Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing Melanoma Screening Among Hispanic/Latino Americans

Melanoma incidence is increasing among Hispanics/Latinos in California. This community-based project reached out to a rural Hispanic/Latino community in North San Diego County to provide melanoma prevention and screening education. At a local community health fair, bilingual volunteer lay health workers led 10- to 15-minute-long information sessions on melanoma disease, risk factors, and skin self-examination techniques. Pearson chi-square analyses of participants’ (N = 34) responses to pre- and postintervention evaluation surveys indicate significant increases in knowledge, risk awareness, and self-efficacy for self-screening. The results revealed that Hispanics/Latinos in a low socioeconomic stratum might be at moderate to high risk for developing melanoma. Their low annual income, low level of education, occupational sun-exposure, and lack of access to health care are likely factors that deter at-risk Hispanics/Latinos from seeking health care.
Randomised controlled trial of low dose fentanyl infusion in preterm infants with hyaline membrane disease

Aim—To evaluate the effects of low dose fentanyl infusion analgesia on behavioural and neuroendocrine stress response and short term outcome in premature infants ventilated for hyaline membrane disease. METHODS Twenty seven ventilated preterm infants were randomly assigned to receive a mean fentanyl infusion of 1.1 (0.08 SE) μg/kg/h for 75 (5) hours, and 28 untreated infants were considered a control group. A behavioural sedation score was used to assess the infants’ behaviour. Urinary metanephrine and the normetanephrine:creatinine molar ratio were determined at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. Outcome data and ventilatory indexes were recorded for each infant. RESULTS The fentanyl group showed significantly lower behavioural stress scores and O2 desaturations than controls and lower urinary concentrations of metanephrine and normetanephrine at 24, 48, 72 hours. The two groups showed no significant difference in ventilatory variables or short term outcome. CONCLUSIONS A short course of low dose fentanyl infusion reduces behavioural sedation scores, O2desaturations and neuroendocrine stress response in preterm ventilated infants.
Clinicians approaches to management of background treatment in patients with SLE in clinical remission: results of an international observational survey

Background The definition of remission in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear, especially how background treatment should be interpreted. Objective To determine preferences of clinicians in treatment of patients in clinical remission from SLE and to assess how previous severity, duration of remission and serology influence changes in treatment. Methods We undertook an internet-based survey of clinicians managing patients with SLE. Case scenarios were constructed to reflect different remission states, previous organ involvement, serological abnormalities, duration of remission and current treatment (hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), steroids and/or immunosuppressive (ISS) agents). Results 130 clinicians from 30 countries were surveyed. The median (range) duration of practice and number of patients with SLE seen each month was 13 (2–42) years and 30 (2–200), respectively. Management decisions in all scenarios varied with greater caution in treatment reduction with shorter duration of remission, extent of serological abnormalities and previous disease severity. Even with mild disease, normal serology and a 5-year clinical remission, 113 (86.9%) clinicians continue to prescribe HCQ. Persistent abnormal serology in any scenario led to a reluctance to reduce or discontinue medications. Prescribing in remission, particularly of steroids and HCQ, varied significantly according to geographical location. Conclusions Clinicians preferences in withdrawing or reducing treatment in patients with SLE in clinical remission vary considerably. Serological abnormalities, previous disease severity and duration of remission all influence the decision to reduce treatment. It is unusual for clinicians to stop HCQ even after prolonged periods of clinical remission. Any definition(s) of remission needs to take into consideration such evidence on how maintenance treatments are managed.
Wavelet transform-based transient current analysis for detection of gate-oxide shorts in CMOS

In this paper, we present a novel integrated method for testing gate-oxide shorts due to pinhole defects in the gate oxide of CMOS circuits using a wavelet transform-based transient current (iDDT) analysis technique. Wavelet transform has the property of resolving events in both time and frequency domains unlike Fourier transform which decomposes a signal in frequency components only. The proposed method is based on switching the CMOS gate, monitoring the wavelet transform of the transient current and comparing it to the one of the defect-free gate. The MOS transistor is modeled using a two-dimensional non-linear split model. Simulation results on the circuit under test show that wavelet transform has higher fault detection sensitivity than Fourier or peak-current value comparison methods and hence, can be considered very promising for defect oriented testing of gate-oxide shorts.
Dartgrid : a Semantic Web Toolkit for Integrating Heterogeneous Relational Databases

Since most of the data in big organization is stored in relational databases, for semantic web to be really useful and successful, great efforts are required to offer methods and tools to support integration of heterogeneous relational databases using semantic web technologies. Dartgrid3 4 5. is an application development framework together with a set of practical semantic tools to facilitate the integration of heterogenous relational databases using semantic web technologies. It greatly facilitate developers (i) to interconnect distributed located legacy databases using richer semantics, (ii) to provide ontology-based query, search and navigation services as one huge distributed database, and (iii) to add additional deductive capabilities on the top to increase the usability and reusability of data. A set of practical semantic web tools has been developed. For examples, DartMapping is a visualized mapping tool to help DBA in defining semantic mappings from heterogeneous relational schemas to RDF/OWL ontologies. DartQuery is an ontologybased query interface enabling user to specify semantic queries, and able to rewrite SPARQL semantic queries to a set of SQL queries for query rewriting. DartSearch is an ontology-based search engine enabling user to make full-text search over all databases and to navigate across the search results semantically. It is also enriched with a concept ranking mechanism to enable user to find more accurate and reliable results. We have developed and deployed such kind of a semantic web application for China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM). It semantically interconnects over 70 legacy TCM databases by a formal TCM ontology with over 70 classes and 800 properties. In this application, the TCM ontology acts as a separate semantic layer to fill up the gaps among legacy databases with heterogeneous structures. Users and machines only need to interact with the semantic layer, and the semantic interconnections allow them to start in one database, and then move around an extendable set of databases. The semantic layer also enables the system to answer semantic queries across
Astrocyte and Neuronal Plasticity in the Somatosensory System

Changing the whisker complement on a rodent's snout can lead to two forms of experience-dependent plasticity (EDP) in the neurons of the barrel cortex, where whiskers are somatotopically represented. One form, termed coding plasticity, concerns changes in synaptic transmission and connectivity between neurons. This is thought to underlie learning and memory processes and so adaptation to a changing environment. The second, called homeostatic plasticity, serves to maintain a restricted dynamic range of neuronal activity thus preventing its saturation or total downregulation. Current explanatory models of cortical EDP are almost exclusively neurocentric. However, in recent years, increasing evidence has emerged on the role of astrocytes in brain function, including plasticity. Indeed, astrocytes appear as necessary partners of neurons at the core of the mechanisms of coding and homeostatic plasticity recorded in neurons. In addition to neuronal plasticity, several different forms of astrocytic plasticity have recently been discovered. They extend from changes in receptor expression and dynamic changes in morphology to alteration in gliotransmitter release. It is however unclear how astrocytic plasticity contributes to the neuronal EDP. Here, we review the known and possible roles for astrocytes in the barrel cortex, including its plasticity.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Purpose of Review: This article introduces readers to the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing and reviews the associated risk factors and health consequences.Recent Findings: Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with significant impairments in daytime alertness and cognitive function as well as adverse health outcomes. The initial treatment of choice is positive airway pressure. Improvements in technology and mask delivery systems have helped to make this treatment more comfortable and convenient for many patients.Summary: Sleep-disordered breathing, particularly in the form of obstructive sleep apnea, is highly prevalent in the general population and has important implications for neurology patients. Sleep-disordered breathing is characterized by repetitive periods of cessation in breathing, termed apneas, or reductions in the amplitude of a breath, known as hypopneas, that occur during sleep. These events are frequently associated with fragmentation of sleep, declines in oxygen saturation, and sympathetic nervous system activation with heart rate and blood pressure elevation. Obstructive sleep apnea, which represents cessation of airflow, develops because of factors such as anatomic obstruction of the upper airway related to obesity, excess tissue bulk in the pharynx, and changes in muscle tone and nerve activity during sleep. Central sleep apnea represents cessation of airflow along with absence or significant reduction in respiratory effort during sleep and is more commonly found in the setting of congestive heart failure, neurologic disorders, or cardiopulmonary disease.
Small-Animal PET: What Is It, and Why Do We Need It?*

Small-animal PET refers to imaging of animals such as rats and mice using dedicated PET scanners. Small-animal PET has been used extensively in modern biomedical research. It provides a quantitative measure of the 3-dimensional distribution of a radiopharmaceutical administered to a live subject noninvasively. In this article, we will discuss the operational and technical aspects of small-animal PET; make some comparisons between small-animal PET and human PET systems; identify the challenges of, opportunities for, and ultimate limitations in applying small-animal PET; and discuss some representative small-animal PET applications. Education objectives: After reading this article, the technologist will be able to explain the requirements and benefits of small-animal PET in biomedical research, describe the design and general characteristics of a small-animal PET system, list and describe some of the challenges of imaging small animals, and discuss several small-animal PET applications.
Contribution of Common PCSK1 Genetic Variants to Obesity in 8,359 Subjects from Multi-Ethnic American Population

Common PCSK1 variants (notably rs6232 and rs6235) have been shown to be associated with obesity in European, Asian and Mexican populations. To determine whether common PCSK1 variants contribute to obesity in American population, we conducted association analyses in 8,359 subjects using two multi-ethnic American studies: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). By evaluating the contribution of rs6232 and rs6235 in each ethnic group, we found that in European-American subjects from CARDIA, only rs6232 was associated with BMI (P = 0.006) and obesity (P = 0.018) but also increased the obesity incidence during the 20 years of follow-up (HR = 1.53 [1.07–2.19], P = 0.019). Alternatively, in African-American subjects from CARDIA, rs6235 was associated with BMI (P = 0.028) and obesity (P = 0.018). Further, by combining the two case-control ethnic groups from the CARDIA study in a meta-analysis, association between rs6235 and obesity risk remained significant (OR = 1.23 [1.05–1.45], P = 9.5×10−3). However, neither rs6232 nor rs6235 was associated with BMI or obesity in the MESA study. Interestingly, rs6232 was associated with BMI (P = 4.2×10−3) and obesity (P = 3.4×10−3) in the younger European-American group combining samples from the both studies [less than median age (53 years)], but not among the older age group (P = 0.756 and P = 0.935 for BMI and obesity, respectively). By combining all the case-control ethnic groups from CARDIA and MESA in a meta-analysis, we found no significant association for the both variants and obesity risk. Finally, by exploring the full PCSK1 locus, we observed that no variant remained significant after correction for multiple testing. These results indicate that common PCSK1 variants (notably rs6232 and rs6235) contribute modestly to obesity in multi-ethnic American population. Further, these results suggest that the association of rs6232 with obesity may be age-dependent in European-Americans. However, multiple replication studies in multi-ethnic American population are needed to confirm our findings.
Stabilizing anti-windup controllers for power allocation in cellular networks

Recently, passivity-based techniques to control the transmit power of mobile nodes have been proposed to ensure the input-output stability of cellular CDMA networks. An inherent assumption in these solutions is that the transmit power synthesized by the controller of choice does not exceed an upper bound pmax, which has not been characterized. In practice, an upper bound pmax is invariably imposed on the instantaneous transmit power of the mobile user and may lead to windup in the cellular network. We propose an antiwindup mechanism.
Generalized adaptive pursuit algorithm for genetic pareto local search algorithms

The standard adaptive pursuit technique (AP) shows preference for a single operator at a time but is not able to simultaneously pursue multiple operators. We generalize AP by allowing any target distribution to be pursued for operator selection probabilities. We call this the generalized adaptive pursuit algorithm (GAPA). We show that the probability matching and multi-armed bandit strategies, with particular settings, can be integrated in the GAPA framework. We propose and experimentally test two instances of GAPA. Assuming that there are multiple useful operators, the multi-operator AP pursues them all simultaneously. The multi-layer AP is intended to scale up the pursuit algorithm to a large set of operators. To experimentally test the proposed GAPA instances, we introduce the adaptive genetic Pareto local search (aGPLS) that selects on-line genetic operators to restart the Pareto local search. We show on a bi-objective Quadratic assignment problem (bQAP) instance with a large number of facilities and high correlation that aGPLSs are the algorithms with best performance tested.
Visual Presentation Modes in Online Product Reviews and Their Effects on Consumer Responses

Online product reviews posted by consumers are becoming a staple part of e-commerce websites. Researchers demonstrate that the volume and strength of online reviews, among others, have a significant impact on consumer responses. These studies have focused on the effect of text-based online reviews, but current information technologies enable the posting of online reviews with higher visual content, such as with images and videos. Using the elaboration likelihood model and the dual coding theory, we examine the effects of three visual modes for presenting online reviews with three products – backpack, digital camera and video game. Our results indicate that video-based online reviews are perceived as being more credible, helpful, persuasive, and providing a great sense of involvement, compared to text-based and image-based online reviews, but with no significant differences among the latter two. The influence of presentation modes on consumer responses is partially moderated by product type.
Level set segmentation with shape prior knowledge using intrinsic rotation, translation and scaling alignment

Level set-based algorithms have been extensively used for medical image segmentation. Despite their relative success, standard level set segmentations tend to fail when images are severely corrupted or in poorly defined regions. This problem has been tackled incorporating shape prior knowledge, i.e. restricting the evolving curve to a distribution of shapes pre-defined during a training process. Such shape restriction needs to incorporate invariance to translation, rotations and scaling. The common approach for this is to solve a registration problem during the curve evolution, i.e. finding optimal registration parameters. This procedure is slow and produces variable results depending on the order in which the registration parameters were optimized. To overcome this issue Cremers et al. (2006) proposed an intrinsic alignment formulation, which is a normalized coordinate system for each shape, thus avoiding the optimization step to account for the registration. Nevertheless, their proposed solution considered only scaling and translation, but not rotations which are critical for medical imaging applications. We added rotations to this intrinsic alignment, using eigenvalues and eigenvector matrices of the covariance matrix of each shape, and we incorporated them into the evolution equation, allowing us to use shape priors in complex segmentation problems. We tested our algorithm combined with a Chan-Vese functional in synthetic images and in 2D right ventricle MRI.
Is Adding HCV Screening to the Antenatal National Screening Program in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Cost-Effective?

Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to severe liver disease. Pregnant women are already routinely screened for several infectious diseases, but not yet for HCV infection. Here we examine whether adding HCV screening to routine screening is cost-effective. Methods To estimate the cost-effectiveness of implementing HCV screening of all pregnant women and HCV screening of first-generation non-Western pregnant women as compared to no screening, we developed a Markov model. For the parameters of the model, we used prevalence data from pregnant women retrospectively tested for HCV in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and from literature sources. In addition, we estimated the effect of possible treatment improvement in the future. Results The incremental costs per woman screened was €41 and 0.0008 life-years were gained. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was €52,473 which is above the cost-effectiveness threshold of €50,000. For screening first-generation non-Western migrants, the ICER was €47,113. Best-case analysis for both scenarios showed ICERs of respectively €19,505 and €17,533. We estimated that if costs per treatment were to decline to €3,750 (a reduction in price of €31,000), screening all pregnant women would be cost-effective. Conclusions Currently, adding HCV screening to the already existing screening program for pregnant women is not cost-effective for women in general. However, adding HCV screening for first-generation non-Western women shows a modest cost-effective outcome. Yet, best case analysis shows potentials for an ICER below €20,000 per life-year gained. Treatment options will improve further in the coming years, enhancing cost-effectiveness even more.
C2 Subcutaneous Stimulation for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: A Case Report

Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a term embracing a constellation of conditions that describes persistent or recurring low back pain, with or without sciatica following one or more spine surgeries. It has been shown in animals that electrical stimulation of the high cervical C2 area can suppress pain stimuli derived from the L5‐S1 dermatome. It is unknown whether C2 electrical stimulation in humans can be used to treat pain derived from the L5‐S1 area, and a case is reported in which subcutaneous C2 is applied to treat FBSS.
A steam turbine diagnostic maintenance system based on an evolutive domain ontology

This paper describes the design of a fault diagnostic maintenance system for steam turbines based on a domain ontology and coupled to an expert system. The main data and information constituting the system come from disparate data bases with different usage. In this case a database for equipment characteristics and another containing maintenance acts defining symptoms, defects and remedies for maintenance cases. An Expert System (ES) integrated with the domain ontology of the steam turbine is used as a reasoner in order to generate new knowledge. The second aspect of the paper focuses on the possible enhancement and evolution of the developed ontology in order to take into account new maintenance cases. Examples of ontology evolution are given at an instance and class levels.
Antimony doped p-type zinc oxide for piezotronics and optoelectronics

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to start by thanking my advisor, Dr. Zhong Lin Wang, for his support and guidance during my time here at Georgia Tech. I will never forget the trust and academic freedom he gave me to pursue a research topic that would not only be challenging, but may have proven fruitless, as it has for so many other researchers in the past. It is thanks to him that I was able to carve out my own niche, and pursue a project I could truly be passionate about. I would also like to thank my committee members for their assistance over the years. I would like to thank Dr. Elsa Reichmanis for leading the IGERT program, which showed me the bigger picture my work could have through its integration of scientific and public policy courses. I would like to thank Dr. Preet Singh for the numerous conversations about research and life on the walks to and from IPST. Next, I would like to thank Dr. Meilin Liu for teaching many of the fundamental concepts that form the foundation of my knowledge of materials science through the courses I took with him. I would like to thank Dr. Benjamin Klein for giving me the opportunity to investigate more exotic applications of my material in radiation detection through our collaborative effort with Dr. Nolan Hertel. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Christopher Summers, who could not be present at my thesis defense, but was a key member of my proposal committee, and always a great source of advice. I would like to thank all the members of Dr. Wang's group, for their help and support. First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Wenzhuo Wu, who helped guide my work during my career here, and helping me find greater context and application for my iv research. I would have been completely lost in my research had you not reached out and taken interest in my work. I would also like to thank Dr. Yong Ding for his technical assistance and constant moral support. Your great interest in my research was always a major motivator to develop new novel structures for us to probe together. I would also like to give special thanks to Drs. for their advice and friendship. To all the other members of the group, both past and present, and too numerous to list, I …