Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Smoothing Trends in Population Index Modeling

Summary In this article, we consider the U.K. Common Birds Census counts and their use in monitoring bird abundance. We use a state–space modeling approach within a Bayesian framework to describe population level trends over time and contribute to the alert system used by the British Trust for Ornithology. We account for potential overdispersion and excess zero counts by modeling the observation process with a zero‐inflated negative binomial, while the system process is described by second‐order polynomial growth models. In order to provide a biological motivation for the amount of smoothing applied to the observed series the system variance is related to the demographic characteristics of the species, so as to help the specification of its prior distribution. In particular, the available information on productivity and survival is used to formulate prior expectations on annual percentage changes in the population level and then used to constrain the variance of the system process. We discuss an example of how to interpret alternative choices for the degree of smoothing and how these relate to the classification of species, over time, into conservation lists.
Abrogation of the Cripto gene in mouse leads to failure of postgastrulation morphogenesis and lack of differentiation of cardiomyocytes.

Cripto-1(Cr1) protein encoded by the tdgf1 gene, is a secreted growth factor that is expressed early in embryonic development and is re-expressed in some tumors of the breast and colon. During embryonic development, Cr1 is expressed in inner cell mass cells and the primitive streak, and later is restricted to the developing heart. To investigate the role of Cr1 during mouse development, mice were generated that contain a null mutation of both Cr1 genes, derived from homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. No homozygous Cr1-/- mice were born, indicating that Cr1 is necessary for embryonic development. Embryos initiated gastrulation and some embryos produced mesoderm up to day E7.5. Increasingly aberrant morphogenesis gave rise to disordered neuroepithelium that failed to produce a recognizable neural tube, or head-fold. Although some biochemical markers of differentiating ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm were expressed, all the cardiac-specific markers were absent from day E8.7 embryos: (&agr;)MHC, betaMHC, MLC2A, MLC2V and ANF, whereas they were expressed in wild-type embryos. The yolk sac and placental tissues continued development in the absence of the embryo until day E9.5 but lacked large yolk sac blood vessels. Chimeric mice were constructed by microinjection of double targeted Cr1(-/- )embryonic stem cells into normal C57BL/6 blastocysts. The Cr1 produced by the normal C57BL/6 cells fully rescued the phenotype of Cr1(-/-) cells, indicating that Cr1 protein acted in a paracrine manner. Cells derived from the embryo proliferated and migrated poorly and had different adhesion properties compared to wild type. Therefore, lethality in the absence of Cr1, likely resulted largely from defective precardiac mesoderm that was unable to differentiate into functional cardiomyocytes.
Contribution of Soil Lead to Blood Lead in Children: A Study from New Orleans, LA

In recent years, a significant number of environmental studies have been conducted in New Orleans, LA and surrounding Gulf Coast areas due in part to the occurrence of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Data collected from studies in the New Orleans area indicate that inorganic contaminants including arsenic (As), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and vanadium (V); high concentration of bioaerosols, particularly Cladosporium and Aspergillus, and several organic pollutants (PAHs, pesticides, and volatiles) may pose a risk to human health in New Orleans. While many of these results resemble historical data, a current quantitative exposure assessment has not been conducted. We engaged in one such assessment for lead (Pb) contamination in surface soils. We used Pb concentrations in surface soils ( μg/day to 102 μg/day for our study area within urbanNew Orleans. These data are concerning because children exposed to >33.5 μg/d Pb may cause their blood-Pb levels to exceed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) threshold for blood-Pb of 10 μg/dL. It has generally been accepted that a more protective blood Pb concentration threshold of 6 - μg/dL is warranted. Using the 6-μg/dL threshold puts children exposed to as little as 20.2 μg/day Pb at risk.
Evaluation of Conceptual Modeling Languages: An Epistemological Discussion

The Information Systems (IS) discipline is coined by a multiplicity of available conceptual modeling approaches. Thus, evaluation techniques have been developed in order to assess the appropriateness of a conceptual model in a given context. Up to now, however, both modeling and evaluation approaches lack a thorough epistemological foundation and discussion, leading to problems regarding the applicability of a certain modeling language in a given context on the one hand, and regarding the feasibility of certain evaluation approaches towards certain modeling questions on the other hand. We address the question of epistemology in evaluation research and therein argue that there is an immanent need for publishing epistemological underpinnings of evaluation approaches in order to assess their applicability in given modeling contexts. We present a basic discussion framework that allows for the analysis of epistemological implications of available evaluation approaches for conceptual modeling languages.
Introduction – The Contributions of Big Data

The revolution, which is quite recent, brought about by digital convergence and connected objects, has enabled a homogenisation of data types which would historically have been considered as different, for example : digital data, texts, sound, still images, and moving images. This has encouraged the Big Data phenomenon, the volume of which includes two related parameters : quantity and frequency of acquisition ; quantity can extend as far as exhaustivity and frequency can be up to and including real time. This Special Issue features a series of articles that examine its uses and implications, as well as the challenges faced by statistical production in general, and especially that of official statistics. Just like any innovation, Big Data offer advantages and raise questions. The obvious benefits include “ added” knowledge – a better statistical description of the economy and the society. They are also a driver for development in computer science in the broadest sense, and in applied mathematics. However, we cannot do without some degree of vigilance, since data and how they are used can affect individuals, their freedoms and the preservation of their privacy.
Ichthyosis vulgaris: the filaggrin mutation disease

Ichthyosis vulgaris is caused by loss‐of‐function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) and is characterized clinically by xerosis, scaling, keratosis pilaris, palmar and plantar hyperlinearity, and a strong association with atopic disorders. According to the published studies presented in this review article, FLG mutations are observed in approximately 7·7% of Europeans and 3·0% of Asians, but appear to be infrequent in darker‐skinned populations. This clinical review article provides an overview of ichthyosis vulgaris epidemiology, related disorders and pathomechanisms. Not only does ichthyosis vulgaris possess a wide clinical spectrum, recent studies suggest that carriers of FLG mutations may have a generally altered risk of developing common diseases, even beyond atopic disorders. Mechanistic studies have shown increased penetration of allergens and chemicals in filaggrin‐deficient skin, and epidemiological studies have found higher levels of hand eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, nickel sensitization and serum vitamin D levels. When relevant, individuals should be informed about an increased risk of developing dermatitis when repeatedly or continuously exposed to nickel or irritants. Moreover, with our current knowledge, individuals with ichthyosis vulgaris should be protected against neonatal exposure to cats to prevent atopic dermatitis and should abstain from smoking to prevent asthma. Finally, they should be advised against excessive exposure to factors that decrease skin barrier functions and increase the risk of atopic dermatitis.
Classification of carbide distributions using scale selection and directional distributions

We present an automatic method for the classification of steel quality based on scale-space operations. The carbide distribution of microscopic specimen images is assessed by classifying according to so-called 'degree' and 'type' of the specimen. 'Degree' is represented by features extracted with automatic scale selection, and 'type' information is computed from second-moment descriptors. In combination with a morphological verification scheme, this pattern classifier shares large similarities with current manual techniques. Compared to previous work, the new classification scheme has several advantages: the significant scale of the carbide agglomeration is calculated explicitly, and the method is less sensitive to the variance of spatial connectivity than a morphological approach.
Physical Activity and Changes in Adiposity in the Transition from Elementary to Middle School.

OBJECTIVES This study examined the longitudinal associations of objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behavior, and diet quality with two measures of adiposity and a measure of weight status. METHODS A total of 658 children from 21 elementary schools (45.1% boys; 40% white, 33% black, 9% Hispanic, and 18% other race/ethnicity) were assessed at least twice in fifth, sixth, and/or seventh grade. Fat mass index (FMI), percent body fat (PBF), and BMI were calculated from body weight, standing and seated heights, and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) measured each year. RESULTS At follow-up, both FMI and PBF decreased among boys and increased among girls, while BMI increased in both boys and girls. After controlling for race/ethnicity, parent education, and maturity offset at baseline, growth curve analyses showed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significantly and negatively associated with FMI, PBF, and BMI for both boys and girls. After forming tertiles of fifth grade MVPA, least-square means for FMI, PBF, and BMI were examined by grade and gender. For both boys and girls, higher MVPA was associated with lower FMI, PBF, and BMI at all three grade levels. The relationships between sedentary behavior and diet quality and FMI, PBF, and BMI were not consistent for boys or girls. CONCLUSIONS As boys and girls transitioned from elementary to middle school, children who participated in higher levels of MVPA maintained more favorable levels of two indicators of adiposity and a measure of weight status. These findings support the need for interventions to help children meet current public health guidelines for physical activity.
A Novel Compressive Sensing Algorithm for SAR Imaging

A novel compressive sensing (CS) algorithm for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging is proposed which is called as the two-dimensional double CS algorithm (2-D-DCSA). We first derive the imaging operator for SAR, which is named as the chirp-scaling operator (CSO), from the chirp-scaling algorithm (CSA), then we show its inverse is a linear map, which transforms the SAR image to the received baseband radar signal. We show that the SAR image can be reconstructed simultaneously in the range and azimuth directions from a small number of the raw data. The proposed algorithm can handle large-scale data because both the CSO and its inverse allow fast matrix-vector multiplications. Both the simulated and real data are processed to test the algorithm and the results show that the 2-D-DCSA can be applied to reconstructing the SAR images effectively with much less data than regularly required.
Un environnement de modélisation pour le système d'information de la Supply Chain. Application au Nouvel Hôpital Estaing

This paper objective is to propose an approach and a modelling environment for the design of Supply Chain Information System and decisional tools. This software environment is an integrated set of tools and methods organized in order to model and evaluate Supply Chain performance. The interactions between Supply Chain entities and the problems complexity for Supply Chain Manager and Data Processing Specialist show that it is necessary to conceive and implement a modelling environment for Supply Chain. The method is applied on a real case study, the New Hospital Estaing.
Optimal voltage control for loss minimization based on sequential convex programming

This paper focuses on the active power loss minimization by optimal voltage control in a power system using a new optimization algorithm. The cost function is assumed to be convex. The algorithm we propose to address the numerical solution of this problem is based on the exploitation of the convex problem structure using a sequential convex programming framework that linearizes the nonlinear power balance constraints at each iteration. The convex subproblem is then solved using a dual fast gradient method. We provide mathematical guarantees for the linear convergence of the algorithm towards a local solution. This approach allows an optimal voltage for each bus, while achieving the (local) economical optimum of the whole power grid. The newly developed algorithm can be run over large electricity networks, as we show on several numerical simulations using the classical IEEE bus test cases.
Multiagent Learning: Basics, Challenges, and Prospects

Multiagent systems (MAS) are widely accepted as an important method for solving problems of a distributed nature. A key to the success of MAS is efficient and effective multiagent learning (MAL). The past twenty-five years have seen a great interest and tremendous progress in the field of MAL. This article introduces and overviews this field by presenting its fundamentals, sketching its historical development and describing some key algorithms for MAL. Moreover, main challenges that the field is facing today are indentified.
Evaluation of redox performance of silver and transition metal‐doped ternary ceria oxides for thermochemical splitting of CO2

Synthesis of Ce0.9M0. 05Ag0.05O2‐δ materials (where, M = Ni, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Co, Zr) via coprecipitation of hydroxide method and examination of these materials toward multiple thermochemical CO2 splitting (CS) cycles is reported in this paper. Physical properties of the derived Ce0.9M0. 05Ag0.05O2‐δ materials were estimated by analyzing the calcined powder using a powder X‐ray diffractometer (PXRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The redox reactivity (RR) of each Ce0.9M0. 05Ag0.05O2‐δ material was also evaluated by conducting high‐temperature thermogravimetric experiments. The inclusion of Ag as an active dopant has improved the RR of all the Ce0.9M0. 05Ag0.05O2‐δ materials as compared with the Ce0.9M0. 1O2‐δ materials. Among all the Ce0.9M0. 05Ag0.05O2‐δ materials, Zn5Ag5Ce material was capable of releasing highest amount of O2 84.1 μmol O2/g·cycle and the Cr5Ag5Ce material indicated maximum CO production (151.6 μmol CO/g·cycle). The uppermost CO/O2 molar ratio equal to 1.89 was observed in case of Cr5Ag5Ce material. The quantity of O2 released and CO produced by Cr5Ag5Ce material was superior as compared with CeO21 by 30.7 μmol O2/g·cycle and 62.8 μmol CO/g·cycle, respectively.
Derivation of poly-methylomic profile scores for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) share numerous clinical and biological features as well as environmental risk factors that may be associated with altered DNA methylation. In this study we sought to construct a Poly-Methylomic Profile Score (PMPS) for SZ, representing the degree of epigenome-wide methylation according to previously published findings; we then examined its association with SZ and BD in an independent sample. DNA methylation for 57 SZ, 59 BD cases and 55 healthy controls (HCs) was quantified using the Illumina 450K methylation beadchip. We constructed five PMPSs for different p-value thresholds using summary statistics reported in a large epigenome-wide schizophrenia case-control association study, weighted by individual CpG effect sizes. All SZ PMPSs were significantly elevated in SZ cases relative to HCs, with the score calculated at the most stringent threshold accounting for the greatest amount of variance in SZ (compared to other PMPSs derived at more inclusive p-value thresholds). However, none of the PMPSs were associated with BD, or a combined cohort of BD and SZ cases relative to HCs. Results demonstrating elevated PMPSs in SZ relative to BD did not survive correction for multiple testing. PMPSs were also not associated with positive or negative symptom severity. That this SZ-derived PMPSs was elevated among SZ, but not BD participants, suggests that epigenome-wide methylation patterns associated with schizophrenia may represent distinct pathophysiology that is yet to be elucidated. Whether this PMPS may be associated with neuroanatomical or other biological endophenotypes relevant to SZ and/or BD remains to be determined.
Tissue Doppler imaging predicts left ventricular dysfunction and mortality in a murine model of cardiac injury.

AIMS Currently available non-invasive imaging methods frequently fail to detect alterations in left ventricular (LV) function despite histological evidence of injury. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) can detect subtle LV dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TDI indices can predict LV systolic dysfunction and mortality following exposure to doxorubicin (DOX) in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS TDI-derived peak endocardial systolic velocity (V(ENDO)) and strain rate (SR), as well as M-mode and two-dimensional indices of LV systolic function, were measured serially in mice after receiving DOX as a single dose (20 mg/kg). Haemodynamic measurements were obtained invasively before and at 1, 2, 4, and 5 days after the single DOX dose. Cardiac apoptosis was measured before and at 1 day after DOX. V(ENDO) and SR decreased after 1 and 2 days, respectively, whereas changes in fractional shortening (FS) and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were not detected before 5 days. The reduction in both V(ENDO) and SR correlated with the decrease in dP/dt(MAX), and the change in V(ENDO) correlated with the early increase in cardiac cell apoptosis. In a subsequent experiment, DOX was administered at 4 mg/kg/week for 5 weeks, and LV function was followed serially for 16 weeks. In this chronic experiment, TDI indices decreased before FS and LVEF, correlated with late LV dysfunction, and predicted DOX-induced mortality. CONCLUSION In a murine model of DOX-induced cardiac injury, TDI detects LV dysfunction prior to alterations in conventional echocardiographic indices and predicts mortality. This study suggests that TDI may be a reliable tool to detect early subtle changes in DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction.
A technology-aware and energy-oriented topology exploration for on-chip networks

As packet-switching interconnection networks replace buses and dedicated wires to become the standard on-chip interconnection fabric, reducing their power consumption has been identified to be a major design challenge. Network topologies have high impact on network power consumption. Technology scaling is another important factor that affects network power, since each new technology changes semiconductor physical properties. These two aspects need to be considered synergistically. We characterize the impact of process technologies on network energy for a range of topologies, starting from 2-dimensional meshes/tori, to variants of meshes/tori that incorporate higher dimensions, multiple hierarchies and express channels. We present a method which uses an analytical model to predict the most energy-efficient topology based on network size and architecture parameters for future technologies. Our model is validated against cycle-accurate network power simulation and shown to arrive at the same predictions. We also show how our method can be applied to actual parallel benchmarks with a case study. We see this work as a starting point for defining a roadmap of future on-chip networks.
Mortality assessment of patients with pancreatic cancer in Mexico, 2000–2014

The five-year survival rate remains low for pancreatic cancer (PC). The objective of this study was to describe PC mortality rates in Mexico and its seven socioeconomic regions. The data for the deaths were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography databases. The adjusted rates were calculated using the world standard population. During the study period, the average mortality rate was 4.29 per 100,000 inhabitants. By gender, the rate was 4.35 and 4.29 per 100,000 inhabitants for men and women, respectively. Socioeconomic region 7 had the highest mortality rates. There was a significant decline in mortality rates in all of the groups.
Ischemia Injury: A New Method Accelerates Bone Healing in a Rat Tibia Fracture Model

To find a simple and noninvasive method to promote fracture healing, we are trying to explore whether repetitive brief ischemia would promote bone healing. 88 rats divided into 6 groups were used to make right tibia closed fracture caused by the heavy weight collision method. Healthy side groups received homemade tourniquet placed on left and affected side group placed on right thigh 10 min inflated/10 min deflated 3 times every 24 hours or 48 hours after tibia fractured. Rats in control groups received homemade tourniquet uninflated placed on right thigh 1 hour every 24 hours or 48 hours. X-rays were checked at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Micro-CT inspected the bone healing at 2 and 4 weeks. Serum cytokines, such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), diethanolamine enzyme activity unit of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), were checked at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Local histology was evaluated at 2 weeks. HE dye and BMP-2, VEGF, TGF-β, and ALP immunohistochemical stains were made. Callus areas of posterior-anterior and lateral views were calculated and repetitive brief ischemia increased the callus areas ratio at 1 and 2 weeks. Besides, from micro-CT results, repetitive brief ischemia increased the bone volume (BV) at 2 and 4 weeks and also increased the total bone tissue volume (TV) at 2 weeks and BV/TV at 4 weeks. The serum cytokines, such as BMP-2, VEGF, diethanolamine enzyme activity unit of ALP and TGF-β1, have increased by repetitive brief ischemia at 1, 2 weeks. It is opposite of affected side group that the level of serum IL-10 increased and IL-6 decreased in healthy side group at 1, 2 weeks. Repetitive brief ischemia increased the callus area at 2 weeks and boosted the synthesis of BMP-2, VEGF, TGF-β, and ALP in the fracture region at 2 weeks from tissue stains. Repetitive brief ischemia promotes bone healing no matter on the affected side or the healthy side limb.