirate and the BMA percentage blasts on day 14 of induction therapy. Both indices identified high-risk cases. EFS of patients categorized as high-risk by these 2 methods and the high-risk criteria used by the authors' service (WCC of > 20 x 10(9)/L, age < 2 and > 8 years and a peripheral blood blast count of > 1.0 x 10(9)/L on day 8 of induction) did not differ. There was concordance between patients identified as high risk by all 3 methods. The results confirmed the prognostic value of the ABI-aspirate and the BMA percentage blasts on day 14 of induction therapy, but these methods were not superior to the high-risk criteria currently in use.
Protective effects of melatonin and β-d-glucan against liver injury in rats - a comparative study.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of melatonin and β-d-glucan against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, each consisting of 8 animals, as follows. Sham group [S], IR group [C], IR + β-Glucan group [β], IR + melatonin group [MLT], IR + melatonin + β-Glucan group [MLT + β]. The rats in the C, β, MLT and MLT + β groups were subjected to IR for 60 min each. Melatonin (10 mg∙kg⁻¹) was intraperitoneally injected for a single dose 30 min before IR. β-Glucan (50 mg∙kg⁻¹∙day⁻¹) was orally administered for 10 days to rats. All of the rats were killed on day 11, and histological changes in the liver and tissue levels of oxidants and antioxidants were evaluated. RESULTS Malondialdehyde [MDA] level were significantly higher in the C group compared to the S group (p = 0.007). MDA level were significantly higher in the β group compared to the MLT and MLT + β groups (p =0.007). Tissue antioxidant markers (superoxide dismut ase [SOD], glutathione-peroxidase [GPx], and catalase [CAT]) were significantly lower in the C group than the S group (p < 0.05). SOD levels were simply not significant in the β group compared to the MLT and MLT + β groups. CAT and GPx activities were significantly higher in the β group compared to the MLT and MLT + β groups (p = 0.004). The histological damage ameliorated in β, MLT and MLT + β groups compared to C group.
The use of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to identify reversible myocardial dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Recent studies indicate that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after the administration of contrast material can be used to distinguish between reversible and irreversible myocardial ischemic injury regardless of the extent of wall motion or the age of the infarct. We hypothesized that the results of contrast-enhanced MRI can be used to predict whether regions of abnormal ventricular contraction will improve after revascularization in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS Gadolinium-enhanced MRI was performed in 50 patients with ventricular dysfunction before they underwent surgical or percutaneous revascularization. The transmural extent of hyperenhanced regions was postulated to represent the transmural extent of nonviable myocardium. The extent of regional contractility at the same locations was determined by cine MRI before and after revascularization in 41 patients. RESULTS Contrast-enhanced MRI showed hyperenhancement of myocardial tissue in 40 of 50 patients before revascularization. In all patients with hyperenhancement the difference in image intensity between hyperenhanced regions and regions without hyperenhancement was more than 6 SD. Before revascularization, 804 of the 2093 myocardial segments analyzed (38 percent) had abnormal contractility, and 694 segments (33 percent) had some areas of hyperenhancement. In an analysis of all 804 dysfunctional segments, the likelihood of improvement in regional contractility after revascularization decreased progressively as the transmural extent of hyperenhancement before revascularization increased (P<0.001). For instance, contractility increased in 256 of 329 segments (78 percent) with no hyperenhancement before revascularization, but in only 1 of 58 segments with hyperenhancement of more than 75 percent of tissue. The percentage of the left ventricle that was both dysfunctional and not hyperenhanced before revascularization was strongly related to the degree of improvement in the global mean wall-motion score (P<0.001) and the ejection fraction (P<0.001) after revascularization. CONCLUSIONS Reversible myocardial dysfunction can be identified by contrast-enhanced MRI before coronary revascularization.
Geometric vs Network based Spatial Clustering

Geometry based approaches like CrimeStat [7, 3] clusters data based on the geometric location of the points. They exploit a regular geometrical shape like a circle or an ellipse to group high activity areas in domains like crime analysis. CrimeStat uses the K-means [9] and hierarchical nearest neighbour clustering [6] to cluster these activities based on the Euclidean distances between the activities. [3] is a comprehensive report presented to the US National Department of Justice where the authors perform experimental evaluation on London Metropolitan Police Forces Crime Report Information System for Hackney Borough Police for the period June 1999 through August 1999. Since this approach uses an Euclidean distance, it fails to exploit the underlying spatial network.
Smoking and Health-Related Quality of Life in the General Population. Independent Relationships and Large Differences According to Patterns and Quantity of Smoking and to Gender

Background Relationships between smoking and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the general population remain unclear. Objectives To quantify the independent associations between smoking patterns and HRQoL and to identify any threshold or non-linear tendencies in these associations. Methods A national representative, cross-sectional household survey of the French general non institutionalized population included 7525 men and 8486 women, aged 25–64 year in 2003. Scores on the eight subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form were the primary outcomes. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between HRQoL and smoking history, quantity of smoking and smoking cessation while controlling for various socio-economic variables, depression, alcohol dependence and pathological conditions. Analyses were conducted in 2013. Results Independent associations between smoking and HRQoL were found, including small positive associations for occasional or light smoking (up to 5 cigarettes per day), and larger and diffuse negative associations above this threshold. Much weaker associations and higher thresholds for negative HRQoL were found for women than for men. For ex-smokers of both genders, HRQoL was found to be better between 2 and 5 years after quitting. Conclusions Smoking was independently related to HRQoL, with large differences according to the pattern and quantity of smoking, and to gender. These results may have considerable relevance both for public health action and care of smokers.
People Born with Intersex Conditions: Pastoral and Bioethical Considerations

There exist a variety of biological variations known as intersex conditions (ICs) or disorders of sex development (DSDs), which cause a per­ son’s sex as male or female to be uncertain at birth. In the past several decades, cosmetic surgery aimed at “normalizing” the infant’s body has become an increasingly controversial treatment for an infant with an IC or DSD. While ICs and DSDs are not addressed directly by Catholic moral teaching, the Catholic Tradition has a number of tools (prudence, dignity, and hospitality) that can undergird a Catholic response to the suffering of people with ICs and DSDs and support improved medical, pastoral, and spiritual care for them and their families. National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 15.3 (Autumn 2015): 453-463. Theologizing is the enterprise which incorporates empirical data into religion in order to manifest how the data relate to revelation and salvation - the two essential elements of theology. Theologians need to theologize concerning the biological data of sex and gender. Sex and gender have a powerful impact on religious faith and practices. Theologians must incorporate the results of their theological analyses in order to weigh the value of the decisions made by the health care sciences and parents/guardians. The purpose of decision-making is to select values and channel behavior.26
Is the Ala12 variant of the PPARG gene an “unthrifty allele”?

Background: The thrifty genotype hypothesis proposes that genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes results from the positive selection of “thrifty” alleles in the past. A corollary of this hypothesis is that genetic variants protecting against the development of diabetes are “unthrifty” and thus subject to negative selection during human evolution. Methods: It was assessed whether age estimates of the diabetes protective PPARG Ala12 allele indicate effects of natural selection. Based on published data from four populations, the date of origin of the diabetes protective PPARG Ala12 variant was estimated using both allele frequency and linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the C1431T single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 6 of the PPARG gene. Results: The best LD based estimate of the age of the Ala12 allele gave an average of ∼32 000 years with a maximum upper bound of ∼58 000 years. Assuming a population with a growth rate of r = 0.01 per generation, the frequency based estimate of the age of the Ala12 variant gave an average of ∼27 000 years with a maximum upper bound of ∼42 000 years. Discussion: The similarity of both time estimates is consistent with selective equivalence of the diabetes protective PPARG Ala12 allele and the diabetes susceptible PPARG Pro12 allele.
Face Album: Towards automatic photo management based on person identity on mobile phones

We implement a new photo management system ‘Face Album’ on mobile phones, which organizes photos by person identity, as is shown in Fig. 1. We automatically group faces into clusters to release user workload. Our system is composed of two pools: a certain pool with reliable clusters consisting of faces from same identity, and an uncertain pool containing faces that are lacking in evidence to be recognized. Constantly as new faces increase, the certain pool and uncertain pool work together to either assign new faces to existing clusters or discover new identities in the album. In addition, user interaction is introduced for some deviation corrections. Experiments indicate that our results are close to offline hierarchical clustering method while a subjective survey shows our photo management system is favored by users.
Divisions within the posterior parietal cortex help touch meet vision

Abstract The parietal cortex is divided into two major functional regions: the anterior parietal cortex that includes primary somatosensory cortex, and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) that includes the rest of the parietal lobe. The PPC contains multiple representations of space. In Dijkerman & de Haan's (D&dH's) model, higher spatial representations are separate from PPC functions. This model should be developed further so that the functions of the somatosensory system are integrated with specific functions within the PPC and higher spatial representations. Through this further specification of the model, one can make better predictions regarding functional interactions between somatosensory and visual systems.
DataXFormer: A robust transformation discovery system

In data integration, data curation, and other data analysis tasks, users spend a considerable amount of time converting data from one representation to another. For example US dates to European dates or airport codes to city names. In a previous vision paper, we presented the initial design of DataXFormer, a system that uses web resources to assist in transformation discovery. Specifically, DataXFormer discovers possible transformations from web tables and web forms and involves human feedback where appropriate. In this paper, we present the full fledged system along with several extensions. In particular, we present algorithms to find (i) transformations that entail multiple columns of input data, (ii) indirect transformations that are compositions of other transformations, (iii) transformations that are not functions but rather relationships, and (iv) transformations from a knowledge base of public data. We report on experiments with a collection of 120 transformation tasks, and show our enhanced system automatically covers 101 of them by using openly available resources.
3-D Face Recognition Based on Warped Example Faces

In this paper, we describe a novel 3-D face recognition scheme for 3-D face recognition that can automatically identify faces from range images, and is insensitive to holes, facial expression, and hair. In our scheme, a number of carefully selected range images constitute a set of example faces, and another range image is chosen as a ldquogeneric face.rdquo The generic face is then warped to match each of the example faces in the least mean square sense. Each such warp is specified by a vector of displacement values. In feature extraction operation, when a target face image comes in, the generic face is warped to match it. The geometric transformation used in the warping is a linear combination of the example face warping vectors. The coefficients in the linear combination are adjusted to minimize the root mean square error. After the matching process is complete, the coefficients of the composite warp are used as features and passed to a Mahalanobis-distance-based classifier for face recognition. Our technique is tested on a data set containing more than 600 range images. Experimental results in the access-control scenario show the effectiveness of the extracted features.
Teachers’ Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Patterns as a Function of Teacher Race, Student Gender, and Student Race

Teachers’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors were examined in the natural classroom setting to assess differences based on sex of child, race of child, and race of teacher. The subjects were 16 (8 black and 8 white) female first grade teachers in an urban public elementary school system. All teachers’ classrooms contained students of both races with at least a 1 to 3 ratio of one race to the other. Trained observers recorded verbal and nonverbal behavior for each instance of teacher behavior directed toward individual children in each classroom. The results indicated that white teachers directed more verbal praise and criticism and nonverbal praise toward males and more nonverbal criticism toward black males.
Resistant starch in the Italian diet

Resistant starch (RS) has been defined as the sum of starch and starch-degradation products that reach the human large intestine (Champ, 1994), and it is now regarded as a sub-fraction of starch with a positive impact on colonic welfare and lipid metabolism. An early estimate of the RS intake in Europe gave an average value of approximately 4 g/d (Dyssler & Hoffem, 1994a). However, since no information is available for Italy, the aim of the present study was to estimate the intake of RS in the Italian diet by direct analysis of RS in a range of typical foods representing the main sources of starch intake in the country. The selection of representative foods and of food consumption data were based on published results of the National Food Consumption Study conducted during the 1980s by the National Institute of Nutrition on 10 000 households, using weighed-food records plus inventory methodologies (Saba et al. 1990; Turrini et al. 1991). Three main groups of foods were considered: cereals (pasta, rice, bread and bread products, and pastries), potatoes, legumes. Different commercial brands for each sample were purchased, according to the known presence on the market. Samples were prepared ‘as eaten’ and submitted to simulated chewing, followed by total and resistant starch determination using the enzymic procedure published as a result of the EC Concerted Action EURESTA (Champ, 1992). From these results, the estimated average intake of RS in Italy was found to be 8.5 g/d, with regional differences (from 7.2 g/d in the north-west to 9.2 g/d in the south) mainly due to the different consumption of some typical Italian starchy food (bread, pasta, legumes).
Transfer of Function of Visual Stimuli through Equivalence Relations with Verbal Stimuli

Transfer of function through equivalence relations may explain verbal processes that occur in psychological disorders and during therapy. However, methodological problems have affected the results and analyses of experimental studies. We established equivalence relations between visual stimuli (paintings) and descriptive words or phrases with a positive or negative function with one stimulus to test whether this function transferred to other paintings in the same class. The study was replicated with 10 adult participants with pretest and posttest evaluations, and the experimental procedure was automated with a PC and specially designed software. Although all participants established the equivalence relations, between-stimuli and between-subject variability was considerable. Transfer of function appeared in four participants. The variability is consistent with earlier results, and the findings point strongly to the relevance of other variables such as previous history and language.
Real-time density estimation in urban environments by using vehicular communications

Knowing the density of vehicles in a vehicular communications environment is important, as better opportunities for wireless communication can show up. This paper studies the importance of predicting the density of vehicles in vehicular environments to take decisions for enhancing the dissemination of warning messages between vehicles. Moreover, we propose a mechanism which allows the estimation of the vehicular density within a certain urban environment, using as parameters the number of beacons received per vehicle, and the topological characteristics of the environment where the vehicles are located.
Chemical and Functional Analysis of Hydroxyurea Oral Solutions

The primary hypothesis of the upcoming NIH-sponsored phase III infant hydroxyurea (BABY HUG) trial is that hydroxyurea can prevent chronic organ damage in infants with sickle cell anemia. Since hydroxyurea is currently commercially available only in capsules, a liquid formulation of hydroxyurea is needed for young patients. Hydroxyurea oral solutions were prepared by dissolving the contents of the capsules in water (room temperature or mildly heated) with vigorous stirring, filtering excipients, and adding flavored syrup to a final concentration of 100 mg/mL. Chemical stability was determined by measuring the hydroxyurea concentration using a standardized analytical colorimetric analysis, while functional stability was determined by measuring the inhibition of phytohemagglutinin-induced T lymphocyte proliferation. Hydroxyurea oral solutions prepared using room-temperature water had statistically equivalent spectrophotometric concentration and inhibition of T-lymphocyte proliferation for 3 to 6 months. Mild heating of the water to facilitate dissolution of the hydroxyurea capsule contents resulted in a reduced concentration and inhibitory activity of the preparations. Hydroxyurea oral solutions (100 mg/mL) prepared and maintained at room temperature have chemical and functional stability for several months. Hydroxyurea oral solutions prepared and dispensed monthly are suitable for use in the upcoming infant BABY HUG trial.
Effect of the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake on Home Blood Pressure Measurement in the Morning in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

A major earthquake struck the Niigata Prefecture, Japan, on October 23, 2004. This study investigated the effect of the earthquake on morning home blood pressure (MHBP) measurements, as well as clinic blood pressure (CBP) and associated complications, in 222 type 2 diabetic patients who measured MHBP and CBP before the earthquake. Physical and laboratory examinations were assessed at every three months. Each patient completed a questionnaire on MHBP measurement, Japanese intensity grade (JIS), patient's lifestyle and psychological impact using posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom score. Median JIS showed all patients lived in areas affected by strong aftershocks. Most patients stayed in their own houses, while one-third of patients sought refuge in other houses. No new clinical manifestations of disease were noted. Median PTSD score was low. Patients in public refuge houses had daytime blood pressure, but MHBP was not measured. In the first month, the number of patients who continued MHBP measurements decreased to 27% of pre-shock level. Many patients were unable to measure MHBP for several reasons, including losing MHBP equipment, having equipment destroyed, or suffering from anxiety due to the extensive devastation. Mean systolic MHBP and median urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) increased significantly within three months and returned to pre-earthquake level at six months. On multiple regression analysis, increased systolic and diastolic MHBPs were significantly associated with UAER elevation. In type 2 diabetic patients following an earthquake, it is important to develop a device of MHBP measurement for maintaining control of MHBP to prevent vascular complications.
Evaluation of adaptive blind SIMO identification in terms of a normalized filter-projection misalignment

The blind identification of single-input multiple-output (SIMO) systems suffers in the presence of near-common and exact common zeros between the channels, particularly in conjunction with observation noise. In general, we notice an ambiguity of the identification which cannot be resolved without further a priori information on the channel coefficients. In order to enable an adequate evaluation of blind SIMO identification in such cases, we develop the normalized filter-projection misalignment (NFPM), which represents a multichannel squared-error distance between true and estimated channels, while absorbing a common filter error due to a possible lack of identifiability. Using the NFPM measure, we demonstrate experimentally that the steady-state performance of the blind multichannel least mean-square (MCLMS) algorithm in the presence of missing channel diversity and noise is in line with the results obtained from supervised least mean-square (LMS) system identification.
Using the verifiability of details as a test of deception: A conceptual framework for the automation of the verifiability approach

The Verifiability Approach (VA) is a promising new approach for deception detection. It extends existing verbal credibility assessment tools by asking interviewees to provide statements rich in verifiable detail. Details that i) have been experienced with an identifiable person, ii) have been witnessed by an identifiable person, or iii) have been recorded through technology, are labelled as verifiable. With only minimal modifications of information-gathering interviews this approach has yielded remarkable classification accuracies. Currently, the VA relies on extensive manual annotation by human coders. Aiming to extend the VA’s applicability, we present a work in progress on automated VA scoring. We provide a conceptual outline of two automation approaches: one being based on the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software and the other on rule-based shallow parsing and named entity recognition. Differences between both approaches and possible future steps for an automated VA are discussed.