Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breast cancer size and stage in Hispanic American women, by birthplace: 1992-1995.

OBJECTIVES This study examined whether Hispanic women with breast cancer have tumor characteristics associated with delayed detection and whether these characteristics vary by birthplace. METHODS Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data were used in examining breast cancer size and stage by racial/ethnic group and birthplace. RESULTS Hispanic women with breast cancer had a higher percentage of tumors larger than 1 cm (77.7%) than--non-Hispanic Whites (70.3%), as well as a higher percentage of tumors larger than 2 cm (45.9% vs 33.0%). Furthermore, in comparison with Hispanic women born in the United States, Hispanic American women born in Latin America had higher percentages of tumors larger than 1 cm (82.2% vs 75.2%) and larger than 2 cm (54.1% vs 41.7%). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that Hispanic women with breast cancer, especially first-generation Hispanic Americans, have a relative delay in the timeliness of their cancer diagnosis. First-generation Hispanic American women should be targeted in interventions designed to increase the use of breast cancer screening.
Interacting with recommender systems

Many people today live in information-rich worlds, constantly facing the question: what should I do next? Which papers should I read to learn about a new area I am interested in? Which movie should I go to? Which restaurant would I like? The experience of friends and colleagues is a valuable resource for making such decisions, especially friends who are familiar with the subject area and have similar tastes.The field of recommender systems (or collaborative filtering) attempts to automate this process, e.g., by supporting people in making recommendations, finding a set of people who are likely to provide good recommendations for a given person, or deriving recommendations from implicit behavior such as browsing activity, buying patterns, and time on task.
Instantaneous Metabolic Cost of Walking: Joint-Space Dynamic Model with Subject-Specific Heat Rate

A subject-specific model of instantaneous cost of transport (ICOT) is introduced from the joint-space formulation of metabolic energy expenditure using the laws of thermodynamics and the principles of multibody system dynamics. Work and heat are formulated in generalized coordinates as functions of joint kinematic and dynamic variables. Generalized heat rates mapped from muscle energetics are estimated from experimental walking metabolic data for the whole body, including upper-body and bilateral data synchronization. Identified subject-specific energetic parameters—mass, height, (estimated) maximum oxygen uptake, and (estimated) maximum joint torques—are incorporated into the heat rate, as opposed to the traditional in vitro and subject-invariant muscle parameters. The total model metabolic energy expenditure values are within 5.7 ± 4.6% error of the measured values with strong (R2 > 0.90) inter- and intra-subject correlations. The model reliably predicts the characteristic convexity and magnitudes (0.326–0.348) of the experimental total COT (0.311–0.358) across different subjects and speeds. The ICOT as a function of time provides insights into gait energetic causes and effects (e.g., normalized comparison and sensitivity with respect to walking speed) and phase-specific COT, which are unavailable from conventional metabolic measurements or muscle models. Using the joint-space variables from commonly measured or simulated data, the models enable real-time and phase-specific evaluations of transient or non-periodic general tasks that use a range of (aerobic) energy pathway similar to that of steady-state walking.
A quality-aware cloud management service for computational modellers

This research sets out to help computational modellers, to select the most cost effective cloud service provider. A novel quality-aware computational cloud management service (QAComPMS) is proposed and evaluated. This selects the best (cheapest) cloud provider’s service and then automatically runs it. QaComPMS includes an integrated ontology that provides a standard specification and a common vocabulary for describing different cloud provider’s services. This classification is then used by a MatchMaker to automatically select the highest ranked service that meets the user requirements. A SAWSDL interface is used to exchange information between the QAComPMS’s internal services. QAComPS is the key internal service responsible for selection process. This service has been evaluated for accuracy and efficiency against quality matchmaking process (QMP) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The results for the evaluation were very promising and demonstrated its potential to make cloud computing more accessible and cost effective for computational modellers.
Coordination of symmetrical and asymmetrical human gait.

Most human gait forms assume symmetrical, alternating patterns of interlimb coordination (e.g., crawling, walking, running). Human galloping is a notable exception. In contrast to extensive information on galloping in animals, little is known about this gait in humans. Therefore, kinematic and topographical analyses of running and galloping were undertaken to investigate the manner in which the lower limbs are uncoupled to produce this asymmetrical gait. Seven adult females were filmed while running and galloping at their preferred speed. Analysis of the gaits revealed differences in the following: (a) preferred speed, (b) coupling between upper- and lower-limb girdles, and (c) point of foot fall (end-point trajectories). In contrast to clear differences in interlimb coordination, intralimb coordination was remarkably similar across gaits, although when galloping was adopted, the rear leg did show more variable change than the front leg.
Automatic tracking of human motion in indoor scenes across multiple synchronized video streams

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for tracking moving humans in an indoor environment from sequences of synchronized monocular grayscale images captured from multiple fixed cameras. The proposed framework consists of three main modules: Single View Tracking (SVT), Multiple View Transition Tracking (MVTT), and Automatic Camera Switching (ACS). Bayesian classification schemes based on motion analysis of human features are used to track (spatially and temporally) a subject image of interest between consecutive frames. The automatic camera switching module predicts the position of the subject along a spatial-temporal domain, and then, selects the camera which provides the best view and requires the least switching to continue tracking. Limited degrees of occlusion are tolerated within the system. Tracking is based upon the images of upper human, bodies captured from various viewing angles, and non-human moving objects are excluded using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Experimental results are presented to evaluate the performance of the tracking system.
Absorptive Capacity and the Geography of Knowledge Collaboration : Evidence from the UK

The paper contributes to the empirical literature dealing with regional variations in innovation and economic performance, focusing on the case of the UK. There is only limited understanding of the causes of regional heterogeneity in the UK. This work provides fresh empirical evidence on the role of firms’ absorptive capacity and the geographical scope of knowledge collaboration in affecting regional differences in innovation performance. We make use of two different data sets – the Fourth Community Innovation Survey (CIS4) and the 2004 Survey of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises from the Centre for Business Research (CBR), University of Cambridge, and provide complementary evidence from case-study analysis of firms included in the CBR data set. We account for a whole range of indicators of firms’ absorptive capacity including organisational structure and management practices, the use of government agencies for business advice, employee training and R&D intensity levels. Our results indicate that while there are important spatial differences in innovation levels, these differences can to a significant extent be explained by spatial variations in firms’ absorptive capacity and collaboration patterns. We find that differences in managerial practices such as job rotation have a significant effect on product but not on service innovation, while collaborations enhance all forms of innovation, and employee training practices have a significant impact on service and process but not on manufactured product innovation.
Direct lateral retroperitoneal approach for the surgical treatment of lumbar discitis and osteomyelitis.

OBJECT The medical management of discitis and osteomyelitis with long-term antibiotic therapy and bracing usually results in eradicated infection. Surgical management is appropriate when medical management fails and in some cases with pyogenic deformity or neurological deficit. The success of surgery depends on adequate debridement of the necrotic infected disc and vertebral body, along with anterior column reconstruction and vertebral stabilization. Debridement is typically performed via an anterior retroperitoneal approach, which can necessitate mobilization of the great vessels for proper exposure. Mobilization can be technically difficult and lead to vascular injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an alternative technique for the surgical treatment of lumbar discitis and osteomyelitis using a direct lateral retroperitoneal approach, which allows for thorough debridement and anterior column reconstruction while avoiding the need to mobilize the great vessels. METHODS A retrospective chart analysis was performed for all patients who had presented with lumbar discitis and osteomyelitis and had undergone surgical management via the direct lateral retroperitoneal approach in the period from 2006 to 2013. Collected data included surgical blood loss, perioperative complications (wound infection, vascular injury, approach-related complications, and neurological injury), need for secondary procedures, microbiological and laboratory results, and efficacy of infection eradication. Imaging studies were reviewed as well. RESULTS Ten patients, 7 male and 3 female, underwent this procedure at the authors' institution in the defined period. Average blood loss was 272 ml (range 150-800 ml, with 800 ml in the only 2-level case). There were no vascular injuries. Average follow-up was 680 days, although 4 patients did not complete the follow-up beyond 6 months. Eight patients underwent immediate posterior pedicle screw instrumentation. Two patients did not undergo posterior instrumentation, and one of these developed a kyphotic deformity that required a secondary posterior procedure. Infection was eradicated in all patients according to a history, physical examination, imaging studies, and laboratory parameters (complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein). One patient developed a painful neuroma at the iliac crest harvest site, and one patient had a retroperitoneal hematoma. Otherwise, there were no approach-related neurological injuries or complications. Neither was there any postoperative surgical site infection. CONCLUSIONS The direct lateral approach for the surgical treatment of lumbar discitis and osteomyelitis allows for thorough debridement and spinal reconstruction without the need to mobilize the great vessels. This technique effectively eradicated infection in all cases, with reasonable blood loss and no vascular injuries. This approach should be considered as an alternative to the open anterior approach. The authors recommend posterior instrumentation to prevent the development of kyphosis.
Compressive Network Coding for Approximate Sensor Data Gathering

This paper presents a joint source and network coding scheme, called compressive network coding (CNC), for approximate data gathering in wireless sensor networks. Injecting the concept of compressive sensing into network coding avoids the all-or-nothing effect of network decoding, allowing CNC to achieve graceful degradation in data precisions when the energy budget is not sufficient. Based on the observation that sensor links are highly unreliable, we formulate the energy constrained multi-source, multi-hop, and multi-path transmission as a network utility maximization (NUM) problem. A practical distributed algorithm is developed to achieve the optimal utility. We carry out simulations over real sensor data. Results show that CNC consistently outperforms conventional network coding, achieving an average gain over 3.7 dB in data reconstruction PSNR. Furthermore, CNC achieves over 10 dB gain for five sensors (out of 53) whose readings contain abrupt changes.
Cocaine withdrawal enhances long‐term potentiation induced by corticotropin‐releasing factor at central amygdala glutamatergic synapses via CRF1, NMDA receptors and PKA

Cocaine addiction is an enduring, relapsing, behavioural disorder in which stressors reinstate cocaine‐seeking even after prolonged abstinence. Evidence suggests that the ‘anxiety‐like’ behaviour and stress associated with protracted withdrawal may be mediated by increased corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), a part of the limbic circuitry engaged in the coding and transmission of stimulus–reward associations. In the present study we describe a long‐lasting potentiation of glutamatergic transmission induced at lateral amygdala (LA)‐to‐CeA synapses by rat/human CRF. After 2 weeks of withdrawal from repeated intermittent exposure to cocaine, CRF‐induced long‐term potentiation (LTP) was greatly enhanced compared to the respective saline control group while, after short‐term withdrawal (24 h), there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups, indicating alterations in CRF systems during protracted withdrawal from chronic cocaine. After prolonged withdrawal, CRF‐induced LTP was dependent on activation of CRF2, CaV2.3 (R‐type) calcium channels and intracellular signalling through protein kinase C in both saline‐ and cocaine‐treated groups. The enhanced CRF‐induced LTP after 2 weeks of withdrawal was mediated through augmented CRF1 receptor function, associated with an increased signalling through protein kinase A, and required N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Accordingly, single‐cell recordings revealed a significantly increased NMDA/AMPA ratio after prolonged withdrawal from the cocaine treatment. These results support a role for CRF1 receptor antagonists as plausible treatment options during withdrawal from chronic cocaine and suggest CaV2.3 blockers as potential candidates for pharmaceutical modulation of CRF systems.
Use of PCR-Based Methods for Rapid Differentiation of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricus and L. delbrueckii subsp.lactis

ABSTRACT Two PCR-based methods, specific PCR and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA PCR (RAPD-PCR), were used for rapid and reliable differentiation of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricus and L. delbrueckii subsp.lactis. PCR with a single combination of primers which targeted the proline iminopeptidase (pepIP) gene ofL. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus allowed amplification of genomic fragments specific for the two subspecies when either DNA from a single colony or cells extracted from dairy products were used. A numerical analysis of the RAPD-PCR patterns obtained with primer M13 gave results that were consistent with the results of specific PCR for all strains except L. delbrueckii subsp.delbrueckii LMG 6412T, which clustered withL. delbrueckii subsp. lactis strains. In addition, RAPD-PCR performed with primer 1254 provided highly polymorphic profiles and thus was superior for distinguishing individual L. delbrueckii strains.
Hypersomnolence in fibromyalgia syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate hypersomnolence in patients affected by fibromyalgia syndrome. METHODS Thirty consecutive patients affected by fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) (28 F) completed a sleep questionnaire and underwent the following evaluations: lung function tests; polysomnography; the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), which measures sleep complaints and daytime hypersomnolence; and the visual analogical scale (VAS) to detect subjective pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression. RESULTS The FMS patients were divided into two groups based on their ESS score. Patients complaining of daytime hypersomnolence had a higher number of tender points (15 +/- 2 vs. 12 +/- 1, p < 0.01), a higher subjective pain score (72 +/- 15 vs. 52 +/- 13, p < 0.05), and more fatigue (p < 0.05). The diffusing capacity of the lung (Tlco) was more impaired and the occurrence of periodic breathing was higher. FMS patients complaining of daytime somnolence had significantly less efficient sleep than the FMS patients with no daytime somnolence (p < 0.05), i.e. a lower proportion of stage 3 sleep (5 +/- 2% vs. 12 +/- 3%; p < 0.001), stage 4 sleep (1 +/- 0.5% vs. 4 +/- 1%; p < 0.001), and twice as many arousals per hour of sleep (p < 0.01). The respiratory pattern of FMS patients with hypersomnolence showed a higher occurrence of periodic breathing (p < 0.05). The short length of apneas and hypopnoeas did not affect the apnea/hypopnea index (5.1 +/- 3 vs. 7 +/- 4; ns), but FMS patients with daytime hypersomnolence had a greater number of desaturations per hour of sleep (11 +/- 6 vs. 6 +/- 5; p < 0.05). Pulmonary volumes did not differ between the two groups. The EES score was significantly correlated in FMS patients, and even more markedly in the FMS patients with hypersomnolence, TLco, A/I, and disease duration. The ESS score was correlated significantly with the number of tender points only in FMS patients with daytime hypersomnolence. CONCLUSION The occurrence of daytime hypersomnolence in FMS patients is linked to a greater severity of fibromyalgia symptoms and to more severe polysomnographic alterations.
Understory Cover Responses to Piñon–Juniper Treatments Across Tree Dominance Gradients in the Great Basin

Abstract Piñon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) trees are reduced to restore native vegetation and avoid severe fires where they have expanded into sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) communities. However, what phase of tree infilling should treatments target to retain desirable understory cover and avoid weed dominance? Prescribed fire and tree felling were applied to 8–20-ha treatment plots at 11 sites across the Great Basin with a tree-shredding treatment also applied to four Utah sites. Treatments were applied across a tree infilling gradient as quantified by a covariate tree dominance index (TDI = tree cover/[tree + shrub + tall perennial grass cover]). Mixed model analysis of covariance indicated that treatment × covariate interactions were significant (P < 0.05) for most vegetation functional groups 3 yr after treatment. Shrub cover was most reduced with fire at any TDI or by mechanical treatment after infilling resulted in over 50% shrub cover loss (TDI > 0.4). Fire increased cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) cover by an average of 4.2% for all values of TDI. Cutting or shredding trees generally produced similar responses and increased total perennial herbaceous and cheatgrass cover by an average of 10.2% and 3.8%, at TDIs ≥ 0.35 and ≥ 0.45. Cheatgrass cover estimated across the region was < 6% after treatment, but two warmer sites had high cheatgrass cover before (19.2% and 27.2%) and after tree reduction (26.6% and 50.4%). Fuel control treatments are viable management options for increasing understory cover across a range of sites and tree cover gradients, but should be accompanied by revegetation on warmer sites with depleted understories where cheatgrass is highly adapted. Shrub and perennial herbaceous cover can be maintained by mechanically treating at lower TDI. Perennial herbaceous cover is key for avoiding biotic and abiotic thresholds in this system through resisting weed dominance and erosion.
Ovarian toxicity of cyclophosphamide alone and in combination with ovarian irradiation in the rat.

The effects of radiation and chemotherapy on gonadal function are relevant to the morbidity induced by such treatments. Cyclophosphamide given i.p. to rats on Day 30 of age delayed vaginal opening, prevented vaginal cyclicity, and caused a reduction in serum estradiol and progesterone. Antral follicular atresia increased in a dose-dependent fashion in response to cyclophosphamide (0 mg/kg, 53.5%; 1 mg/kg, 67.3%; 50 mg/kg, 65.7%; 100 mg/kg, 73.9%; 150 mg/kg, 92.2%). Despite such alterations in ovarian function, serum gonadotrophins did not rise. The concurrent administration of 0, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Gy of radiation to the exteriorized ovaries in rats receiving 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide induced widespread loss of primordial, preantral, and healthy antral follicles associated with reduction in serum progesterone and estradiol. Such irradiation induced dose-related increases in serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Parenteral cyclophosphamide and local irradiation appear to induce ovarian toxicity by different mechanisms.
Coordinated Plasticity of Synapses and Astrocytes Underlies Practice-Driven Functional Vicariation in Peri-Infarct Motor Cortex

Motor rehabilitative training after stroke can improve motor function and promote topographical reorganization of remaining motor cortical movement representations, but this reorganization follows behavioral improvements. A more detailed understanding of the neural bases of rehabilitation efficacy is needed to inform therapeutic efforts to improve it. Using a rat model of upper extremity impairments after ischemic stroke, we examined effects of motor rehabilitative training at the ultrastructural level in peri-infarct motor cortex. Extensive training in a skilled reaching task promoted improved performance and recovery of more normal movements. This was linked with greater axodendritic synapse density and ultrastructural characteristics of enhanced synaptic efficacy that were coordinated with changes in perisynaptic astrocytic processes in the border region between head and forelimb areas of peri-infarct motor cortex. Disrupting synapses and motor maps by infusions of anisomycin (ANI) into anatomically reorganized motor, but not posterior parietal, cortex eliminated behavioral gains from rehabilitative training. In contrast, ANI infusion in the equivalent cortical region of intact animals had no effect on reaching skills. These results suggest that rehabilitative training efficacy for improving manual skills is mediated by synaptic plasticity in a region of motor cortex that, before lesions, is not essential for manual skills, but becomes so as a result of the training. These findings support that experience-driven synaptic structural reorganization underlies functional vicariation in residual motor cortex after motor cortical infarcts. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. Motor rehabilitation, the main treatment for physical disability, is of variable efficacy. A better understanding of neural mechanisms underlying effective motor rehabilitation would inform strategies for improving it. Here, we reveal synaptic underpinnings of effective motor rehabilitation. Rehabilitative training improved manual skill in the paretic forelimb and induced the formation of special synapse subtypes in coordination with structural changes in astrocytes, a glial cell that influences neural communication. These changes were found in a region that is nonessential for manual skill in intact animals, but came to mediate this skill due to training after stroke. Therefore, motor rehabilitation efficacy depends on synaptic changes that enable remaining brain regions to assume new functions.