Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hormonal contraception and risk of venous thromboembolism: national follow-up study

Objective To assess the risk of venous thrombosis in current users of different types of hormonal contraception, focusing on regimen, oestrogen dose, type of progestogen, and route of administration. Design National cohort study. Setting Denmark, 1995-2005. Participants Danish women aged 15-49 with no history of cardiovascular or malignant disease. Main outcome measures Adjusted rate ratios for all first time deep venous thrombosis, portal thrombosis, thrombosis of caval vein, thrombosis of renal vein, unspecified deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism during the study period. Results 10.4 million woman years were recorded, 3.3 million woman years in receipt of oral contraceptives. In total, 4213 venous thrombotic events were observed, 2045 in current users of oral contraceptives. The overall absolute risk of venous thrombosis per 10 000 woman years in non-users of oral contraceptives was 3.01 and in current users was 6.29. Compared with non-users of combined oral contraceptives the rate ratio of venous thrombembolism in current users decreased with duration of use (<1 year 4.17, 95% confidence interval 3.73 to 4.66, 1-4 years 2.98, 2.73 to 3.26, and >4 years 2.76, 2.53 to 3.02; P<0.001) and with decreasing dose of oestrogen. Compared with oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel and with the same dose of oestrogen and length of use, the rate ratio for oral contraceptives with norethisterone was 0.98 (0.71 to 1.37), with norgestimate 1.19 (0.96 to 1.47), with desogestrel 1.82 (1.49 to 2.22), with gestodene 1.86 (1.59 to 2.18), with drospirenone 1.64 (1.27 to 2.10), and with cyproterone 1.88 (1.47 to 2.42). Compared with non-users of oral contraceptives, the rate ratio for venous thromboembolism in users of progestogen only oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel or norethisterone was 0.59 (0.33 to 1.03) or with 75 μg desogestrel was 1.12 (0.36 to 3.49), and for hormone releasing intrauterine devices was 0.90 (0.64 to 1.26). Conclusion The risk of venous thrombosis in current users of combined oral contraceptives decreases with duration of use and decreasing oestrogen dose. For the same dose of oestrogen and the same length of use, oral contraceptives with desogestrel, gestodene, or drospirenone were associated with a significantly higher risk of venous thrombosis than oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel. Progestogen only pills and hormone releasing intrauterine devices were not associated with any increased risk of venous thrombosis.
Predicting Social Functioning in Young Adults with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Longitudinal Study

Background: The primary objectives of the current study were to (a) describe social functioning outcomes over a 9-year span in individual with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS) and (b) identify childhood predictors of social functioning in young adults with 22q11.2DS. Method: Using data from a prospective longitudinal study, young adult social functioning was compared among individuals with 22q11.2DS, their siblings, and community controls. Childhood cognitive, emotional, and behavioral predictors of young adult social functioning were examined. In addition, the relationship between psychosis and social functioning was explored. Family environment and factors contributing to parental stress in adolescence were investigated as potential mediators of the relationship between significant childhood variables and adult social functioning. Results: Parents rated young adults with 22q11.2DS as having more impaired social functioning than controls. Parent rated childhood internalizing symptoms significantly predicted young adult social functioning in 22q11.2DS, even after controlling for concurrent positive symptoms of psychosis. Problem behaviors contributing to parenting stress in adolescence partially mediated the relationship between child internalizing symptoms and young adult social functioning in 22q11.2DS. Conclusions: These findings highlight child internalizing symptoms and adolescent problem behaviors as potential targets for social functioning interventions designed to prevent / remediate impairments in 22q11.2DS.
The research of theme identification in scientific documents

There is abundant thematic information in the technical documentations which can reveal the content of the subject. Co-word analysis is an important method for Scientometrics analysis. And the theme clustering analysis based on co-word has become one of the most active research fields. Co-word clustering analysis forms a series of paper clusters which consists of scientific and technological documents. These theme clustering reflect the evolution of the development trend which contribute to grasp the development of science for researchers. So, It is necessary to identify the theme of these clusters. This paper analyses some typical approaches of theme identification in co-word analysis and their drawbacks, and advances an improved method that combines Latent Dirichlet Allocation model for theme identification. The experimental results prove that the advanced approach can utilize the merits of improved co-word analysis, especially in enhancing the thematic characteristic and coherency among the descriptors. And thus the advanced approach can be better used in theme identification of scientific documents.
Smart wheelchairs: A literature review.

Several studies have shown that both children and adults benefit substantially from access to a means of independent mobility. While the needs of many individuals with disabilities can be satisfied with traditional manual or powered wheelchairs, a segment of the disabled community finds it difficult or impossible to use wheelchairs independently. To accommodate this population, researchers have used technologies originally developed for mobile robots to create "smart wheelchairs. " Smart wheelchairs have been the subject of research since the early 1980s and have been developed on four continents. This article presents a summary of the current state of the art and directions for future research.
A New Species of Anthracocarpon (Verrucariaceae) from Argentina

Abstract Anthracocarpon andinum, a new terricolous species, is described from northern Argentina. The most important differences from A. virescens (Zahlbr.) Breuss are in thallus morphology and size and shape of the ascospores. Anthracocarpon andinum develops a squamulose thallus covered by a sulcate epinecral layer. The squamules of A. virescens are smaller, thinner and covered by a thin and continuous epinecral layer. In addition, A. andinum has paler rhizines than A. virescens. Thallus thickness, spore width and length/width ratio of ascospores are significantly different for the two species.
Performance of detecting defects in textile fabric using Gabor Wavelet with statistical and Morphological filters

Automatic visual inspection is the backbone of any manufacturing industry. Manual inspections of textile fabrics are ineffective due to the fatigue and speed requirement. The Gabor wavelets network provides an effective way to analyze the input images and to extract the fabric features. This paper addresses the functionality of Gabor Wavelet with statistical features and Morphological filtering. The first method extracts statistical features of the input image using Gabor wavelet. Another method combines Gabor wavelet with morphological filtering to select appropriate structuring element. Finally, thresholding of the features are done to produce a binary image. In addition, the performance of the algorithms is evaluated to verify their efficiency in identifying the defective fabric image based on the segmented results.
THE USE OF THE HOUGH TRANSFORM IN SHAPE-FROM-SHADING

Shape-from-shading is a challenging problem in the field of computer vision. The goal is to detect the three dimensional shape of an object when given an image of that object. The relationship between the shading information and the orientation of the object’s surface, known as the reflectance function, is used to perform this computation. The Hough transform is a statistical, probabilistic algorithm used to detect two-dimensional shapes that can be defined by algebraic functions. The parameters of these underlying functions are found from the image data. In previous work, the Hough transform has used edge points or other feature points as data, and is typically implemented by a discrete accumulator in the parameter space. The peak values in the accumulator correspond to the detected parameters of the underlying shapes. This work explores the application of the Hough transform to shape-fromshading problems. Previous work using the Hough transform has only detected two-dimensional shapes using feature points. In this work, the Hough transform is used together with the pixel intensity values to detect three-dimensional spheres from an image directly. As an example for possible applications, relighting of detected spheres is presented.
Semi-supervised manifold learning approaches for spoken term verification

In this paper, the application of semi-supervised manifold learning techniques to the task of verifying hypothesized occurrences of spoken terms is investigated. These techniques are applied in a two stage spoken term detection framework where ASR lattices are first generated using a large vocabulary ASR system and hypothesized occurrences of spoken query terms in the lattices are verified in a second stage. The verification process is performed using a fixed dimensional feature representation derived from each hypothesized term occurrence. Two semi-supervised approaches namely, manifold regularized least squares (RLS) classification and spectral clustering, are investigated for distinguishing correct hypotheses from false alarms. It is shown that, exploiting unlabeled data in addition to labeled data using semi-supervised approaches, significantly improves the verification performance compared to the case where only the labeled data is used. This improvement in performance increases as the ratio of unlabeled to labeled data augments. It is also shown that, when training data is very limited, a comparable verification performance can be gained by exploiting only the acoustic similarity between the test samples using the spectral clustering approach.
Rapid Prototyping of Service-Oriented Applications on OSGi Platform

In this paper we present a rapid prototyping development approach fordeveloping service-oriented applications on OSGi platform that combinesincremental and evolutionary prototyping.Prototypes are defined as executable UML models.In order to ensure simple and fast definition of UML models, we applythe DRY (``don't repeat yourself'') principle and the concept of ``conventionover configuration'' introduced in the context of rapid application development. Update transformations in the small may be applied onmodel elements explicitly selected by the user in order to rapidily create new model elements based on some conventions.During the development the system may contain platform independent and platformspecific components.This feature allows developers to reuse platform specific components when theybuild a new system. Moreover, the approach may also be used when they maintain anexisting system.
Processes of believing: Where do they come from? What are they good for?

Despite the long scholarly discourse in Western theology and philosophy on religion, spirituality, and faith, explanations of what a belief and what believing is are still lacking. Recently, cognitive neuroscience research addressed the human capacity of believing. We present evidence suggesting that believing is a human brain function which results in probabilistic representations with attributes of personal meaning and value and thereby guides individuals’ behavior. We propose that the same mental processes operating on narratives and rituals constitute belief systems in individuals and social groups. Our theoretical model of believing is suited to account for secular and non-secular belief formation.
Temperature dependent modulation of lobster neuromuscular properties by serotonin

SUMMARY In cold-blooded species the efficacy of neuromuscular function depends both on the thermal environmental of the animal's habitat and on the concentrations of modulatory hormones circulating within the animal's body. The goal of this study is to examine how temperature variation within an ecologically relevant range affects neuromuscular function and its modulation by the neurohormone serotonin (5-HT) in Homarus americanus, a lobster species that inhabits a broad thermal range in the wild. The synaptic strength of the excitatory and inhibitory motoneurons innervating the lobster dactyl opener muscle depends on temperature, with the strongest neurally evoked muscle movements being elicited at cold (<5°C) temperatures. However, whereas neurally evoked contractions can be elicited over the entire temperature range from 2 to >20°C, neurally evoked relaxations of resting muscle tension are effective only at colder temperatures at which the inhibitory junction potentials are hyperpolarizing in polarity. 5-HT has two effects on inhibitory synaptic signals: it potentiates their amplitude and also shifts the temperature at which they reverse polarity by approximately +7°C. Thus 5-HT both potentiates neurally evoked relaxations of the muscle and increases the temperature range over which neurally evoked muscle relaxations can be elicited. Neurally evoked contractions are maximally potentiated by 5-HT at warm (18°C) temperatures; however, 5-HT enhances excitatory junction potentials in a temperature-independent manner. Finally, 5-HT strongly increases resting muscle tension at the coldest extent of the temperature range tested (2°C) but is ineffective at 22°C. These data demonstrate that 5-HT elicits several temperature-dependent physiological changes in the passive and active responses of muscle to neural input. The overall effect of 5-HT is to increase the temperature range over which neurally evoked motor movements can be elicited in this neuromuscular system. )
Applying volunteer mapreduce platform to assist search and rescue operations

Presented case study is based on application of the previously designed volunteer peer-to-peer MapReduce computing platform to assist evacuation of people who are disoriented in a forest that is aected by wildre. Problem solution requires extensive use of features which are built into mobile devices in such a way, that computing not only become execution device, but also interface and data collector sensors. Nonetheless, despite being advanced to such a level every device in the infrastructure resumes its voluntarily mapper or reducer node features.
Research of Thenar Palmprint Classification Based on Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix and SVM

An optimal thenar palmprint classification model is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the thenar palmprint image is enhanced using a high-frequency emphasis filter and histogram equalization. Then, from the enhanced image thirteen textural features of gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) are extracted as classification feature vectors. Finally, the SVM classifier is used for classification and the best classification model will be obtained through comparing the classification results of different kernel functions and feature vectors. The experimental results proved the feasibility and effectiveness of this model for thenar palmprint classification.
Improvement of cholesterol levels and reduction of cardiovascular risk via the consumption of phytosterols

Hypercholesterolaemia is one of the main factors contributing to the appearance and progression of CVD, which is the main cause of death in the adult population of industrialized societies. By 2020, projections suggest that it will continue to hold first place, by then causing 37 % of all deaths. Therapeutic life-style changes to reduce cardiovascular risk include dietary modifications, such as the inclusion of phytosterols or plant sterols (known since the 1950s to reduce cholesterol levels). These help prevent the absorption of cholesterol and thus condition a reduction in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels, and ultimately in cardiovascular mortality. The fat-soluble nature of these sterols rendered margarine one of the best vehicles by which to supply them in the diet. Indeed, margarine was the first food to contain cholesterol-reducing phytosterols to be approved by the EU (in agreement with its regulations on new foods and food ingredients, 258/97/CE). Presently, phytosterols can be emulsified with lecithin and thus delivered in non-fat or low-fat foods and beverages. Margarine and dairy products (yoghurt and milk) enriched in phytosterols have proved better at lowering total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels than have enriched cereals and their derivatives, although all can be of help, depending on the characteristics of each subject. The reduction in carotenoid bioavailability caused by sterols is minimized by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Individuals who habitually consume phytosterols should also follow traditional advice such as eating less dietary fat and increasing their physical activity. Phytosterols have been shown to be safe and effective in lowering cholesterol levels in many rigorous studies. In few areas of nutrition is there such consensus. Diet professionals should feel comfortable in prescribing phytosterols/stanols for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. They are safe whether taken alone or in combination with cholesterol-reducing drugs, such as statins and fibrates. Reinforcement counselling is essential, as therapy is effective only if compliance is good.
Sleep and napping patterns in 3-to-5-year old children attending full-day childcare centers.

OBJECTIVE To describe daytime naps and nighttime sleep-wake patterns in children attending full-day childcare centers. METHODS A descriptive cross-sectional study of sleep and daytime nap patterns in 52 healthy children 3-5 years of age. Sleep and nap data were obtained over 3 days and nights (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) with continuous ankle actigraphy recording on children attending two university-affiliated childcare centers. RESULTS Children averaged about 10 hr (610 min +/- 38 SD) of total sleep in 24 hr, as estimated by actigraphy. For the 41 children who napped, average nap duration was 75.8 min (+/-20 SD). Nocturnal sleep was less for children who napped (9.0 hr +/- 0.71 SD) compared to those who did not nap (9.8 hr +/- 0.53 SD). CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that the majority of 3-to-5-year-old children nap when given an opportunity. Preschool children's sleep and napping patterns on weekends and in other types of childcare environments warrant further research to assess health effects and impact on growth and development.
Architectures Supporting RosettaNet

RosettaNet standards are industry standards for B2B integration. Although it has been adopted by many companies in informational technology, electronic components, and semiconductor manufacturing industries, etc., there are still many questions need to be answered. The paper introduces the typical scenario and benefits of using RosettaNet standards, provides a survey on the architectures supporting RosettaNet. We also provide a comparison of these architectures, and propose an architecture supporting RosettaNet using Web services architecture
Document Selection in a Distributed Search Engine Architecture

Distributed Search Engine Architecture (DSEA) hosts numerous independent topic-specific search engines and selects a subset of the databases to search within the architecture. The objective of this approach is to reduce the amount of space needed to perform a search by querying only a subset of the total data available. In order to manipulate data across many databases, it is most efficient to identify a smaller subset of databases that would be most likely to return the data of specific interest that can then be examined in greater detail. The selection index has been most commonly used as a method for choosing the most applicable databases as it captures broad information about each database and its indexed documents. Employing this type of database allows the researcher to find information more quickly, not only with less cost, but it also minimizes the potential for biases. This paper investigates the effectiveness of different databases selected within the framework and scope of the distributed search engine architecture. The purpose of the study is to improve the quality of distributed information retrieval.
A Mechanical Proof of the Turing Completeness of Pure LISP.

Abstract : The authors describe a proof by a computer program of the Turing completeness of a computational paradigm akin to Pure LISP. That is, they define formally the notions of a Turing machine and of a version of Pure LISP and prove that anything that can be computed by a Turing machine can be computed by LISP. While this result is straightforward, they believe this is the first instance of a machine proving the Turing completeness of another computational paradigm. (Author)
Genome Sequence of a Complex HIV-1 Unique Recombinant Form Involving CRF01_AE, Subtype B, and Subtype B′ Identified in Malaysia

ABSTRACT A complex HIV-1 unique recombinant form involving subtypes CRF01_AE, B, and B′ was recently identified from an injecting drug user in Malaysia. A total of 13 recombination breakpoints were mapped across the near-full-length genome of isolate 10MYPR226, indicating the increasingly diverse molecular epidemiology and frequent linkage among various high-risk groups.
The two variants of OSBP-related protein-1 ( ORP 1 ) display different tissue expression patterns , have different intracellular localization , and are functionally distinct

Oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) homologues comprise a family of 12 proteins in humans (Jaworski et al., 2001; Lehto et al., 2001). Two variants of OSBP-related protein (ORP) 1 have been identified, a short one that consists of the carboxy-terminal ligand binding domain only (ORP1S, 437 aa) and a longer N-terminally extended form (ORP1L, 950 aa) encompassing three ankyrin repeats and a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. We now report that the two mRNAs show marked differences in tissue expression. ORP1S predominates in skeletal muscle and heart, while ORP1L is the most abundant form in brain and lung. Upon differentiation of primary human monocytes into macrophages, both ORP1S and ORP1L mRNAs were induced, the upregulation of ORP1L being over 100-fold. The intracellular localization of the two ORP1 variants was found to be different. While ORP1S is largely cytosolic the ORP1L variant localizes to late endosomes. A significant amount of ORP1S but only little ORP1L was found in the nucleus. The ORP1L ankyrin repeat (ANK) region (aa 1-237) was found to localize to late endosomes like the full length protein. This localization was even more pronounced for a fragment which additionally includes the PH domain (aa 1-408). The amino-terminal region of ORP1L consisting of the ANK and PH domains is therefore likely to be responsible for the targeting of ORP1L to late endosomes. Interestingly, overexpression of ORP1L was found to enhance the LXRα-mediated transactivation of a reporter gene, while ORP1S failed to influence this process. The results suggest that the two forms of ORP1 are functionally distinct and that ORP1L is involved in control of cellular lipid metabolism.
Tree Approximation and Optimal Encoding 1

Tree approximation is a new form of nonlinear approximation which appears naturally in some applications such as image processing and adaptive numerical methods. It is somewhat more restrictive than the usual n-term approximation. We show that the restrictions of tree approximation cost little in terms of rates of approximation. We then use that result to design encoders for compression. These encoders are universal (they apply to general functions) and progressive (increasing accuracy is obtained by sending bit stream increments). We show optimality of the encoders in the sense that they provide upper estimates for the Kolmogorov entropy of Besov balls.  2001 Academic Press