Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automated grading of lumbar disc degeneration via supervised distance metric learning

Lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is a commonly age-associated condition related to low back pain, while its consequences are responsible for over 90% of spine surgical procedures. In clinical practice, grading of LDD by inspecting MRI is a necessary step to make a suitable treatment plan. This step purely relies on physicians manual inspection so that it brings the unbearable tediousness and inefficiency. An automated method for grading of LDD is highly desirable. However, the technical implementation faces a big challenge from class ambiguity, which is typical in medical image classification problems with a large number of classes. This typical challenge is derived from the complexity and diversity of medical images, which lead to a serious class overlapping and brings a great challenge in discriminating different classes. To solve this problem, we proposed an automated grading approach, which is based on supervised distance metric learning to classify the input discs into four class labels (0: normal, 1: slight, 2: marked, 3: severe). By learning distance metrics from labeled instances, an optimal distance metric is modeled and with two attractive advantages: (1) keeps images from the same classes close, and (2) keeps images from different classes far apart. The experiments, performed in 93 subjects, demonstrated the superiority of our method with accuracy 0.9226, sensitivity 0.9655, specificity 0.9083, F-score 0.8615. With our approach, physicians will be free from the tediousness and patients will be provided an effective treatment.
Controller design based on variable-period sampling approach for networked control systems with random delays

This paper presents a controller design algorithm for a class of networked control systems with random delay based-on variable-period sampling model, where the sensor to controller delay is modeled as a Markov chain. Since the time delay varies randomly, the time delay to occur at current sampling step is regarded as the sampling period between current sampling step and next sampling step. Using the properties of Markovian chain, the next step time-delay is calculated according to the current time-delay and probability transition matrix. The resulting closed-loop systems are jump linear systems. The necessary and sufficient conditions on the existence of the stabilizing controllers are established. It has been shown that the controller gains can be obtained by solving the LMIs using an iterative linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. A simulated example is included to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and interesting results have been obtained.
Serum Vitamin D and C-Reactive Protein Levels Are Independently Associated With Diastolic Dysfunction

Background and Aim Vitamin D deficiency is common and may contribute to cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels would be inversely associated with inflammation and with diastolic dysfunction. We therefore investigated the link between serum vitamin D levels (i) echocardiographic measures and (ii) inflammatory parameters. Methods The cross-sectional study included 281 patients who were referred to coronary angiography for stable angina pectoris. Patients were recruited between December 2010 and November 2011. Patients with established congestive heart failure, gout, chronic kidney disease (estimated glomeruler filtration rate <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2), and acute infection were not included. We measured serum 25(OH)D levels, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels. A radioimmunoassay procedure was used to measure 25(OH)D (DiaSorin, Stillwater, MN). We also performed standardized left ventricular (LV) echocardiograms, and echocardiographic data were used for classification of systolic and diastolic dysfunction. We analyzed the relation between serum levels of 25(OH)D and inflammatory markers and echocardiographic measures of LV mass and diastolic dysfunction. Results At baseline, subjects had a mean age of 59.5 ± 10 years, and 43.4% were women. Left ventricular mass index, left atrial diameter, isovolumic relaxation time, and E/E′ ratio were significantly higher in patients with lower 25(OH)D levels. In ordinal logistic regression analysis, higher 25(OH)D was negatively associated only with LV mass index (odds ratio [OR], 0.965; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.939–0.992; P = 0.015), isovolumic relaxation time (OR, 0.962; 95% CI, 0.939–0.985; P = 0.001), E/E′ ratio (OR, 0.874; 95% CI, 0.811–0.942; P = 0.008), and C-reactive protein (OR, 0.802; 95% CI, 0.668–0.962; P = 0.021). Conclusions Serum levels of 25(OH)D are significantly associated with LV diastolic dysfunction and LV mass index, although the effect size is rather small. Longitudinal studies in larger populations are needed to establish firmly or refute a causal relationship between vitamin D levels and diastolic dysfunction and LV mass index.
Adjunct Alignment in Translation Data with an Application to Phrase Based Statistical Machine Translation

Enriching statistical models with linguistic knowledge has been a major concern in Machine Translation (MT). In mono-lingual data, adjuncts are optional constituents contributing secondarily to the meaning of a sentence. One can therefore hypothesize that this secondary status is preserved in translation, and thus that adjuncts may align consistently with their adjunct translations, suggesting they form optional phrase pairs in parallel corpora. In this paper we verify this hypothesis on French-English translation data, and explore the utility of compiling adjunct-poor data for augmenting the training data of a phrase-based machine translation model.
Cr-doped ZnS for intermediate band solar cells

In this paper we present preliminary current-voltage characteristics of different ZnS/p-Si hetero-junction solar cells, under 1 sun illumination. The devices with Cr-doped ZnS show an increase in the short circuit current, and only a slight decrease in the open circuit voltage compared to the devices with undoped ZnS. The ZnS films were prepared using pulsed laser deposition on p-doped Si (100) substrates, and are highly (111) oriented. For the Cr-doped films absorption of sub-bandgap photons is observed in the UV-VIS wavelength range. The findings support the identification of Cr-doped ZnS as a promising intermediate band solar cell material.
Development an Integrated Multi-Intelligent Agent Communication System

Due to the dynamicity and complexity of data communication problems, there is a need to develop new approaches to solve these problems especially the Episodic Classification Problems ECPs, which have unlimited and varying domains. An important concept helped to solve this type of problems is the Intelligent Agent. Intelligent Agents are software components created to help people and to act on their behavior. A modified algorithm for learning these intelligent agents is described. Empirical results demonstrate the properties of the modified algorithm and its applications to ECPs solving.
Management and Social Indicators of Soil Carbon Storage in a Residential Ecosystem, Midlothian, VA

Soil carbon storage - defined here as carbon mass per unit ground area - is an important ecosystem service, sequestering carbon that might otherwise exist 2 in atmospheric CO . Significant attention has focused on the effects that humans have on carbon cycling, but little is known about how human behaviors and attitudes relate to lawn carbon storage. The objectives of this study were to conduct household surveys in concert with soil carbon sampling in a 10-yr-old exurban neighborhood near Richmond, Virginia to quantify differences in soil carbon storage between residential lawns and mixed pinehardwood forest fragments, and to determine how lawn management and environmental attitudes relate to soil carbon storage. Lawns stored significantly less carbon than forest fragments in the top 10 cm of soils. A significant negative relationship was observed between watering and fertilizer frequency and soil carbon storage, but the goodness-of-fit was sensitive to intra-lawn variability in soil carbon mass. Survey respondents that claimed to be environmentalists stored significantly more carbon and spent one hour less per week managing their lawns, suggesting that environmental attitudes may affect how households manage their lawns and, in turn, the quantity of soil carbon stored in residential soils.
An Artificial Noise-Based Security Scheme for Interference Alignment-Based Wireless Networks

The security of the interference alignment (IA)- based networks is of uttermost importance for the application of interference alignment in multi-user networks. Several recent works have utilize the physical layer security schemes including artificial noise (AN) and friendly jamming etc. to reduce the eavesdropping capabilities of an outside eavesdropper. In this paper, we propose a novel AN- based anti-eavesdropping scheme in IA-based networks where the AN and the interferences are aligned into two different subspaces at the desired receiver. This results in more confusion to the eavesdropper and an enhancement of the desired signal simultaneously. The simulations testify this observation.
The Role of Individual Differences in Cognitive Ability in Tone Processing in Cantonese: Preliminary Findings

Sound variations are persistent in the phonological system of all languages. Such variations, at the individual level, are exhibited by different patterns of perception and production. Recent studies have suggested individual differences in cognitive abilities as important sources of variability in speech processing. Yet, how different aspects of speech processing are associated with different components of cognitive abilities remains unclear. The present study aims to systematically assess the relationships between tone processing and various components of attention and working memory in the auditory and visual modalities among normal Cantonese-speaking individuals using a series of published tools. The individual variations in tone processing are captured in an on-going sound change – tone merging in Hong Kong Cantonese, in which normal native speakers are reported to lose the distinctions between tonal contrasts in perception and/or production. Three groups of participants have been identified, with one group of good perception and production of the six contrastive tones in Cantonese, a second group of good perception but poor production and a third group of good production but poor perception. The present findings suggest that domain general cognitive abilities including visual working memory and auditory attention switching/control may contribute to an individual's speed in tone discrimination, and possibly play a role in sound change.
AUTOMORPHIC CORRECTION OF THE HYPERBOLIC KAC-MOODY ALGEBRA E10

In this paper, we study automorphic correction of the hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebra E10, using the Borcherds product for O(10, 2) attached to a weakly holomorphic modular form of weight −4 for SL2(Z). We also clarify some aspects of automorphic correction for Lorentzian Kac-Moody algebras and give heuristic reasons for the expectation that every Lorentzian Kac-Moody algebra has an automorphic correction.
Dram Testing Using Interleaving Test Algorithm

For more than four decades, the simple structure of the dynamic RAM (DRAM) cell and continuous improvement in lithography and dry-etching technology has made DRAM grow exponentially in a large-scale integration and has decreased the minimum feature size in memory chips. In the field of testing, more appropriate test algorithms are required to protect DRAM cell data.In this paper an Interleaving test algorithm is presented, which requires a read time of 110µs. This test algorithm allows screening of weak cells that cannot hold cell data due to the sub threshold leakage current with a screen coverage of 35.2%. During the stress period, the algorithm can also detect other leakage currents.
Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis, Pathway Analysis, and Consomic Mapping Show Genetic Variants of Tnni3k, Fpgt, or H28 Control Susceptibility to Viral Myocarditis

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection is the most common cause of viral myocarditis. The pathogenesis of viral myocarditis is strongly controlled by host genetic factors. Although certain indispensable components of immunity have been identified, the genes and pathways underlying natural variation between individuals remain unclear. Previously, we isolated the viral myocarditis susceptibility 1 (Vms1) locus on chromosome 3, which influences pathogenesis. We hypothesized that confirmation and further study of Vms1 controlling CVB3-mediated pathology, combined with pathway analysis and consomic mapping approaches, would elucidate both pathological and protective mechanisms accounting for natural variation in response to CVB3 infection. Vms1 was originally mapped to chromosome 3 using a segregating cross between susceptible A/J and resistant B10.A mice. To validate Vms1, C57BL/6J-Chr 3A/NaJ (a chromosome substitution strain that carries a diploid A/J chromosome 3) were used to replicate susceptibility compared with resistant C57BL/6J (B6). A second segregating F2 cross was generated between these, confirming both the localization and effects of Vms1. Microarray analysis of the four strains (A/J, B10.A, C57BL/6J, and C57BL/6J-Chr 3A/NaJ) illuminated a core program of response to CVB3 in all strains that is comprised mainly of IFN-stimulated genes. Microarray analysis also revealed strain-specific differential expression programs and genes that may be prognostic or diagnostic of susceptibility to CVB3 infection. A combination of analyses revealed very strong evidence for the existence and location of Vms1. Differentially expressed pathways were identified by microarray, and candidate gene analysis revealed Fpgt, H28, and Tnni3k as likely candidates for Vms1.
Linking Renewable Energy Resources: A Compelling, Global Strategy for Sustainable Development

Advantages and Disadvantages From an environmental point of view, cross-border interconnections offer advantages and constraints. One of the main advantages of cross-border interconnections is in the supplying of hydroelectric power rather than fossil fuel generated power in areas where demand is very high or for peak periods. This can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which can be significant since many countries are signing agreements to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the next 10 years. Another advantage is the opportunity to transport energy in areas in need due to large-scale andor long-term outages. This would reduce the scope of permanent back-up installations in given areas, thus reducing overall environmental effects. The main disadvantage is in the commitment to meet environmental constraints of cross-border customers. This is especially relevant as rules and regulations, along with public concerns are changing at a different pace in each country. On the other hand, an effective cross-border interconnection network is likely to result in a tendency to respect the most stringent criteria by all participants. Environmental issues will not disappear, and cross-border energy transmission is likely to make some environmental issues more complex. On the other hand, interconnections can present valuable environmental alternatives. For example a supply of cross-border hydro energy could be an alternate source of power in time and space to help reach governments’ goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions continent-wide. Environmentally, in the field, we maintain the same standards for interconnections that we maintain on all of Hydro-Quebec’s rights-of-way grid. At the same time, TransEnergie strives to respect the environmental standards and issues of its cross-border customers. To meet this goal, TransEnergie is maintaining a transparent and aggressive environmental R&D program, keeping abreast of environmental issues, including those of our cross-border customers. Finally, the environmental management system under development should place TransEnergie in a better position to have its environmental activities and standards accepted by cross-border customers and the general public.
Geometry scalable model parameter extraction for mm-wave SiGe-heterojunction transistors

The observation of negative perimeter collector current in advanced SiGe HBT technologies is explained and a general geometry scaling approach is proposed. Application to mm-wave SiGe-HBTs shows excellent results of HICUM/L2 v2.31 for a wide range of emitter dimensions. Non-monotonic variation of peak fT with emitter dimensions demonstrates the relevance of a geometry scalable compact model for circuit optimization.
Broad Coverage of Genetically Diverse Strains of Clostridium difficile by Actoxumab and Bezlotoxumab Predicted by In Vitro Neutralization and Epitope Modeling

ABSTRACT Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) are the leading cause of hospital-acquired infectious diarrhea and primarily involve two exotoxins, TcdA and TcdB. Actoxumab and bezlotoxumab are human monoclonal antibodies that neutralize the cytotoxic/cytopathic effects of TcdA and TcdB, respectively. In a phase II clinical study, the actoxumab-bezlotoxumab combination reduced the rate of CDI recurrence in patients who were also treated with standard-of-care antibiotics. However, it is not known whether the antibody combination will be effective against a broad range of C. difficile strains. As a first step toward addressing this, we tested the ability of actoxumab and bezlotoxumab to neutralize the activities of toxins from a number of clinically relevant and geographically diverse strains of C. difficile. Neutralization potencies, as measured in a cell growth/survival assay with purified toxins from various C. difficile strains, correlated well with antibody/toxin binding affinities. Actoxumab and bezlotoxumab neutralized toxins from culture supernatants of all clinical isolates tested, including multiple isolates of the BI/NAP1/027 and BK/NAP7/078 strains, at antibody concentrations well below plasma levels observed in humans. We compared the bezlotoxumab epitopes in the TcdB receptor binding domain across known TcdB sequences and found that key substitutions within the bezlotoxumab epitopes correlated with the relative differences in potencies of bezlotoxumab against TcdB of some strains, including ribotypes 027 and 078. Combined with in vitro neutralization data, epitope modeling will enhance our ability to predict the coverage of new and emerging strains by actoxumab-bezlotoxumab in the clinic.
Frequency of Bed Sharing and its Relationship to Breastfeeding

ABSTRACT. Bed sharing has been promoted as facilitating breastfeeding but also may increase risks for sudden, unexpected infant deaths. This prospective cohort study was performed to determine the prevalence of adult and infant bed sharing and its association with maternal and infant characteristics. Demographic data were collected from 10,355 infant-mother pairs at birth hospitals in Eastern Massachusetts and Northwest Ohio, and follow-up data were collected at 1, 3, and 6 months by questionnaire. Associations with bed sharing were estimated using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals from multiple logistic regression models while adjusting for confounding variables. At 1, 3, and 6 months, 22%, 14%, and 13% of infant-mother pairs shared a bed, respectively. On multivariate analysis, race/ethnicity and breastfeeding seemed to have the strongest association with bed sharing. These factors need to be considered in any comprehensive risk to benefit analysis of bed sharing.
Prevalence, phenotype and cardiometabolic risk of polycystic ovary syndrome under different diagnostic criteria.

STUDY QUESTION What is the prevalence, phenotype and metabolic features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in the same population according to three different diagnostic criteria? SUMMARY ANSWER The prevalence of PCOS under National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rotterdam and Androgen Excess and PCOS (AE-PCOS) Society criteria was 6.1, 19.9 and 15.3%, respectively. PCOS carried a 2-fold increased risk of metabolic syndrome regardless of the diagnostic criteria used. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS The prevalence rates of PCOS differ depending on the diagnostic criteria used to define the syndrome. The current paper gives the prevalence rates of the component and composite phenotypes of PCOS in the same population and reports similar rates of metabolic syndrome in women with PCOS under contrasting diagnostic criteria. DESIGN In this cross-sectional study, 392 women between the ages of 18 and 45 years were analyzed. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING When the prevalence of PCOS according to NIH was set to 8% with a precision of 2.2% and confidence interval of 95%, the sample size required for a prevalence survey was found to be 400 subjects. The study was carried out in the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, a government-based institute, in which the largest number of female staff (n = 527) are employed within a single institute in Ankara, Turkey. The study was performed between 7 December 2009 and 30 April 2010. All female subjects between the ages of 18 and 45 years were invited to participate. Women older than 45 or younger than 18 years, post-menopausal women, women with a history of hysterectomy or bilateral oopherectomy and pregnant women were excluded. Totally, 392 of the employees were recruited for the final analyses. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The prevalence of PCOS under NIH, Rotterdam and AE-PCOS Society criteria were 6.1, 19.9 and 15.3%, respectively. While the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 6.1% in the whole study group, within the patients diagnosed as PCOS according to NIH, Rotterdam and AE-PCOS Society criteria, it was 12.5, 10.3 and 10.0%, respectively. BIAS, CONFOUNDING AND OTHER REASONS FOR CAUTION Even though we have included women working at a single institution with a high response rate for the participation, we cannot exclude potential selection bias due to undetermined differences between our sample and background community. We might have underestimated actual prevalence of metabolic syndrome in PCOS due to lack of oral glucose tolerance test 2 h glucose data. GENERALIZABILITY TO OTHER POPULATIONS Current results can be generalized to Caucasian populations and may present variations in other populations according to race and ethnicity. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was, in part, sponsored by Merck Serono. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Not applicable.
Instructions for use Title The E 3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM 23 regulates adipocyte differentiation via stabilization of the adipogenicactivator PPARγ

Adipocyte differentiation is a strictly controlled process regulated by a series of transcriptional activators. Adipogenic signals activate early adipogenic activators and facilitate the transient formation of early enhanceosomes at target genes. These enhancer regions are subsequently inherited by late enhanceosomes. PPARγ is one of the late adipogenic activators and is known as a master regulator of adipogenesis. However, the factors that regulate PPARγ expression remain to be elucidated. Here, we show that a novel ubiquitin E3 ligase, tripartite motif protein 23 (TRIM23), stabilizes PPARγ protein and mediates atypical polyubiquitin conjugation. TRIM23 knockdown caused a marked decrease in PPARγ protein abundance during preadipocyte differentiation, resulting in a severe defect in late adipogenic differentiation, whereas it did not affect the formation of early enhanceosomes. Our results suggest that TRIM23 plays a critical role in the switching from early to late adipogenic enhanceosomes by stabilizing PPARγ protein possibly via atypical polyubiquitin conjugation. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.05615. 001