Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple atherosclerotic plaque rupture in acute coronary syndrome.

To the Editor: In their interesting article, Rioufol et al1 found that patients with acute coronary syndromes frequently had findings on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) of ruptured plaques in coronary arteries remote from the artery with the culprit lesion. They use this as evidence that there is a period of overall instability throughout the coronary vasculature at the time of the acute coronary syndrome that has brought the patient to angiographic (and IVUS) study. Although in their introduction they quote studies that note a high risk of future events within a year and an increase in the “incidence of coronary atherosclerosis in the months after a coronary accident,” they do not quantify the period of time during which the “pancoronaritis” may persist. In a study2,3 of the natural history of complex (ruptured plaque) and smooth coronary artery lesions performed by analyzing serial coronary arteriograms, we found that complex lesions were frequently preceded by minimally occlusive lesions or seemingly normal vessel segments and that complex lesions …
RECONCILING ACTUAL AND INFERRED POPULATION HISTORIES IN THE HOUSE FINCH (CARPODACUS MEXICANUS) BY AFLP ANALYSIS

Abstract The house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a native songbird of western North America that was introduced to the eastern United States and Hawaiian Islands in historic times. As such, it provides an unusually good opportunity to test the ability of molecular markers to recover recent details of a known population history. To investigate this prospect, genetic variation in 172 individuals from 16 populations in the western and eastern United States, southeastern Canada, Hawaiian Islands, and Mexico, as well as genetic variation in the closely related purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus) and Cassin's finch (Carpodacus cassinii) was studied by a semi-automated fluorescence-labeled amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker system. A total of 363 markers were generated, of which 258 (71.2%) were polymorphic among species, 166 (61.4%) polymorphic among house finch subspecies, and 157 (60.2%) polymorphic among populations within the frontalis subspecies complex. Heterozygosities and interpopulation divergences revealed by the analysis appeared relatively low at all taxonomic levels, but there are few similar studies in avian populations with which to compare results. Whereas the known population history predicts that both eastern and Hawaiian finches should have been derived from within western populations, tree analysis using both populations and individuals as units suggests weak monophyly of eastern populations and indicates that Hawaiian populations are not clearly derived from California populations. However, the genetic distinctiveness of native and recently founded populations was disclosed by analyses of molecular variance as well as by a model-based assignment approach in which 98%, 94%, and 99% individuals from western, Hawaiian, and eastern regions, respectively, were assigned correctly to their populations without using prior information on population of origin, suggesting that these recent introductions have resulted in detectable differentiation without substantial loss of AFLP diversity. Our results indicate that AFLPs are a useful tool for population genetic and evolutionary studies of birds, particularly as a prelude to finding molecular markers linked to traits subjected to recent adaptive evolution.
Experience in e-Science Requirements Engineering

We describe the experience of using a combination of requirements engineering techniques (scenarios, storyboards, observation and workshops) in an e-science application to develop a geographical analysis tool for epidemiologists. Problems encountered were: eliciting tacit knowledge; and creating new visions and working practices for our users. The combination of techniques worked well, although observation of working practice was not so effective in this scientific domain, where activity is mainly cognitive.
Hierarchical Factor Analysis of the K-ABC: Testing Alternate Models

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is a new, individually administered test designed to assess simultaneous and sequential mental processing and achievement in children ages 2 ½ to 12 ½. Factor analyses of the K-ABC standardization data generally offer support for the validity of the two mental processing scales, but analyses including the achievement tests have been considerably less supportive. For the present study, data from the standardization sample were used to test alternate structures for the K-ABC, based on the hypothesis that the test measures verbal memory skills, and verbal and nonverbal reasoning. Hierarchical factor models based on this structure were developed and tested using confirmatory techniques. Results suggest that the models fit the data fairly well, thus supporting the validity of this alternate structure. Of particular interest was the finding of the virtual equivalence of the verbal reasoning factor and the second order, or general ability, factor. It appears that users should exercise caution when interpreting K-ABC scores, especially scores on the K-ABC achievement scale.
A METHOD FOR MULTIPLE ELECTROLYTE ANALYSES ON SMALL SAMPLES OF NERVOUS TISSUE *

THIS paper describes a system of analysis designed to measure all of the major inorganic electrolytes-Na, K, Ca, Mg, C1, and P-in a single small sample of nervous tissue. Because of the interrelationships between the movements of the different electrolytes in living tissue, it is important to be able easily to measure a number of them in the same specimen. At the same time, the multiplicity of the determinations must not increase unduly the size of the sample required. The advantage of limiting the size of the specimen becomes evident in the analysis of small tissues such as retinas and sympathetic ganglia and in the discrete sampling of a heterogeneous organ such as brain. In the latter instance, each significant reduction in sample size opens new opportunities for correlations between chemistry and the function of successively smaller structural units. The potentialities of this approach, as applied particularly to organic compounds in brain, have been remarkably demonstrated by the work of LOWRY and his associates (e.g. LOWRY, ROBERTS and CHANG, 1956). Methods have been described for the analysis, in biological materials, of small amounts of Na and K (KEYNES and LEWIS, 1951; SOLOMON and CATON, 1955) and of C1 and P (LOWRY, ROBERTS, LEINER, Wu and FARR, 1954a). Equally satisfactory microanalyses have not been available for Mg and Ca, though GLICK, FREIER and OCHS (1957) have recently published a method for measuring Mg in mpmole amounts using a microscope colorimeter, and a fluorescent indicator for Ca of considerable promise has been synthesized (WALLACH, to be published). A number of systems for the simultaneous analysis of four or more electrolytes are described in the literature (CULLEN, WILKINS and HARRISON, 1933; YANNET and DARROW, 1938; EICHELBERGER and RICHTER, 1944; LOWRY, HASTINGS, MCCAY and BROWN, 1946; L I L L I E N T H A L ~ ~ ~ ~ . , 1950; Conom, HOLLIDAY, S C H W A R T Z ~ ~ ~ WALLACE, 1951). The total size of the specimen required for these analyses varies between 0.3 and 19 g. Different methods of extracting, digesting or ashing the tissue are used prior to the h a 1 analyses for the different typ:s of electrolytes; and, since these preparatoxy steps are not interchangeable, the several analyses require either partitioning of the tissue in its original state or after it has been minced, dried and ground, or homogenized. Partitioning the fresh tissue creates difficulties in interpreting the results if the specimen is not entirely homogeneous. Mincing, grinding, or homogenizing are difficult to perform quantitatively on a microscale and may increase the
Impaired neural drive in patients with low back pain

Control of trunk movement relies on the integration between central neuronal circuits and peripheral skeletomuscular activities and it can be altered by pain. There is increasing evidence that there are deficits within the central nervous system controlling the trunk muscles in people with low back pain (LBP). However, it is unclear how LBP impacts upon neural drive to back muscles at different levels of voluntary contraction. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if neural drive is impaired in these patients.
Learning motor skills from partially observed movements executed at different speeds

Learning motor skills from multiple demonstrations presents a number of challenges. One of those challenges is the occurrence of occlusions and lack of sensor coverage, which may corrupt part of the recorded data. Another issue is the variability in speed of execution of the demonstrations, which may require a way of finding the correspondence between the time steps of the different demonstrations. In this paper, an approach to learn motor skills is proposed that accounts both for spatial and temporal variability of movements. This approach, based on an Expectation-Maximization algorithm to learn Probabilistic Movement Primitives, also allows for learning motor skills from partially observed demonstrations, which may result from occlusion or lack of sensor coverage. An application of the algorithm proposed in this work lies in the field of Human-Robot Interaction when the robot has to react to human movements executed at different speeds. Experiments in which a robotic arm receives a cup handed over by a human illustrate this application. The capabilities of the algorithm in learning and predicting movements are also evaluated in experiments using a data set of letters and a data set of golf putting movements.
The Epistemologies of Non-Forecasting Simulations, Part II: Climate, Chaos, Computing Style, and the Contextual Plasticity of Error

Argument We continue our analysis of modeling practices that focus more on qualitative understanding of system behavior than the attempt to provide sharp forecasts. The argument here is built around three episodes: the ambitious work of the Princeton Meteorological Project; the seemingly simple models of convection in weather systems by Edward Lorenz at MIT; and then finally analysis of the dripping faucet by Robert Shaw and the Dynamical Systems Collective at UC Santa Cruz. Using the Princeton Meteorological Project as an argumentative foil for the later chaos work of Lorenz and Shaw, we first show how the epistemological interest of modeling came to shift from issuing predictions to probing the very meaning and limits of prediction. The second step of our argument shows that what may be seen in one context of use as a modeling technology that is error ridden, imprecise, or inadequate, may be parsed completely differently in another context. This argument about technology and practice, we argue, feeds through to epistemological conceptions of error. Far from being something that can be defined in the absolute, the notion of error is shown to be contextually plastic.
Everolimus‐induced loss of wound strength can be prevented by a short postoperative delay in its administration

The use of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors coincides with an increased incidence of surgical complications. In previous experiments, serious negative effects of postoperative everolimus on anastomotic strength were found. This study aims to investigate if delayed drug administration can prevent loss of wound strength. Ten groups of Wistar rats each received daily oral doses of 1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg everolimus, starting the day of anastomotic construction in both ileum and colon, or 1, 2, 3, or 4 days later. The 11th group received saline. Seven days later, wound strength in anastomoses and in the abdominal wall and wound hydroxyproline levels were measured. Mean wound strength was significantly and dose‐dependently reduced if everolimus was started on the day of operation. In ileum and colon, strength was not affected if drug administration was delayed until the third or second day, respectively. In abdominal fascia, this was the case only if everolimus was withheld until day 4. In general, changes in wound hydroxyproline content showed similarities to changes in wound strength. Thus, delaying administration of everolimus for 2–4 days after operation can prevent a serious loss of wound strength, both in the intestine and in the abdominal fascia.
Applying Usability Methods to Identify Health Literacy Issues: An Example Using a Personal Health Record

The prevalence of consumer health information systems is increasing. However, usability and health literacy impact both the value and adoption of these systems. Health literacy and usability are closely related in that systems may not be used accurately if users cannot understand the information therein. Thus, it is imperative to focus on mitigating the demands on health literacy in consumer health information systems. This study modified two usability evaluation methods (heuristic evaluation and usability testing) to incorporate the identification of potential health literacy issues in a Personal Health Record (PHR). Heuristic evaluation is an analysis of a system performed by a usability specialist who evaluates how well the system abides by usability principles. In contrast, a usability test involves a post hoc analysis of a representative user interacting with the system. These two methods revealed several health literacy issues and suggestions to ameliorate them were made. Thus, it was demonstrated that usability methods could be successfully augmented for the purpose of investigating health literacy issues. To improve users' health knowledge, the adoption of consumer health information systems, and the accuracy of the information contained therein, it is encouraged that usability methods be applied with an added focus on health literacy.
A COPD Health Management Program in a Community-Based Primary Care Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: A number of effective strategies have been developed to improve the quality of life in patients with COPD. However, few have been implemented in patients with COPD at all stages in a community setting. This study evaluated the efficacy of a complex COPD health management intervention in rural communities in China. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial including 8,217 subjects with COPD was implemented from May 2008 to May 2012 in 14 community health-care centers. The control group of subjects received usual care, whereas the management group of subjects participated in a health management program that included assessing the subjects' health status, giving regular health lectures, smoking cessation counseling, encouraging regular exercise, providing rehabilitative training and psychological counseling, and regular follow-up. As a primary outcome, we examined the changes in the BODE index. Secondary outcomes included depression and anxiety rates, current smoking rate, awareness of COPD, mortality, risk factors, respiratory medication use, hospital admissions, and emergency department visits. RESULTS: After 4 y, the mean cumulative value of the BODE index increased by 0.7 per subject in the control group and decreased by 0.4 per subject in the health management group (difference of 1.1, 95% CI 0.2–2.0, P < .001). Health management reduced anxiety symptoms by 4.8%, depression symptoms by 6.6%, current smoking by 14.3%, mortality due to all causes by 9.0%, hospitalizations due to all causes by 16.1%, and emergency department visits due to all causes by 18.1% (P < .05 for all). However, it increased immunomodulator use by 58.9%, respiratory medication use by 14.1–21.9%, and awareness scores for COPD by 57.2% (P < .05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The health management program is an effective community-based strategy for the prevention and management of COPD in China, increasing awareness and knowledge among patients and practitioners and improving management within the limitations of access to pharmacotherapy.
This is the tricky part: When directions become difficult

Automated route guidance systems, both web-based systems and en-route systems, have become commonplace in recent years. These systems often replace human- generated directions, which are often incomplete, vague, or in error. However, human- generated directions have the ability to differentiate between easy and complex steps through language in a way that is more difficult in automated systems. This article examines a set of human-generated verbal directions to better understand why some parts of directions are perceived as being more difficult than the remaining steps. Insights from this analysis will lead to recommendations to improve the next generation of automated route guidance systems.
Learned helplessness and generalization

In learned helplessness experiments, subjects first expe- rience a lack of control in one situation, and then show learning deficits when performing or learning another task in another situation. Generalization, thus, is at the core of the learned helplessness phenomenon. Substantial experimental and theoretical effort has been invested into establishing that a state- and task-independent belief about controllability is necessary. However, to what extent generalization is also sufficient to explain the transfer has not been examined. Here, we show qualitatively and quantitatively that Bayesian learning of action-outcome contingencies at three levels of abstraction is sufficient to account for the key features of learned helplessness, including escape deficits and impairment of appetitive learning after inescapable shocks.
Neurosurgery for mental disorder

The authors review contemporary indications for neurosurgical interventions in the management of chronic and refractory mental disorder, the procedures involved, their efficacy and known adverse effects. These data are presented within the context of a brief historical overview of the use of neurosurgery for mental disorder. In addition to a consideration of neurosurgical procedures that rely on the creation of putative therapeutic lesions, we also review two novel, non-destructive neurosurgical electrostimulation treatments that may represent viable alternatives to conventional ablative neurosurgery: vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation.
An Empirical Analysis of Contract Structures in IT Outsourcing

Outsourcing of information technology (IT) services has received much attention in the information systems (IS) literature. However, considerably less attention has been paid to actual contract structures used in IT outsourcing (ITO). Examining contract structures yields important insights into how the contracting parties structure the governance provisions and the factors or transaction risks that influence them. Based on insights from prior literature, from practicing legal experts, and through in-depth content analysis of actual contracts, we develop a comprehensive coding scheme to capture contract provisions across four major dimensions: monitoring, dispute resolution, property rights protection, and contingency provisions. We then develop an empirical data set describing the contract structures across these distinct dimensions, using a sample of 112 ITO contracts from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) database from 1993 to 2003. Drawing on transaction cost, agency, and relational exchange theories, we hypothesize the effects of transaction and relational characteristics on the specific contractual provisions, as well as on overall contract extensiveness. Furthermore, we examine how these associations vary under conditions of fixed price and time and materials pricing structures. The results provide good support for the main hypotheses of the study and yield interesting insights about contractual governance of ITO arrangements.
Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm: A New Method to Stratify Children by Medical Complexity

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to develop an algorithm based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), codes for classifying children with chronic disease (CD) according to level of medical complexity and to assess the algorithm’s sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted among 700 children insured by Washington State Medicaid with ≥1 Seattle Children’s Hospital emergency department and/or inpatient encounter in 2010. The gold standard population included 350 children with complex chronic disease (C-CD), 100 with noncomplex chronic disease (NC-CD), and 250 without CD. An existing ICD-9-CM–based algorithm called the Chronic Disability Payment System was modified to develop a new algorithm called the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm (PMCA). The sensitivity and specificity of PMCA were assessed. RESULTS: Using hospital discharge data, PMCA’s sensitivity for correctly classifying children was 84% for C-CD, 41% for NC-CD, and 96% for those without CD. Using Medicaid claims data, PMCA’s sensitivity was 89% for C-CD, 45% for NC-CD, and 80% for those without CD. Specificity was 90% to 92% in hospital discharge data and 85% to 91% in Medicaid claims data for all 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: PMCA identified children with C-CD (who have accessed tertiary hospital care) with good sensitivity and good to excellent specificity when applied to hospital discharge or Medicaid claims data. PMCA may be useful for targeting resources such as care coordination to children with C-CD.
Inconsistency of maximum parsimony revisited.

Felsenstein (1978, Syst. Zool. 27:401-410) showed that the method of maximum parsimony can be inconsistent, i.e., lead to an incorrect result with an infinite amount of data. The situation in which this inconsistency occurs is often called the "Felsenstein zone," the phenomenon also known as "long-branch attraction. " Felsenstein derived a sufficient inconsistency condition from a model for four taxa with only two different parameters for the probability of change on the five branches connecting the four taxa. In the present paper, his approach is used to derive the inconsistency condition of maximum parsimony from the most general model for four taxa, i.e., with five different parameters for the probabilities of change on the five branches and, for the first time, for characters with k states (k = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .) This is used to determine the factors that can cause the inconsistency of maximum parsimony. It is shown that the probability of change on all five branches and the number of character states play a role in causing inconsistency.
Analysis of UWB pulse generator for short range applications

This paper presents the design of ultra wideband (UWB) pulse generators, and the performance metrics are analyzed. Two configurations of pulse generators for UWB transmit only system is presented for short range applications. These pulse generators are designed to cope with the requirements of the low power IEEE 802.15 standard wireless body area network (WBAN) technology. It uses a short pulse width of UWB pulses to achieve low power consumption without multipath fading and interference. It provides interoperability with other narrowband technologies. The first configuration consists of tunable pulse generator, which consumes power of about 5.4 μW. In the next configuration, the resistive sensing pulse generator controls the voltage in a voltage control ring oscillator (VCRO), and it consumes power of 0.15 μW, at a frequency of 45 MHZ. The simulation results obtained show that the performances of these UWB pulse generators satisfies the required FCC constraints.