Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of general health status and social support on symptomatic outcome following coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVES To assess health status, level of social support, and presence of coronary artery disease risk factors before and after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); to assess symptomatic relief approximately 12 months postoperatively; and to examine the association between preoperative health status and recurrence of symptoms. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Preoperatively, in hospital outpatient department (1995–1996); postoperatively, at home (1996–97). SUBJECTS AND METHODS Patients awaiting elective CABG were recruited one month before the expected date of operation. Preoperative assessment included severity of symptoms, coronary artery disease risk factors, short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and social activities questionnaire. The presence and severity of angina and breathlessness were reported postoperatively (mean 16.4 months). Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with improved outcome following CABG. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Patient reported presence and severity of angina and breathlessness. RESULTS 183 patients were followed for a mean of 16.4 months after CABG. Angina and breathlessness were completely relieved in 55% and 36% of patients, respectively. In patients with residual symptoms, the severity was significantly reduced (angina p < 0.001; breathlessness, p = 0.02). Patients with low SF-36 scores and low social network scores preoperatively were less likely to be relieved of symptoms (p < 0.001). Health status and social support levels preoperatively were lower than in other reported coronary artery disease patients groups. Preoperatively, coronary artery disease risk factors were higher than recommended in current guidelines: 67.4% had raised plasma cholesterol, 39.0% were hypertensive, 80% were moderately obese, and 22.9% were smokers. CONCLUSIONS Recurrence of symptoms exceeded other published studies. Patients' perception of general health, symptoms, and social support influences outcome.
Shared attention and grammatical development in typical children and children with autism

The two studies presented here explore the relationship between children's pragmatic skills and their growth in grammar. In study 1, thirty normally developing children were videotaped interacting with their parents at 1;2 and again at 2;7. Using correlational and regression techniques, we found that pragmatic accomplishments of MUTUAL ATTENTION, as well as mother's conversational style, explained 45% of the variance in grammar at 2;7. The second study investigated pragmatic–grammatical relationships with data from 6 high-functioning children with autism. To control for individual variation in skill level at the start of the study, within-individual growth rates for grammar were estimated as our outcome. The results substantiated those of study 1, in that pragmatic accomplishments within mutual attention predicted the per month growth rate in grammar. We interpret these findings as consistent with the position that the infant's social-pragmatic skills contribute to the acquisition of grammar.
Face detection speed improvement using bitmap-based Histogram of Oriented gradien

Since the Viola-Jones seminal work, the boosted cascade with simple features has become the most popular and effective approach for practical face detection. More improved face detectors that can handle uncontrolled face detection scenarios have achieved by applying more advanced features such as Histogram of oriented Gradients (HoG). The great improvement in accuracy delivered by these methods has been accompanied by a large increase in the computational burden, which limited adoption in embedded solutions particularly. The improved bitmap-based HoG approaches resolved this problem by limitation of HoG window to non-rectangular irregular pattern of the object and its boundary avoid processing of extra background and (partially) foreground pixels respectively. In this paper, bHoG and bbHoG along with three different bitmap patterns are applied to the face detection problem to not only benefits from the robustness of HoG, but also to amend its high computational cost significantly. Experimental results show an decrease of 92.5% in the workload associated with HoG/SVM classifiers compared to the state-of-the-art, along with approximately the same performance as standard HoG and an average decrease about 5% in recall and precision in comparison for the smaller cell sizes.
Organizational and Interorganizational Determinants of EDI Diffusion and Organizational Performance: A Causal Model

Electronic data interchange (EDI), a specific form of interorganizational systems, has the potential to significantly influence business operations and the exchange of business documents in a number of industries and to provide substantive tangible and intangible benefits to the participating firms. However, successful implementation and diffusion of these systems innovations requires the cooperation and commitment of all participating member firms. A number of interorganizational as well as internal, organization-specific factors can influence both the extent to which EDI is diffused and used and the level of subsequent benefits that accrue to the firms. Research from sociopolitical process framework in marketing, organizational theory, innovation theory, use of information technology for competitive advantage, and information systems (IS) implementation was used to identify 3 interorganizational variables (customer support, customer expertise, competitive pressure) and 4 organizational variables (intern.
Obscuration minimization in dynamic free space optical networks through topology control

Free space optical (FSO) networks are emerging as a viable, cost effective technology for rapidly deployable broadband communication infrastructure. The main drawback of this type of networks is their dynamic performance, especially under adverse weather conditions and high nodes mobility. Topology control is used as the means to achieve survivable optical wireless networking under hostile conditions, based on dynamic and autonomous topology reconfiguration. The topology control process involves tracking and acquisition of nodes, assessment of link-state information, collection and distribution of topology data, and the algorithmic solution of an optimal topology. Design, analysis and comparison of algorithms and heuristics for configuring optimized topologies in dynamic environments are presented. Heuristics were developed for ring networks (2 optical transceivers per node) as well as for 3-degree networks (3 optical transceivers per node). This paper focuses on the design of efficient and scalable algorithms for physical layer topology optimization. That is, algorithms to select the topology configuration which optimizes a given physical layer objective. Performance and scalability results are shown for the various heuristics used, in different scenarios and for different network sizes.
Gravity Reduces the Tibia When Using a Tibial Guide that Targets the Intercondylar Roof

Background Reduction of the tibia relative to the femur with the knee in maximum extension is required to correctly position the tibial tunnel in the sagittal plane when using a guide that targets the intercondylar roof. The authors found no studies that determined (1) whether gravity reduces the tibia and (2) whether roof impingement is prevented without a roofplasty and without positioning the tibial tunnel too posteriorly. Methods The position of the tibia relative to the femur was measured from a lateral radiograph of the treated knee in maximum extension with and without the tibial guide and of the contralateral normal knee in extension in single-leg stance (control). Results The position of the tibia with and without the tibial guide was not different (P = .33, not significant) and was only 0.7 mm more posterior than the control knee (P = .0075). A roofplasty was not required, and the clearance was 2 mm or less. Conclusion Gravity reduces the tibia on the femur when using a guide that targets the intercondylar roof. The use of a tibial guide that targets the intercondylar roof prevents roof impingement without a roofplasty and without positioning the tibial tunnel too posteriorly.
Early-Life Environmental Exposures and Height, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Older Adults in India

Environmental exposures like rainfall and temperature influence infectious disease exposure and nutrition, two key early-life conditions linked to later-life health. However, few tests of whether early-life environmental exposures impact adult health have been performed, particularly in developing countries. This study examines the effects of experiencing rainfall and temperature shocks during gestation and up through the first four years after birth on measured height, hypertension, and other cardiovascular risk factors using data on adults aged 50 and above (N = 1,036) from the 2007–2008 World Health Organization Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) and district-level meteorological data from India. Results from multivariate logistic regressions show that negative rainfall shocks during gestation and positive rainfall shocks during the postbirth period increase the risk of having adult hypertension and CVD risk factors. Exposure to negative rainfall shocks and positive temperature shocks in the postbirth period increases the likelihood of falling within the lowest height decile. Prenatal shocks may influence nutrition in utero, while postnatal shocks may increase exposure to infectious diseases and malnutrition. The results suggest that gestation and the first two years after birth are critical periods when rainfall and temperature shocks take on increased importance for adult health.
Automatic detection of drowsiness in EEG records based on time analysis

Driver drowsiness has been identified as a root cause of more than 20% of crashes resulting in injuries and deaths globally. Drowsiness leads to deterioration in driver's performance and vehicle-handling abilities. This research aims at using time analysis techniques to automatically detect the level of drowsiness in EEG records. Noise from the EEG signals were removed by subjecting it to band-pass filtering with cut-off frequency 0.5 Hz to 60 Hz and then segmented into 5 second intervals. 1 EEG channel was used to compute 3 features s to differentiate the awareness and drowsiness stages. This method gets up to 85.7% of alertness and drowsiness correct detections rates. Both the stages can be distinguished based on the parameters and acquired results. Real time outputs can be obtained making it easily accessible. An automatic drowsiness detection system in vehicles can be employed using these parameters thereby decreasing the risk posed by drowsy driving. The algorithm developed here has been tested on samples obtained from The MIT-BIH Polysonographic Database on physionet.org.
Presence of free viral DNA in simian virus 40-transformed nonproducer cells

Extracts from several simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed nonproducer cells were prepared by the hot-phenol procedure normally used to extract cellular RNA. These extracts contained SV40 infectious units. Part of the infectious units were identified as SV40 form I DNA molecules. The results of reconstruction experiments suggest that SV40 form I DNA is extractable by the hot-phenol procedure because of its fast renaturation rate. The significance of the presence of free viral DNA in nonproducer transformed cells is discussed.
Reporting ‘number needed to treat’ in meta‐analyses: A cross‐sectional study

Aim: In translating clinical research into practice, the summarization of data from randomized trials in terms of measures of effect to be readily appreciated by the point‐of‐care clinicians is important. In this context, the body of literature highlighted the ‘number needed to treat’ as a useful measure. The objectives of our study were to assess how meta‐analyses described number needed to treat and corresponding 95% CI, and to explore issues related to reporting number needed to treat in the selected meta‐analyses.
Multistep estimators of the between‐study variance: The relationship with the Paule‐Mandel estimator

A wide variety of estimators of the between‐study variance are available in random‐effects meta‐analysis. Many, but not all, of these estimators are based on the method of moments. The DerSimonian‐Laird estimator is widely used in applications, but the Paule‐Mandel estimator is an alternative that is now recommended. Recently, DerSimonian and Kacker have developed two‐step moment‐based estimators of the between‐study variance. We extend these two‐step estimators so that multiple (more than two) steps are used. We establish the surprising result that the multistep estimator tends towards the Paule‐Mandel estimator as the number of steps becomes large. Hence, the iterative scheme underlying our new multistep estimator provides a hitherto unknown relationship between two‐step estimators and Paule‐Mandel estimator. Our analysis suggests that two‐step estimators are not necessarily distinct estimators in their own right; instead, they are quantities that are closely related to the usual iterative scheme that is used to calculate the Paule‐Mandel estimate. The relationship that we establish between the multistep and Paule‐Mandel estimator is another justification for the use of the latter estimator. Two‐step and multistep estimators are perhaps best conceptualized as approximate Paule‐Mandel estimators.
Nephropathy in type 1 diabetes: a manifestation of insulin resistance and multiple genetic susceptibilities? Further evidence from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complication Study.

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy remains unclear, although previous reports implicate a wide range of putative genetic and metabolic factors. METHODS Incident and prevalent cases of overt nephropathy (ON), defined as an albumin excretion rate>200 microg/min in at least two of the three timed urines, from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complication Study (a prospective epidemiologic study of an incident cohort of childhood onset type 1 diabetic subjects) were studied. RESULTS Incidence analyses reveal differences in univariate baseline risk factors that predict ON within 5 years of measurement [low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, white blood cell count, and hypertension] and those that predict in the long-term, that is, 6 to 10 years after baseline, hemoglobin A1 (Hb A1). Estimated glucose disposal rate (calculated using a formula derived from euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies), however, strongly (P < 0.001) predicted ON throughout follow-up. Comparing individuals who were most susceptible to ON (those with an onset before 20 years duration of type 1 diabetes and before the development of other advanced complications) with the least susceptible (late or no occurrence of ON despite the development of other advanced complications) revealed otherwise undetected genetic associations [that is, apolipoprotein E (Apo E), angtiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) HindIII polymorphism) with odds ratios ranging from 2.9 to 7.1. CONCLUSIONS In type 1 diabetes insulin resistance is an underlying risk state for ON, which may be accelerated by other disturbances (for example, hypertension and dyslipidemia). A novel approach to classifying (that is, phenotyping) subjects, which compares those at the extremes of susceptibility, reveals strong genetic associations and important interactions with other risk factors not otherwise apparent.
Predictability of Term Spread for Economic Activity with Liquidity Premium Theory

ABSTRACT In this article, we explore the predictive content of the term spread based on the liquidity premium theory. We decompose the contribution of the spread into the effect of expected future changes in short rates and the effect of the term premium. We also examine whether the predictive power of the term spread for real economic activity can be enhanced by such a decomposition. The basic finding is that both the expectations effect and the term premium effect are relevant for predicting economic fluctuations. In particular, we find that the decomposition might lead to a better prediction for the business-cycle turning points than the usual term spread.
GS domain mutations that constitutively activate T beta R‐I, the downstream signaling component in the TGF‐beta receptor complex.

The TGF‐beta type II receptor (T beta R‐II) is a transmembrane serine/threonine kinase that, upon ligand binding, recruits and phosphorylates a second transmembrane kinase, T beta R‐I, as a requirement for signal transduction. T beta R‐I is phosphorylated by T beta R‐II in the GS domain, a 30 amino acid region preceding the kinase domain and conserved in type I receptors for other TGF‐beta‐related factors. The functional role of seven serines and threonines in the T beta R‐I GS domain was investigated by mutational analysis. Five of these residues are clustered (TTSGSGSG) in the middle of the GS domain. Mutation of two or more of these residues impairs phosphorylation and signaling activity. Two additional threonines are located near the canonical start of the kinase domain, and their individual mutation to valine strongly inhibits receptor phosphorylation and signaling activity. Replacement of one of these residues, Thr204, with aspartic acid yields a product that has elevated in vitro kinase activity and signals anti‐proliferative and transcriptional responses in the absence of ligand and T beta R‐II. The identification of constitutively active T beta R‐I forms confirms the hypothesis that this kinase acts as a down‐stream signaling component in the TGF‐beta receptor complex, and its activation by T beta R‐II or by mutation is necessary and sufficient for propagation of anti‐proliferative and transcriptional responses.
Parental Supervision of Teenage Drivers in a Graduated Licensing System

Objectives. Most states now have lengthy learner periods for young, beginning drivers as part of their graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems. Although parents play a vital role during the learner stage of GDL by supervising driving practice, virtually nothing is known about the nature and quality of parental supervision. The objectives of this study were to investigate parents' supervisory behavior and parent-teen relationships during the learner stage of graduated licensing and to evaluate two approaches for assisting parents in supervising their teenager's early driving experience. Methods. Families of teenagers applying for a learner permit received either a booklet describing highly structured practice sessions for beginning drivers, a series of “tip sheets” offering more generalized guidance, or no special materials. Questionnaires were sent separately to parents and teenagers three to six months after teenagers obtained their permit. Results. Of 1,190 participating families, 653 parents (55%) and 609 teenagers (51%) responded. Both parents and teenagers perceived parents as supportive and helpful during driving sessions. Parents often demonstrated positive behaviors, such as complimenting their teenager and pointing out possible hazards; they also exhibited less desirable behaviors, such as raising their voice, but these were less frequent. A majority of parents (71%) and teenagers (52%) reported that they enjoyed spending this time together. About four months after obtaining a permit, most parents believed their teenager did not yet have enough experience and was not ready to drive unsupervised. Although the reported behaviors are encouraging, within-family agreement was low on most items. Finally, efforts to assist parents proved unsuccessful. Although parents thought the booklet and tip sheets were helpful, most used these materials only in a general way. Conclusions. The extended learning experience required by GDL programs is a positive experience for many families. However, finding a method for helping parents achieve maximum benefits during this process will be challenging. The results also suggest that current requirements in the learner phase of most state GDL systems (six months; 30–50 hours) may be inadequate to ensure that teenagers obtain a sufficient amount of experience to begin driving safely on their own.
Blind Estimation of OFDM Sampling Frequency Offset and Application to Power Line Communication in Aircrafts

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a widely used technique but its practical implementation sometimes leads to issues related to the synchronization between the transmitter and the receiver. The sampling frequency offset playing a major role in the degradation of the link performance, various solutions have been proposed to cope with this effect. The objective of this paper is to present a simple blind estimation of the offset, calculated on each OFDM symbol and thus only based on the received data. A correction is then applied on the phase of the received signal. Synchronization of the receiver with a phased-locked loop is not treated in this paper. After illustrating this approach for an additional white Gaussian noise channel, a power line communication in an aircraft is envisaged. The architecture of the network is described and a parametric study is carried out to assess the performance of the proposed offset estimator and the phase correction technique.
Mechanism, Control and Design Methodology of the Nonholonomic Quasi-Omnidirectional Vehicle “ODV9”

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design of ODV9, a nonholonomic quasi-omnidirectional vehicle to be used as a general platform for mobile robots. Omnidirectional mobility is a desirable property for such a platform because indoor mobile robots are often requested to move in a narrow space. ODV9 has four wheel modules, and each module incorporates one motor, one steering brake, and one conventional wheel equipped with a rubber tire. The use of caster wheels means that ODV9 can be operated with just two motors. Compared with other omnidirectional vehicles, the advantages of ODV9 are not limited to the simplicity of its mechanism. Benefiting from being able to use pneumatic tires, ODV9 is capable of moving on somewhat bumpy road surfaces. The disadvantage of ODV9 is inferiority in its maneuverability. The quasi-omnidirectionality means that an arbitrary x, y and yaw motion cannot be achieved. The disadvantage is, however, compensated by proper use of many possible running modes according to the situation. Experimental results and simulations verify the effectiveness of the design. The ability of ODV9 to get over a step and change its width is also discussed.