Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wage Differentials between Heat-Exposure Risk and No Heat-Exposure Risk Groups

The goal of this study is to investigate the wage differential between groups of workers who are exposed to heat and those who are not. Workers in the heat-exposure risk group are defined as workers who work in conditions that cause them to spend more than 25% of their work hours at high temperatures. To analyze the wage differential, the Blinder-Oaxaca and Juhn-Murphy-Pierce methods were applied to Korea Working Condition Survey data. The results show that the no heat-exposure risk group received higher wages. In most cases, this can be interpreted as the endowment effect of human capital. As a price effect that lowers the endowment effect, the compensating differential for the heat-exposure risk group was found to be 1%. Moreover, education level, work experience, and employment status counteracted the compensating differentials for heat-exposure risks. A comparison of data sets from 2011 and 2014 shows that the increasing wage gap between the two groups was not caused by systematic social discrimination factors. This study suggests that wage differential factors can be modified for thermal environmental risks that will change working conditions as the impact of climate change increases.
Exhaled breath analysis in obstructive sleep apnea

ABSTRACT Introduction: Breath analysis is a novel application that can be used for non-invasive metabolic phenotyping and identification of disease specific breath patterns. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent and has diverse metabolic and cardiovascular consequences, many of them incompletely understood. Areas covered: This review systematically summarizes the current evidence from breath metabolomics using immunoassays of breath condensate, off-line mass spectrometry as well as real-time analysis by electronic sensors and by untargeted mass spectrometry, and discusses the challenges and perspectives of breath analysis in OSA. Expert commentary: Analysis of exhaled breath is an innovative approach that is likely to provide profound insights into the metabolomics of OSA and its consequences and might facilitate diagnosis and therapy monitoring.
Finding Underlying Connections: A Fast Graph-Based Method for Link Analysis and Collaboration Queries

Many techniques in the social sciences and graph theory deal with the problem of examining and analyzing patterns found in the underlying structure and associations of a group of entities. However, much of this work assumes that this underlying structure is known or can easily be inferred from data, which may often be an unrealistic assumption for many real-world problems. Below we consider the problem of learning and querying a graph-based model of this underlying structure. The model is learned from noisy observations linking sets of entities. We explicitly allow different types of links (representing different types of relations) and temporal information indicating when a link was observed. We quantitatively compare this representation and learning method against other algorithms on the task of predicting future links and new "friendships" in a variety of real world data sets.
TWIST: a scalable and reconfigurable testbed for wireless indoor experiments with sensor networks

We present TWIST, a scalable and exible testbed architecture for indoor deployment of wireless sensor networks. The design of TWIST is based on an analysis of typical and desirable use-cases. It provides basic services like node configuration, network-wide programming, out-of-band extraction of debug data and gathering of application data, and also introduces several novel features.Firstly, TWIST supports experiments with heterogeneous node platforms. Secondly, it supports active power supply control of the nodes. This enables easy transition between USB-powered and battery-powered experiments, dynamic selection of topologies as well as controlled injection of node failures into the system. Thirdly, TWIST supports creation of both at and hierarchical sensor networks. For this we introduce a layer of "super nodes" that on one hand form a part of the testbed infrastructure but can also play a role as elements of the sensor network.The self-configuration capability, the use of hardware with standardized interfaces and open-source software makes the TWIST architecture scalable, affordable, and easily repli-cable. To demonstrate its usefulness, we present our experiences with building and using a specific realization of TWIST that spans three floors of our office building and supports over one hundred sensor nodes.
Multispectral human co-segmentation via joint convolutional neural networks

We present a novel human body co-segmentation method for unregistered multispectral, color and thermal, images by leveraging CNNs. The main challenges for that tasks are no-alignment between color and thermal images and an absent of ground truth human segmentation labels. To solve these limitations, our key-insight is to formulate the segmentation network for each modality that solve two sub-tasks, correspondence and classification, in a joint and iterative manner. We formulate the learning framework between multispectral images in a way that training labels for one modality are used to learn the network for the other modality. We estimate dense correspondences between multispectral image pairs using intermediate convolutional activations of CNNs and perform human segmentation for each modality through the conditional random fields (CRF) optimization using unary and pairwise fusion. These two steps are formulated as an iterative framework, enables the network to converge on an optimal solution. Experimental results show that our proposed method outperforms conventional state-of-the-art methods on the VAP benchmark consisting of unregistered multispectral color and thermal images.
Chaos router: architecture and performance

The Chaos router is an adaptive, randomized message router for multlicomputers. Aclaptive routers are superior to oblivious routers, the state-of-the-art, because they can by-pass congestion and faults. unlike other adaptive routers, however, the Chaos router has reduced the complexity along the critical path of the routing decision by using randomization to eliminate livelock protection, The foundational theory for Chaotic routing, proving that, this approach is sound, has been previously de~-eloped [1 1]. In this paper we present, the complete design of the router together with (simulated) performance figures. The results show that, the Chaos t-outer is competitive with the simple and fast obli~ious routers for random loads and greatly superior for loads with hot spots.
Oxygen delivery and the restoration of the muscle energetic balance following exercise: implications for delayed muscle recovery in patients with COPD.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a delayed recovery from skeletal muscle fatigue following exhaustive exercise that likely contributes to their progressive loss of mobility. As this phenomenon is not well understood, this study sought to examine postexercise peripheral oxygen (O2) transport and muscle metabolism dynamics in patients with COPD, two important determinants of muscle recovery. Twenty-four subjects, 12 nonhypoxemic patients with COPD and 12 healthy subjects with a sedentary lifestyle, performed dynamic plantar flexion exercise at 40% of the maximal work rate (WRmax) with phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and vascular Doppler ultrasound assessments. The mean response time of limb blood flow at the offset of exercise was significantly prolonged in patients with COPD (controls: 56 ± 27 s; COPD: 120 ± 87 s; P < 0.05). In contrast, the postexercise time constant for capillary blood flow was not significantly different between groups (controls: 49 ± 23 s; COPD: 51 ± 21 s; P > 0.05). The initial postexercise convective O2 delivery (controls: 0.15 ± 0.06 l/min; COPD: 0.15 ± 0.06 l/min) and the corresponding oxidative adenosine triphosphate (ATP) demand (controls: 14 ± 6 mM/min; COPD: 14 ± 6 mM/min) in the calf were not significantly different between controls and patients with COPD (P > 0.05). The phosphocreatine resynthesis time constant (controls: 46 ± 20 s; COPD: 49 ± 21 s), peak mitochondrial phosphorylation rate, and initial proton efflux were also not significantly different between groups (P > 0.05). Therefore, despite perturbed peripheral hemodynamics, intracellular O2 availability, proton efflux, and aerobic metabolism recovery in the skeletal muscle of nonhypoxemic patients with COPD are preserved following plantar flexion exercise and thus are unlikely to contribute to the delayed recovery from exercise in this population.
Metabolic Engineering of Lactobacillus plantarum for Direct l-Lactic Acid Production From Raw Corn Starch.

Fermentative production of optically pure lactic acid (LA) has attracted great interest because of the increased demand for plant-based plastics. For cost-effective LA production, an engineered Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 strain, which enables the production of optically pure l-LA from raw starch, is constructed. The wild-type strain produces a racemic mixture of d- and l-LA from pyruvate by the action of the respective lactate dehydrogenases (LDHs). Therefore, the gene encoding D-LDH (ldhD) is deleted. Although no decrease in d-LA formation is observed in the ΔldhD mutant, additional disruption of the operon encoding lactate racemase (larA-E), which catalyzes the interconversion between d- and l-LA, completely abolished d-LA production. From 100 g L-1 glucose, the ΔldhD ΔlarA-E mutant produces 87.0 g L-1 of l-LA with an optical purity of 99.4%. Subsequently, a plasmid is introduced into the ΔldhD ΔlarA-E mutant for the secretion of α-amylase from Streptococcus bovis 148. The resulting strain could produce 50.3 g L-1 of l-LA from raw corn starch with a yield of 0.91 (g per g of consumed sugar) and an optical purity of 98.6%. The engineered L. plantarum strain would be useful in the production of l-LA from starchy materials.
Gabapentin for the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia

Context. — Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a syndrome of often intractable neuropathic pain following herpes zoster (shingles) that eludes effective treatment in many patients. Objective. — To determine the efficacy and safety of the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin in reducing PHN pain. Design. — Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design, 8-week trial conducted from August 1996 through July 1997. Setting. — Sixteen US outpatient clinical centers. Participants. — A total of 229 subjects were randomized. Intervention. — A 4-week titration period to a maximum dosage of 3600 mg/d of gabapentin or matching placebo. Treatment was maintained for another 4 weeks at the maximum tolerated dose. Concomitant tricyclic antidepressants and/or narcotics were continued if therapy was stabilized prior to study entry and remained constant throughout the study. Main Outcome Measures. — The primary efficacy measure was change in the average daily pain score based on an 11-point Likert scale (0, no pain; 10, worst possible pain) from baseline week to the final week of therapy. Secondary measures included average daily sleep scores, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), Subject Global Impression of Change and investigator-rated Clinical Global Impression of Change, Short Form-36 (SF-36) Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Safety measures included the frequency and severity of adverse events. Results. — One hundred thirteen patients received gabapentin, and 89 (78.8%) completed the study; 116 received placebo, and 95 (81.9%) completed the study. By intent-to-treat analysis, subjects receiving gabapentin had a statistically significant reduction in average daily pain score from 6.3 to 4.2 points compared with a change from 6.5 to 6.0 points in subjects randomized to receive placebo (P,.001). Secondary measures of pain as well as changes in pain and sleep interference showed improvement with gabapentin (P,.001). Many measures within the SF-36 and POMS also significantly favored gabapentin (P#.01). Somnolence, dizziness, ataxia, peripheral edema, and infection were all more frequent in the gabapentin group, but withdrawals were comparable in the 2 groups (15 [13.3%] in the gabapentin group vs 11 [9.5%] in the placebo group). Conclusions. — Gabapentin is effective in the treatment of pain and sleep interference associated with PHN. Mood and quality of life also improve with gabapentin therapy. JAMA. 1998;280:1837-1842
Unenhanced CT imaging is highly sensitive to exclude pheochromocytoma: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND A substantial proportion of all pheochromocytomas is currently detected during the evaluation of an adrenal incidentaloma. Recently, it has been suggested that biochemical testing to rule out pheochromocytoma is unnecessary in case of an adrenal incidentaloma with an unenhanced attenuation value ≤10 Hounsfield Units (HU) at computed tomography (CT). OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine the sensitivity of the 10 HU threshold value to exclude a pheochromocytoma. METHODS Retrospective multicenter study with systematic reassessment of preoperative unenhanced CT scans performed in patients in whom a histopathologically proven pheochromocytoma had been diagnosed. Unenhanced attenuation values were determined independently by two experienced radiologists. Sensitivity of the 10 HU threshold was calculated, and interobserver consistency was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS 214 patients were identified harboring a total number of 222 pheochromocytomas. Maximum tumor diameter was 51 (39-74) mm. The mean attenuation value within the region of interest was 36 ± 10 HU. Only one pheochromocytoma demonstrated an attenuation value ≤10 HU, resulting in a sensitivity of 99.6% (95% CI: 97.5-99.9). ICC was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.75-0.86) with a standard error of measurement of 7.3 HU between observers. CONCLUSION The likelihood of a pheochromocytoma with an unenhanced attenuation value ≤10 HU on CT is very low. The interobserver consistency in attenuation measurement is excellent. Our study supports the recommendation that in patients with an adrenal incidentaloma biochemical testing for ruling out pheochromocytoma is only indicated in adrenal tumors with an unenhanced attenuation value >10 HU.
multiplierz v2.0: A Python‐based ecosystem for shared access and analysis of native mass spectrometry data

The continued evolution of modern mass spectrometry instrumentation and associated methods represents a critical component in efforts to decipher the molecular mechanisms which underlie normal physiology and understand how dysregulation of biological pathways contributes to human disease. The increasing scale of these experiments combined with the technological diversity of mass spectrometers presents several challenges for community‐wide data access, analysis, and distribution. Here we detail a redesigned version of multiplierz, our Python software library which leverages our common application programming interface (mzAPI) for analysis and distribution of proteomic data. New features include support for a wider range of native mass spectrometry file types, interfaces to additional database search engines, compatibility with new reporting formats, and high‐level tools to perform post‐search proteomic analyses. A GUI desktop environment, mzDesktop, provides access to multiplierz functionality through a user friendly interface. multiplierz is available for download from: https://github.com/BlaisProteomics/multiplierz; and mzDesktop is available for download from: https://sourceforge.net/projects/multiplierz/
Performance analysis of vehicular Ad-hoc networks with space shift keying modulation

This paper proposes a new analytical model for Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANET) with line of sight (LoS) and single Rayleigh scattering channel. We analyze the performance of space shift keying (SSK) transmission over a generalized multiple scattering environment. The channel model provides a realistic statistical description of an inter vehicular communication environment and includes as special cases like Rician and Rayleigh distributions. We derive the closed form expression for bit error probability of SSK over various propagation scenarios. Using the second order scattering model, the closed form expression of probability of error using SSK modulation in the presence of LoS and Rayleigh distribution is derived. Analytical frameworks and theoretical findings are also validated via Monte Carlo simulations.
BotViz: Data Visualizations for Collaborations With Bots and Volunteers

Online bots are quickly becoming important collaborators with humans in tackling issues in healthcare, politics, and even activism. Recently, non-profits have used many bots in place of their human members to scaffold collaborations with citizens. However, this shift invites new challenges: it is difficult for outsiders to understand the joint effort that bots have now initiated with humans, limiting the goals reached collectively. To help non-profits coordinate the volunteers recruited by online bots, we propose BotViz. BotViz is a new online platform that via data visualizations provides outsiders a clear understanding of the interactions of bots with volunteers. Our data visualization presents two benefits related to traditional interfaces: 1) Diversity, wherein people can understand the diversity of the volunteers, especially their unique strengths; 2) Stalling, wherein people who may be delaying the collective effort triggered by bots can be easily identified by volunteers. Together, our data vi-sualizations point to a future where humans and online bots can better collaborate in order to have large scale impact.
Real-time 3D ultrasound based motion tracking for the treatment of mobile organs with MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound

Abstract Introduction: Magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) treatments of mobile organs require locking the HIFU beam on the targeted tissue to maximise heating efficiency. We propose to use a standalone 3 D ultrasound (US)-based motion correction technique using the HIFU transducer in pulse-echo mode. Validation of the method was performed in vitro and in vivo in the liver of pig under MR-thermometry. Methods: 3 D-motion estimation was implemented using ultrasonic speckle-tracking between consecutive acquisitions. Displacement was estimated along four sub-apertures of the HIFU transducer by computing the normalised cross-correlation of backscattered signals followed by a triangulation algorithm. The HIFU beam was steered accordingly and energy was delivered under real-time MR-thermometry (using the proton resonance frequency shift method with online motion compensation and correction of associated susceptibility artefacts). An MR-navigator echo was used to assess the quality of the US-based motion correction. Results: Displacement estimations from US measurements were in good agreement with 1 D MR-navigator echo readings. In vitro, the maximum temperature increase was improved by 37% as compared to experiments performed without motion correction and temperature distribution remained much more focussed. Similar results were reported in vivo, with an increase of 35% on the maximum temperature using this US-based HIFU target locking. Conclusion: This standalone 3D US-based motion correction technique is robust and allows maintaining the HIFU focal spot in the presence of motion without adding any burden or complexity to MR thermal imaging. In vitro and in vivo results showed about 35% improvement in heating efficiency when focus position was locked on the target using the proposed technique.
An experimental nanomedical platform for controller validation on targeted drug delivery

Targeted drug delivery is a focus point in recent advances in the nanomedical field due to its many advantages such as decreased side effects, faster action and better drug absorption with less substance used. The paper presents an experimental platform that simulates the circulatory system: the passing of blood from arteries to smaller blood vessels, while also capturing the non-Newtonian characteristic of the blood. The targeted drug delivery is ensured by a scalable submersible equipped with various sensors and actuators such that the real-time position of the submersible can be determined and controlled in the circulatory system. The purpose of the presented work is to provide a solid foundation for experimental modeling of the interaction between the submersible and non-Newtonian fluids and for validating different control strategies suitable for velocity control. The experimental setup takes into account the real life difficulties of targeted drug delivery.
Radial anisotropy in ω Cen limiting the room for an intermediate-mass black hole

Finding an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) in a globular cluster (or proving its absence) would provide valuable insights into our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. However, it is challenging to identify a unique signature of an IMBH that cannot be accounted for by other processes. Observational claims of IMBH detection are indeed often based on analyses of the kinematics of stars in the cluster core, the most common signature being a rise in the velocity dispersion profile towards the centre of the system. Unfortunately, this IMBH signal is degenerate with the presence of radially-biased pressure anisotropy in the globular cluster. To explore the role of anisotropy in shaping the observational kinematics of clusters, we analyse the case of ω Cen by comparing the observed profiles to those calculated from the family of LIMEPY models, that account for the presence of anisotropy in the system in a physicallymotivated way. The best-fit radially anisotropicmodels reproduce the observational profiles well, and describe the central kinematics as derived from Hubble Space Telescope proper motions without the need for an IMBH.
A randomised, controlled, double blind, non‐inferiority trial of ultrasound‐guided fascia iliaca block vs. spinal morphine for analgesia after primary hip arthroplasty

We performed a single centre, double blind, randomised, controlled, non‐inferiority study comparing ultrasound‐guided fascia iliaca block with spinal morphine for the primary outcome of 24‐h postoperative morphine consumption in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty under spinal anaesthesia with levobupivacaine. One hundred and eight patients were randomly allocated to receive either ultrasound‐guided fascia iliaca block with 2 mg.kg−1 levobupivacaine (fascia iliaca group) or spinal morphine 100 μg plus a sham ultrasound‐guided fascia iliaca block using saline (spinal morphine group). The pre‐defined non‐inferiority margin was a median difference between the groups of 10 mg in cumulative intravenous morphine use in the first 24 h postoperatively. Patients in the fascia iliaca group received 25 mg more intravenous morphine than patients in the spinal morphine group (95% CI 9.0–30.5 mg, p < 0.001). Ultrasound‐guided fascia iliaca block was significantly worse than spinal morphine in the provision of analgesia in the first 24 h after total hip arthroplasty. No increase in side‐effects was noted in the spinal morphine group but the study was not powered to investigate all secondary outcomes.