Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous abortion: A prospective cohort study of younger women from the general population in Denmark. Validation, occurrence and risk determinants

Objective. To assess the occurrence of spontaneous abortion, comparing two different data sources. To estimate the rate of spontaneous abortion over a 2‐year period, and examine potential predictors of the risk for incident spontaneous abortion. Methods. We used interview data from a population‐based prospective cohort study comprising 11,088 women and data from a linkage of the cohort with the Hospital Discharge Register to compare spontaneous abortions as reported in the interview with those identified in the register. Based on interview data, we estimated the rate of spontaneous abortion during the two‐year follow‐up. Finally, risk determinants for incident spontaneous abortion were analyzed by means of logistic regression. Results. A total of 654 spontaneous abortions before enrolment in the study were reported by the women compared to 531 abortions found in the register. More than 80% of the spontaneous abortions identified from both sources were recorded in the same year. During follow‐up a total of 20.9% of pregnancies intended to be carried to term ended as a spontaneous abortion. In the risk factor analysis, we found that previous spontaneous abortion, being single, never having used oral contraceptives, and use of intrauterine device were associated with increased risk of subsequent spontaneous abortion. In addition, it was indicated that a short interpregnancy interval following a spontaneous abortion may confer an increased risk of abortion in the subsequent pregnancy. Conclusion. We found a high rate of spontaneous abortion in the present study and an acceptable agreement between information obtained by interview and register information. More than 25% of the spontaneous abortions were only reported by the women, and this could not be explained by erroneously reported induced abortions, and may be early, nonhospitalized abortions. We confirm that number of previous spontaneous abortions is a strong determinant, and our data may also indicate a role of previous contraceptive habits. A role of the length of interpregnancy interval in the risk of spontaneous abortion cannot be ruled out.
Towards Theoretical Foundations of Clustering : Thesis Highlights

Clustering is a central unsupervised learning task with a wide variety of applications. However, in spite of its popularity, it lacks a unified theoretical foundation. Recently, there has been work aimed at developing such a theory. We discuss recent advances in clustering theory, including axiomatizing clustering and providing formal guidance for clustering algorithm selection. This paper presents thesis highlights, summarizing the author’s contributions to a formal theory of clustering.
Decentralized Kinematic Control of a Cooperating System of Mobile Manipulators

In this paper, we examine the development of a decentralized control framework for a modular system of wheeled mobile manipulators that can team up to cooperatively transport a large common object. Each individually autonomous mobile manipulator consists of a differentially-driven wheeled mobile robot (WMR) with a passive, two-degree-of-freedom, planar, revolute-jointed arm mounted in the plane parallel to the base of the WMR. The composite multi-degree-of-freedom vehicle, formed by placing a common object on the end-effector of two (or more) such mobile manipulator systems, possesses the ability to accommodate relative positioning errors of the mobile bases as well as change its relative configuration. Particular attention is paid for the development of kinematic control schemes for mobile manipulators, which take into account the non-holonomic constraints of the base and the presence of passive joints in the manipulator system. The control scheme developed for the individual mobile manipulators is then adapted for the decentralized kinematic control of two mobile manipulators carrying a common object along a desired trajectory. Experimental evaluation of the performance of the resulting approach and the ability of the overall collaborating system to accommodate, detect and correct for relative positioning errors between the mobile platforms is also presented.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
FFT Algorithm for Binary Extension Finite Fields and Its Application to Reed–Solomon Codes

Recently, a new polynomial basis over binary extension fields was proposed, such that the fast Fourier transform (FFT) over such fields can be computed in the complexity of order O(n lg(n)), where n is the number of points evaluated in FFT. In this paper, we reformulate this FFT algorithm, such that it can be easier understood and be extended to develop frequencydomain decoding algorithms for (n = 2m, k) systematic Reed-Solomon (RS) codes over F2m, m ∈ Z+, with n- k a power of two. First, the basis of syndrome polynomials is reformulated in the decoding procedure so that the new transforms can be applied to the decoding procedure. A fast extended Euclidean algorithm is developed to determine the error locator polynomial. The computational complexity of the proposed decoding algorithm is O(n lg(n-k)+(n-k) lg2(n-k)), improving upon the best currently available decoding complexity O(n lg2(n) lglg(n)), and reaching the best known complexity bound that was established by Justesen in 1976. However, Justesen's approach is only for the codes over some specific fields, which can apply Cooley-Tukey FFTs. As revealed by the computer simulations, the proposed decoding algorithm is 50 times faster than the conventional one for the (216, 215) RS code over F216.
Proposal for an Ultrasonic Tool to Monitor the Osseointegration of Dental Implants

The longevity of dental implants depends on osseointegration, which provides load-bearing capacity without putting the prosthesis at risk from micromotions at the implant-bone interface. This research involved an analysis of the viability of an ultrasonic evaluation tool to quantify osseointegration. Ultrasonic transmission is directly dependent on the difference between the acoustic impedance of materials in intimate contact with each other. The closer their acoustic impedances the more intense their transmission. Therefore, an analysis of the ultrasonic echoes would presumably allow for a quantitative evaluation of the bone tissue that has grown into the pores of the implant. In addition, the literature reports that bone fracture healing can be accelerated by the application of a controlled low-amplitude mechanical stimulus on the site of the lesion. In fact, acoustic pressure waves of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound are reportedly a secure technique for promoting mechanical stimulus without impairing the healing process. Many experimental and clinical trials have confirmed that daily transcutaneous ultrasound applications on the injured site are beneficial to the enhancement of fractured bone. This proposal aims to bring together the characteristics of ultrasound propagation and the positive effect of ultrasound on bone growth into a single tool that quantitatively monitors the evolution of the osseointegration process. The viability of a device with these features was investigated through simulations and experimentally. The initial simulations were conducted to explore the influence of waveguide shapes on the tool's sensitivity to changes in the implant supporting media. The waveguides were designed in two parts, one consisting of a screw-shaped part to attach to the implant and the other a conical or step-shaped part to which the ultrasonic source was fixed in the first simulations. The step-shaped waveguide proved to be the more sensitive; intermediate stages of the osseointegration process were simulated and experiments were conducted with the step-shaped aluminum waveguide attached to a cylindrical aluminum nut embedded at different depths, so that the results obtained were only due to lateral attachment of the parts. These devices indicated that the transmission of ultrasound through the lateral surface of the implant by dilatational waves could render this tool suitable for monitoring the osseointegration of dental implants.
Glucose monitoring by reverse iontophoresis

Glucose can be extracted through intact skin by electro‐osmotic flow (a process called ‘reverse iontophoresis’) upon the application of a low‐level electrical current. Recently we have combined iontophoretic extraction with an in situ glucose sensor in a device called the GlucoWatch® biographer. Clinical results with this device show close tracking of blood glucose over a range of 2.2 to 22.2 mmol/l for up to 12 h using a single blood glucose value as calibration. The biographer readings lag behind blood glucose values by an average of 18 min. An analysis of data from 92 diabetic subjects in a controlled clinical setting shows a linear relationship (r=0.88) between GlucoWatch biographer readings and blood glucose. The mean absolute relative difference between the two measurements was 15.6% and more than 96% of the data fell in the (A+B) regions of the Clarke error grid. Similar results have been obtained from subjects using the GlucoWatch biographer in an uncontrolled home environment.
Dissecting the Contribution of Individual Receptor Subunits to the Enhancement of N-methyl-d-Aspartate Currents by Dopamine D1 Receptor Activation in Striatum

Dopamine, via activation of D1 receptors, enhances N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated responses in striatal medium-sized spiny neurons. However, the role of specific NMDA receptor subunits in this enhancement remains unknown. Here we used genetic and pharmacological tools to dissect the contribution of NR1 and NR2A/B subunits to NMDA responses and their modulation by dopamine receptors. We demonstrate that D1 enhancement of NMDA responses does not occur or is significantly reduced in mice with genetic knock-down of NR1 subunits, indicating a critical role of these subunits. Interestingly, spontaneous and evoked α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor-mediated responses were significantly enhanced in NR1 knock-down animals, probably as a compensatory mechanism for the marked reduction in NMDA receptor function. The NMDA receptor subunits NR2A and NR2B played differential roles in D1 modulation. Whereas genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of NR2A subunits enhanced D1 potentiation of NMDA responses, blockade of NR2B subunits reduced this potentiation, suggesting that these regulatory subunits of the NMDA receptor counterbalance their respective functions. In addition, using D1 and D2 receptor EGFP-expressing mice, we demonstrate that NR2A subunits contribute more to NMDA responses in D1-MSSNs, whereas NR2B subunits contribute more to NMDA responses in D2 cells. The differential contribution of discrete receptor subunits to NMDA responses and dopamine modulation in the striatum has important implications for synaptic plasticity and selective neuronal vulnerability in disease states.
Economic independence economic status and empty nest in midlife marital disruption.

We examine the risk of separation or divorce later in the marital career from a family development perspective. With data from the [U.S.] National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women we use a hazards framework to estimate the effects of womens economic independence couples economic status and family life course factors on the risk of middle-age separation or divorce. Several dimensions of economic independence and economic status influence the risk of midlife marital disruption. Moreover the transition to empty nest influences the risk of marital disruption but the effect of empty nest depends on the duration of the marriage. This is a revised version of a paper originally presented at the 1994 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America. (EXCERPT)
A global scale factor in brain topography.

In this paper statistical resampling techniques are used to support the presence of an equiangular first principal component in EEG log spectra and therefore the existence of a global scale factor in EEG recordings. the Log transformed spectra from a normal sample (n = 211, age 5-97) were analyzed. To reach this conclusion a method for estimating the scale factor is introduced. It is also shown that this factor remains constant in each individual for all derivations and frequencies and across functional states. The contribution of this scale factor to the overall variance of the normal EEG reaches 42% of the total variance of age corrected data. Part of the variance of the scale factor exhibits age dependency. Scale factor correction of EEG spectra data improves the diagnostic accuracy for detecting pathological EEG spectra from an almost random level (Area under the ROC curve = .6) to . 84.
α4* Nicotinic Receptors in preBötzinger Complex Mediate Cholinergic/Nicotinic Modulation of Respiratory Rhythm

Acetylcholine and nicotine can modulate respiratory patterns by acting on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the preBötzinger complex (preBötC). To further explore the molecular composition of these nAChRs, we studied a knock-in mouse strain with a leucine-to-alanine mutation in the M2 pore-lining region (L9′A) of the nAChR α4 subunit; this mutation renders α4-containing receptors hypersensitive to agonists. We recorded respiratory-related rhythmic motor activity from hypoglossal nerve (XIIn) and patch-clamped preBötC inspiratory neurons in an in vitro medullary slice preparation from neonatal mice. Nicotine affected respiratory rhythm at concentrations ∼100-fold lower in the homozygous L9′A knock-in mice compared with wild-type mice. Bath application of 5 nm nicotine increased the excitability of preBötC inspiratory neurons, increased respiratory frequency, and induced tonic/seizure-like activities in XIIn in L9′A mice, effects similar to those induced by 1 μm nicotine in wild-type mice. In L9′A mice, microinjection of low nanomolar concentrations of nicotine into the preBötC increased respiratory frequency, whereas injection into the ipsilateral hypoglossal (XII) nucleus induced tonic/seizure-like activity. The α4*-selective nAChR antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine produced opposite effects and blocked the nicotinic responses. These data, showing that nAChRs in the preBötC and XII nucleus in L9'A mice are hypersensitive to nicotine and endogenous ACh, suggest that functional α4* nAChRs are present in the preBötC. They mediate cholinergic/nicotinic modulation of the excitability of preBötC inspiratory neurons and of respiratory rhythm. Furthermore, functional α4* nAChRs are present in XII nucleus and mediate cholinergic/nicotinic modulation of tonic activity in XIIn.
An evaluation of animated demonstrations of learning computer-based tasks

Animated demonstrations are real-time instantiation of computer-based procedures. They appear to be a natural way of helping people learn direct manipulation interfaces, yet we know little about their efficacy. Carefully matched animated demonstrations, procedural textual instructions, and acombi-nation of demonstrations and spoken text were compared. The demonstration groups were faster and more accurate when learning procedural tasks, but seven days later the text group was faster and as accurate when performing identical and similar tasks. Apparently, the processing of animated demonstrations may not be sufficient for retention and transfer of interface procedures. Even with accompanying text provided, the simplicity of using demonstrations may encourage mimicry and disregard of text.
Antiviral and Neuroprotective Role of Octaguanidinium Dendrimer-Conjugated Morpholino Oligomers in Japanese Encephalitis

Background Japanese encephalitis (JE), caused by a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is endemic to the entire south-east Asian and adjoining regions. Currently no therapeutic interventions are available for JE, thereby making it one of the most dreaded encephalitides in the world. An effective way to counter the virus would be to inhibit viral replication by using anti-sense molecules directed against the viral genome. Octaguanidinium dendrimer-conjugated Morpholino (or Vivo-Morpholino) are uncharged anti-sense oligomers that can enter cells of living organisms by endocytosis and subsequently escape from endosomes into the cytosol/nuclear compartment of cells. We hypothesize that Vivo-Morpholinos generated against specific regions of 3′ or 5′ untranslated regions of JEV genome, when administered in an experimental model of JE, will have significant antiviral and neuroprotective effect. Methodology/Principal Findings Mice were infected with JEV (GP78 strain) followed by intraperitoneal administration of Morpholinos (5 mg/kg body weight) daily for up to five treatments. Survivability of the animals was monitored for 15 days (or until death) following which they were sacrificed and their brains were processed either for immunohistochemical staining or protein extraction. Plaque assay and immunoblot analysis performed from brain homogenates showed reduced viral load and viral protein expression, resulting in greater survival of infected animals. Neuroprotective effect was observed by thionin staining of brain sections. Cytokine bead array showed reduction in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in brain following Morpholino treatment, which were elevated after infection. This corresponded to reduced microglial activation in brain. Oxidative stress was reduced and certain stress-related signaling molecules were found to be positively modulated following Morpholino treatment. In vitro studies also showed that there was decrease in infective viral particle production following Morpholino treatment. Conclusions/Significance Administration of Vivo-Morpholino effectively resulted in increased survival of animals and neuroprotection in a murine model of JE. Hence, these oligomers represent a potential antiviral agent that merits further evaluation.
Typesetting for Improved Readability using Lexical and Syntactic Information

We present results from our study of which uses syntactically and semantically motivated information to group segments of sentences into unbreakable units for the purpose of typesetting those sentences in a region of a fixed width, using an otherwise standard dynamic programming line breaking algorithm, to minimize raggedness. In addition to a rule-based baseline segmenter, we use a very modest size text, manually annotated with positions of breaks, to train a maximum entropy classifier, relying on an extensive set of lexical and syntactic features, which can then predict whether or not to break after a certain word position in a sentence. We also use a simple genetic algorithm to search for a subset of the features optimizing F1, to arrive at a set of features that delivers 89.2% Precision, 90.2% Recall (89.7% F1) on a test set, improving the rule-based baseline by about 11 points and the classifier trained on all features by about 1 point in F1.
Differential flatness control approach for fuel cell/solar cell power plant with Li-ion battery storage device for grid-independent applications

A solar cell/hydrogen energy power plant, fed by photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cell (FC) sources with a Li-ion battery (Bat) storage device and suitable for distributed generation applications, is proposed herein. The PV is used as the main source; the FC acts as a backup, feeding only the insufficiency power (steady-state) from the PV; and the battery functions as an auxiliary source and a short-term storage system for supplying the deficiency power (transient and steady-state) from the PV and the FC. For high-power applications and optimization in power converters, four-phase parallel converters are implemented for the FC converter, the PV converter, and the battery converter, respectively. Using the non-linear estimation based on the differential flatness property for dc bus energy regulation, we propose a simple solution to the fast response and stabilization problems in the power system. This is the main contribution of this research paper. The prototype small-scale power plant implemented was composed of a PEMFC system (1.2 kW, 46 A [NexaTM Ballard Power Systems]), a PV array (0.8 kW [Ekarat Solar Cell]), and a Li-ion module (11.6 Ah, 24 V [SAFT Technology]). Experimental results validate the excellent control algorithm during load cycles.
Posaconazole as Salvage Therapy in Patients With Invasive Fungal Infections After Solid Organ Transplant

Background. The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients has increased during the past 20 years and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In this post hoc analysis of a large, open-label, multicenter study, we evaluated efficacy and safety of posaconazole, a new extended-spectrum triazole, as salvage therapy for IFIs in SOT recipients. Methods. Twenty-three SOT recipients with proven or probable IFI and evidence of disease refractory to, or intolerant of, standard antifungal therapies received posaconazole oral suspension (40 mg/mL) 800 mg daily in divided doses. An independent, blinded data-review committee assessed patient diagnosis and outcome. Results. Complete or partial response was documented in 13 of 23 (57%) SOT recipients with proven or probable IFIs, including 1 of 2 (50%) refractory patients, 5 of 8 (63%) intolerant to prior therapy, and 7 of 13 (54%) who were both. Successes by type of IFI included 7 of 12 with invasive aspergillosis, 2 of 2 with invasive fusariosis, 1 of 1 with cryptococcosis, and 1 of 2 with zygomycosis. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 12 of 23 patients. Severe TRAEs occurred in 4 of 23 patients including increased levels of cyclosporine or tacrolimus requiring immunosuppressive dose adjustments in three patients and in one, termination of posaconazole. Severe TRAEs associated with renal and liver toxicities were uncommon. Conclusion. Posaconazole was well tolerated and effective against IFIs including invasive aspergillosis, zygomycosis, fusariosis, and cryptococcosis in SOT recipients intolerant of or failing other antifungal therapies. Calcineurin inhibitor levels should be closely monitored in patients treated concomitantly with posaconazole to avoid toxicity from drug interaction.
The Power of the Inside Activist: Understanding Policy Change by Empowering the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF)

This article contributes to an understanding of policy change. Exploring a local land planning case, it investigates how an environmental advocacy coalition effectively challenged road and housing plans, with the result that an area was instead developed into a nature reserve. In the course of the article, the value and practical effectiveness of the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) is examined and developed with the help of two central concepts—the “value network” and “inside activist”. The outcome of the case is explained by the powerful influence of a value network of ornithologists, with particular inside activists of that network playing important roles in presenting a challenge to development of the area. Instead of trying to build an abstract theory of the ACF, the article argues the need to develop the ACF as a framework, opening it up to insights from policy network and social constructionist research as well as from practical processes.