Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long‐term outcomes in paediatric asthma

Over the years the aims of asthma management have changed markedly from effective prednisolone treatment of symptoms and exacerbations towards more use of continuous prophylactic treatment. With our new understanding of the disease and its management definition of the aims of treatment and assessment of optimal asthma control have become much more complex. Even in times of evidence‐based medicine our asthma management is based upon findings of effects on various outcomes in somewhat short‐term (<1 year) controlled studies. However, assumptions about long‐term effects upon the basis of findings in such studies should be made with great caution. Good examples of this are studies which assess the risk of systemic effects and clinical adverse effects of inhaled corticosteroids. From such studies it has become clear that systemic effects detected in short‐term trials may have no predictive value of long‐term adverse effects. Thus steroid‐induced changes in lower leg growth rates assessed by knemometry do not predict long‐term statural growth. Moreover, steroid‐induced changes in statural growth over 1 year are not predictive of effects upon attained adult height. In contrast, reduced growth caused by uncontrolled asthma disease also seems to affect attained adult height adversely. These findings suggest that long‐term outcomes should play a larger role when future asthma management strategies are decided. Some important long‐term outcomes of asthma management in children include cure or remission of the disease, prevention of complications of the disease (airway remodelling, adverse effects upon growth/adult height, peak bone mineral density, physical impairment and psychosocial development) or its pharmacological management (adverse effects upon adult height, peak bone mineral density). More controlled long‐term studies (several years) are needed to provide a better understanding of how these outcomes are best achieved.
Expanded CD23+/CD21hi B Cells in Inflamed Lymph Nodes Are Associated with the Onset of Inflammatory-Erosive Arthritis in TNF-Transgenic Mice and Are Targets of Anti-CD20 Therapy

Anti-CD20 B cell depletion therapy (BCDT) is very effective for some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however the pathogenic role of B lymphocytes in RA and the primary targets of BCDT are unknown. The human TNF transgenic (hTNF-Tg) mouse model of RA displays a chronic, progressive disease that spreads from distal to proximal joints and is generally considered to be adaptive immune system independent. We have previously reported that knee arthritis in hTNF-Tg mice is accompanied by structural and functional changes of the adjoining popliteal lymph node (PLN), detectable by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. To better understand these changes, in this paper we show that onset of knee synovitis and focal erosions are paralleled by PLN contraction and accumulation of large numbers of B cells in the lymphatic sinus spaces within the node. Flow cytometry from TNF-Tg mice 2, 4–5, and 8–12 mo old demonstrated that B cell accumulation in the PLN follows ankle arthritis, but commences before knee disease, and involves early expansion of CD21hi, CD23+, IgMhi, CD1d+, activation marker-negative, polyclonal B cells that are found to be specifically restricted to lymph nodes draining inflamed, arthritic joints. The same B cell population also accumulates in PLNs of K/BxN mice with autoantigen-dependent arthritis. Strikingly, we show that BCDT ameliorates hTNF-Tg disease and clears follicular and CD21hi, CD23+ B cells from the PLNs. On the basis of these findings, we propose a model whereby B cells contribute to arthritis in mice, and possibly RA, by directly affecting the structure, composition, and function of joint-draining lymph nodes.
STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING APPLIED TO SEX, ROMANCE AND LIMINAL BEHAVIOUR IN TOURISM CONTEXT: THE CASE OF FARO INTERNATIONAL BIKE MEETING

Sex and romance are part of everyday life and therefore are part of the contemporary tourism experiences. Tourism, such as has been stressed by the literature, consists of a rupture with the everyday life – a liminal space-time which enables liminal behaviours. In these behaviours one can include a greater willingness for romance and sexual relationships. One of the dimensions of the theoretical articulation between tourism, romance and sexuality consists of the role played by these latter two dimensions in the decision of travelling and in the destination’s choice. Sex and romance may be the main motivators for travelling or, if they are not important drivers, may occur in an “accidental” way while already at the destination. This research investigates an event where the environment (e.g. the omnipresence of erotic shows), combined with the liminal experiences, may contribute to attract tourists whose main motivations are sex and romance. The correlation between these variables was tested using structural equation modeling with latent variables, applied to 449 data surveys carried out with the bikers who visited the 29th Faro International Bike Meeting, in 2010. The results suggest that bikers come motivated not only by participation in the event but also by the expectations of having sex and getting involved in a romance. These aspects have influence in the experienced environment which, in turn, has influence in the adoption of liminal behaviours. Bikers’ satisfaction is evident, as well as their intention to return, proving that a new market segment is rising up in the Algarve because of this event.
Antecedents Affecting Customer’s Purchase Intentions towards Green Products

Green marketing is a process of producing environment friendly product. Such type of products that are safe from different hazards. Now a days Green marketing is exploring day by day. The eco-friendly products are making by many companies in Globe. Our Purpose of this study is basically to identify that what kind of factors influence the green purchase intentions of consumer of Pakistan. Four preceding factors influence the consumer’s purchase intentions based green marketing. By using self-administered questionnaires we collected data from our 160 respondents. For regression analysis we entered all that data into SPSS and do analysis also. Results of our study show significant relationship of green purchase attitude, green perceived value, green trust and ecological knowledge on green purchase intention. These factors influence the green purchase intention. Our this study is a vital source for the national and international marketers to collect information how different factors effect consumer’s purchase intention.
Interactive Tool for Iterative Test Suite Construction

We can only test software effectively if we under- stand how it is intended to behave. For some categories of programs, such as scientific models, it is not obvious what the output of the software should be. New techniques are needed to help domain experts, such as scientists, gather the knowledge they need to construct suitable tests and oracles. This paper introduces a new interactive tool for iterative test suite construction that is based upon the scientific method paradigm that scientists are familiar with. We apply our technique to a deterministic mathematical model, used to predict the spread of disease, and show how it helps scientists uncover situations they had not yet considered. Of the 15 hypotheses originally created by modellers, our technique found discrepancies in all but one, allowing us to refine them into a more rigorous test suite. Scientific software is particularly difficult to test, because its correct behaviour is not normally known in advance. The software is developed to investigate new research questions and the perceptions of researchers change as their hypotheses are explored (5). If we already knew the answers to these questions, there would be no need to create the software in the first place. Intrinsic difficulties occur in evaluating the output of scientific software, due to the stochasticity and uncertain- ties in the underlying model. Scientific software frequently incorporates complex models with nonlinear dynamics that are difficult to test. Each numerical approximation has the potential to introduce new errors (5), inaccuracies may arise due to the way in which experimental data are collected, and then when the model is implemented on a finite precision computer, some further accuracy is inevitably lost.
A 6.6 mW, −94 dBc/Hz, 1.0-to-4.5 GHz phase-lock loop in 65-nm CMOS

This paper presents a phase-lock loop (PLL) realized in a standard 65-nm CMOS technology, which multiplies a 50-MHz reference to generate 1.0~4.5 GHz clock signals. The proposed PLL consists of a PFD, a charge pump, a 3rd-order LPF, a ring VCO, a 2/3 prescaler, and a 6-bit divider, providing low cost, small area, and wide tuning characteristics. Post-layout simulations reveal that the PLL achieves 1.0~4.5 GHz tuning range, -94-dBc/Hz phase noise at 3 GHz with 1-MHz offset, and 6.6-mW power dissipation from a single 1.2-V supply. The chip core occupies the area of 99 × 106 p.m2.
Incorporating Spontaneous Reporting System Data to Aid Causal Inference in Longitudinal Healthcare Data

Inferring causality using longitudinal observational databases is challenging due to the passive way the data are collected. The majority of associations found within longitudinal observational data are often non-causal and occur due to confounding. The focus of this paper is to investigate incorporating information from additional databases to complement the longitudinal observational database analysis. We investigate the detection of prescription drug side effects as this is an example of a causal relationship. In previous work a framework was proposed for detecting side effects only using longitudinal data. In this paper we combine a measure of association derived from mining a spontaneous reporting system database to previously proposed analysis that extracts domain expertise features for causal analysis of a UK general practice longitudinal database. The results show that there is a significant improvement to the performance of detecting prescription drug side effects when the longitudinal observation data analysis is complemented by incorporating additional drug safety sources into the framework. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for correctly classifying a side effect when other data were considered was 0.967, whereas without it the AUC was 0.923 However, the results of this paper may be biased by the evaluation and future work should overcome this by developing an unbiased reference set.
Metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To assess the effectiveness of metformin in improving clinical and biochemical features of polycystic ovary syndrome. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Randomised controlled trials that investigated the effect of metformin compared with either placebo or no treatment, or compared with an ovulation induction agent. Selection of studies 13 trials were included for analysis, including 543 women with polycystic ovary syndrome that was defined by using biochemical or ultrasound evidence. Main outcome measure Pregnancy and ovulation rates. Secondary outcomes of clinical and biochemical features of polycystic ovary syndrome. Results Meta-analysis showed that metformin is effective in achieving ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, with odds ratios of 3.88 (95% confidence interval 2.25 to 6.69) for metformin compared with placebo and 4.41 (2.37 to 8.22) for metformin and clomifene compared with clomifene alone. An analysis of pregnancy rates shows a significant treatment effect for metformin and clomifene (odds ratio 4.40, 1.96 to 9.85). Metformin has an effect in reducing fasting insulin concentrations, blood pressure, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. We found no evidence of any effect on body mass index or waist:hip ratio. Metformin was associated with a higher incidence of nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal disturbance. Conclusions Metformin is an effective treatment for anovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Its choice as a first line agent seems justified, and there is some evidence of benefit on variables of the metabolic syndrome. No data are available regarding the safety of metformin in long term use in young women and only limited data on its safety in early pregnancy. It should be used as an adjuvant to general lifestyle improvements and not as a replacement for increased exercise and improved diet.
Leak energy based missing feature mask generation for ICA and GSS and its evaluation with simultaneous speech recognition

This paper addresses automatic speech recognition (ASR) for robots integrated with sound source separation (SSS) by using leak noise based missing feature mask generation. The missing feature theory (MFT) is a promising approach to improve noise-robustness of ASR. An issue in MFT-based ASR is automatic generation of the missing feature mask. To improve robot audition, we applied this theory to interface ASR and SSSwhich extracts a sound source originated from a specific direction by multiple microphones. In a robot audition system, it is a promising approach to use SSS as a pre-processor for ASR to be able to deal with any kind of noises. However, ASR usually assumes clean speech input, while speech extracted by SSS never fails to be distorted. MFT can be applied to cope with distortion in the extracted speech. In this case, we can assume that the noises included in extracted sounds are mainly leakages from other channels. Thus, we introduced leak noise based missing feature mask generation, which can generate a missing feature mask automatically by using information on leak noise obtained from other channels. To assess the effectiveness of the leak noise based missing feature mask generation, we used two methods for SSS: geometric source separation (GSS) and independent component analysis (ICA), and Multiband Julian for MFT based ASR. The two constructed systems, that is, GSS-based and ICA-based robot audition systems, were evaluated through recognition of simultaneous speech uttered by two speakers. As a result, we showed that the proposed leak noise based missing feature mask generation worked well in both systems.
Probability of Error in Information-Hiding Protocols

Randomized protocols for hiding private information can fruitfully be regarded as noisy channels in the information-theoretic sense, and the inference of the concealed information can be regarded as a hypothesis-testing problem. We consider the Bayesian approach to the problem, and investigate the probability of error associated to the inference when the MAP (maximum aposteriori probability) decision rule is adopted. Our main result is a constructive characterization of a convex base of the probability of error, which allows us to compute its maximum value (over all possible input distributions), and to identify upper bounds for it in terms of simple functions. As a side result, we are able to improve substantially the Hellman-Raviv and the Santhi-Vardy bounds expressed in terms of conditional entropy. We then discuss an application of our methodology to the Crowds protocol, and in particular we show how to compute the bounds on the probability that an adversary breaks anonymity.
Examining the Nature of the Relationship Between Working Memory and Attention

ii DEDICATION This is dedicated to my family. Thank you for your enduring love and support through this journey, I could not have done it without all of you. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, Raja Parasuraman, Pamela Greenwood, and Craig McDonald. They spent countless hours providing me with helpful insights and guidance throughout the dissertation process. Their aid was truly invaluable. Others have also made significant contributions during my tenure as a doctoral student at George Mason University. James Thompson served on my comprehensive exam committee; I am grateful for his willingness to allocate his time to that process. Additionally, Karl Fryxell and Ming-Kuan Lin have provided me with knowledge and opportunities in an area outside of my specific field of study. Their patience allowed me to explore an area of interest to me that I would otherwise not have had an opportunity to pursue. Additionally, I would like to thank the research assistants that put so much effort into studies over the years—particularly Simon Stöckl and Justine Santos. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and classmates. They are inspiring people who were always willing to help me achieve my goals. Working memory (WM) and visuospatial attention (VA) are both cognitive constructs that are related to the processing of relevant information. While these processes are capable of functioning independently, there is significant evidence suggesting a relationship between the two. However, the exact nature of this relationship is not well understood, and no testable hypotheses have been advanced. In this dissertation, three experiments were conducted in an effort to uncover the nature of the relationship between WM and VA. It was hypothesized that when WM and VA are simultaneously deployed, a new process is formed (an integrated view). Based on this hypothesis, it was predicted that this new process would operate using the shared resources of WM and VA. This hypothesis was compared against the parallel view, which stated that WM and VA are separate processes that simply interact. The parallel view would not predict processing resources to be shared between WM and VA. The three experiments were designed to provide converging evidence to support one of these views by targeting different aspects of WM and VA and using various measurement techniques. x Results showed support for the integrated view. Specifically, it was demonstrated that manipulations in either WM or VA …
Monitoring slow ground mouvements around Tunis City by different SAR interferometric measures

This paper presents an application of DInSAR techniques for the assessment of ground subsidences around Tunis City. A longterm analysis using two interferometric techniques were carried out to attempt reliable measurements. In this work, some aspects of interferometric processing softwares are reviewed and possible improvements are proposed in order to get better results. The convergence of the two different interferometric techniques done simultaneously and independently confirms results accuracy.
Downregulation of Blood-Brain Barrier Phenotype by Proinflammatory Cytokines Involves NADPH Oxidase-Dependent ROS Generation: Consequences for Interendothelial Adherens and Tight Junctions

Background and Objectives Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction is an integral feature of neurological disorders and involves the action of multiple proinflammatory cytokines on the microvascular endothelial cells lining cerebral capillaries. There is still however, considerable ambiguity throughout the scientific literature regarding the mechanistic role(s) of cytokines in this context, thereby warranting a comprehensive in vitro investigation into how different cytokines may cause dysregulation of adherens and tight junctions leading to BBB permeabilization. Methods The present study employs human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMvECs) to compare/contrast the effects of TNF-α and IL-6 on BBB characteristics ranging from the expression of interendothelial junction proteins (VE-cadherin, occludin and claudin-5) to endothelial monolayer permeability. The contribution of cytokine-induced NADPH oxidase activation to altered barrier phenotype was also investigated. Results In response to treatment with either TNF-α or IL-6 (0–100 ng/ml, 0–24 hrs), our studies consistently demonstrated significant dose- and time-dependent decreases in the expression of all interendothelial junction proteins examined, in parallel with dose- and time-dependent increases in ROS generation and HBMvEC permeability. Increased expression and co-association of gp91 and p47, pivotal NADPH oxidase subunits, was also observed in response to either cytokine. Finally, cytokine-dependent effects on junctional protein expression, ROS generation and endothelial permeability could all be attenuated to a comparable extent using a range of antioxidant strategies, which included ROS depleting agents (superoxide dismutase, catalase, N-acetylcysteine, apocynin) and targeted NADPH oxidase blockade (gp91 and p47 siRNA, NSC23766). Conclusion A timely and wide-ranging investigation comparing the permeabilizing actions of TNF-α and IL-6 in HBMvECs is presented, in which we demonstrate how either cytokine can similarly downregulate the expression of interendothelial adherens and tight junction proteins leading to elevation of paracellular permeability. The cytokine-dependent activation of NADPH oxidase leading to ROS generation was also confirmed to be responsible in-part for these events.
A proposal for a set of level 3 basic linear algebra subprograms

This paper describes a proposal for Level 3 Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms (Level 3 BLAS). The Level 3 BLAS are targeted at matrix-matrix operations with the aim of providing more efficient, but portable, implementations of algorithms on high-performance computers, especially those with hierarchical memory and parallel processing capability.
Multidrug Resistance Proteins and the Renal Elimination of Inorganic Mercury Mediated by 2,3-Dimercaptopropane-1-Sulfonic Acid and Meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic Acid

Current therapies for inorganic mercury (Hg2+) intoxication include administration of a metal chelator, either 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid (DMPS) or meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). After exposure to either chelator, Hg2+ is rapidly eliminated from the kidneys and excreted in the urine, presumably as an S-conjugate of DMPS or DMSA. The multidrug resistance protein 2 (Mrp2) has been implicated in this process. We hypothesize that Mrp2 mediates the secretion of DMPS- or DMSA-S-conjugates of Hg2+ from proximal tubular cells. To test this hypothesis, the disposition of Hg2+ was examined in control and Mrp2-deficient TR- rats. Rats were injected i.v. with 0.5 μmol/kg HgCl2 containing 203Hg2+. Twenty-four and 28 h later, rats were injected with saline, DMPS, or DMSA. Tissues were harvested 48 h after HgCl2 exposure. The renal and hepatic burden of Hg2+ in the saline-injected TR- rats was greater than that of controls. In contrast, the amount of Hg2+ excreted in urine and feces of TR- rats was less than that of controls. DMPS, but not DMSA, significantly reduced the renal and hepatic content of Hg2+ in both groups of rats, with the greatest reduction in controls. A significant increase in urinary and fecal excretion of Hg2+, which was greater in the controls, was also observed following DMPS treatment. Experiments utilizing inside-out membrane vesicles expressing MRP2 support these observations by demonstrating that DMPS- and DMSA-S-conjugates of Hg2+ are transportable substrates of MRP2. Collectively, these data support a role for Mrp2 in the DMPS- and DMSA-mediated elimination of Hg2+ from the kidney.