Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time-based relevance models

This paper addresses blog feed retrieval where the goal is to retrieve the most relevant blog feeds for a given user query. Since the retrieval unit is a blog, as a collection of posts, performing relevance feedback techniques and selecting the most appropriate documents for query expansion becomes challenging. By assuming time as an effective parameter on the blog posts content, we propose a time-based query expansion method. In this method, we select terms for expansion using most relevant days for the query, as opposed to most relevant documents. This provide us with more trustable terms for expansion. Our preliminary experiments on Blog08 collection shows that this method can outperform state of the art relevance feedback methods in blog retrieval.
Configural Frequency Analysis in Applied Psychological Research

L'Analyse de Frequence des Configurations (AFC) est une methode de recherche des classes et anticlasses dans les classifications croisees de categories de variables. Les classes sont des modeles de categories de variables qui apparaissent plus souvent que le hasard ne le laisse supposes. Les anticlasses sont des modeles de categorie de variables qui apparaissent moins souvent que le hasard ne le laisse supposes. On presente quatre applications d'AFC: l'AFC de premier ordre, l'AFC predictive, l'AFC de symetrie axiale, et un modele d'AFC longitudinale. On examine les caracteristiques de l'AFC en insistant sur les contraintes et l'applicabilite. On compare aussi l'AFC avec d'autres methodes permettant l'analyse multivariee de categories de donnees, en particulier la modelisation log-lineaire. Des sorties informatiques sont traitees. Configural Frequency Analysis (CFA) is a method for the search for types and antitypes in cross-classifications of categorical variables. Types are patterns of variable categories that occur more often than expected from chance. Antitypes are patterns of variable categories that occur less often than expected from chance. Four applications of CFA are reviewed: the First Order CFA, the Prediction CFA, Axial Symmetry CFA, and one model of Longitudinal CFA. Characteristics of CFA are discussed, focusing on constraints posed and applicability. Comparisons are made of CFA with other methods for multivariate analysis of categorical data, in particular, log-linear modelling. Computational issues are discussed.
Platelet antibody identification: toward a solution.

In this issue of Blood, Zhang et al show that genes of pluripotent stem cells coding for platelet surface glycoproteins may be changed to encode platelet-specific alloantigens, and that such antigens are efficiently expressed on the surface of the manipulated cells.1 The significance of this work is that such cells can be useful tools for the diagnostic studies of antibody-mediated platelet destruction.
Glomerular Enlargement Assessed by Paired Donor and Early Protocol Renal Allograft Biopsies

The aim of the study was to evaluate the evolution of glomerular volume 4 months after transplantation. Mean glomerular volume (Vg) was estimated according to the Weibel and Gomez method in a donor and a protocol biopsy done at 139 ± 58 d in 41 stable grafts. Biopsies were also evaluated according to the Banff schema. Vg increased after transplantation from 4.1 ± 1.4 to 5.1 ± 2.4 × 106μ3 (p = 0.02). In patients with chronic allograft nephropathy in the protocol biopsy (n = 14), the Vg enlargement was −0.3 ±× 106μ3 while in patients without chronic allograft nephropathy (n = 27), glomerular enlargement was 1.6 ± 2.1 × 106μ3 (p = 0.01). There was a negative association between glomerular volume in the donor biopsy and glomerular enlargement after transplantation (R =− 0.34, p = 0.03). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that Vg in the donor biopsy and chronic allograft nephropathy in the protocol biopsy were independent predictors of glomerular enlargement after transplantation (R = 0.48, p = 0.01). Moreover, Vg in the protocol biopsy correlated with creatinine clearance at the time of biopsy (R = 0.38, p = 0.01). Glomeruli enlarge after transplantation and glomerular volume after 4 months correlates with creatinine clearance, suggesting that glomerular enlargement is a necessary condition for renal adaptation to the recipient. Glomerular enlargement is impaired in patients with chronic allograft nephropathy.
Relevance of early seizures for in-hospital mortality in acute cerebrovascular disease

Background: We studied the influence of early poststroke seizures (within the first 48 hours of onset of a first stroke or transient ischemic attack) on in-hospital mortality in 1,099 consecutive patients collected in a prospective stroke registry. Methods: Differences in the frequency of demographic characteristics, clinical events, and outcome between patients with and those without epileptic seizures were assessed. To determine the independent predictive value of early seizures on in-hospital mortality, variables related to vital status at discharge (alive, dead) in the univariate analysis, plus age, were studied in two multiple linear regression models. The first predictive model was based on demographic, anamnestic, and clinical variables with a total of 13 variables, and the second model was based on clinical and neuroimaging variables with a total of 16 variables. Results: A total of 27 patients (2.5%) had epileptic seizures during the first 48 hours of stroke. Advanced age, confusional syndrome, hemorrhagic stroke, large lesions, involvement of parietal and temporal lobes, and occurrence of neurologic and medical complications were significantly more frequent in seizure patients than in nonseizure patients. Overall in-hospital mortality rate was 33.3% in the seizure group and 14.2% in the nonseizure group (p = 0.02). The presence of early seizures was a significant predictive variable both in the model based on clinical variables (odds ratio [OR], 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.81 to 16.72) and in the model based on clinical and neuroimaging variables (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 2.13 to 17.93). Conclusions: Seizures at the onset of a first-ever stroke is an independent prognostic factor for in-hospital mortality. Patients with the highest risk of developing epileptic seizures-aged persons with a large hemorrhagic infarction of a parietal lobe-may be candidates to be treated prophylactically against seizures for a few days. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 1429-1435
Oxalate Production by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Deregulates Guard Cells during Infection1[w]

Oxalic acid is a virulence factor of several phytopathogenic fungi, including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, but the detailed mechanisms by which oxalic acid affects host cells and tissues are not understood. We tested the hypothesis that oxalate induces foliar wilting during fungal infection by manipulating guard cells. Unlike uninfected leaves, stomatal pores of Vicia faba leaves infected with S. sclerotiorum are open at night. This cellular response appears to be dependent on oxalic acid because stomatal pores are partially closed when leaves are infected with an oxalate-deficient mutant of S. sclerotiorum. In contrast to oxalate-deficient S. sclerotiorum, wild-type fungus causes an increase in stomatal conductance and transpiration as well as a decrease in plant biomass. Green fluorescent protein-tagged S. sclerotiorum emerges through open stomata from the uninfected abaxial leaf surface for secondary colonization. Exogenous application of oxalic acid to the detached abaxial epidermis of V. faba leaves induces stomatal opening. Guard cells treated with oxalic acid accumulate potassium and break down starch, both of which are known to contribute to stomatal opening. Oxalate interferes with abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) L. Heynh. mutants abi1, abi3, abi4, and aba2 are more susceptible to oxalate-deficient S. sclerotiorum than wild-type plants, suggesting that Sclerotinia resistance is dependent on ABA. We conclude that oxalate acts via (1) accumulation of osmotically active molecules to induce stomatal opening and (2) inhibition of ABA-induced stomatal closure.
The Origin of Dalton's Chemical Atomic Theory: Daltonian Doubts Resolved

ECENT years have seen a revival of interest in John Dalton and the origin of his chemical atomic theory, resulting in a critical reexamination of the explanations put forward around the beginning of this century.l Leonard K. Nash has convincingly argued for the importance of gas solubility studies in focusing Dalton's attention on the question of relative particle weights,2 while Henry Guerlac has sought to cast doubt on the accepted view that J. B. Richter's work did not influence Dalton in the formulation of his chemical theory.3 Frank Greenaway and J. R. Partington also recently have written at length on Dalton, each discussing a wider range of problems.4 The aim of this paper is to review the present state of our knowledge with respect to the formulation and early history of the chemical atomic theory and to suggest a different emphasis in our approach to the questions involved. An attempt will also be made to resolve the problems arising from the conflicting reports on the origins of the theory, given by Dalton and various of his contemporaries.5
Vezf1 protein binding sites genome-wide are associated with pausing of elongating RNA polymerase II

The protein Vezf1 plays multiple roles important for embryonic development. In Vezf1−/− mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, our earlier data showed widespread changes in gene-expression profiles, including decreased expression of the full-length active isoform of Dnmt3b methyltransferase and concomitant genome-wide reduction in DNA methylation. Here we show that in HeLaS3 cells there is a strong genome-wide correlation between Vezf1 binding and peaks of elongating Ser2-P RNA polymerase (Pol) ll, reflecting Vezf1-dependent slowing of elongation. In WT mES cells, the elongating form of RNA pol II accumulates near Vezf1 binding sites within the dnmt3b gene and at several other Vezf1 sites, and this accumulation is significantly reduced at these sites in Vezf1−/− mES cells. Depending upon genomic location, Vezf1-mediated Pol II pausing can have different regulatory roles in transcription and splicing. We find examples of genes in which Vezf1 binding sites are located near cassette exons, and in which loss of Vezf1 leads to a change in the relative abundance of alternatively spliced messages. We further show that Vezf1 interacts with Mrg15/Mrgbp, a protein that recognizes H3K36 trimethylation, consistent with the role of histone modifications at alternatively spliced sites.
A Broadband 1-to- $N$ Power Divider/Combiner With Isolation and Reflection Cancellation

A novel 1-to- N broadband “ iπ-wave” power divider/combiner with reflection cancellation is presented and demonstrated. The new iπ-wave structure provides reflection cancellation and output port isolation with 1-to- N (arbitrary N) signal splitting or N-to-1 summing. It has low loss due to its use of low-impedance transmission lines and provides a relative bandwidth of 50%-200%. The concept is studied theoretically and demonstrated experimentally with several 1-to-4 dividers. The divider/combiner pair provides power amplifiers with broadband operation and well-matched input/output impedances. The concept can be implemented in hybrid circuits or monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs).
Statistical Uses for Distances between Permutations

We present examples of cases where rankings are the natural output of multivariate rank reduction methods. For political data without including prior information about members position on the left -right spectrum we can use voting records to provide the underlying gradient. Ordination methods are the standard procedure for summarizing in archaelogy, psychometrics or ecology, where underlying gradients are the strongest signal in the data. In recent work we have shown how spectral methods such as MDS and kernel MDS naturally produce the underlying ranking even in cases where the underlying ranking was not obvious. [4] In this paper we provide measures for comparing the output from these ordination methods. Standard measures of rankings are discrete, we provide continuous alternatives that can also provide goodness of fitness tests. 1 Ordination Methods: ranking as output from complex multivariate data Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) is a widely used technique for approximating the interpoint distances, or dissimilarities, of points in a high-dimensional space by actual distances between points in a low-dimensional Euclidean space. See [9] is an early reference on the subject, the classic statistical textbook account can be found in [7]. The output from these techniques are often points situated close to a curve or horseshoe indicating a simple underlying gradient as the simplest explanation for the data. This also occurs when using more advanced techniques such as Kernel PCA [8]. 2 Statistical Distances between Rankings Diaconis [5] and Critchlow[3] provide complete reviews of distances between rankings in the statistical setting, however, these distances are discrete and give only a coarse evaluation of similarities of ranking output provided by multivariate methods. Previous work [2] has successfully ptovided a way to fill in combinatorial spaces, such as that of rooted semi-labelled binary trees to provide a more refined measure of distance. The basic construction tool being a simple move between the two objects which can be modulated by a weight function. Here we follow the same principle, using basic distances between rankings such Kendall’s τ we fill in the space of rankings so that distances are nolonger discrete but real numbers. This provides a higher resolution on the permutation space. Other work on making a permutation comtinuum in a different setting has been undertaken in a topological setting, for instance in [1]’s proof of Arrow’s paradox. Distances between rankings can naturally be incorporated into simple probability models for ranking data through extensions of Mallows work on exponential families through distances between permutations[6].
The effect of granisetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome patients--a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of granisetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, on fatigue and functional impairment in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). METHODS Five female patients were eligible to receive oral granisetron for one month (1 mg a day for the first two weeks and 2 mg a day for the second two weeks). The patients had to be between 18 and 65 years of age and suffering from CFS according to the CDC criteria. The effect was assessed by pre- and post-testing, using validated instruments designed to assess the different dimensions of CFS. Treatment response was also evaluated by visual analogue scales (VAS) for fatigue. Analysis was based on intention to treat. RESULTS Treatment with granisetron resulted in significant improvement in fatigue severity and functional impairment. Activity level showed no significant increase. CONCLUSION The promising results of this study have encouraged us to perform a placebo-controlled, double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in the treatment of CFS.
Equality in a multicultural society

Much of the traditional discussion of equality deals with that between individuals and is predicated on the assumption of a culturally homogenous society. It is therefore of limited help in dealing with intercultural equality or with equality between individuals belonging to different cultures. Equality requires equal treatment of those who are equal in relevant respects. What respects are relevant, what responses they deserve, and what constitutes equal treatment cannot be determined in transcultural or culturally neutral terms. This is equally true of such other ideas as equal opportunity, equality before the law, and equal liberty. They all require cultural translation and a sensitive search for cultural equivalence. The author discusses these and related issues by analysing concrete cases and drawing out their theoretical implications.
Availability of data for measuring physician quality performance.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate measurement of physician quality performance, which is increasingly used by health plans as the basis of quality improvement, network design, and financial incentives, despite concerns about data and methodological challenges. STUDY DESIGN Evaluation of health plan administrative claims and enrollment data. METHODS Using administrative data from 9 health plans, we analyzed results for 27 well-accepted quality measures and evaluated how many quality events (patients eligible for a measure) were available per primary care physician and how different approaches for attributing patients to physicians affect the number of quality events per physician. RESULTS Fifty-seven percent of primary care physicians had at least 1 patient who was eligible for at least 1 of the selected quality measures. Most physicians had few quality events for any single measure. As an example, for a measure evaluating appropriate treatment for children with upper respiratory tract infections, physicians on average had 14 quality events when care was attributed to physicians if they saw the patient at least once in the measurement year. The mean number of quality events dropped to 9 when attribution required that the physician provide care in at least 50% of a patient's visits. Few physicians had more than 30 quality events for any given measure. CONCLUSIONS Available administrative data for a single health plan may provide insufficient information for benchmarking performance for individual physicians. Efforts are needed to develop consensus on assigning measure accountability and to expand information available for each physician, including accessing electronic clinical data, exploring composite measures of performance, and aggregating data across public and private health plans.
Effect of Preparation Conditions on Xanthan Gum Production and Rheological Behavior using Cheese Whey by Xanthomonas Campestris

Xanthan gum production by Xanthomonas campestris PTCC 1473 using cheese whey as carbon source was studied. The pre-treatment of cheese whey and effect of agitation rate on the medium were investigated in order to improve xanthan gum production. The cheese whey is a plentiful residue obtained during the cheese processing and its removal in the environment causes several drawbacks. The bioconversion of this by-product in added value products is an important alternative to overcome this environmental problem. Maximum xanthan gum productions were observed after 72 h using cheese whey as sole carbon source at agitation rate 550 rpm, yielding approximately 16.5 g/l. This value is higher than some results presented in the literature using waste material as substrate. FT- IR studies also carried out for further conformations of compatibility.
Personal Social Networks of Women with Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Disorders

ABSTRACT There has been relatively little examination of the social network resources of women with substance use disorder, and even fewer explorations of women with co-occurring mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. This study explores the nature of co-occurring mental disorders, social network characteristics and perceived social support in 136 women with substance use disorders. Respondents reported small personal networks that contained both supportive and non-supportive people. Relatives did provide social support, but those who used alcohol/drugs were viewed as tending to interact negatively. Women with dual disorders perceived less concrete, emotional, and sobriety support from some network relationships than the women with substance use disorders only. Implications for research and practice are presented.
Protein aggregation profile of the human kinome

Protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils is associated with the onset of an increasing number of human disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. The ability to form toxic amyloids appears to be a property of most polypeptides. Accordingly, it has been proposed that reducing aggregation and its effect in cell fitness is a driving force in the evolution of proteins sequences. This control of protein solubility should be especially important for regulatory hubs in biological networks, like protein kinases. These enzymes are implicated in practically all processes in normal and abnormal cell physiology, and phosphorylation is one of the most frequent protein modifications used to control protein activity. Here, we use the AGGRESCAN algorithm to study the aggregation propensity of kinase sequences. We compared them with the rest of globular proteins to decipher whether they display differential aggregation properties. In addition, we compared the human kinase complement with the kinomes of other organisms to see if we can identify any evolutionary trend in the aggregational properties of this protein superfamily. Our analysis indicates that kinase domains display significant aggregation propensity, a property that decreases with increasing organism complexity.
Validity and Reproducibility of the Sargent Jump Test in the Assessment of Explosive Strength in Soccer Players

Validity and Reproducibility of the Sargent Jump Test in the Assessment of Explosive Strength in Soccer Players The purpose of this study was to check the validity and the intra- and inter-evaluators reproducibility of the Sargent Jump Test, as an instrument of explosive strength measurement of soccer players of the sub-15 class. Forty-five soccer players were randomly selected from different clubs competing in the local soccer championship. All subjects performed one test on the same jump platform model Jumptest® (Hidrofit Ltda, Brazil) and two independent Sargent Jump Tests assessed by the same evaluator. Two days later, another Sargent Jump Test was performed simultaneously assessed by 2 evaluators. In all tests, three jumps were performed and the highest one was registered. In order to check the validity, the first Sargent Jump Test results were compared to those from the jump platform, considered the gold standard. To evaluate intra- and inter-evaluator reproducibility, results from the first, second and third Sargent Jump Tests were analyzed. The validity and reproducibility were evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and by the Bland and Altman test (statistical pack SPSS 11.0), with a significance level set at p<0.05. The values found for validity (r=0.99, p=0.001), for intra-evaluator reproducibility (r=0.99, p=0.001) and for inter-evaluator reproducibility (r=1.0, p=0.001), permitted us to conclude that the Sargent Jump Test is a valid and reproducible instrument for measuring the explosive strength in homogeneous groups, such as those used in the present study.