Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rac2 Modulates Atherosclerotic Calcification by Regulating Macrophage Interleukin-1&bgr; Production

Objective— The calcium composition of atherosclerotic plaque is thought to be associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, but whether plaque calcium itself is predictive of worsening clinical outcomes remains highly controversial. Inflammation is likely a key mediator of vascular calcification, but immune signaling mechanisms that promote this process are minimally understood. Approach and Results— Here, we identify Rac2 as a major inflammatory regulator of signaling that directs plaque osteogenesis. In experimental atherogenesis, Rac2 prevented progressive calcification through its suppression of Rac1-dependent macrophage interleukin-1&bgr; (IL-1&bgr;) expression, which in turn is a key driver of vascular smooth muscle cell calcium deposition by its ability to promote osteogenic transcriptional programs. Calcified coronary arteries from patients revealed decreased Rac2 expression but increased IL-1&bgr; expression, and high coronary calcium burden in patients with coronary artery disease was associated with significantly increased serum IL-1&bgr; levels. Moreover, we found that elevated IL-1&bgr; was an independent predictor of cardiovascular death in those subjects with high coronary calcium burden. Conclusions— Overall, these studies identify a novel Rac2-mediated regulation of macrophage IL-1&bgr; expression, which has the potential to serve as a powerful biomarker and therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.
Editorial: Mapping the Field of Mixed Methods Research

The intent of this editorial is to advance my list of topics currently being discussed in the field of mixed methods research. As one who has been involved in the mixed methods field since its beginning 20 years ago, I have some sense of the topics that have evolved and that hold center stage in mixed methods discussions. Furthermore, as one of the founding coeditors of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (JMMR; and outgoing editor after June 2009), I have been privileged to have examined close to 300 manuscripts submitted to the journal in the past 3 years, and I have taken notes on what I have seen as potential contributions of these manuscripts to the field of mixed methods research. My discussion will first address why we, as researchers, need a map of the field at this current time. Then I will advance a list of 30 topics that are being discussed today in the mixed methods literature. To crosscheck the accuracy of my list, I will reflect on the topics that were discussed last summer at the 2008 Mixed Methods Conference at Cambridge University, UK. I will note differences and similarities between the papers presented at the conference and my list. Then I will select four topics from my list, discuss the development of the topics, and note recent insightful contributions that have emerged in the literature. Finally, I will end with some thoughts about the future of mixed methods research. I hope that by reading this editorial you will learn how one individual constructs the field of mixed methods today, obtain a glimpse into what topics current writers presented at the Mixed Methods Conference last July, and assess how your mixed methods manuscript might make a contribution to the field.
Fluid Area Measurements in the Posterior Fossa at 11-13 Weeks in Normal Fetuses and Fetuses with Open Spina Bifida

Objectives: To measure the area of the intracranial translucency (IT) (syn: 4th ventricle) and the future cisterna magna (CM) in normal fetuses and to compare with fetuses with open spina bifida. Patients: In the midsagittal plane of the face of 220 fetuses between 11 and 13 weeks' gestation, the areas of the IT and CM were measured and the sum, defined as the posterior fossa fluid (PFF) area was calculated. Reference ranges were constructed in relation to the crown-rump length. The study group consisted of 21 fetuses with open spina bifida and showed in all cases a single pocket of fluid in the posterior fossa. Fetuses with no fluid in the fossa were excluded. This PFF-area was measured and compared with the reference range of the IT-area and the PFF-area of normal fetuses and Z-scores were calculated. Results: In normal fetuses, a significant increase of the IT-, the CM- and the PFF-area was found as a sign of the expanding posterior fossa. The mean PFF-area increased from 8.55 to 29.72 mm2 in the observation period. Fetuses with open spina bifida had reduced fluid in the posterior fossa with values ranging between 2.39 and 5.08 mm2 and significantly lower Z-scores. Conclusions: Fetuses with open spina bifida have an abnormally small posterior fossa at 11-13 weeks' and in cases where the cerebrospinal fluid is still present, the fluid area in the midsagittal plane is reduced when compared to normal fetuses. Area fluid assessment can be an additional useful measurement in suspicious cases for open spina bifida in early gestation.
Method for estimation of Background and Foreground segmentation in video surveillance

The video surveillance systems are widely used today, but it is essential to implement systems that automatically analyze the information captured, with the objective of identifying regular events that may occur in the scene. This work focuses on the estimation of the background and foreground segmentation in a surveillance video. The main contribution is the median filter applied recursively on a temporary popup window, which provides more robustness against noise caused by illumination changes and vibrations in the camera, this without increasing the computational cost.
Population-based analysis of the impact and generalizability of the NSABP-B24 study on endocrine therapy for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

BACKGROUND In 1999, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP)-B24 trial demonstrated that tamoxifen reduced relapse risk in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and radiotherapy (RT). In 2002, Allred's subgroup analysis showed that tamoxifen mainly benefitted estrogen receptor (ER)-positive disease. This study evaluates the impact and generalizability of these trial findings at the population level. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1989 to 2009, 2061 women with DCIS underwent BCS + RT in British Columbia. The following cohorts were analyzed: (1) pre-NSABP-B24 era (1989-1998, N = 417); (2) post-NSABP-B24 era (2000-2009, N = 1548). Cohort 2 was further divided into pre- and post-Allred eras. RESULTS Endocrine therapy (ET) was used in 404/2061 (20%) patients. Median age of patients treated with compared with without ET, was 53 versus 57 years, (P < 0.0005). One of 417 (0.2%) versus 399/1548 (26%) patients took ET before versus after NSABP-B24. Among the post-Allred era cohort treated with ET (N = 227), tumors were ER-positive in 65%, ER-negative in 1%, and ER-unknown in 33%; whereas of those treated without ET (N = 801), ER was positive in 43%, negative in 15%, and unknown in 42% (P < 0.0005). On multivariable analysis of the post-NSABP-B24 era, ET was associated with improved event-free survival (EFS) (hazard ratio 0.6; P = 0.02); 5-year EFS were 96.9% with ET versus 94.5% without ET. CONCLUSIONS ET use in DCIS patients treated with BCS + RT increased significantly after the NSABP-B24 study. ER+ disease and younger age were associated with increased ET use. ET was associated with improved EFS, confirming the generalizability of trial data at a population level.
GPU-Assisted Computation of Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation

Centroidal Voronoi tessellations (CVT) are widely used in computational science and engineering. The most commonly used method is Lloyd's method, and recently the L-BFGS method is shown to be faster than Lloyd's method for computing the CVT. However, these methods run on the CPU and are still too slow for many practical applications. We present techniques to implement these methods on the GPU for computing the CVT on 2D planes and on surfaces, and demonstrate significant speedup of these GPU-based methods over their CPU counterparts. For CVT computation on a surface, we use a geometry image stored in the GPU to represent the surface for computing the Voronoi diagram on it. In our implementation a new technique is proposed for parallel regional reduction on the GPU for evaluating integrals over Voronoi cells.
The Contribution of Age to the Static-99 Risk Assessment in a Population-based Prison Sample of Sexual Offenders

The Static-99 is the actuarial risk assessment instrument most commonly used and best validated for sexual offenders. Some research has indicated that the original version of the instrument does not sufficiently cover the influence of age-related decreases in recidivism risk of sexual offenders. Therefore, an age-corrected version, the Static-99R, has been proposed. It includes four age categories compared with only two in the original instrument. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of several age-related variables on the predictive accuracy of the German version of the Static-99 using a population-based sample of prison-released sexual offenders (N = 1,077). The results indicated that—for the prediction of sexual reoffenses in a population-based prison sample—the original Static-99 performed better than the age-corrected Static-99R. Theoretical and empirical implications for research as well as recommendations for applied risk assessment settings are discussed.
SR-ARQ for MIMO OFDM Systems with Channel State Information Only at the Receiver

In this paper, we compare two selective-repeat automatic-repeat-request (SR-ARQ) protocols for spatial multiplexintiplexingg multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexed (OFDM) systems assuming perfect channel state information (CSI) only at the receiver. These two SR-ARQ protocols differ in the number of packets transmitted simultaneously. In one protocol, a single packet is transmitted on all subcarriers from all antennae at the same time. In the other protocol, multiple packets are simultaneously transmitted. For the latter protocol, we also consider schemes that differ in the way that the subcarriers transmitted from different antennae are grouped to support the transmission of multiple packets in parallel. We compare the throughput and the resequencing delay of these SR-ARQ protocols in a frequency selective fading channel. Simulation results suggest that in such a system, the single ARQ protocol is the best choice. If we have to transmit multiple packets in parallel, each packet should be transmitted over a subband of adjacent subcarriers emitted from all transmit antennae.
Measuring negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia: reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Motivation and Pleasure Scale-Self-Report

Background The Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) is one of the validated interview measures of negative symptoms in psychotic disorders. The Motivation and Pleasure Scale-Self-Report (MPSR) is a self-report measure that assesses the motivation and pleasure domains of negative symptoms based on the CAINS. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of a Korean version of the MPSR. Methods A total of 139 patients with schizophrenia completed the MPSR, CAINS, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales, Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, and other measures of trait and cognitive function. Results The 15-item MPSR showed good internal consistency. In addition, it also had a good convergent validity with the Motivation and Pleasure subscale of the CAINS and the anhedonia/avolition subscale of the SANS. The scale was not associated with psychotic symptoms, agitation/mania, and depression/anxiety, and it showed good discriminant validity. MPSR scores were significantly correlated with Behavioral Activation System total score for trait measure. Conclusion The Korean version of the MPSR is a notable self-report method for examining the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
CONSIDERATION AND COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT REMOTE SENSING INPUTS FOR REGIONAL CROP YIELD PREDICTION MODEL

Regional crop yield prediction methods can be enhanced by the use of remote sensing based inputs to obtain an efficient and timely prediction capability. Inputs from remote sensing usually include vegetation indices and climatic information such as temperature, precipitation, solar radiation etc. The crop selected for this study is soybean. This study focuses on investigating and comparing a combination of satellite sensor characteristics and data products derived from satellite data stream inputs, with crop modeling input data requirements. The factors to be considered include the spatial, spectral and temporal characteristics of sensor characteristics and derived data products to determine objective methods for selecting model inputs that offer the most promise to improve regional soybean yield prediction.
Demographics and Characterization of 10,282 Randall Plaque-Related Kidney Stones

AbstractRenal stone incidence has progressively increased in industrialized countries, but the implication of Randall plaque in this epidemic remains unknown. Our objectives were to determine whether the prevalence of Randall plaque-related stones increased during the past decades after having analyzed 30,149 intact stones containing mainly calcium oxalate since 1989 (cross-sectional study), and to identify determinants associated with Randall plaque-related stones in patients (case–control study). The proportion of Randall plaque-related stones was assessed over 3 time periods: 1989–1991, 1999–2001, and 2009–2011. Moreover, we analyzed clinical and biochemical parameters of 105 patients affected by calcium oxalate stones, with or without plaque.Of 30,149 calcium oxalate stones, 10,282 harbored Randall plaque residues (34.1%). The prevalence of Randall plaque-related stones increased dramatically during the past years. In young women, 17% of calcium oxalate stones were associated with Randall plaque during the 1989–1991 period, but the proportion rose to 59% 20 years later (P < 0.001). Patients with plaques experienced their first stone-related event earlier in life as compared with those without plaque (median age 26 vs 34 years, P = 0.02), had increased ionized serum calcium levels (P = 0.04), and increased serum osteocalcin (P = 0.001) but similar 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. The logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 0.96, confidence interval [CI] 0.926–0.994, P = 0.02), weight (OR 0.97, CI 0.934–0.997, P = 0.03), and osteocalcin serum levels (OR 1.12, CI 1.020–1.234, P = 0.02) were independently associated with Randall plaque. The prevalence of the FokI f vitamin D receptor polymorphism was higher in patients with plaque (P = 0.047). In conclusion, these findings point to an epidemic of Randall plaque-associated renal stones in young patients, and suggest a possible implication of altered vitamin D response.
Semantic evaluation at large scale (SEALS)

This paper describes the main goals and outcomes of the EU-funded Framework 7 project entitled Semantic Evaluation at Large Scale (SEALS). The growth and success of the Semantic Web is built upon a wide range of Semantic technologies from ontology engineering tools through to semantic web service discovery and semantic search. The evaluation of such technologies - and, indeed, assessments of their mutual compatibility - is critical for their sustained improvement and adoption. The SEALS project is creating an open and sustainable platform on which all aspects of an evaluation can be hosted and executed and has been designed to accommodate most technology types. It is envisaged that the platform will become the de facto repository of test datasets and will allow anyone to organise, execute and store the results of technology evaluations free of charge and without corporate bias. The demonstration will show how individual tools can be prepared for evaluation, uploaded to the platform, evaluated according to some criteria and the subsequent results viewed. In addition, the demonstration will show the flexibility and power of the SEALS Platform for evaluation organisers by highlighting some of the key technologies used.
Teachers' and caregivers' perceptions of gender differences in educational experiences of children affected by parental AIDS in western Kenya

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the perceptions of teachers and caregivers concerning gender differences in the educational experiences of children influenced by the HIV status of their parents or orphaned by AIDS in 7 orphanage schools of Western Kenya. 12 teachers and 8 caregivers participated in the study. Data were collected over 3 months using participant observation and individual interviews. Findings indicated that no gender differences in educational experiences were noted during preschool. However, during the elementary school years and beyond, participants described gender differences in terms of math, science, languages, and school attendance. Boys were perceived to do better at math and science, while girls were believed to do better in languages. Girls were also more likely to be kept out of school to assist with or take care of family needs when a parent became ill due to AIDS.
Enhanced scheduling schemes to integrate QoS support in 1/spl times/EV-DO

The air link scheduler is an important element for the 1/spl times/EV-DO system to achieve high throughput and capacity. In this paper, we propose a set of enhanced scheduling schemes to integrate QoS support in 1/spl times/EV-DO. Our method exploits the time variance of the wireless channel, average user throughput, user priority and delay constraints. It has the flexibility to support various QoS criteria. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes can provide the 1/spl times/EV-DO system with the ability to treat the user differently based on the priority. With appropriately selected parameters, the degradation of the aggregated sector throughput is minimal due to the integration of QoS. Furthermore, the proposed schemes improve the overall system performance and capacity, especially for real time applications.
Enabling non-programmers to develop smart environment applications

Smart environments are small worlds where various interconnected devices are continuously working to make inhabitants' lives more comfortable. Given the variety of different views on what constitutes “more comfortable” and the variety of situations people experience, we believe that the inhabitants of a smart environment must be empowered to easily modify software applications running in it and to mash-up new applications when needed. The following properties are desired: a high level of abstraction in application design, on-the-fly development, flexibility with respect to adding new devices and software components, combination of task-based and opportunistic design processes, and an ability to define policies to restrict users from designing unsafe applications. In this paper, we present a novel framework for semantic software metadata and describe how utilizing it in our application development tool, Smart Modeller, enables non-programmer composition of smart environment applications.
Polymerase chain reaction for detection of measles virus in clinical samples

A rapid and sensitive one-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay was developed to detect measles virus (MV) in nasal aspirates from patients with suspected MV infection. Oligonucleotide primers and probe were targeted to highly conserved regions of the matrix gene. Assay conditions were optimized to allow detection of as little as 1 PFU of an MV stock whose titer was known. Extraction of RNA from 38 nasal aspirates and then reverse transcription and MV matrix gene amplification yielded a polymerase chain reaction product of the predicted size in 14 of 14 MV culture-positive patients. Matrix gene amplification provides a rapid, sensitive, and specific supplementary assay to the currently available modalities for MV detection.
Automatic Conversational Context : Avoiding Dependency on User Effort in Groupware

This paper describes Mona , an email system that provides an automatic hypertext representation of conversational context. Mona is novel in that conversation facilities are provided without requiring any user effort or the use of particular systems by other collaborators. This lack of requirements and independence is made possible by inferring conversational context with heuristics from information inherent in all email communications.
Algorithm for efficient 3D reconstruction of outdoor environments using mobile robots

In this paper, an algorithm for the reconstruction of an outdoor environment using a mobile robot is presented. The focus of this algorithm is making the mapping process efficient by capturing the greatest amount of information on every scan, ensuring at the same time that the overall quality of the resulting 3D model of the environment complies with the specified standards. With respect to existing approaches, the proposed approach is an innovation since there are very few information based methods for outdoor reconstruction that use resulting model quality and trajectory cost estimation as criteria for view planning.
Selectivity of spatial filters for surface EMG detection from the tibialis anterior muscle

Many spatial filters have been proposed for surface electromyographic (EMG) signal detection. Although theoretical and modeling predictions on spatial selectivity are available, there are no extensive experimental validations of these techniques based on single motor unit (MU) activity detection. The aim of this study was to compare spatial selectivity of one- and two-dimensional (1-D and 2-D) spatial filters for EMG signal detection. Intramuscular and surface EMG signals were recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle of ten subjects. The simultaneous use of intramuscular wire and surface recordings (with the spike triggered averaging technique) allowed investigation of the activity of single MUs at the skin surface. The surface EMG signals were recorded with a grid of point electrodes (3/spl times/3 electrodes) and a ring electrode system at 15 locations over the muscle, with the wires detecting signals from the same intramuscular location. For most subjects, it was possible to classify, from the intramuscular recordings, the activity of the same MUs for all the contractions. The surface EMG signals were averaged with the intramuscularly detected MU action potentials as triggers. In this way, eight spatial filters-longitudinal and transversal, single and double differential (LSD, TSD, LDD, TDD), Laplacian (NDD), inverse binomial filter of the second order (IB2), inverse rectangle filter (IR), and differential ring system (C1)-could be compared on the basis of their spatial selectivity. The distance from the source (transversal with respect to the muscle fiber orientation) after which the surface detected potential did not exceed /spl plusmn/5% of the maximal peak-to-peak amplitude (detection distance) was statistically smaller for the 2-D systems and TDD than for the other filters. The MU action potential duration was significantly shorter with LDD and with the 2-D systems than with the other filters. The 2-D filters investigated (including C1) showed very similar performance and were, thus, considered equivalent from the point of view of spatial selectivity.