Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Niveles subnacionales de la fecundidad adolescente en cuatro países de América Latina y el Caribe

In countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) the trends of adolescent fertility have shown a slow pace of decline compared to global fertility, and its level exceeds, in average, that of most other regions of the world. Since adolescent fertility is considerably affected by social determinants, it is likely to encounter a mixed performance of this component at the country level. Objective: Analyze the differences of adolescent fertility levels in four countries of LAC (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Dominican Republic). Method: This study presents a descriptive analysis of adolescent fertility. The indicators used were the age-specific fertility rate, the share of adolescent mothers, the average-parity, and the retrospective probability of being mother at adolescent ages. Data were derived from Demographic and Health Surveys nationally representative, from 2008. According to conventions, the selected measures were applied to early (15-17) and advanced (18-19) ages of adolescence. Results: In the four countries concerned, the results of adolescent fertility rates are far above the average global rate, irrespective of the subnational area examined. In all cases, there is a high variability at the country-level, consistently expressed through the different indicators applied. At the subnational level, the heterogeneity is higher within the group aged 15-17 than in the one aged 18-19. When comparing results between countries, a growing convergence emerges in the set of subnational areas with lower adolescent fertility levels.
Efficient segmentation of geophysical field images on basis of independent component analysis

In the paper, we consider a new method of geophysical fields image analysis and sensitive segmentation. The method has a high sensitivity in comparison with other well known techniques of geophysical field image analysis and consists of the following main steps: expand the informational features using zero-space imaging method, processing by independent component analysis, data fusion based on Kohonen's self-organizing map.
Comparative analysis of battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid vehicles in a future sustainable road transport system

This paper compares battery electric vehicles (BEV) to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid vehicles (FCHEV). Qualitative comparisons of technologies and infrastructural requirements, and quantitative comparisons of the lifecycle cost of the powertrain over 100,000 miles are undertaken, accounting for capital and fuel costs. A common vehicle platform is assumed. The 2030 scenario is discussed and compared to a conventional gasoline-fuelled internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrain. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis shows that in 2030 FCEVs could achieve lifecycle cost parity with conventional gasoline vehicles. However, both the BEV and FCHEV have significantly lower lifecycle costs. In the 2030 scenario, powertrain lifecycle costs of FCEVs range from $7,360 to $22,580, whereas those for BEVs range from $6,460 to $11,420 and FCHEVs, from $4,310 to $12,540. All vehicle platforms exhibit significant cost sensitivity to powertrain capital cost. The BEV and FCHEV are relatively insensitive to electricity costs but the FCHEV and FCV are sensitive to hydrogen cost. The BEV and FCHEV are reasonably similar in lifecycle cost and one may offer an advantage over the other depending on driving patterns. A key conclusion is that the best path for future development of FCEVs is the FCHEV.
Event-based dynamic output feedback control for networked control systems

This paper is concerned with the event-based control for networked control systems via dynamic output feedback controllers (DOFCs). The output measurement signals of the physical plant are sampled periodically. An output-based discrete event-triggering mechanism is introduced to choose those only necessary sampled-data packets to be transmitted through a communication network for controller design. Under this event-triggering mechanism, the resultant closed-loop system is first modeled as a linear system with an interval time-varying delay. Then Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach is employed to establish a novel stability criterion. Based on this stability criterion, some new sufficient conditions are established to co-design both the desired DOFCs and the event-triggering parameters. Finally, a satellite control system is taken to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Capacidad antioxidante in vitro de extractos fenólicos libres y ligados en harinas de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa), kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus) y kañiwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule)

Antioxidants can act to protect cells from the oxidative damage, so they may play an important role in the prevention of chronic diseases. Andean cereals are foods originating from Perú that stand out for their nutritional value and antioxidant capacity. Whole grains can be subjected to grinding processes thus obtaining flours. Antioxidant capacity can be affected to the type of processing and the way it is sold to the public. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare antioxidant capacity by free radical sequestration methods, iron chelation and the composite index of antioxidant potency between kañiwa, kiwicha and quinoa in its three presentations: artisanal, bulk and industrial. Methodology: The analysis was performed in food biochemistry laboratories at the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (2016). The antioxidant capacity of the kañiwa, kiwicha and quinoa flour samples was analyzed in their bulk, industrial and artisanal presentations through the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods, after a composite index of antioxidant potency was determined. All samples were analyzed by molecular spectroscopy and riplicate. Results: The antioxidant capacity was higher in kañiwa than in the samples of kiwicha and quinoa (DPPH:19.20-120.41; ABTS: 30.70-320.59 y FRAP: 88.23-269.28 μmol TE/g) in its three types of extractions. This was confirmed by the composite index of antioxidant capacity. The major results were found in the acid and alkaline extract. The bulk and industrial presentations showed greater antioxidant capacity but this does not happen in all cases. Conclusions: The kañiwa flour had a higher antioxidant capacity. The alkaline and acid extractions presented greater antioxidant capacity. A greater antioxidant capacity was obtained by the bulk and industrial presentations.
Contaminant mixtures and repoductive health: Developmental toxicity effects in rats after mixed exposure to environmentally relevant endocrine disrupting chemicals, with focus on effects in females

The present study investigated whether a mixture of low doses of five environmentally relevant endocrine disrupting pesticides, epoxiconazole, mancozeb, prochloraz, tebuconazole and procymidone, would cause adverse developmental toxicity effects in rats. In rat dams, a significant increase in gestation length was seen, while in male offspring increased nipple retention and increased incidence and severity of genital malformations were observed. Severe mixture effects on gestation length, nipple retention and genital malformations were seen at dose levels where the individual pesticides caused no or smaller effects when given alone. Generally, the mixture effect predictions based on dose-additivity were in good agreement with the observed effects. The results indicate that there is a need for modification of risk assessment procedures for pesticides, in order to take account of the mixture effects and cumulative intake, because of the potentially serious impact of mixed exposure on development and reproduction in humans. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Skyline Queries Against Mobile Lightweight Devices in MANETs

Skyline queries are well suited when retrieving data according to multiple criteria. While most previous work has assumed a centralized setting this paper considers skyline querying in a mobile and distributed setting, where each mobile device is capable of holding only a portion of the whole dataset; where devices communicate through mobile ad hoc networks; and where a query issued by a mobile user is interested only in the user’s local area, although a query generally involves data stored on many mobile devices due to the storage limitations. We present techniques that aim to reduce the costs of communication among mobile devices and reduce the execution time on each single mobile device. For the former, skyline query requests are forwarded among mobile devices in a deliberate way, such that the amount of data to be transferred is reduced. For the latter, specific optimization measures are proposed for resource-constrained mobile devices. We conduct extensive experiments to show that our proposal performs efficiently in real mobile devices and simulated wireless ad hoc networks.
A Novel Server-Based Application Execution Architecture

The trustworthiness of application plays a key role in the overall trustworthiness of computer systems. However, the current uncontrolled way of application execution brings difficulties in providing sufficient application trustworthiness. In this paper we present a server-based application execution architecture to reinforce the application-level trustworthiness, with reference to trusted computing and the software identification scheme. A system agent is introduced in the architecture to employ the TPM to implement integrity measurement, and communicate with the server to determine whether executions of applications are permitted based on their identification(indicating application trustworthiness), and therefore improves the trustworthiness and security of the system. To further enable necessary executions of untrusted applications, the concept of multi-level security is adopted to design a configurable strategy to maintain a balance between system security and usability. Experimental results show that with acceptable system cost, trustworthiness of application is guaranteed and appropriate execution flexibility can be achieved.
The G-Protein-Coupled Serotonin Receptor SER-1 Regulates Egg Laying and Male Mating Behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator that regulates many aspects of animal behavior, including mood, aggression, sex drive, and sleep. In vertebrates, most of the behavioral effects of 5-HT appear to be mediated by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Here, we show that SER-1 is the 5-HT GPCR responsible for the stimulatory effects of exogenous 5-HT in two sexually dimorphic behaviors of Caenorhabditis elegans, egg laying and male ventral tail curling. Loss of ser-1 function leads to decreased egg laying in hermaphrodites and defects in the turning step of mating behavior in males. ser-1 is expressed in muscles that are postsynaptic to serotonergic neurons and are known to be required for these behaviors. Analysis of the ser-1 mutant also reveals an inhibitory effect of 5-HT on egg laying that is normally masked by SER-1-dependent stimulation. This inhibition of egg laying requires MOD-1, a 5-HT-gated chloride channel. Loss of mod-1 function in males also produces defects in ventral tail curling and enhances the turning defects in ser-1 mutant males. Sustained elevations in 5-HT levels result in behavioral adaptation to both the stimulatory and inhibitory actions of the neurotransmitter, indicating that both SER-1 and MOD-1 signaling can be modulated. Removal of wild-type animals from high levels of exogenous 5-HT produces a SER-1-dependent withdrawal response in which egg laying is significantly decreased. These studies provide insight into the role of 5-HT in behavior and the regulation of 5-HT2 receptor function.
Stratification‐Score Matching Improves Correction for Confounding by Population Stratification in Case‐Control Association Studies

Proper control of confounding due to population stratification is crucial for valid analysis of case‐control association studies. Fine matching of cases and controls based on genetic ancestry is an increasingly popular strategy to correct for such confounding, both in genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) as well as studies that employ next‐generation sequencing, where matching can be used when selecting a subset of participants from a GWAS for rare‐variant analysis. Existing matching methods match on measures of genetic ancestry that combine multiple components of ancestry into a scalar quantity. However, we show that including nonconfounding ancestry components in a matching criterion can lead to inaccurate matches, and hence to an improper control of confounding. To resolve this issue, we propose a novel method that assigns cases and controls to matched strata based on the stratification score (Epstein et al. [2007] Am J Hum Genet 80:921–930), which is the probability of disease given genomic variables. Matching on the stratification score leads to more accurate matches because case participants are matched to control participants who have a similar risk of disease given ancestry information. We illustrate our matching method using the African‐American arm of the GAIN GWAS of schizophrenia. In this study, we observe that confounding due to stratification can be resolved by our matching approach but not by other existing matching procedures. We also use simulated data to show our novel matching approach can provide a more appropriate correction for population stratification than existing matching approaches.
Early experience photoselective vaporisation of the prostate using the 180W lithium triborate and comparison with the 120W lithium triborate laser

Purpose: There is a paucity of information on the clinical efficacy and safety of the photoselective vaporization (PVP) of the prostate using the 180W lithium triborate (LBO) laser. We report on initial outcomes of PVP with the 180W laser, comparing the first 50 cases with the last 50 cases performed with the 120W LBO laser. Methods: All cases performed by a single surgeon (HHW) have been prospectively maintained. The last 50 cases treated with the 120W LBO laser (December 2009 to August 2010) were compared with the first 50 cases treated with the 180W LBO (July 2010 to June 2011). Patient variables were recorded preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. Perioperative data was also recorded. Results: The 180W cases had a larger median transrectal ultrasound prostate volume (68 mL vs. 51 mL, P<0.05). For the 180W and 120W LBO lasers, total operating time was 64.2 and 72.5 minutes (not significant [NS] at P=0.22), lasering time 49.6 and 54.6 minutes (NS, P=0.30) and energy utilisation 477.6 kJ and 377.9 kJ (P<0.05) respectively. When compared per gram of prostate tissue lasered, the 180W is quicker at 0.67 min/g vs. 1.0 min/g for the 120W laser. Complications using the Clavien-Dindo classification included 5 grade 1 complications and 3 grade 3b (bladder neck contractures) with the 180W LBO laser. The 120 W LBO laser had 4 grade 1 complications and 1 grade 2. Conclusions: There is little change in clinical outcomes with the transition from 120W to 180W LBO PVP with an already experienced PVP surgeon. The 180W LBO laser appears to have impacted upon patient selection with significantly increased prostate size and associated with increased energy utilisation. There appears to be a trend toward shorter laser times.
POPULATION SIZE AND FRAGMENTATION THRESHOLDS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN THE HERBACEOUS ENDEMIC SCUTELLARIA MONTANA (LAMIACEAE)

Abstract The level and distribution of genetic variation is thought to be affected primarily by the size of individual populations and by gene flow among populations. Although the effects of population size have frequently been examined, the contributions of regional gene flow to levels of genetic variation are less well known. Here I examine the effects of population size and the number of neighboring populations (metapopulation density) on the distribution and maintenance of genetic diversity in an endemic herbaceous perennial. Reductions in the proportion of polymorphic loci and the effective number of alleles per locus were apparent for many populations with a census size of less than 100 individuals, but no effects of population size on levels of inbreeding were detected. I assess the effects of regional population density on levels of diversity and inbreeding using stepwise regression analysis of metapopulation diameter (i.e., the size of a circle within which population density is estimated). This procedure provides a spatially explicit evaluation of the effects of metapopulation size on population genetic parameters and indicates the critical number of neighboring populations (fragmentation threshold) for the regional maintenance of genetic diversity. Stepwise regression analyses revealed fragmentation thresholds at two levels; at a scale of 2 km, where small metapopulations resulted in greater levels of selfing or sibling mating, and at a scale of 8 km, where metapopulation size was positively associated with higher levels of genetic diversity. I hypothesize that the smaller fragmentation threshold may reflect higher levels of selfing in isolated populations because of the absence of pollinators. The larger threshold probably indicates the maximum distance over which pollen dispersal rates are high enough to counteract genetic drift. This study demonstrates that the regional distribution of populations can be an important factor for the long-term maintenance of genetic variation. Corresponding Editor: O. Savolainen
Discovering the Local Co-occurring Patterns in Visual Categorization

We present a novel visual representation, called local co-occurring patterns (LCPs), which consists of characteristic local features and the statistical co-occurance relations between them. The LCPs can be discovered using an associate rule mining algorithm. Experiments show that LCPs widely exist in a large image corpus, and are more discriminant than individual local features in visual categorization tasks such as subcategory and face recognition. Furthermore, state-of-the-art categorization performance was achieved on two test data-sets.
Deep Friction Massage Versus Steroid Injection in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of deep friction massage in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis by comparing outcomes with a control group treated with splinting and therapy and with an experimental group receiving a local steroid injection. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare outcomes after recruitment of consecutive patients presenting with lateral epicondylitis. Patients were randomized to receive one of 3 treatments: group 1: splinting and stretching, group 2: a cortisone injection, or group 3: a lidocaine injection with deep friction massage. Pretreatment and posttreatment parameters of visual analog scale (VAS) pain ratings, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores, and grip strength were measured. Results: Outcomes were measured at early follow-up (6-12 weeks) and at 6-month follow-up. There was a significant improvement in VAS pain score in all treatment groups at early follow-up. DASH score and grip strength improved in the cortisone injection group and the deep friction massage group at early follow-up; these parameters did not improve in the splinting and stretching group. At 6-month follow-up, only patients in the deep friction massage group demonstrated a significant improvement in all outcome measures, including VAS pain score, DASH score, and grip strength. Conclusions: Deep friction massage is an effective treatment for lateral epicondylitis and can be used in patients who have failed other nonoperative treatments, including cortisone injection.
Experimental Study of Lasing Characteristics of Brillouin/Erbium Optical Fiber Laser

A lasing charactrization of a Brillouin/erbium optical fiber laser (BEFL) is experimentally discussed. In the BEFL, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is incorporated into the Brillouin laser resonator to enhance small Brillouin gain, which makes the configuration of the Brillouin laser resonator easy and flexible. The experimental results show that the output power of the BEFL has a threshold against the Brillouin pump power, and above the Brillouin threshold, the output power increases linearly with the EDFA pump'power. The BEFL threshold decreases with increasing the length of the optical fiber in the laser resonator used as a Brillouin gain medium. The BEFL oscillates in a stable single longitudinal mode because the bandwidth of the Brillouin gain profile is very narrow (∼ 30 MHz). The relative intensity noise (RIN) and the spectral lineshape were measured. The noise floor level decreases with increasing the EDFA pump power, and the full-width at half maximum of the BEFL was measured to be about 8 kHz.
Combined methods for solving inductive coupling problems

The problem of induced AC voltages on pipelines has always been with us, and the interference caused by power transmission lines to buried gas pipelines is under investigation for many years. Situations where a pipeline is influenced by power lines in a right-of-way are more frequent nowadays. Even under normal operating conditions, voltages and currents are induced on the pipeline that may pose danger to working personnel or may accelerate the corrosion of the pipeline's metal. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the induced voltages and currents in case of an underground gas pipeline, which shares a same right of way with a high voltage transmission line, in order to detect the possibility of the AC corrosion in occurring of the pipeline. We choose to combine the electromagnetic field method and the conventional circuit method. Because the electrical equivalent circuit involves a high number of circuit elements that must be defined, a software code that generates this automatically was created. The considered complex problem is studied for different operating conditions of the power transmission line and different values of the coupling coefficient.
Bridging the Gap between Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Opinion Forums

An increasing number of users of opinion forums provide us with rich sources of data about customer opinions. Several fields of research deal with the analysis of qualitative or quantitative data. While affective text mining research explores qualitative data, social network analysis focuses on quantitative mining methods. A combined analysis of both information classes is still missing. However, this combined analysis is necessary for identifying the process of opinion formation in opinion forums. In this paper, we attempt to bridge this gap by applying new methods which are required for network analysis of opinion forum data. We are also presenting a plug-in for the popular biological research tool Cytoscape. This plug-in combined with visualization features of Cytoscape implements the key features described in this paper. Our approach will provide companies with information about chances and risks concerning their products.
AUTISM IN THALIDOMIDE EMBRYOPATHY: A POPULATION STUDY

Of a population of 100 Swedish thalidomide embryopathy cases, at least four met full criteria for DSM‐III‐R autistic disorder and ICD‐10 childhood autism. Thalidomide embryopathy of the kind encountered in these cases affects fetal development early in pregnancy, probably on days 20 to 24 after conception. It is argued that the possible association of thalidomide embryopathy with autism may shed some light on the issue of which neural circuitries may be involved in autism pathogenesis.