Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decision-Making about the HPV Vaccine among Ethnically Diverse Parents: Implications for Health Communications

Objective: To describe parents' knowledge, attitudes, and decision-making with regard to obtaining the HPV vaccine for their daughters. Methods: White, Black, and Hispanic parents of daughters who were age eligible to receive the HPV vaccine (9–17 years) were recruited from community settings to participate in focus groups. Parents were asked about knowledge and awareness of HPV, decision-making about HPV vaccine, as well as preferred and actual sources of HPV information. Results: Seven focus groups (n = 64 participants) were conducted. Groups were segmented by gender (women = 72%) and race/ethnicity (Black = 59%; White = 23%; Hispanic = 19%). Prevalent themes included: insufficient information to make informed decisions; varied preferences for involvement in decision-making; concerns about vaccine safety; mistrust of medical providers and pharmaceutical companies; and mismatch between actual and preferred sources of information. Discussion: Improving communication between providers and caregivers and helping parents to access information necessary for informed decision-making, while alleviating concerns about vaccine safety, may help to improve vaccine acceptance.
Evidence of Statistical Inconsistency of Phylogenetic Methods in the Presence of Multiple Sequence Alignment Uncertainty

Evolutionary studies usually use a two-step process to investigate sequence data. Step one estimates a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) and step two applies phylogenetic methods to ask evolutionary questions of that MSA. Modern phylogenetic methods infer evolutionary parameters using maximum likelihood or Bayesian inference, mediated by a probabilistic substitution model that describes sequence change over a tree. The statistical properties of these methods mean that more data directly translates to an increased confidence in downstream results, providing the substitution model is adequate and the MSA is correct. Many studies have investigated the robustness of phylogenetic methods in the presence of substitution model misspecification, but few have examined the statistical properties of those methods when the MSA is unknown. This simulation study examines the statistical properties of the complete two-step process when inferring sequence divergence and the phylogenetic tree topology. Both nucleotide and amino acid analyses are negatively affected by the alignment step, both through inaccurate guide tree estimates and through overfitting to that guide tree. For many alignment tools these effects become more pronounced when additional sequences are added to the analysis. Nucleotide sequences are particularly susceptible, with MSA errors leading to statistical support for long-branch attraction artifacts, which are usually associated with gross substitution model misspecification. Amino acid MSAs are more robust, but do tend to arbitrarily resolve multifurcations in favor of the guide tree. No inference strategies produce consistently accurate estimates of divergence between sequences, although amino acid MSAs are again more accurate than their nucleotide counterparts. We conclude with some practical suggestions about how to limit the effect of MSA uncertainty on evolutionary inference.
Topology of Feather Melanocyte Progenitor Niche Allows Complex Pigment Patterns to Emerge

Feather Features Diversification of feather pigment patterns is essential for avian speciation and adaptation. Yet the identity of feather pigment progenitor cells and the cellular and molecular basis for feather pigment pattern formation is poorly understood. Lin et al. (p. 1442, published online 25 April) report that, compared to the localized pigment cell niche in hair, a more dispersed circular topology of the feather pigment progenitor niche loosens spatial constraints and allows for more freedom in patterning possibilities. Multiple cellular mechanisms are co-opted and choreographed in this multidimensional space to create patterns. The patterns of colors in feathers are produced via temporal and spatial regulation of melanocyte stem cells. Color patterns of bird plumage affect animal behavior and speciation. Diverse patterns are present in different species and within the individual. Here, we study the cellular and molecular basis of feather pigment pattern formation. Melanocyte progenitors are distributed as a horizontal ring in the proximal follicle, sending melanocytes vertically up into the epithelial cylinder, which gradually emerges as feathers grow. Different pigment patterns form by modulating the presence, arrangement, or differentiation of melanocytes. A layer of peripheral pulp further regulates pigmentation via patterned agouti expression. Lifetime feather cyclic regeneration resets pigment patterns for physiological needs. Thus, the evolution of stem cell niche topology allows complex pigment patterning through combinatorial co-option of simple regulatory mechanisms.
Elective single embryo transfer with cryopreservation improves the outcome and diminishes the costs of IVF/ICSI.

BACKGROUND Although elective single embryo transfer (eSET) minimizes the multiple birth rate after in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), there remain concerns in many countries that it is less effective and more expensive than conventional double embryo transfer (DET). METHODS We compared the clinical outcome achieved in the years 1995-1999, in which eSET was rarely used (4.2% of women, DET period) with that of the years 2000-2004, in which eSET was more widely used (46.2%, eSET period). In the DET period, 826 women had 1359 fresh embryo cycles followed by 589 frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles. In the eSET period, 684 women had 1027 fresh and 683 FET cycles. The cumulative term live birth rate/woman was the primary clinical outcome measure. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of a term live birth was also calculated based on hospital charges and medication prices of IVF/ICSI treatment. RESULTS The cumulative pregnancy rate/oocytes pickup (38.2 versus 33.1%, P = 0.01), cumulative live birth rate/oocytes pickup (28.0 versus 22.5%, P = 0.002) and cumulative live birth rate/woman (41.7 versus 36.6%, P = 0.04) were all higher in the eSET period than in the DET period. The cumulative multiple birth rate was significantly lower in the eSET period than in the DET period (8.9 versus 19.6%, P < 0.0001). A term live birth in the eSET period was 19 889 euros less expensive than in the DET period. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that eSET with cryopreservation is more effective and less expensive than DET and should be adopted as a treatment of choice.
AN EVALUATION ON DIFFERENT NUMBER OF GROUND CONTROL POINTS IN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE PHOTOGRAMMETRIC BLOCK

Abstract. This paper presents a novel method of unmanned aerial vehicle image processing using photogrammetric technique. The study area consist different slope class which involves undulating area around the Skudai area, Malaysia. All photogrammetric methods were applied in this study including selection of test area, flight planning, camera calibration and image processing orientation. A new ground control point configurations is introduced in this study as a generic approach in unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetric block. These configurations are used to determine the best photogrammetric results based on number of ground control points in the photogrammetric block during image processing. The objective of this study is to determine the best configuration for photogrammetric block in order to produce the best photogrammetric products. Photogrammetric image processing involves two main orientations which are known as interior orientation and exterior orientation. Interior orientation involves the parameters of camera in order to calibrate the image in the same position as during the image acquisition. Exterior orientation involves the measurement of tie points to tie up all images in the strips until photogrammetric block. In this study, six ground control point configurations were tested to determine the best photogrammetric results. In this study, two main photogrammetric results were produced namely digital orthophoto and digital elevation model. The verification results show that all configurations recorded coefficient percentage of more than 97% accuracy for the six configurations. The validation results conclude that ground control point plays an important role in photogrammetric block to acquire the accurate photogrammetric results. In this study eight and nine ground control point configurations are the best configurations among the others. Qualitatively, vector plot error for easting and northing coordinates can be viewed graphically to distinguish the error and direction for all configurations which has been proposed in this study.
Human action recognition with skeletal information from depth camera

We propose a human action recognition solution from the human's skeletal information. The angular representation of the skeleton shows its invariance to the scale of the actor and the orientation to the camera, while it maintains the correlation among different body parts. A modified Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) as a template matching solution is applied to do the action classification task. We collect our data with XBOX Kinect platform, a well-known Chinese traditional shadow boxing named Taiji is recognized based on types of actions which achieves the accuracy of 80%.
Efficacy of As-Needed Nalmefene in Alcohol-Dependent Patients with at Least a High Drinking Risk Level: Results from a Subgroup Analysis of Two Randomized Controlled 6-Month Studies

Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of as-needed use of nalmefene 18 mg versus placebo in reducing alcohol consumption in patients who did not reduce their alcohol consumption after an initial assessment, i.e. the pooled subgroup of patients with at least a high drinking risk level (men: >60 g/day; women: >40 g/day) at both screening and randomization from the two randomized controlled 6-month studies ESENSE 1 (NCT00811720) and ESENSE 2 (NCT00812461). Methods: Nalmefene 18 mg and placebo were taken on an as-needed basis. All the patients also received a motivational and adherence-enhancing intervention (BRENDA). The co-primary outcomes were number of heavy drinking days (HDDs) and mean total alcohol consumption (g/day) in Month 6 measured using the Timeline Follow-back method. Additionally, data on clinical improvement, liver function and safety were collected throughout the study. Results: The pooled population consisted of 667 patients: placebo n = 332; nalmefene n = 335. There was a superior effect of nalmefene compared with placebo in reducing the number of HDDs [treatment difference: −3.2 days (95% CI: −4.8; −1.6); P < 0.0001] and total alcohol consumption [treatment difference: −14.3 g/day (−20.8; −7.8); P < 0.0001] at Month 6. Improvements in clinical status and liver parameters were greater in the nalmefene group compared with the placebo group. Adverse events and adverse events leading to dropout were more common with nalmefene than placebo. Conclusion: As-needed nalmefene was efficacious in reducing alcohol consumption in patients with at least a high drinking risk level at both screening and randomization, and the effect in this subgroup was larger than in the total population.
Genetic Load in Sexual and Asexual Diploids: Segregation, Dominance and Genetic Drift

In diploid organisms, sexual reproduction rearranges allelic combinations between loci (recombination) as well as within loci (segregation). Several studies have analyzed the effect of segregation on the genetic load due to recurrent deleterious mutations, but considered infinite populations, thus neglecting the effects of genetic drift. Here, we use single-locus models to explore the combined effects of segregation, selection, and drift. We find that, for partly recessive deleterious alleles, segregation affects both the deterministic component of the change in allele frequencies and the stochastic component due to drift. As a result, we find that the mutation load may be far greater in asexuals than in sexuals in finite and/or subdivided populations. In finite populations, this effect arises primarily because, in the absence of segregation, heterozygotes may reach high frequencies due to drift, while homozygotes are still efficiently selected against; this is not possible with segregation, as matings between heterozygotes constantly produce new homozygotes. If deleterious alleles are partly, but not fully recessive, this causes an excess load in asexuals at intermediate population sizes. In subdivided populations without extinction, drift mostly occurs locally, which reduces the efficiency of selection in both sexuals and asexuals, but does not lead to global fixation. Yet, local drift is stronger in asexuals than in sexuals, leading to a higher mutation load in asexuals. In metapopulations with turnover, global drift becomes again important, leading to similar results as in finite, unstructured populations. Overall, the mutation load that arises through the absence of segregation in asexuals may greatly exceed previous predictions that ignored genetic drift.
Sparse Uncorrelated Linear Discriminant Analysis

In this paper, we develop a novel approach for sparse uncorrelated linear discriminant analysis (ULDA). Our proposal is based on characterization of all solutions of the generalized ULDA. We incorporate sparsity into the ULDA transformation by seeking the solution with minimum l1-norm from all minimum dimension solutions of the generalized ULDA. The problem is then formulated as a l1-minimization problem and is solved by accelerated linearized Bregman method. Experiments on high-dimensional gene expression data demonstrate that our approach not only computes extremely sparse solutions but also performs well in classification. Experimental results also show that our approach can help for data visualization in low-dimensional space.
Classical and Quantum Ensembles via Multiresolution

We present the application of the variational-wavelet analysis to the analysis of quantum ensembles in Wigner framework. (Naive) deformation quantization, the multiresolution representations and the variational approach are the key points. We construct the solutions of Wigner-like equations via the multiscale expansions in the generalized coherent states or high-localized nonlinear eigenmodes in the base of the compactly supported wavelets and the wavelet packets. We demonstrate the appearance of (stable) localized patterns (waveletons) and consider entanglement and decoherence as possible applications.
Mexico's preschools : coverage, equity and impact

After a brief description of the role of preschool education in child development, the study reviews the preschool system in Mexico and examines the pedagogical function, the family need for substitute childcare, and the social concern for equity. Findings indicate that coverage is high, though the system is costly with very little impact on school readiness, or on mothers' decision to work. These are legitimate and intertwined issues, though the extent to which each one operates should play a role in policy formulation. The study provides a cautionary note, pointing out inadequate existing data sources. Recommendations include modifications in the preschool system and ways to develop better evaluation data.
Parameter selection for SVM using niches genetic algorithm in determined range

An automatic selection method for Support Vector Machine (SVM) parameters using niches genetic algorithm in determined range is proposed. Firstly, the limit range of each parameter is determined by analyzing relation between SVM parameters and model capability. Then regard the determined range as search region and use the niches genetic algorithm to automatically search the optimal parameter values of SVM. The experiments are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.
Split Bregman Method for Sparse Inverse Covariance Estimation with Matrix Iteration Acceleration

xhx@ics.uci. eduAbstract: We consider the problem of estimating the inverse covariance matrix by maximizing thelikelihood function with a penalty added to encourage the sparsity of the resulting matrix. We proposea new approach based on the split Bregman method to solve the regularized maximum likelihoodestimation problem. We show that our method is signiﬁcantly faster than the widely used graphicallasso method, which is based on blockwise coordinate descent, on both artiﬁcial and real-world data.More importantly, diﬀerent from the graphical lasso, the split Bregman based method is much moregeneral, and can be applied to a class of regularization terms other than the l
Passive video forgery detection techniques: A survey

Technological advancement of various video and image processing tools has made tempering of digital video easy and faster. This review paper focuses on passive techniques that are employed for detecting forgeries in a digital video. Passive forgery detection techniques are methods used for detecting the authenticity of a video without depending on pre-embedded information. The techniques exploit the use of statistical or mathematical properties that are distorted as a result of video tempering for forgery detection. Passive video forgery detection approach has a great prospect in multimedia security, information security and pattern recognition. In this paper, we divide passive techniques for video forensics into three categories; Statistical correlation of video features, frame-based for detecting statistical anomalies, and the inconsistency features of different digital equipment. The discussion also covers the trends, limitations and idea for improvements of passive forgery detection techniques.
The Upper Midwest Health Study: gliomas and occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents

Objectives Occupational exposure to chlorinated aliphatic solvents has been associated with an increased cancer risk, including brain cancer. However, many of these solvents remain in active, large-volume use. We evaluated glioma risk from non-farm occupational exposure (ever/never and estimated cumulative exposure) to any of the six chlorinated solvents—carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene or 1,1,1-trichloroethane—among 798 cases and 1175 population-based controls, aged 18–80 years and non-metropolitan residents of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Methods Solvent use was estimated based on occupation, industry and era, using a bibliographic database of published exposure levels and exposure determinants. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs adjusted for frequency matching variables age group and sex, and age and education. Additional analyses were limited to 904 participants who donated blood specimens (excluding controls reporting a previous diagnosis of cancer) genotyped for glutathione-S-transferases GSTP1, GSTM3 and GSTT1. Individuals with functional GST genes might convert chlorinated solvents crossing the blood–brain barrier into cytotoxic metabolites. Results Both estimated cumulative exposure (ppm-years) and ever exposure to chlorinated solvents were associated with decreased glioma risk and were statistically significant overall and for women. In analyses comparing participants with a high probability of exposure with the unexposed, no associations were statistically significant. Solvent-exposed participants with functional GST genes were not at increased risk of glioma. Conclusions We observed no associations of glioma risk and chlorinated solvent exposure. Large pooled studies are needed to explore the interaction of genetic pathways and environmental and occupational exposures in glioma aetiology.
DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF FAST DISINTEGRATING EXTENDED RELEASE TABLETS CONTAINING ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUG "

Objective: The aim of this work was preparing once daily fast disintegrating tablets to handle easily for adult hypertensive patients who have difficulty in swallowing. Methods: Solid dispersions bisoprolol hemifumarate (SD-BH) was prepared by using EC and HPMC in different ratios. A 3* 22 full factorial design was used to investigate the main formulation parameters (different fillers, binder differ in the molecular weight and different coat type). SD-BH were prepared and characterized by DSC. Disintegration time, wetting properties, friability, and hardness of FDTs were evaluated. Percent drug dissolved was determined. Furthermore, the bioavailability was compared with commercial market product. Results: The mean production yield of BH-SDs was 93.50 ± 0.39 %. The tablets demonstrated a hardness of 2-5 N, friability 0.04-0.56% and disintegration time of 67 ± 1.54 sec. The formulations were subjected to accelerated stability study as per ICH guidelines and were found to be stable after three weeks at 60 °C and 75 % R.H. Conclusion: Based on The present study; the suggested FDTs (Ta1) which delivers a solid dispersions' 10 mg BH using HPMC and EC in 1:1 ratio showed an extended effect in lowering the blood pressure and decrease the disintegrating time lesser than commercial oral tablets.
Diagnostic Ability of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Deviation Map for Localized and Diffuse Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Defects

Purpose. To evaluate the diagnostic ability of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) deviation map for glaucoma with localized or diffuse RNFL defects. Methods. Eyes of 139 glaucoma patients and 165 healthy subjects were enrolled. All participants were imaged with Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA). A RNFL defect was defined as at least 10 contiguous red (<1% level) superpixels in RNFL deviation map. The area, location, and angular width of RNFL defects were automatically measured. We compared sensitivities, specificities, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of RNFL deviation map and circumpapillary RNFL thickness for localized and diffuse RNFL defects. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the severity of glaucoma. Results. For localized defects, the area of RNFL defects (AUC, 0.991; sensitivity, 97%; specificity, 90%) in deviation map showed a higher diagnostic performance (p = 0.002) than the best circumpapillary RNFL parameter (inferior RNFL thickness; AUC, 0.914; sensitivity, 79%; specificity, 92%). For diffuse defects, there was no significant difference between the RNFL deviation map and circumpapillary RNFL parameters. In mild glaucoma with localized defect, RNFL deviation map showed a better diagnostic performance than circumpapillary RNFL measurement. Conclusions. RNFL deviation map is a useful tool for evaluating glaucoma regardless of localized or diffuse defect type and has advantages over circumpapillary RNFL measurement for detecting localized RNFL defects.
Recent developments in the use of γ -H2AX as a quantitative DNA double-strand break biomarker

The past year has seen considerable developments in the use of the DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to evaluate genome alterations in cells undergoing a variety of genotoxic stresses in vitro and in vivo. When the γ -H2AX foci which mark the DSBs are stained, individual breaks are detectible, making the assay suitable for situations requiring great sensitivity. While the methods for the detection of γ -H2AX foci are still evolving, particularly for in vivo detection, the basic assay has proven to be useful in several diverse areas of research. We will highlight recent developments of the assay in four areas: radiation biodosimetry, the evaluation or validation of new cancer drugs in clinical studies, chronic inflammation, and environmental genotoxicity.