Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis (by Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue Score) and Its Relation to Disease Activity and Anemia

BackgroundPatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mention fatigue as one of their most annoying problems. Measuring fatigue, understanding its contributory factors, and treating it as a feasible target lead to better patient outcome and improved quality of life. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Measurement System is a collection of health-related quality-of-life questionnaires targeted to the management of chronic illness. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate fatigue using FACIT–Fatigue (FACIT-F) score and its relation to disease activity (using Disease Activity Score [DAS28] and Clinical Disease Activity Index [CDAI] score) and anemia in RA patients. MethodsA total of 100 RA patients were evaluated for fatigue using FACIT-F score, for disease activity using DAS28 and CDAI scores, for anemia using hemoglobin levels. Correlation studies were done using Pearson test. ResultsFunctional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue showed positive association with DAS28 (P < 0.001; r = −0.80) and CDAI (P < 0.001; r = −0.83). Considering various components of DAS28 and CDAI, FACIT-F showed significant correlation with tender joint count (P < 0.001; r = −0.73), swollen joint count (P < 0.001; r = −0.76), patient global assessment (P < 0.001; r = −0.72), and evaluator global assessment (P < 0.001; r = −0.75). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate had no association with the fatigue (P = 0.217). No association was observed between fatigue and hemoglobin levels (P = 0.203). ConclusionThe fatigue experienced by the patients with RA is strongly associated with the severity of disease activity and is independent of anemia.
Antenna Design of 60-GHz Micro-Radar System-In-Package for Noncontact Vital Sign Detection

A circularly polarized sequential-rotation 2 × 2 patch antenna array integrated with a 60-GHz Doppler radar system is implemented on the low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate. The LTCC technology with multiple metal layers is able to satisfy the different dielectric thickness requirements of antennas and microstrip feedlines, and it also provides a compact millimeter-wave packaging option for the CMOS radar chip. Compared to linearly polarized single-patch antenna, the 10-dB bandwidth of the antenna array on LTCC increases from 1.3 (2.4%) to 7 GHz (12.8%) at 55 GHz, and narrow 50- Ω feedline is achieved to realize flip-chip transition. As the modeling and manufacturing variations are often present in the millimeter-wave systems, wide antenna bandwidth is able to cover the possible frequency drift and increase the yield of system-in-package. The circular polarization also provides better isolation against other sensors in multiple radars applications.
Risk of pulmonary embolism after a negative spiral CT angiogram in patients with pulmonary disease: 1-year clinical follow-up study.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of pulmonary disease on diagnostic utility of spiral computed tomographic (CT) angiography in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three hundred thirty-four patients, including 215 patients with pulmonary disease (group 1) and 119 patients with no history of respiratory disorder (group 2), were referred for thin-collimation CT angiography of the pulmonary circulation as the first-line diagnostic test. Patients with negative angiograms who had not received anticoagulation therapy and who could be clinically followed up at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were considered in the final study groups (n = 185); 135 patients had lung disease (group 3), and 50 patients had no history of a respiratory disorder (group 4). RESULTS Between groups 3 and 4, no significant differences were found in the referral location, age, and risk factors. Confident evaluation of pulmonary arteries down to the subsegmental level was performed in 31 (23%) patients in group 3 and in 15 (30%) in group 4 (P =.5). Three episodes of acute pulmonary embolism (PE), all fatal, were diagnosed in group 3 patients; two cases occurred 14 days and one case occurred 6 months after the negative spiral CT scan. The negative predictive value of spiral CT angiography was 98% (175 of 178) in the study group in which follow-up was performed, with no significant difference between the values in groups 3 (98% [132 of 135]) and 4 (100% [50 of 50]). CONCLUSION Underlying respiratory disease does not affect the negative predictive value of thin-collimation CT angiography, which appears to be a reliable tool in the work-up in this subgroup of patients with acute PE.
The Achievable Rate of Interweave Cognitive Radio in the Face of Sensing Errors

Cognitive radio (CR) systems are potentially capable of mitigating the spectrum shortage of contemporary wireless systems. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of CR systems and the important research milestones of their evolution, along with their standardization activities, as a result of their research. This is followed by the detailed analysis of the interweave policy-based CR network (CRN) and by a detailed comparison with the family of underlay-based CRNs. In the interweave-based CRN, sensing of the primary user’s (PU) spectrum by the secondary user’s (SU) has remained a challenge, because the sensing errors prevent us from fulfilling the significant throughput gains that the concept of CR promises. Since missed detection and false alarm errors in real-time spectrum sensing cannot be avoided, based on a new approach, we quantify the achievable rates of the interweave CR by explicitly incorporating the effect of sensing errors. The link between the PU transmitter and the SU transmitter is assumed to be fast fading. Explicitly, the achievable rate degradation imposed by the sensing errors is analyzed for two spectrum sensing techniques, namely, for energy detection and for magnitude squared coherence-based detection. It is demonstrated that when the channel is sparsely occupied by the PU, the reusing techniques that are capable of simultaneously providing low missed detection and false alarm probabilities cause only a minor degradation to the achievable rates. Furthermore, based on the achievable rates derived for underlay CRNs, we compare the interweave CR and the underlay CR paradigms from the perspective of their resilience against spectrum sensing errors. Interestingly, in many practical regimes, the interweave CR paradigm outperforms the underlay CR paradigm in the presence of sensing errors, especially when the SNR at the SU is below 10 dB and when the SNR at the PU is in the range of 10–40 dB. Furthermore, we also provide rules of thumb that identify regimes, where the interweave CR outperforms the underlay CR.
A Market–Driven Model for Designing Negotiation Agents

Although there are many extant agent–based systems for negotiation in e–commerce, the negotiation strategies of agents in these systems are mostly static. This article presents a model for designing negotiation agents that make adjustable rates of concession by reacting to changing market situations. To determine the amount of concession for each trading cycle, these market–driven agents are guided by four mathematical functions of eagerness, trading time, trading opportunity, and competition. Trading opportunity is determined by considering: (i) number of trading partners, (ii) spreads—differences in utilities between an agent and its trading partners, and (iii) probability of completing a deal. Competition is determined by the probability that an agent is not considered the most preferred trader by other negotiating parties. Motivated by factors such as corporate policies and resource needs, eagerness represents an agent’s desire to complete a deal. Agents with different time sensitivity to deadlines employ different trading strategies by making different rates of concession at different stages of negotiation. In this article, three classes of strategies with respect to remaining trading time are discussed. Theoretical analyses show that market–driven agents are designed to make prudent and appropriate amounts of concession for a given market situation.
A high gain low power up-conversion mixer for IFWA WiMax system

This paper investigates a Gilbert-cell mixer which uses dynamic current technique and be designed in TSMC 0.18 μm process for WiMAX 3.4 ∼ 3.7 GHz. The important features of the mixer are high gain, low power consumption. Simulation result shows that the mixer achieved 11.5 ∼ 13.4 dB conversion gain, 6.9 ∼ 10.6 dB noise figure, with 2.38 mW power consumption for 1.2 V supply.
Evaluación de la Política Fiscal de Bolivia

I built a general equilibrium model for a small open economy, in order to analyze the effects of fiscal spending in Bolivia, observing certain effects on variables like is constructed: GDP, consumption, investment, exports, imports, real exchange rate and interest rate. Shocks are transmitted to the economy in the presence of the relationship between fiscal spending and the international price of oil, which was analyzed. The results indicate that in the short-term commodity price shock and fiscal spending have positively impacts in the product and despise the way real change.
What Explains Observed Reluctance to Trade? A Comprehensive Literature Review

Valuation gaps and exchange asymmetries are among the most widely studied phenomena in the field of behavioral economics. The purpose of this chapter is to present the current state of the social science literature related to observed reluctance to trade. Numerous theories have been proposed and only a few might be safe to rule out based on the evidence to date. The chapter begins by describing the standard model of preferences, which generally assumes that valuation is independent of ownership status, and then catalogs early findings that seem to suggest that ownership status influences valuation. Early research tested various potential explanations for observed reluctance to trade, and the results did not point to any one theory. Despite this, the literature gravitated toward a single theory — endowment theory, which assumes that preferences are reference-dependent and that individuals are averse to losses. With endowment theory on the rise, some went to work to investigate the conditions that might trigger loss aversion and those that might reduce its effects. Since the early 1990s, a number of alternative theories have been developed and tested by both economists and psychologists including substitution theory, expectation theory, preference uncertainty, mere-ownership theory, enhancement theory, subject misconceptions, and regret avoidance. The chapter walks through each proposed theory, cataloging the evidence for and against. While some theories have garnered more support from the data than others, no single theory yet deserves the title of leading theory. In addition, the phenomenon itself has proved too unstable to warrant general claims that valuations depend on ownership (or expectations over ownership) or that individuals are generally reluctant to trade. Given the current state of the literature, to make such claims is to misrepresent the full set of results. As this chapter makes clear, much more work is required to develop a theory or set of theories worthy of designation as the leading theory.
Therapeutic implications of cancer initiating cells

Background: Until few years ago, all neoplastic cells within a tumour were suggested to have tumorigenic capacity, but recent evidences hint to the possibility that such feature is confined to a subset of Cancer Initiating Cells (CICs), also called Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs). These cells are the reservoir of the heterogeneous populations of differentiated cancer cells constituting the tumour bulk. Mechanisms shared with somatic stem cells, such as quiescence, self-renewal ability, asymmetric division and multidrug resistance, allow to these cells to drive tumour growth and to evade conventional therapy. Objective: Here, we give a brief overview on the origin of CICs, the mechanisms involved in chemoresistance and therapeutic implications. Conclusion: Current cancer treatments, based on the assumption that tumour cell population responds homogeneously, have been developed to eradicate proliferating cells. The new model of tumorigenesis entails significant therapeutic implications, in fact if a small fraction of CICs survives conventional therapy it may lead to recurrence after month or years of apparent remission. Selective targeting of CICs could eliminate the tumour from the root, overcoming the emergence of clones capable of evading traditional therapy and increasing overall disease free survival.
From the Editor

O first two articles in this issue focus on decision analysis in practice, from charitable decisions to government policy making. Kevin F. McCardle, Kumar Rajaram, and Christopher S. Tang present “A Decision Analysis Tool for Evaluating Fundraising Tiers. ” Next, Rex V. Brown draws upon his years as a consultant in “Working with Policy Makers on Their Choices: A Decision Analyst Reminisces. ” The next two articles are on aggregating probability judgments from multiple experts. Ali E. Abbas presents “A Kullback-Leibler View of Linear and Log-Linear Pools. ” The final article, on “Combining the Opinions of Experts Who Partition Events Differently,” is by Robert F. Bordley. The call for papers on auctions for a special issue in memory of Michael Rothkopf is also included in this issue.
Plasma Leptin Levels Are Pulsatile in Adult Rats: Effects of Gonadectomy

Leptin, primarily secreted by adipocytes, is a peripheral hormonal signal involved in the hypothalamic integration of energy homeostasis. We report that plasma leptin levels fluctuated in a pulsatile fashion in gonad-intact adult female and male rats. Whereas in male rats leptin was secreted in the form of low-amplitude, high-frequency pulses, in female rats high-amplitude pulses were secreted at only a slightly lower frequency. Consequently, plasma leptin concentrations were higher in female than in male rats. Gonadectomy decreased leptin secretion but the sexually dimorphic leptin pulsatility pattern persisted. These results show that there is a distinct female-type and male-type leptin pulsatility pattern and each is amenable to augmentation by gonadal steroids either involving mechanisms that impart leptin pulsatility patterns directly at the level of adipocytes and/or at hypothalamic target sites.
Effect of Mobile Banking On the Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . vi DEDICATION. vii LIST OF TABLES . xi LIST OF FIGURES . xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xiii CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION. 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.2 Problem Statement . 7 1.3 General Objective . 8 1.4 Specific Objectives . 8 1.5 Significance of Study . 8 1.6 Scope of the Study . 9 1.7 Definitions of Terms . 9 1.8 Chapter Summary . 10 CHAPTER TWO . 11 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 11 2.
ASCT2 (SLC1A5)-Deficient Mice Have Normal B-Cell Development, Proliferation, and Antibody Production

SLC1A5 (solute carrier family 1, member 5) is a small neutral amino acid exchanger that is upregulated in rapidly proliferating lymphocytes but also in many primary human cancers. Furthermore, cancer cell lines have been shown to require SLC1A5 for their survival in vitro. One of SLC1A5’s primary substrates is the immunomodulatory amino acid glutamine, which plays an important role in multiple key processes, such as energy supply, macromolecular synthesis, nucleotide biosynthesis, redox homeostasis, and resistance against oxidative stress. These processes are also essential to immune cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, B and T lymphocytes. We show here that mice with a stop codon in Slc1a5 have reduced glutamine uptake in activated lymphocytes and primary fibroblasts. B and T cell populations and maturation in resting mice were not affected by absence of SLC1A5. Antibody production in resting and immunized mice and the germinal center response to immunization were also found to be normal. SLC1A5 has been recently described as a novel target for the treatment of a variety of cancers, and our results indicate that inhibition of SLC1A5 in cancer therapy may be tolerated well by the immune system of cancer patients.
Usability Evaluation of a Wearable Augmented Reality System for the Enjoyment of the Cultural Heritage

The recent availability of low cost wearable augmented reality (WAR) technologies is leveraging the design of applications in the cultural heritage domain in order to support users in their emotional journey among the cultural artefacts and monuments of a city. In this paper, we describe a user study evaluating the usability of a wearable augmented reality touchless interface for the enjoyment of the cultural heritage in outdoor environments. The usability evaluation has been carried out in out-of-lab settings with inexperienced users, during a three day exhibition in the city of Naples. The presented results are related to the ease of use and learning of the system, and to the user's satisfaction in the enjoyment of the system.
Impact of water mass mixing on the biogeochemistry and microbiology of the Northeast Atlantic Deep Water

The extent to which water mass mixing contributes to the biological activity of the dark ocean is essentially unknown. Using a multiparameter water mass analysis, we examined the impact of water mass mixing on the nutrient distribution and microbial activity of the Northeast Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW) along an 8000 km long transect extending from 62°N to 5°S. Mixing of four water types (WT) and basin scale mineralization from the site where the WT where defined to the study area explained up to 95% of the variability in the distribution of inorganic nutrients and apparent oxygen utilization. Mixing‐corrected average O2:N:P mineralization ratios of 127(±11):13.0(±0.7):1 in the core of the NEADW suggested preferential utilization of phosphorus compounds while dissolved organic carbon mineralization contributed a maximum of 20% to the oxygen demand of the NEADW. In conjunction with the calculated average mineralization ratios, our results indicate a major contribution of particulate organic matter to the biological activity in the NEADW. The variability in prokaryotic abundance, high nucleic acid containing cells, and prokaryotic heterotrophic production in the NEADW was explained by large scale (64–79%) and local mineralization processes (21–36%), consistent with the idea that deep‐water prokaryotic communities are controlled by substrate supply. Overall, our results suggest a major impact of mixing on the distribution of inorganic nutrients and a weaker influence on the dissolved organic matter pool supporting prokaryotic activity in the NEADW.
Murine Follicular Development Requires Oocyte DICER, but Not DROSHA1

ABSTRACT Both DICER and DROSHA are RNase III enzymes involved in the biogenesis of small noncoding RNAs. DROSHA cleaves the stem-loop portion of the primary miRNAs and produces precursor miRNAs in the nucleus, whereas DICER processes double-stranded RNA precursors into mature miRNAs and endogenous small interference RNAs in the cytoplasm. Selective inactivation of Dicer in growing oocytes of primary follicles leads to female infertility due to oocyte spindle defects. However, it remains unknown if oocyte Dicer expression in the fetal ovary is required for proper follicular development in the postnatal ovary. Moreover, the role of Drosha in folliculogenesis has never been investigated. Here, we report that conditional knockout of Dicer in prophase I oocytes of the fetal ovary led to compromised folliculogenesis, premature ovarian failure, and female infertility in the adult ovary, whereas selective inactivation of Drosha in oocytes of either the fetal or the developing ovary had no effects on normal folliculogenesis and female fertility in adulthood. Our data indicate that oocyte DICER expression in the fetal ovary is required, and oocyte DROSHA is dispensable, for postnatal follicular development and female fertility in adulthood.
Examining the Mobilizing Feature of Footedness

This study examined the mobilizing feature of footedness in a unilateral and a bilateral context. Analysis for 47 right- and 32 left-footed undergraduates indicated a strong relationship between preferred limbs in both conditions, with right footers showing the strongest concordance. Theoretical explanations for the origin of behavior and differences in right versus left concordance are discussed. Based on selected previous reports and the present findings, it seems reasonable that for most persons the right foot may be preferred for mobilizing activities regardless of behavioral context.
Egr2 Is Required for Bcl-2 Induction during Positive Selection1

The repertoire of TCR specificities is established by a selection process in the thymus, during which precursor survival and maturation is dictated by the nature of the TCR signals. The differences in signals that determine whether precursors will survive and mature or be induced to die remain poorly understood. Among the molecular effectors involved in executing the differentiation process initiated by TCR-ligand interactions is a family of Zn-finger transcription factors termed early growth response genes (Egr). Indeed, ablation of the Egr1 gene impairs ligand-induced maturation (positive selection) but not ligand-induced deletion (negative selection). The partial impairment of positive selection by Egr1 deficiency is not enhanced by simultaneous deletion of another Egr family member, Egr3. Accordingly, we asked whether this results from compensation by another family member, Egr2. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that deletion of Egr2 impairs positive selection of both CD4 and CD8 single-positive thymocytes. Interestingly, many of the genes involved in positive selection and T cell differentiation are up-regulated normally in the Egr2-deficient thymocytes. However, Bcl-2 up-regulation is not sustained during late stages of positive selection. This defect is at least partially responsible for the developmental blockade in Egr2-deficient thymocytes, as enforced expression of Bcl-2 rescues T cell development in Egr2−/− thymocytes. Taken together, these data suggest that Egr2 plays a central role in the up-regulation of the survival molecule Bcl-2 during positive selection.
A combinatorial approach to the synthesis of cystine based organogelators

A solid‐phase approach was used to prepare 20 cystine amide derivatives with disulfide bond formation resulting from an intra‐site reaction between neighbouring cysteine residues. Library members were screened as potential organogelators in a range of solvent mixtures and resulted in the identification of a potent gelator able to rigidify water/DMSO mixtures at concentrations as low as 1.3 mM. Copyright © 2004 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.