Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term clinical outcome of primary progressive MS: Predictive value of clinical and MRI data

The authors sought to identify clinical and MRI predictors of outcome in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Clinical and MRI assessments were performed at baseline and 2 and 5 years (clinical only). At baseline, disease duration, expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and brain volume predicted outcome. Adding short-term change variables, baseline EDSS, changes in T2* lesion load and cord area, and number of new lesions were predictive. Clinical and MRI variables predict long-term outcome in PPMS.
How do personality traits affect communication among users in online social networks?

Purpose – The purpose of this work is to analyse the relationships between the personality traits of linked users in online social networks. First the authors tried to discover relation patterns between personality dimensions in conversations. They also wanted to verify some hypotheses: whether users' personality is stable throughout different conversation threads and whether the similarity-attraction paradigm can be verified in this context. They used the five factor model of personality or Big Five, which has been widely studied in psychology. Design/methodology/approach – One of the approaches to detect users' personalities is by analysing the language they use when they talk to others. Based on this assumption the authors computed users' personality from the conversations extracted from the MySpace social network. Then the authors analysed the relationships among personality traits of users to discover patterns. Findings – The authors found that there are patterns between some personality dimensions i.
A comparative exploration of the thoughts of parents and therapists regarding seating equipment for children with multiple and complex needs

Purpose. We investigated the opinions of parents and therapists of children using adaptive seating systems in order to understand their common areas of interest or disagreement. Method. Parents and therapists participated in answering a questionnaire regarding their child's response to, and comfort in their individual adaptive seating system. The children all had a motor disorder involving all four limbs and did not have verbal communication skills. Questionnaire was analysed using non-parametric statistics for quantitative questions and by keyword analysis of qualitative questions. The results were then further categorized into the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results. Parents and therapists showed differences in key areas: Parents concentrated on personal and environmental factors to explain their satisfaction or otherwise of the chair, whereas therapists concentrated on body function and structures; to the exclusion of all other domains of seated function. Conclusions. Based on these findings, we suggest further investigation of these seating systems, concentrating on the activity and participation of the children themselves, although considering all domains of functioning.
Sustainable employment: the importance of intrinsically valuable work and an age-supportive climate

Abstract The aging workforce emphasizes the importance of sustainable employment, that is the extent to which workers are able and willing to remain working now and in the future . This raises the question how organizations can design work contexts that contribute to sustainable employment. This study investigated the role of a intrinsically motivating job (intrinsic job value) and an age-supportive climate for three indicators of employees’ sustainable employment: employability, work engagement and affective commitment. The questionnaire was completed by 119 office employees (response 35%) of a Dutch public transport organization. A SEM analysis revealed that intrinsic job value was strongly and positively related with all three indicators of sustainable employment for employees of all ages. In contrast, an age-supportive climate was especially important for older employees’ work engagement and affective commitment. This study has implications for practice and for research of sustainable employment, HRM and aging.
The Drosophila esc and E(z) Proteins Are Direct Partners in Polycomb Group-Mediated Repression

ABSTRACT The extra sex combs (esc) and Enhancer of zeste [E(z)] proteins are members of the Drosophila Polycomb group (Pc-G) of transcriptional repressors. Here we present evidence for direct physical interaction between the esc and E(z) proteins using yeast two-hybrid and in vitro binding assays. In addition, coimmunoprecipitation from embryo extracts demonstrates association of esc and E(z) in vivo. We have delimited the esc-binding domain of E(z) to an N-terminal 33-amino-acid region. Furthermore, we demonstrate that site-directed mutations in the esc protein previously shown to impair esc function in vivo disrupt esc-E(z) interactions in vitro. We also show an in vitro interaction between the heed and EZH1 proteins, which are human homologs of esc and E(z), respectively. These results suggest that the esc-E(z) molecular partnership has been conserved in evolution. Previous studies suggested that esc is primarily involved in the early stages of Pc-G-mediated silencing during embryogenesis. However, E(z) is continuously required in order to maintain chromosome binding by other Pc-G proteins. In light of these earlier observations and the molecular data presented here, we discuss how esc-E(z) protein complexes may contribute to transcriptional silencing by the Pc-G.
Thermochemical scanning probe lithography of protein gradients at the nanoscale

Patterning nanoscale protein gradients is crucial for studying a variety of cellular processes in vitro. Despite the recent development in nano-fabrication technology, combining nanometric resolution and fine control of protein concentrations is still an open challenge. Here, we demonstrate the use of thermochemical scanning probe lithography (tc-SPL) for defining micro- and nano-sized patterns with precisely controlled protein concentration. First, tc-SPL is performed by scanning a heatable atomic force microscopy tip on a polymeric substrate, for locally exposing reactive amino groups on the surface, then the substrate is functionalized with streptavidin and laminin proteins. We show, by fluorescence microscopy on the patterned gradients, that it is possible to precisely tune the concentration of the immobilized proteins by varying the patterning parameters during tc-SPL. This paves the way to the use of tc-SPL for defining protein gradients at the nanoscale, to be used as chemical cues e.g. for studying and regulating cellular processes in vitro.
Multifractal on-chip traffic generation under TLM

In the design flow of Multi-Processed Systems-on-Chip (MPSoCs), the evaluation of communication structures play a very important role, since it may reveal relevant information on performance, energy consumption and cost. Simulation under a number of stimulus given by a traffic generator is a relevant solution for MPSoCs performance analysis. Traditional traffic generators based on Poisson and classic Markovian models are not able to reproduce certain characteristics of original application traces, such as bursts and self-similarity. After the detection of Long Range Dependence (LRD) in on-chip traffic, monofractal models started being used for traffic generation. These models, however, were mainly used under RTL/CA simulations and present statistical limitations, opening opportunities for tests with multifractal models and higher abstraction level descriptions. In this work, it is shown that the Multifractal Wavelet Model (MWM) presents a better accuracy in the modeling of on-chip traffic when compared with auto-regressive (monofractal) models and that the usage of traffic generators modeled under TLM can achieve simulation speed-ups in the order of 12x.
Design Tradeoff Between Cogging Torque and Torque Ripple in Fractional Slot Surface-Mounted Permanent Magnet Machines

Owing to different magnetic saturation conditions in surface-mounted permanent magnet machines operating under different loads, the optimal design to minimize the cogging torque may not be the one to minimize torque ripple as well. This paper investigates the design tradeoff between the open-circuit cogging torque and the on-load torque ripple by taking the design of slot opening as an example. With the aid of the frozen permeability method, first, the torque components under different slot opening widths and load conditions are presented based on a 12-slot/8-pole machine. The result reveals that the on-load cogging increases significantly, especially when a small slot opening width is adopted, which is opposite to the condition for minimizing the open-circuit cogging torque. Then, two machines separately designed for minimum open-circuit cogging torque or minimum on-load torque ripple are compared to illustrate alternative design tradeoffs. Finally, a prototype machine is manufactured and tested to validate the analysis results.
Disease state prediction from resting state functional connectivity

The application of multivoxel pattern analysis methods has attracted increasing attention, particularly for brain state prediction and real‐time functional MRI applications. Support vector classification is the most popular of these techniques, owing to reports that it has better prediction accuracy and is less sensitive to noise. Support vector classification was applied to learn functional connectivity patterns that distinguish patients with depression from healthy volunteers. In addition, two feature selection algorithms were implemented (one filter method, one wrapper method) that incorporate reliability information into the feature selection process. These reliability feature selections methods were compared to two previously proposed feature selection methods. A support vector classifier was trained that reliably distinguishes healthy volunteers from clinically depressed patients. The reliability feature selection methods outperformed previously utilized methods. The proposed framework for applying support vector classification to functional connectivity data is applicable to other disease states beyond major depression. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Annuity Choices and Longevity Bonds: A Developing Country Application

We use a variable that comes from a dynamic programming model developed by Mitchell et al. (1999) and Brown (2001), called Annuity Equivalent Wealth, in order to capture the benefits of having access to the annuity market. We introduce longevity bonds as assets for insurance companies, and we expect an increase in the annuitization probability.
Birds Caught in Spider Webs: A Synthesis of Patterns

Abstract Results of queries through public avian list-servers and a thorough literature search formed a data base to synthesize patterns of birds trapped in spider webs. Sixty-nine cases of birds, representing 54 species in 23 families, were reported trapped in webs. Hummingbirds were the most diverse family (9 species) and had the most cases of entrapment (n = 20). Archilochus colubris represented the species with the most cases of entrapment (n = 6). Mean mass and wing chord length of all species trapped were 11 g and 61 mm, respectively. Eighty-seven percent of all individuals had mass ≤15 g and 88% had a wing chord <90 mm. Phaethornis longuemareus and Mellisuga minima represented the smallest species (mass = 2 g, wing chord = 37 mm), and Streptopelia senegalensis was the largest (mass = 80 g, wing chord = 138 mm). Thirty cases of birds were entrapped without human intervention: 22 died and eight not wrapped in silk freed themselves. Those wrapped in silk invariably died unless freed by a human observer. One-half of all reported spider webs were of the genus Nephila, and all were orb weavers except for a single Latrodectus. Nephila clavipes entrapped nine species representing 14 cases, ranging from Mellisuga minima (mass = 2 g, wing chord = 37 mm) to Catharus ustulatus (mass = 23 g, wing chord = 93 mm). Patterns, causes, and consequences of birds entrapped in spider webs are discussed, including orb weavers as opportunistic predators of birds trapped in webs, and spider webs as a natural environmental hazard to birds.
Placenta accreta: Elective versus emergent delivery as a major predictor of blood loss.

OBJECTIVE To compare blood loss and the use for blood transfusion between elective (planned) and emergent cesarean hysterectomy performed for placenta accreta by a single, multidisciplinary team and to present the team's pre-operative evaluation and the surgical technique. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study at a single tertiary care center. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between elective and emergent delivery of pregnancies complicated by placenta accreta. The primary outcomes were the need for blood transfusion and the number of units transfused. RESULTS A total of 28 cases of confirmed placenta accreta underwent peripartum hysterectomy, including 22 as elective and 6 as emergent. Eleven out of 22 (50%) subjects in the elective group received blood transfusion, while all subjects in the emergency group required transfusion (p = 0.03). More importantly, the number of units of packed red blood cells transfused was only 1.90 (±2.20) units in the elective cases compared to 7.83 (±4.90) units in cases performed emergently (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION Elective cesarean hysterectomy for this indication using a clearly outlined surgical approach is associated with significantly lower blood loss and hence less need for transfusion, compared to its emergent counterpart.
Substitution between leisure activities: a quasi-natural experiment using sports viewing and cinema attendance

ABSTRACT The allocation of time between leisure activities and work has been extensively analysed in academic literature. However, leisure time is limited and there may not be sufficient time to enjoy all the leisure activities desired. Hence, this article considers the allocation of time between substitute leisure activities. International football tournaments provide an opportunity to consider consumers’ preferences for watching football and films in a quasi-natural experimental setting. A trade-off between these leisure activities is identified using a difference-in-difference methodology. Using an original, four-country data set, a large and robust negative effect of mega sports events on cinema admissions is identified.
A model to improve the reliability of ICT in agriculture

Farmers require reliable, cost-effective and localized information. The proposed system aspires to establish such an environment using the pre-existing networks provided by Internet Service Providers by means of an application installed in personal devices of the farmers for free. There are several Information and Communication Technology methods like call centers and kiosks. Currently, the data quantity and irrelevance associated with it does not allow information to be utilized and circulated with trust. The model can also be utilized for purposes like marketing, resource management and weather data flow in such a way it benefits the farmers.
Mismatch Repair Proteins and AID Activity Are Required for the Dominant Negative Function of C-Terminally Deleted AID in Class Switching

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for class-switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig genes. The AID C terminus is required for CSR, but not for S-region DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) during CSR, and it is not required for SHM. AID lacking the C terminus (ΔAID) is a dominant negative (DN) mutant, because human patients heterozygous for this mutant fail to undergo CSR. In agreement, we show that ΔAID is a DN mutant when expressed in AID-sufficient mouse splenic B cells. To have DN function, ΔAID must have deaminase activity, suggesting that its ability to induce DSBs is important for the DN function. Supporting this hypothesis, Msh2-Msh6 have been shown to contribute to DSB formation in S regions, and we find in this study that Msh2 is required for the DN activity, because ΔAID is not a DN mutant in msh2−/− cells. Our results suggest that the DNA DSBs induced by ΔAID are unable to participate in CSR and might interfere with the ability of full-length AID to participate in CSR. We propose that ΔAID is impaired in its ability to recruit nonhomologous end joining repair factors, resulting in accumulation of DSBs that undergo aberrant resection. Supporting this hypothesis, we find that the S–S junctions induced by ΔAID have longer microhomologies than do those induced by full-length AID. In addition, our data suggest that AID binds Sμ regions in vivo as a monomer.
Computational thermal model for nanotube based electronic display

Electro-thermal transport in a new class of nanotube bundle transistors and their application to electronic displays is considered. The transistors are made of nanocomposites composed of isotropic 2D ensembles of nanotubes or nanowires in a plastic or glass substrate. The random nanotube network is generated numerically and simulated using a finite volume scheme. The voltage and spatial power distribution in the transistor is computed in the linearly-biased regime. The computed power distribution is used as Joule heat source in a Fourier heat transport model for the nanotube network and substrate and the temperature rise in tube network and substrate are predicted. The effect of tube-tube contact conductance, tube-substrate contact conductance and substrate-tube conductivity ratio on the temperature rise is analyzed. The effect of convective cooling on the temperature rise is investigated for a range of heat transfer coefficients between the display surface and the ambient air. The tube-substrate contact resistance emerges as a dominant resistive component for the tube temperature rise, but is found to be insignificant for the substrate temperature rise. Tube conductivity and tube-tube contact conductance are found to have only a minor effect on lateral heat spreading because the dominant resistance to heat removal lies on the substrate and the air side for the range of parameters investigated
Human-centered image navigation on mobile devices

How to navigate large images on mobile device is an open problem due to small display screen. Currently region of interest (ROI) image compressing is a popular approach. However, since the semantics of image is diversified by different users, it is hard to extract general ROI. In this paper, we propose a human-centered image navigation method for mobile users with simple human interaction. Different from previous work, we first extract local saliency map (LSM) of an image according to personalized requirement, which can reduce the semantic ambiguity of the image for different users. Based on LSM, we can detect the ROIs of the image, which fully satisfies the different interests of the different users. Experiments and user studies show an encouraging performance of the proposed method.
Quantification of VEGF-C expression in canine mammary tumours.

BACKGROUND Tumours release angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF), which induces growth of a capillary network around the tumour. Elevated concentrations of VEGF have been reported in human mammary gland tumours. METHODS To evaluate the expression of VEGF-C mRNA in canine mammary tissue, 38 mammary gland tumours (including 15 benign and 23 malignant mammary tumours), and 4 normal mammary glands were investigated by real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS VEGF-C expression in the malignant mammary tumours was much higher than in the benign mammary tumours or normal mammary tissue (P < 0.001). The expression of VEGF-C in tumours with lymph node metastasis was much higher than in those without (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The level of expression of VEGF-C did not correlate with tumour size or the patient's age, but was significantly higher in malignant mammary tumours and related to lymph node metastasis, making it a candidate marker for predicting metastasis of canine mammary cancer.
Pole-modulated PM direct-drive generator for wave energy conversion

This paper describes the general design considerations and analysis for a direct-drive generator for wave energy conversion. Direct drive wave energy converters have been proposed in view of the disadvantage of mechanical complexity and low conversion efficiencies in conventional wave energy converters. By directly coupling an electrical generator to an oscillating wave energy device, it is suggested direct-drive power take-off could be a viable alternative to hydraulic based systems. The operation fundamentals, combined with FE (Finite Element) analysis are discussed with the target operation in the low speed high torque requirements. The pole modulated design converts the slow motion to a higher generator output frequency. The generator design principle, comparisons between different topologies, as well as prototype designs at different speeds are analyzed and compared with conventional permanent magnet (PM) type machines.
INTELLIGENT BREAST TUMOR DETECTION SYSTEM WITH TEXTURE AND CONTRAST FEATURES

According to a research report by the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, while the mortality rate of breast cancer of females over 40 years old is extremely high. If detected early, it can be treated early, and the mortality rate of breast cancer can be reduced. Meanwhile, the image processing and pattern recognition technology has been adopted to select suspicious regions, provides alerts to assist in doctors' diagnosis, and reduces misdiagnosis rates due to fatigue of doctors, and improves diagnostic accuracy. Hence, this paper proposed an intelligent breast tumor detection system with texture and contrast features. This system consists of three parts: preprocessing, feature extraction, and learning algorithm. The goal of preprocessing is to obtain a good image quality and a real breast area. In the feature extraction, we extract the two features to describe the breast tumor. These features include Laws' Mask features which are the representation of the texture and modification average distance (MAD) feature which is the representation of the contrast. Each region of interest (ROI) image block will be extracted by these two features. And we will extract useful feature from all extracted features. We hope that a small quantity of feature can be used in our proposed system. Next, we use neural network as learning algorithm to detect the tumor with extracted features. Finally, in the experimental results, we use three databases to verify our proposed system, and two radiologists participated in that process and designed final verification study. Thus, we understand from the experimental results that a detection rate as high as 98% can be achieved by using only a few features and the simplest artificial neural network rather than a large number of features and a complex classifier. The success of the system will improve the accuracy of the existing detection methods, assist medical diagnosis, and decrease the time of the judgment effective by doctors.