Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of Single-Kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate in Human Subjects by Using CT.

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that computed tomography (CT)-derived measurements of single-kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) obtained in human subjects with 64-section CT agree with those obtained with iothalamate clearance, a rigorous reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant study, and written informed consent was obtained. Ninety-six patients (age range, 51-73 years; 46 men, 50 women) with essential (n = 56) or renovascular (n = 40) hypertension were prospectively studied in controlled conditions (involving sodium intake and renin-angiotensin blockade). Single-kidney perfusion, volume, and GFR were measured by using multidetector CT time-attenuation curves and were compared with GFR measured by using iothalamate clearance, as assigned to the right and left kidney according to relative volumes. The reproducibility of CT GFR over a 3-month period (n = 21) was assessed in patients with renal artery stenosis who were undergoing stable medical treatment. Statistical analysis included the t test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, linear regression, and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS CT GFR values were similar to those of iothalamate clearance (mean ± standard deviation, 38.2 mL/min ± 18 vs 41.6 mL/min ± 17; P = .062). Stenotic kidney CT GFR in patients with renal artery stenosis was lower than contralateral kidney GFR or essential hypertension single-kidney GFR (mean, 23.1 mL/min ± 13 vs 36.9 mL/min ± 17 [P = .0008] and 45.2 mL/min ± 16 [P = .019], respectively), as was iothalamate clearance (mean, 26.9 mL/min ± 14 vs 38.5 mL/min ± 15 [P = .0004] and 49.0 mL/min ± 14 [P = .001], respectively). CT GFR correlated well with iothalamate GFR (linear regression, CT GFR = 0.88*iothalamate GFR, r(2) = 0.89, P < . 0001), and Bland-Altman analysis was used to confirm the agreement. CT GFR was also moderately reproducible in medically treated patients with renal artery stenosis (concordance coefficient correlation, 0.835) but was unaffected by revascularization (mean, 25.3 mL/min ± 15.2 vs 30.3 mL/min ± 18.5; P = .097). CONCLUSION CT assessments of single-kidney GFR are reproducible and agree well with a reference standard. CT can be useful to obtain minimally invasive estimates of bilateral single-kidney function in human subjects.
Awareness and handoffs in home care: coordination among informal caregivers

ABSTRACT Informal caregivers, such as family members and friends, are important for maintaining the health and wellness of the elderly and the chronically ill. However, the complexity of informal caregiving has been under-studied in prior research. In this study, we attempt to answer two main questions – what makes the coordination of patient care so difficult among multiple informal caregivers, and what are the challenges that should be considered in designing technologies to facilitate informal care coordination? To answer these questions, we conducted a qualitative interview study with 15 individuals with caregiving experience. The findings of the study identified the main challenges faced by caregivers in maintaining awareness, coordinating handoffs among informal caregivers, and easing tensions among caregivers and patients. These findings revealed considerations unique for informal caregiver coordination, and helped inform the design of technologies to support the care coordination.
The effect of child type and behavioural impact on mothers’ attributions for child behaviour

This study examined the impact of two relationship-focused variables on the formation of parent causal attributions for child behaviour. Previous work has focused on the influence of general parent variables, child variables, and situational factors on these attributions. The present study highlighted the importance of the relational context of parent-child interactions as an influence on parent attributions, and addressed two important aspects of this relational context. First, parent attributions formed in response to behaviours of their own children were compared with those formed in response to behaviours of unknown children of the same age and gender as their own children. Second, the behavioural impact (inconvenience or no inconvenience to the mother) of children's noncompliant behaviour on the mother was examined. Inconvenience was defined as the extent to which the mother was personally hassled or bothered by the child behaviour. Results indicated that with other children, the behavioural impact of child behaviours was positively related to stronger affective and behavioural responses. With their own children, mothers rated the cause of their child's noncompliance as less due to global and stable factors, and anticipated stronger affective and behavioural responses than with other children. Mothers also saw the cause of their own child's noncompliance as more due to themselves and within their own control than with other children. Regression analyses indicated that mothers' affective responses were predicted by the behavioural impact of the child's behaviour
Characterization of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis Strains Isolated from Biomaterial-Associated Infections and their Antibiotic Resistance Patterns

Abstract This work aims to provide an insight into staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements and antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis. The dominating type was SCCmec – IV. Fifteen isolates were assigned to SCCmec type III, two isolates to SCCmec type II. Most isolates were resistant to at least three of the non-β-lactam antibiotics tested. None of the strains exhibited resistance to new generation antibiotics, such as daptomycin and linezolid. Also, none of these strains showed resistance to tigecycline and only four strains were resistant to rifampin i.e. antibiotics which are very efficient in treating biofilm-associated infections.
A Ty1 Integrase Nuclear Localization Signal Required for Retrotransposition

ABSTRACT Ty1 retrotransposition in Saccharomyces cerevisiaerequires integrase (IN)-mediated insertion of Ty1 cDNA into the host genome. The transposition components are assembled in the cytoplasm and must cross the nuclear envelope to reach the genomic target, since, unlike animal cell nuclear membranes, the yeast cell nuclear membrane remains intact throughout the cell cycle. We have identified a bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) in IN required for Ty1 transposition (Ty1 IN) that directs IN to the nucleus. Mutations in the NLS that specifically abolish nuclear localization inactivate transpositional integration but do not affect reverse transcription, protein processing, or catalytic activity in vitro. No additional Ty1-encoded proteins are required for IN nuclear localization. Intragenic complementation experiments suggest that Ty1 IN functions as a multimer and contains two distinct domains, one required for integration and the other for nuclear localization. Nuclear targeting of the preintegration complex by an IN NLS may prove to be a general strategy used by retrotransposons and retroviruses that infect nondividing cells.
Improving Youth Perceptions of Their Physical Activity Abilities: A Pilot After-School Program

IMPROVING YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ABILITIES: A PILOT AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM by Joslyn Marie Soule This study examined the physiological and psychological effects of a tri-weekly after-school program on twenty elementary students, who participated in physical activity, healthy eating and academics. Participants were divided into groups 1, 1a and 2, based on their entry date and duration in the program. Assessments used included FITNESSGRAM testing to measure physical fitness, and questionnaires on perceptions of physical activity and physical self-efficacy. In addition, a single session on goal setting was provided to examine if this would improve physical self-efficacy over time. Results indicated significant increases in cardiovascular endurance for group 1a, who participated for a total of twenty-four weeks, and significant changes in flexibility for group 1, who participated for twelve weeks. Survey results indicated the importance of being good at physical activity increased, along with confidence in being physically active when one’s peers are not and to be physically active when having trouble achieving one’s goals. IMPROVING YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ABILITIES: A PILOT AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
Syntax‐directed compression of program files

Parsing can be applied to compress source programs. A suitably encoded parse tree, together with the symbol table, constitutes a very compact representation of the program. The paper reports a Prolog implementation of the method, including automatic, syntax‐directed, encoder and decoder generators. The test results show compression gains of 50–60 per cent.
Dynamics of a feline retrovirus (FeLV) in host populations with variable spatial structure

The predictions of epidemic models are remarkably affected by the underlying assumptions concerning host population dynamics and the relation between host density and disease transmission. Furthermore, hypotheses underlying distinct models are rarely tested. Domestic cats Felis catus can be used to compare models and test their predictions, because cat populations show variable spatial structure that probably results in variability in the relation between density and disease transmission. Cat populations also exhibit various dynamics. We compare four epidemiological models of Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV). We use two different incidence terms, i.e. proportionate mixing and pseudo-mass action. Population dynamics are modelled as logistic or exponential growth. Compared with proportionate mixing, mass action incidence with logistic growth results in a threshold population size under which the virus cannot persist in the population. Exponential growth of host populations results in systems where FeLV persistence at steady prevalence and depression of host population growth are biologically unlikely to occur. Predictions of our models account for presently available data on FeLV dynamics in various populations of cats. Thus, host population dynamics and spatial structure can be determinant parameters in parasite transmission, host population depression, and disease control.
Complement Component C3 Mediates Inflammatory Injury Following Focal Cerebral Ischemia

The complement cascade has been implicated in ischemia/reperfusion injury, and recent studies have shown that complement inhibition is a promising treatment option for acute stroke. The development of clinically useful therapies has been hindered, however, by insufficient understanding of which complement subcomponents contribute to post-ischemic injury. To address this issue, we subjected mice deficient in selected complement proteins (C1q, C3, C5) to transient focal cerebral ischemia. Of the strains investigated, only C3−/− mice were protected, as demonstrated by 34% reductions in both infarct volume (P<0.01) and neurological deficit score (P<0.05). C3-deficient mice also manifested decreased granulocyte infiltration (P<0.02) and reduced oxidative stress (P<0.05). Finally, administration of a C3a-receptor antagonist resulted in commensurate neurological improvement and stroke volume reduction (P<0.05). Together, these results establish C3 activation as the key constituent in complement-related inflammatory tissue injury following stroke and suggest a C3a anaphylatoxin-mediated mechanism.
Update on asthma control in five European countries: results of a 2008 survey

The 2006 European National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) showed that a large proportion of asthmatics had uncontrolled asthma. The current analysis estimated the prevalence of asthma and asthma control (Asthma Control Test™ (ACT); QualityMetric Inc., Lincoln, RI, USA) in five European countries using the 2008 NHWS. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) health survey, and work productivity/activity impairment were assessed. Of 3,619 respondents aged ≥18 yrs, the prevalence of self-reported physician diagnosis of asthma was 6.1% (15 million people); 56.6% of treated asthmatics were not well-controlled (NWC; ACT score ≤19). Individual components of the ACT showed that, compared with at least well-controlled patients (ALWC; ACT score ≥20), NWC patients had activity limitations at least some of the time (40.8% versus 1.5%, p<0.001), were breathless ≥3 times per week (72.5% versus 5.4%, p<0.001), suffered sleep difficulties due to asthma at least once per week (60.3% versus 4.6%, p<0.001) and required rescue medication ≥2–3 times per week (77.4% versus 15.9%, p<0.001). NWC patients had also received more healthcare contact in the past 6 months, including hospitalisation (17.4% versus 9.9%, p<0.001). The SF-12 physical and mental summary scores were 7.46 and 4.73 points higher, respectively, for ALWC patients compared with NWC patients (p<0.001). ALWC patients reported less absenteeism (5.5% versus 12.2%) and work impairment (15.4% versus 30.0%) than NWC patients (both p<0.001). The proportion of asthmatics with NWC asthma has not improved since 2006. ALWC asthma is associated with a significant positive impact on healthcare resource use, HRQoL and work productivity.
PM MODELING MODES OF HUNTER-GATHERER FOOD STORAGE

Analyses of the capacity and rates of different acorn storage techniques employed by the Western Mono of California’s Sierra Nevada during the very late Holocene indicate hunter-gatherers store food in at least three main modes: centralplace storage, dispersed caching, and dispersed bulk caching. The advantage of caching modes over central-place ones is that they entail faster storage rates and thus the chance to maximize storage capacity when seasonality and scheduling conflicts limit storing opportunities. They also result in predictable stores of acorn separate from winter population aggregations but oftentimes near seasonally occupied camps. Central-place storage thus appears most directly related to coping with single-year seasonal variability in environmental productivity and sedentary overwintering strategies; caching, and especially bulk caching, with multi-year environmental unpredictability, overwintering and seasonal residential moves. Storage thus appears to generally develop as a response to seasonality and unpredictable environmental productivity, but its various forms are conditioned mainly by how they articulate with different mobility types. Complex Mono storage behaviors, however, were associated with regionally low population densities and relatively uncomplicated social structures nonetheless characterized by chiefs who maintained their positions by throwing feasts of stored acorn. The connections between storage, population density, and sociocultural complexity thus appear less direct and predicated on specific sociopolitical circumstance. Recognizing different modes of hunter-gatherer storage is consequently critical to assessing the roles ecology, mobility, group size, and social distinctions play in the development of disparate storage behaviors.
Evaluating Knowledge of a Function-based Cognitive-Behavioural Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs) which may be similar to obsessions and compulsions in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). These behaviours can be intrusive and interfere in the lives of the child and their family. Preliminary studies have shown success in using adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to treat these behaviors in children with high functioning ASD. Using a hypothetical vignette, this thesis attempted to examine procedural knowledge that the children and their parents gained while participating in a CBT treatment that was evaluated in a Randomized Controlled Trial. For both parents and children, there was a significant increase in number of strategies generated from pre to post-treatment. Further, children in the experimental group generated significantly more strategies than the treatment as usual (TAU) group postintervention. There was no significant correlation between number of strategies generated and the child’s treatment success, age, or IQ.
Efficient Index Generation for Compiling Two-Level Mappings in Data-Parallel Programs

This paper presents compilation techniques used to compress holes, which are caused by the nonunit alignment stride in a two-level data-processor mapping. Holes are the memory locations mapped by useless template cells. To fully utilize the memory space, memory holes should be removed. In a two-level data-processor mapping, there is a repetitive pattern for array elements mapped onto processors. We classify blocks into classes and use a class table to record the distribution of each class in the first repetitive data distribution pattern. Similarly, data distribution on a processor also has a repetitive pattern. We use a compression table to record the distribution of each block in the first repetitive data distribution pattern on a processor. By using a class table and a compression table, hole compression can be easily and efficiently achieved. Compressing holes can save memory usage, improve spatial locality and further improve system performance. The proposed method is efficient, stable, and easy to implement. The experimental results do confirm the advantages of our proposed method over existing methods.
Monodisperse measurement of the biotin-streptavidin interaction strength in a well-defined pulling geometry

The widely used interaction of the homotetramer streptavidin with the small molecule biotin has been intensively studied by force spectroscopy and has become a model system for receptor ligand interaction. However, streptavidin’s tetravalency results in diverse force propagation pathways through the different binding interfaces. This multiplicity gives rise to polydisperse force spectroscopy data. Here, we present an engineered monovalent streptavidin tetramer with a single cysteine in its functional subunit that allows for site-specific immobilization of the molecule, orthogonal to biotin binding. Functionality of streptavidin and its binding properties for biotin remain unaffected. We thus created a stable and reliable molecular anchor with a unique high-affinity binding site for biotinylated molecules or nanoparticles, which we expect to be useful for many single-molecule applications. To characterize the mechanical properties of the bond between biotin and our monovalent streptavidin, we performed force spectroscopy experiments using an atomic force microscope. We were able to conduct measurements at the single-molecule level with 1:1-stoichiometry and a well-defined geometry, in which force exclusively propagates through a single subunit of the streptavidin tetramer. For different force loading rates, we obtained narrow force distributions of the bond rupture forces ranging from 200 pN at 1,500 pN/s to 230 pN at 110,000 pN/s. The data are in very good agreement with the standard Bell-Evans model with a single potential barrier at Δx0 = 0.38 nm and a zero-force off-rate koff,0 in the 10−6 s-1 range.
Ieee Transactions on Signal Processing, Accepted for Publication on the Feasibility of Linear Interference Alignment for Mimo Interference Broadcast Channels with Constant Coefficients

—In this paper, we analyze the feasibility of linear interference alignment (IA) for multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) interference broadcast channel (MIMO-IBC) with constant coefficients. We pose and prove the necessary conditions of linear IA feasibility for general MIMO-IBC. Except for the proper condition, we find another necessary condition to ensure a kind of irreducible interference to be eliminated. We then prove the necessary and sufficient conditions for a special class of MIMO-IBC, where the numbers of antennas are divisible by the number of data streams per user. Since finding an invertible Jacobian matrix is crucial for the sufficiency proof, we first analyze the impact of sparse structure and repeated structure of the Jacobian matrix. Considering that for the MIMO-IBC the sub-matrices of the Jacobian matrix corresponding to the transmit and receive matrices have different repeated structure, we find an invertible Jacobian matrix by constructing the two sub-matrices separately. We show that for the MIMO-IBC where each user has one desired data stream, a proper system is feasible. For symmetric MIMO-IBC, we provide proper but infeasible region of antenna configurations by analyzing the difference between the necessary conditions and the sufficient conditions of linear IA feasibility.
A Concurrent Specification of an Incremental DFA Minimisation Algorithm

In this paper a concurrent version of a published sequential incremental deterministic finite automaton minimisation algorithm is developed. Hoare’s Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) is used as the vehicle to specify the concurrent processes. The specification that is proposed is in terms of the composition of a number of concurrent processes, each corresponding to a pair of nodes for which equivalence needs to be determined. Each of these processes are again composed of several other possibly concurrent processes. To facilitate the specification, a new CSP concurrency operator is defined which, in contrast to the conventional CSP concurrency operator, does not require all processes to synchronise on common events. Instead, it is sufficient for any two (or more) processes to synchronise on such events.
Key Elements of the Product Integration Process

The integration phase represents a highly critical part of the product development process as components are combined and should work together. Errors and problems in product integration result in delays and rework as the results are needed for later phases. Standards and other reference models that include guidelines for product integration are available, but are not always used. Our proposal is that is that the current descriptions in standards and reference models are insufficient and need to be consolidated to help development organizations improve the product integration process. The presented research includes a number of case studies and analyses that have resulted in a superset of practices, i.e. a combination of the activities included in the different reference models. Through the case studies performed in seven different product development organizations, a connection between problems that are observed and the failure to follow the recommendations is identified.
European Conference on Information Systems ( ECIS ) 2008 Comparative Analysis of Data Quality and Utility Inequality Assessments

Given that the volumes of organizational data resources are rapidly increasing, achieving and sustaining high data quality are becoming much more challenging tasks. In the face of this growing challenge, this study posits the need to introduce a robust economic thinking into the process of improving and maintaining data quality. Economic thinking requires investigating and assessing the business-value contribution of data resources, conceptualized as utility. We show that quantitative assessments of inequality in the utility of data resources, together with assessments that reflect the presence and the impact of defects, can provide key insights into the current state of data quality. A comparative analysis of such assessments can also direct the development of data quality maintenance policies and help prioritize quality improvement efforts. In this study, we demonstrate the application of such a comparative analysis in a real-life CRM context, using samples from a large data repository used for managing alumni relations. We show that the results of such a comparative analysis have important managerial implications for data quality management within the evaluated environment. We also discuss its applicability in other data management contexts.