Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Similarity Measure Based on Adaptive Neighbors for Spectral Clustering

Spectral clustering has become one of the most popular clustering methods for exploratory data analysis. Similarity measure is crucial to the performance of spectral clustering. In this paper, to improve spectral clustering, we propose an efficient method that measures the similarity for spectral clustering by considering the adaptive and optimal neighbors of each data based on the local structure. The similarity of two data points is measured based on the probability that these two data points are neighbors. The proposed method is able to explore the underlying similarity relationships between data points, and is robust to the datasets with high dimensions. We evaluate the proposed method by using high dimensional real-world datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method not only achieves good performance, but also outperforms the traditional spectral clustering algorithms.
Using Ecological Null Models to Assess the Potential for Marine Protected Area Networks to Protect Biodiversity

Marine protected area (MPA) networks have been proposed as a principal method for conserving biological diversity, yet patterns of diversity may ultimately complicate or compromise the development of such networks. We show how a series of ecological null models can be applied to assemblage data across sites in order to identify non-random biological patterns likely to influence the effectiveness of MPA network design. We use fish census data from Caribbean fore-reefs as a test system and demonstrate that: 1) site assemblages were nested, such that species found on sites with relatively few species were subsets of those found on sites with relatively many species, 2) species co-occurred across sites more than expected by chance once species-habitat associations were accounted for, and 3) guilds were most evenly represented at the richest sites and richness among all guilds was correlated (i.e., species and trophic diversity were closely linked). These results suggest that the emerging Caribbean marine protected area network will likely be successful at protecting regional diversity even if planning is largely constrained by insular, inventory-based design efforts. By recasting ecological null models as tests of assemblage patterns likely to influence management action, we demonstrate how these classic tools of ecological theory can be brought to bear in applied conservation problems.
Optical Character Recognition System for Nepali Language Using ConvNet

This paper describes the implementation of CNN (Convolution Neural Network) based Optical Character Recognition System for Nepali Language, a commonly spoken language in Nepal. The system has been developed in python using Keras[1] library on top of Theano[2] and numpy[3]. The system has been trained using a set of real world[4] and synthesized data sets considering various noise conditions. The tests have also been carried out in a similar setup. This paper details the experiment by discussing the concept, implementation details and overall interpretation of the system.
Assessing fitness for surgery: a comparison of questionnaire, incremental shuttle walk, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing in general surgical patients.

BACKGROUND Morbidity and mortality are higher in patients with poor preoperative cardiorespiratory reserve. This study aimed to ascertain fitness and therefore risk in elective patients, comparing three measures: Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) questionnaire, incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), and cycle cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). We looked for correlation between the measures and for thresholds on the questionnaire or shuttle test which could identify fit patients and render CPET unnecessary. METHODS A prospective cohort trial of 50 patients having intra-abdominal surgery. Each performed DASI, ISWT, and CPET during a single visit to the hospital. RESULTS There was a significant correlation between measured oxygen consumption and both ISWT and DASI. Receiver operator curve showed both the shuttle walk test and the DASI are sensitive and specific predictors of VO(2)peak >15 ml O(2) kg(-1) min(-1) and anaerobic threshold (AT) >11 ml O(2) kg(-1) min(-1). Thirty-two patients would be considered lower risk, having achieved both VO(2)peak and AT cut-offs. Setting an ISWT threshold of 360 m identified 13 of the lower risk patients [positive predictive value (PPV) 1.0, negative predictive value (NPV) 0.49]. Setting a DASI threshold score of 46 identified nine lower risk patients (PPV 1.0, NPV 0.44). CONCLUSIONS We found a significant correlation between the tests. However, many patients with poor questionnaire scores or shuttle walks had satisfactory CPET results. Hence, the ability of either simple test to determine risk in a heterogeneous surgical population is poor. CPET provides an objective measurement of cardiopulmonary fitness; however, evidence for this information improving patient outcome is limited and requires further research.
Association between Corneal Biomechanical Properties with Ocular Response Analyzer and Also CorvisST Tonometry, and Glaucomatous Visual Field Severity

Purpose To investigate the association between corneal biomechanical properties measured with the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and also CorvisST (CST) tonometry, and glaucomatous visual field (VF) severity. Methods One hundred forty-six eyes of 91 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who performed Humphrey Field Analyzer 30-2 or 24-2 SITA-Standard, ORA, and CST within 180 days were included in this multicentral, observational cross-sectional study. The association between ORA parameters (corneal hysteresis [CH] and corneal resistant factor [CRF]), CST parameters (A1 and A2 time, A1 and A2 length, A1 and A2 velocity, A1 and A2 deformation amplitude, highest deformation amplitude, highest concavity time, peak distance, and radius), and other basic parameters (age, intraocular pressure with Goldmann applanation tonometry, central corneal thickness, and axial length) against mean total deviation (mTD) were analyzed using a linear mixed-model and model selection with corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc). Results The optimal model of VF severity included ORA's CH as well as a number of CST parameters, including A1 length, A2 time, radius, and highest concavity deformation amplitude (AICc: 971.7). The possibility this model describes visual field severity more accurately than the optimal model without CST parameters was 99.98%. Conclusion Glaucomatous VF severity was best described by both ORA and CST parameters. Eyes with corneas that experience sharp and deep indentation at the maximum deformation, wide indentation at the first applanation, and early second applanation in the CST measurement are more likely to show advanced VF severity. Translational Relevance CorvisST tonometry parameters are related to VF severity in glaucoma patients.
Epidemiology of Cryptococcosis and Cryptococcal Meningitis in a Large Retrospective Cohort of Patients After Solid Organ Transplantation

Abstract Background Cryptococcosis is the third most common invasive fungal infection in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. There are no nationally representative data describing the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of cryptococcosis after SOT. Methods We assembled a large cohort of adult SOT recipients using Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification billing data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases of Florida (2006–2012), New York (2006–2011), and California (2004–2010). Demographics, comorbidities, death, and cryptococcal infections coded during hospitalization were identified. Results A total of 42634 adults with SOT were identified during the study period. Cryptococcal disease was identified in 0.37% (n = 158), 44% of which had meningitis (n = 69). Median time to diagnosis of cryptococcosis was 464 days (range, 4–2393). The median time to onset of cryptococcosis was earlier for lung (191 days; range, 7.5–1816), heart (195 days; range, 4–1061), and liver (200 days; range, 4–1581) compared with kidney transplant recipients (616 days; range, 12–2393; P < .001, log rank test). Very early-onset disease (<30 days after transplantation) more frequently occurred in liver and lung transplant recipients. Lung transplant recipients had the highest risk of cryptococcosis (hazard ratio [HR], 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–3.60). Cryptococcosis was associated with death (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.68–3.11), after adjusting for age, type of SOT, and other comorbidities. Conclusions Cryptococcosis is rare after SOT, but it is associated with significantly increased risk of death. Lung transplant recipients are at highest risk for cryptococcosis among SOTs. Nonkidney transplants have earlier onset of cryptococcosis and higher risk of death compared with kidney transplant recipients.
On Modeling Community Behaviors and Sentiments in Microblogging

In this paper, we propose the CBS topic model, a probabilistic graphical model, to derive the user communities in microblogging networks based on the sentiments they express on their generated content and behaviors they adopt. As a topic model, CBS can uncover hidden topics and derive user topic distribution. In addition, our model associates topicspecific sentiments and behaviors with each user community. Notably, CBS has a general framework that accommodates multiple types of behaviors simultaneously. Our experiments on two Twitter datasets show that the CBS model can effectively mine the representative behaviors and emotional topics for each community. We also demonstrate that CBS model perform as well as other state-of-the-art models in modeling topics, but outperforms the rest in mining user
The Scarring Effects of Father’s Unemployment? Job-Security Satisfaction and Mental Health at Midlife

Objectives We investigate the association between early-life paternal unemployment and midlife mental health, examining whether the impact of father's unemployment may vary contingent on the broader economic context on which it occurred. We also investigate job-security satisfaction as a potential mediator of this association. Method We utilize random-effects models, drawing on 15 waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, with 7,438 individuals and 42,309 individual-time observations. Results We find respondents whose father was unemployed report worse mental health at midlife (-2.27; p < .01), with the association being modest, though statistically significant. This association is also stronger for younger respondents, whose paternal unemployment was more likely during the economic downturn of the mid 1970s in Australia. Paternal unemployment is also associated with lower satisfaction with job security at midlife (-0.17; p < 0.05), which is related to worse mental health; however, it explains little of the association between paternal unemployment and mental health. Discussion Existing research finds paternal unemployment relates to educational attainment, socioeconomic achievement, and wellbeing in the shorter term, but exposure to this event may also have enduring implications for the wellbeing of the offspring.
The Impact of Tobacco Control Policies on Smoking Among Socioeconomic Groups in Nine European Countries, 1990–2007

Background It is uncertain whether tobacco control policies have contributed to a narrowing or widening of socioeconomic inequalities in smoking in European countries during the past two decades. This paper aims to investigate the impact of price and non-price related population-wide tobacco control policies on smoking by socioeconomic group in nine European countries between 1990 and 2007. Methods Individual-level education, occupation and smoking status were obtained from nationally representative surveys. Country-level price-related tobacco control policies were measured by the relative price of cheapest cigarettes and of cigarettes in the most popular price category. Country-level non-price policies were measured by a summary score covering four policy domains: smoking bans or restrictions in public places and workplaces, bans on advertising and promotion, health warning labels, and cessation services. The associations between policies and smoking were explored using logistic regressions, stratified by education and occupation, and adjusted for age, Gross Domestic Product, period and country fixed effects. Results The price of popular cigarettes and non-price policies were negatively associated with smoking among men. The price of the cheapest cigarettes was negatively associated with smoking among women. While these favorable effects were generally in the same direction for all socioeconomic groups, they were larger and statistically significant in lower socioeconomic groups only. Conclusions Tobacco control policies as implemented in nine European countries, have probably helped to reduce the prevalence of smoking in the total population, particularly in lower socioeconomic groups. Widening inequalities in smoking may be explained by other factors. Policies with larger effects on lower socioeconomic groups are needed to reverse this trend. Implications Socioeconomic inequalities in smoking widened between the 1990s and the 2000s in Europe. During the same period, there were intensified tobacco control policies in many European countries. It is uncertain whether tobacco control policies have contributed to a narrowing or widening of socioeconomic inequalities in smoking in European countries. This study shows that tobacco control policies as implemented in the available European countries have helped to reduce the prevalence of smoking in the total population, particularly in lower socioeconomic groups. Widening inequalities in smoking may be explained by other factors.
Recent progress in long-term stability of perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells are made a huge breakthrough among the nanostructured thin film photovoltaics. They exhibited certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high 24 % in 2015. A vast amount of research were spent on improvement of PCE and lowering the fabrication process temperature, resulting in outstanding outcomes in these areas. In contrast, the long-term stability and commercialization of these devices were not well studied. The review briefly summaries the challenges of perovskite solar cells in the road of stabilization and commercialization.
Molecular Signatures Reveal Circadian Clocks May Orchestrate the Homeorhetic Response to Lactation

Genes associated with lactation evolved more slowly than other genes in the mammalian genome. Higher conservation of milk and mammary genes suggest that species variation in milk composition is due in part to the environment and that we must look deeper into the genome for regulation of lactation. At the onset of lactation, metabolic changes are coordinated among multiple tissues through the endocrine system to accommodate the increased demand for nutrients and energy while allowing the animal to remain in homeostasis. This process is known as homeorhesis. Homeorhetic adaptation to lactation has been extensively described; however how these adaptations are orchestrated among multiple tissues remains elusive. To develop a clearer picture of how gene expression is coordinated across multiple tissues during the pregnancy to lactation transition, total RNA was isolated from mammary, liver and adipose tissues collected from rat dams (n = 5) on day 20 of pregnancy and day 1 of lactation, and gene expression was measured using Affymetrix GeneChips. Two types of gene expression analysis were performed. Genes that were differentially expressed between days within a tissue were identified with linear regression, and univariate regression was used to identify genes commonly up-regulated and down-regulated across all tissues. Gene set enrichment analysis showed genes commonly up regulated among the three tissues enriched gene ontologies primary metabolic processes, macromolecular complex assembly and negative regulation of apoptosis ontologies. Genes enriched in transcription regulator activity showed the common up regulation of 2 core molecular clock genes, ARNTL and CLOCK. Commonly down regulated genes enriched Rhythmic process and included: NR1D1, DBP, BHLHB2, OPN4, and HTR7, which regulate intracellular circadian rhythms. Changes in mammary, liver and adipose transcriptomes at the onset of lactation illustrate the complexity of homeorhetic adaptations and suggest that these changes are coordinated through molecular clocks.
Graph Grammars: An ITS Technology for Diagram Representations

For many educational applications such as learning tools for argumentation, structured diagrams are a suitable form of external representation. However, student-created graphs pose some problems to ITS designers, especially in defined domains. This paper demonstrates a graph-grammar-based approach for ITS construction in domains that benefit from diagram representations. For these, graph grammars offer some helpful affordances. They make it easy to express possible manipulations by which a student might create a diagram, they facilitate the definition of structurally complex and pedagogically interesting constellations of graph elements to which an ITS should respond with feedback messages, and they offer a general parsing mechanism that allows the analysis of student-created diagrams by recognizing these constellations in graphs.
Activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 is involved in protection against mitochondrial dysfunction and cerebral ischaemic tolerance induced by isoflurane preconditioning

Background Isoflurane preconditioning (IPC) induces cerebral ischaemic tolerance, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine changes in mitochondrial function in the brain after IPC, and whether the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) could be involved in the mechanism of mitochondrial protection mediated by IPC. Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with isoflurane 2% for 1 h day -1 , for 5 days consecutively, and then subjected to 120 min right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Cannabinoid receptor 1 expression in the cellular and mitochondrial membrane was measured. The CB1R agonist HU-210 was administered alone, or the antagonists AM251 and SR141716A were given to the animals before each preconditioning. Neurological scores, infarct volume, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function were examined after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Results Expression of CB1R on cellular and mitochondrial membranes was increased 6 h after preconditioning. Both IPC and HU-210 administration before middle cerebral artery occlusion improved neurological outcomes and reduced infarct volume. Isoflurane preconditioning increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-X L and reduced apoptosis in neurones. Isoflurane preconditioning and HU-210 also markedly preserved the activity of respiratory chain complexes, reduced mitochondrial radical generation, preserved mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonists abolished the improvement in mitochondrial function and the neuroprotective effects induced by IPC. Conclusions Our results indicate that IPC elicits brain ischaemic tolerance and mitochondrial protection by activating the CB1R, which provides a new mechanism for IPC-induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischaemia.
Antibacterial coating on in-line suction respiratory catheter to inhibit the bacterial biofilm formation using renewable cardanyl methacrylate copolymer

Abstract Health-care materials associated with infections are very common in hospital admitted patients. There are generally infected by contact with the catheter or other multipurpose devices which are contacted with microbes. The respiratory infections associated with the pathogens having strong biofilm forming ability on catheter surface, causes life-threatening in every year. Therefore, a catheter coating material is of great interest which inhibits the biofilm formation of pathogens on a catheter to prevent respiratory infections. In this study, we synthesized cardanol containing copolymers as antimicrobial healthcare material via radical polymerization of cardanyl methacrylate (CMA) with styrene (St) monomer in presence of free radical initiator. The rate of polymerization was drastically reduced with the increase of feeding CMA monomer in copolymer. The thermal and mechanical properties were found to increase with incorporation of cardanol moiety in brittle and hard polystyrene. This soft copolymer was grafted onto polyvinyl chloride respiratory catheter which showed high antibacterial activity, inhibit the biofilm formation and also prevent bacterial adhesion. Therefore, the developed coating material on respiratory catheter surface is effective way to control the respiratory catheter-associated nosocomial infections.
Giant Photoresponsivity of Midinfrared Hyperbolic Metamaterials in the Photon-Assisted-Tunneling Regime

We explore broadband and omnidirectional midinfrared rectification based on nanopatterned hyperbolic metamaterials, composed of two dissimilar metals separated by an ultrathin dielectric layer. The exotic slow-light modes supported by such periodically trenched hyperbolic metamaterials efficiently trap incident radiation in massively parallel metal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions producing ultrafast infrared rectification via photon-assisted tunneling. This leads to a highly efficient photon-to-electron transduction with obtained photocurrent orders of magnitude larger than conventional lumped-element devices, such as nanorectennas and point-contact rectifiers. Our results promise an impact on infrared energy harvesters and plasmonic photodetectors.
Food formulation and not processing level: Conceptual divergences between public health and food science and technology sectors

ABSTRACT Observed changes in eating and drinking behaviors in economically developing countries are associated with increase of obesity and related chronic diseases. Researchers from field of public health (PH) have attributed this problem to food processing and have created new food classification systems to support their thesis. These classifications conceptually differ from processing level concepts in food science, and state to people that food processing is directly related to nutritional impact of food. Our work aims to compare the concept of food processing from the standpoint of food science and technology (FST) and public health and to discuss differences related to formulation or level of processing of products and their impact on nutritional quality. There is a misconception between food processing/unit operation/food technology and formulation or recipes. For the public health approach, classification is based on food products selection and the use of ingredients that results in higher consumption of sugar, sodium, fat, and additives, whereas in FST, processing level is based on the intensity and amount of unit operations to enhance shelf life, food safety, food quality, and availability of edible parts of raw materials. Nutritional quality of a product or preparation is associated with formulation/recipe and not with the level of processing, with few exceptions. The impact of these recommendations on the actual comprehension of food processing and quality must be considered by the population.