Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Change in Weight Status and Development of Hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of BMI percentile and change in BMI percentile to change in blood pressure (BP) percentile and development of hypertension (HTN). METHODS: This retrospective cohort included 101 606 subjects age 3 to 17 years from 3 health systems across the United States. Height, weight, and BPs were extracted from electronic health records, and BMI and BP percentiles were computed with the appropriate age, gender, and height charts. Mixed linear regression estimated change in BP percentile, and proportional hazards regression was used to estimate risk of incident HTN associated with BMI percentile and change in BMI percentile. RESULTS: The largest increases in BP percentile were observed among children and adolescents who became obese or maintained obesity. Over a median 3.1 years of follow-up, 0.3% of subjects developed HTN. Obese children ages 3 to 11 had twofold increased risk of developing HTN compared with healthy weight children. Obese children and adolescents had a twofold increased risk of developing HTN, and severely obese children had a more than fourfold increased risk. Compared with those who maintained a healthy weight, children and adolescents who became obese or maintained obesity had a more than threefold increased risk of incident HTN. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a strong, statistically significant association between increasing BMI percentile and increases in BP percentile, with risk of incident HTN associated primarily with obesity. The adverse impact of weight gain and obesity in this cohort over a short period underscores the early need for effective strategies for prevention of overweight and obesity.
Suborbital vehicle re-entry dynamic inversion controller design and control allocation research

To solve the re-entry control problem of suborbital vehicle, which has a large dynamic range and uncertainty, a dynamic inversion control system based on time-scale and linear feedback was presented. There is no gain scheduling required in this controller, and it can adapt to the nonlinear, strong-coupled plant characteristics and large-scale changes of the environment. This controller also decreases the dependency on the aerodynamics and structure parameters in different flight conditions. In order to use different kind of actuators efficiently, a double layer control allocation method was proposed. The first layer allocates the controlling moments to the reaction control system (RCS) and aerosurface control system (ACS) depending upon the phases of flight. The second layer allocates them to the different jets in case of RCS and actuators in case of ACS (aileron, elevator and rudder) in order to generate the moments in the desired direction. It was proved by 6 degree of freedom (DOF) nonlinear simulation that the control system can accurately track guidance commands in the presence of significant aerodynamic uncertainties.
Parents with learning disabilities : perception of assumptions made by health and social care professionals about their right and ability to be a parent

The number of people with learning disabilities (LD) who become parents is rapidly increasing, as opportunities widen for people with LD to participate in all aspects of society. However, parents with LD continue to face negative attitudes and potential discrimination from both professionals and the wider community, based on erroneous assumptions, stemming from eugenic principles. This thesis investigated the experiences of parents with LD, with regard to the assumptions they encounter or perceive from the professionals who support them. Although previous research has established the continued existence of negative attitudes amongst professionals, no research has considered the awareness and impact of such assumptions from the perspective of the parents themselves. Thematic analysis was deemed an appropriate methodology to address the gap in qualitative research with this population, a method which allowed investigation of parents’ experiences while providing the flexibility to accommodate the particular abilities of people with LD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten parents with LD, whose children remained living at home with them following an assessment of their parenting. Following analysis of interview transcripts, four overarching themes were established, based on their frequency and importance for participants. In the first super-ordinate theme, parents attributed a number of negative attitudes to professionals, at times based on directly expressed assumptions by professionals, but most often inferred without direct experience. A second related, but distinct theme was parents’ experiences of treatment by professionals. The instances of negative treatment parents described may have led to the attribution of assumptions by professionals. However, it is equally possible that parents’ pre-conception of professional assumptions influenced the way they experienced professional treatment. A third theme related to the impact of both inferred professional assumptions and treatment on parents, particularly in terms of emotional consequences and willingness to engage. Given that parents were all aware of negative assumptions, a final theme considered the extent to which parents internalised negative assumptions and applied them to themselves. Additional themes in an extended paper highlighted examples of good practice, leading to a number of recommendations for professionals working with parents with LD. For all ten parents, the importance of constructive and empowering professional relationships, as opposed to paternalistic and disempowering treatment based on outdated assumptions was emphasised. These results represent the first exploration of parents with LD’s awareness and experience of negative assumptions and stigma, and have clear implications in terms of professional approaches to working with parents with LD.
Transductive learning for statistical machine translation

Statistical machine translation systems are usually trained on large amounts of bilingual text and monolingual text in the target language. In this paper we explore the use of transductive semi-supervised methods for the effective use of monolingual data from the source language in order to improve translation quality. We propose several algorithms with this aim, and present the strengths and weaknesses of each one. We present detailed experimental evaluations on the French‐English EuroParl data set and on data from the NIST Chinese‐English largedata track. We show a significant improvement in translation quality on both tasks.
RCFD: A frequency-based channel access scheme for full-duplex wireless networks

Recently, several working implementations of inband full-duplex wireless systems have been presented, where the same node can transmit and receive simultaneously in the same frequency band. The introduction of such a possibility at the physical layer could lead to improved performance but also poses several challenges at the MAC layer. In this paper, an innovative mechanism of channel contention in full-duplex OFDM wireless networks is proposed. This strategy is able to ensure efficient transmission scheduling with the result of avoiding collisions and effectively exploiting full-duplex opportunities. As a consequence, considerable performance improvements are observed with respect to standard and state-of-the-art MAC protocols for wireless networks, as highlighted by extensive simulations performed in ad hoc wireless networks with varying number of nodes.
Missing Texture Reconstruction Method Based on Perceptually Optimized Algorithm

This paper presents a simple and effective missing texture reconstruction method based on a perceptually optimized algorithm. The proposed method utilizes the structural similarity (SSIM) index as a new visual quality measure for reconstructing missing areas. Furthermore, in order to adaptively reconstruct target images containing several kinds of textures, the following two novel approaches are introduced into the SSIM-based reconstruction algorithm. First, the proposed method performs SSIM-based selection of the optimal known local textures to adaptively obtain subspaces for reconstructing missing textures. Secondly, missing texture reconstruction that maximizes the SSIM index in the known neighboring areas is performed. In this approach, the nonconvex maximization problem is reformulated as a quasi convex problem, and adaptive reconstruction of the missing textures based on the perceptually optimized algorithm becomes feasible. Experimental results show impressive improvements of the proposed method over previously reported reconstruction methods.
Noninvasive assessment of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity: the influence of body side and body contours

Background: Recently, an expert group advised to measure carotid-femoral (cf) pulse wave velocity (PWV) on the right side of the body, and to use a sliding caliper when tape measure distance cannot be obtained in a straight line. The present study investigates the evidence for this advice by comparing the real travelled cf path lengths (RTPLs) at both body sides and comparing the straight distance (as can be obtained with a sliding caliper) with the tape measure distance. Methods: RTPLs were measured with MRI in 98 individuals (49 men, age 21–76 years). Path lengths from the aortic arch to the carotid (AA-CA) and femoral (AA-FA) sites were determined. RTPL was calculated as (AA-FA) - (AA-CA) and compared between both sides. RTPLs were compared with 80% of the direct cf distance using a tape measure and the straight cf distance obtained from MRI images. Results: RTPL was slightly longer [11 mm (12), P < 0.001] at the right side. The 80%-rule overestimated RTPLs with 0.5% at the right and 2.7% at the left side. Straight MRI distance tended (P = 0.09) to perform slightly better than tape measure distance. Conclusion: The travelled cf path is slightly longer at the right than at the left body side and the straight MRI distance tends to perform better than tape measure distance. The present study supports the advice of the expert consensus group to measure cf-PWV at the right body side using a sliding caliper when tape measure distance cannot be obtained in a straight line.
Application of Gut Cell Models for Toxicological and Bioactivity Studies of Functional and Novel Foods

The concept of functional and novel foods undoubtedly bears great potential as an asset to human health. However, this very same quest for ever new bioactive ingredients calls for reliable and distinct risk assessment as they may be potentially hazardous to human health. Most of today’s methodologies still rely on decades old routines of animal trials and use of tumor-derived cell lines. Since such methodologies are not in line with the actual processes in the human body and with the 3R (replacement, reduction, refinement) concept, the results are often unreliable and misleading. Therefore, in this paper we propose the utilization of available untransformed small intestinal cell lines derived from human and pig tissue of non-tumor origin and describe several available cell models of the gut that offer a functional, close resemblance with the in vivo environment.
Proposal for an ad-hoc routing protocol considering traffic conditions and evaluation of UDP using a redundant route

We propose a new ad-hoc routing protocol named “PD-OLSR”(Protocol Dependent-OLSR) which makes the best of UDP and TCP, based on separate routing tables for UDP and TCP. It also enables the route selection to avoid network congestion, considering traffic conditions of nodes. In this paper, we show summary of PD-OLSR and performance evaluation. As a result of simulation, we confirmed that there are cases where we can get better performance with an increased number of hops by taking a redundant route, rather than taking the shortest one.
How is deep vein thrombosis diagnosed and managed in UK and Australian emergency departments?

Background: Recent research has identified technologies that may be of value in the diagnosis and management of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). We aimed to survey current practice in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia to determine the extent to which these technologies have been implemented in these two healthcare systems. Methods: We undertook a postal survey of 255 hospitals in the UK and 89 hospitals in Australia, requesting details of individual diagnostic tests, use of diagnostic algorithms, and management of DVT. Results: We received replies from 186/255 UK hospitals (73%) and 84/89 of Australian hospitals (94%). Ultrasonography and laboratory based d-dimer were the most commonly available tests. We received 43 different algorithms from 51 hospitals. With only a very few exceptions, DVT diagnosis was ruled in by positive venography or positive ultrasound without venographic confirmation. By contrast a variety of different criteria were used to rule out DVT. Most algorithms used a combination of low clinical risk and negative d-dimer to rule out DVT, but some required all patients to receive ultrasound or venography. Few ruled out on the basis of low clinical risk or negative d-dimer alone. Low molecular weight heparins were overwhelmingly the treatment of choice for established DVT. Most departments (214/264; 81%) offered outpatient treatment. Conclusion: Recently developed technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of DVT have been widely implemented in the UK and Australia. Variation in practice, and thus presumably uncertainty, seems to be greatest in relation with the criteria used to rule out DVT.
Inculcation of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Arabic Language Teaching at Malaysian Primary Schools

This study was aimed at identifying activities and teachers’ role in inculcating Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). A total of 30 teachers among main trainers of the Arabic language (j-Qaf) in primary schools in Malacca were selected as the respondents for the study. Data was collected via a questionnaire developed based on the checklist for teaching creativity and critical thinking (Teacher Checklist for Creative and Critical Thinking Instruction-TC-C2TI) and analysed for frequency, percentage, and mean. Findings have shown that the teachers provide support for exploration activities and conduct experiments among their students. Support is often given by providing opportunities for the students to think, learn, and study.
The relationship among self -regulation, sociodramatic play, and preschoolers' readiness for kindergarten

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among self-regulation, sociodramatic play, and preschoolers’ readiness for kindergarten. The participants were 38 children enrolled in a public pre-kindergarten program in a rural town in Maine. The pre-kindergarten children were observed during free play using the Smilansky Scale for Evaluation of Dramatic and Sociodramatic Play (SSEDS). In addition, the pre-kindergarten teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) to assess the participants’ selfregulation skills and the Brigance Preschool Screen-II to assess readiness skills. The following three questions were addressed: (1) Does a preschooler’s ability to engage in complex levels of sociodramatic play predict the capacity for self-regulation? (2) Does a preschooler’s ability to engage in complex levels of sociodramatic play predict readiness for kindergarten? And, (3) does a preschooler’s capacity for selfregulation predict readiness for kindergarten? The results of the multiple regression analyses indicated several statistically significant relationships. First, total sociodramatic play predicted the BRIEF-P clinical scale, Shift, at a statistically significant level. Second, the SSEDS subcategory, Verbal Communication, predicted the BRIEF-P clinical scales: Working Memory and Plan/Organize, and the BRIEF-P index, Emergent Metacognition, at statistically significant levels. Third, the BRIEF-P index, Flexibility Index, predicted total readiness at a statistically significant level.
Are acinic cell carcinomas of the breast and salivary glands distinct diseases?

Acinic cell carcinomas (AcCC) of the breast have been reported to constitute the breast counterpart of salivary gland AcCCs, based on the similarities of their histological and immunohistochemical features. Breast AcCC is a vanishingly rare form of triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). Recent studies have demonstrated that in TNBCs, the two driver genes most frequently mutated are TP53 (82%) and PIK3CA (10%). We sought to define whether breast AcCCs would harbour TP53 and PIK3CA somatic mutations, and if so, whether these would be present in salivary gland AcCCs.
A Resilient Stream Learning Intrusion Detection Mechanism for Real-Time Analysis of Network Traffic

The number of novel attacks observed in networked systems increases every day. Due to the large amount of generated data over the network, its storage for further analysis may not be feasible. Moreover, current attacks are becoming more sophisticated, as the attackers are attempting to evade traditional intrusion detection mechanisms by perverting their properties. This paper presents a novel real-time (ongoing) network traffic measurement approach that supports resilient analysis for stream learning intrusion detection. The network data is grouped at runtime according to its characteristics, while each network traffic flow is discretized at regular time intervals. Each network flow is classified by a multi-view stream learning classifiers pool, defining the network flow class through a majority voting approach. The proposal is able to provide resiliency to the classifiers even for the detection of unknown attacks. The evaluation tests for the average operation point (25 views) provides an increase in the system resilience to adversarial attacks of 22 % when compared to traditional approaches. Moreover, in the scalability experiments with a 10-node (single core each) cluster testbed, the network flow measurement solution (1 view) reached 1.38 Gbps throughput, while the proposed resilient stream learning intrusion detection with 25 views reached a throughput of 1.19 Gbps.
Video Object Tracking Using Interactive Segmentation and Superpixel Based Gaussian Kernel

A novel non-rigid video object tracking based on interactive segmentation and super pixel Gaussian kernel is proposed in this paper. In the initialization stage, instead of using the traditional bounding box to locate the targeted object, we employed an interactive segmentation with user-defined marker to segment the object accurately in the first frame of the input video to avoid the background influence in the traditional bounding box. During the tracking stage, using a Gaussian kernel as movement constraint, each super pixel is tracked independently to locate the object in the next frame. Experimental results show that the proposed method compared to state of the art methods can achieve better robustness and accuracy for various challenging video clips.
Antimicrobial spectrum of Win 49375

Win 49375 had excellent activity against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and staphylococcal species. Its activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was equal to that of gentamicin. Win 49375 had moderate activity against clostridia but little against Bacteroides fragilis. The drug showed a marked inoculum effect at 10(8) CFU/ml and a slight decrease in potency at pH 5.
The Origin of the Integrated Data Store (IDS): The First Direct-Access DBMS

The integrated data store (IDS), the first direct-access database management system, was developed at General Electric in the early 1960s. Revisiting the development challenges that lead to its first production version reveals the origins of DBMSs and their impact on software development and business management. IDS and its derivative systems are still in use today, supporting a thousand mainframe installations.
Auto-tuning SkePU: a multi-backend skeleton programming framework for multi-GPU systems

SkePU is a C++ template library that provides a simple and unified interface for specifying data-parallel computations with the help of skeletons on GPUs using CUDA and OpenCL. The interface is also general enough to support other architectures, and SkePU implements both a sequential CPU and a parallel OpenMP backend. It also supports multi-GPU systems. Currently available skeletons in SkePU include map, reduce, mapreduce, map-with-overlap, maparray, and scan. The performance of SkePU generated code is comparable to that of hand-written code, even for more complex applications such as ODE solving. In this paper, we discuss initial results from auto-tuning SkePU using an off-line, machine learning approach where we adapt skeletons to a given platform using training data. The prediction mechanism at execution time uses off-line pre-calculated estimates to construct an execution plan for any desired configuration with minimal overhead. The prediction mechanism accurately predicts execution time for repetitive executions and includes a mechanism to predict execution time for user functions of different complexity. The tuning framework covers selection between different backends as well as choosing optimal parameter values for the selected backend. We will discuss our approach and initial results obtained for different skeletons (map, mapreduce, reduce).
No-Arbitrage Taylor Rules

We estimate Taylor (1993) rules and identify monetary policy shocks using no-arbitrage pricing techniques. Long-term interest rates are risk-adjusted expected values of future short rates and thus provide strong over-identifying restrictions about the policy rule used by the Federal Reserve. The no-arbitrage framework also accommodates backward-looking and forward-looking Taylor rules. We find that inflation and output gap account for over half of the variation of time-varying excess bond returns and most of the movements in the term spread. Taylor rules estimated with no-arbitrage restrictions differ from Taylor rules estimated by OLS, and the resulting monetary policy shocks are somewhat less volatile than their OLS counterparts.
An Analysis of Automatic Subroutine Discovery in Genetic Programming

This paper analyses Rosca's ARL as a general framework for automatic subroutine discovery. We review and compare a number of heuristics for code selection, and experimentally test their effectiveness in the ARL framework. We also propose and analyse a new heuristic, the Saliency, and two extensions to ARL: diffusion of the new subroutines through mutation and the MaxFit technique to adaptively change the length of an epoch. In spite of the effectiveness of the proposed extensions, the main result is that any attempt to improve the selection criterion seems not able to produce better results than a simple near-random heuristic.
A Real Time Emulation System for Ad � hoc Networks

Comparedto fixed networkssuchas the Internet,mobile ad hoc networks(MANETs) presentthe routing protocol designerwith manymorechallenges. In this paperwe examinesomeof thetools used by designers to test their protocols. We propose that emulationof a mobile wireless network reducesthe amountof time andeffort in testinga routing protocol comparedwith either field testingor full simulationof a protocol stack.We presenta system that emulates the wireless layer of a protocol stack, describehow it operatesandcommenton theuserexperience.