Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QU MEDIMOS Y CMO MEDIMOS. LA EVALUACIN DE LAS SECUELAS NEUROCOGNITIVAS

Brain tumors and leukemia survivors frequently suffer severe and persistent deficits in a wide range of neuropsychological functions such as attention, processing speed, memory, visuospatial skills and executive functions. The purpose of this article is to provide a better understanding about the current assessment procedures and techniques used to evaluate the neurocognitive sequelae. The most common method used to assess cognitive deficits has been IQ tests being the Wechsler scales the most widely used. The use of the latest Wechsler scales WAISIV, WISC-IV and WPPSI-III might interfere on the neuropsychological assessment in many ways. The Flynn effect will result in a higher frequency of children’s being considered as impaired and their impairments will appear as if it was due to a treatment effect. It doesn´t even exist an exact connection between the old VIQ and PIQ and the actual VC and PR indexes, therefore it isn´t possible to apply completely to the WISC-IV the knowledge acquired on neurocognitive functions with the use of WISC-R. More accurate and reliable assessment is needed to know with more precision the functional deficits in order to develop future less toxic treatments as well as more effective intervention programs.
Carotid stenosis by digital subtraction angiography: reproducibility of the European Carotid Surgery Trial and the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial measurement methods and visual interpretation.

PURPOSE To evaluate different carotid stenosis estimation methods with digital subtraction angiography. METHODS We assessed the intraobserver reproducibilty and interobserver variability of visual interpretation and the measurement methods used by the European Carotid Surgery Trial and the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial. Angiographic stenosis measurements according to both criteria were performed twice by a radiologist, a neurologist, and a vascular surgeon. Eighty bifurcations of consecutive symptomatic patients underwent 480 pairs of measurements. In addition, four radiologists estimated the stenoses visually. RESULTS Intraobserver consistency was slightly better by the European (kappa, 0.86 to 0.94) than by the North American (kappa, 0.68 to 0.91) trial criteria or by visual interpretation (kappa, 0.79 to 0.81). No significant interobserver variability was found, except in the subgroup of mild stenoses by the North American Trial criteria. By kappa statistic, the interobserver agreement was excellent by the European trial method (kappa, 0.72 to 0.86), good by the North American trial method (kappa, 0.59 to 0.77), and good to excellent by visual evaluation (kappa, 0.68 to 0.88). The visual estimation agreed more closely with the European (kappa, 0.73 to 0.92) than with the North American trial (kappa, 0.55 to 0.74) criteria measurements. CONCLUSIONS All three methods have good reproducibility in digital subtraction angiography. Interobserver differences become more important in the estimation of mild stenosis.
Differentiation between reversible and irreversible restrictive left ventricular filling patterns with the use of mitral annulus velocity.

A restrictive left ventricular filling pattern is generally recognized as an ominous prognostic sign in patients with congestive heart failure. Recently, this filling pattern has been further categorized into reversible and irreversible groups according to the changes in the mitral inflow pattern after preload reduction; furthermore, the prognosis is reported to be different for the two groups. Forty-two patients with a restrictive left ventricular filling pattern who could adequately perform Valsalva's maneuver were studied. Baseline peak early (E) and late (A) mitral inflow velocities, E/A ratio, deceleration time of E velocity, peak early (E') and late (A') diastolic mitral annulus velocities, and E'/A' ratio were obtained. During Valsalva's maneuver, the E/A ratio reversed (<1) in fifteen patients (15/42, 36%). These patients were categorized as belonging to the reversible group. Among the baseline mitral inflow and mitral annulus velocity parameters, A' > 0.05 m/s best discriminated between the reversible and irreversible restrictive left ventricular filling patterns, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 85%.
Automatic speaker age and gender recognition in the car for tailoring dialog and mobile services

Car manufacturers are faced with a new challenge. While a new generation of “digital natives” becomes a new customer group, the problem of aging society is still increasing. This emphasizes the need of providing flexible in-car dialog that take into account the specific needs and preferences of the respective user (group). Along the lines of this year’s Interspeech motto “Spoken Language Processing for All”, we address the question how we find out which group the current user belongs to. We present a GMM/SVM-supervector system (Gaussian Mixture Model combined with Support Vector Machine) for speaker age and gender recognition, a technique that is adopted from state-of-the-art speaker recognition research. We furthermore describe an experimental study with the aim to evaluate the performance of the system as well as to explore the selection of parameters.
Diagnosis as Planning Revisited

In discrete dynamical systems change results from actions. As such, given a set of observations, diagnoses often take the form of posited events that result in the observed behaviour. In this paper we revisit formal characterizations of diagnosis, and their relationship to planning. We do so from both a theoretical and a computational perspective. In particular, we extend the characterization of diagnosis to deal with the case of incomplete information, and rich preferences. We also explore the use of state-of-the-art planning technology for the automated generation of diagnoses. Examining several classes of diagnosis problems, we provide both proof of concept and benchmark experiments, the latter showing superior performance to a leading diagnosis engine. Our findings help support the hypothesis that planning technology holds great promise for efficient generation of diagnoses.
Oviposition Site Selection of the Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and its Consequences for Egg and Neonate Performance

ABSTRACT The codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) is a worldwide pest of pome fruit. A better understanding of oviposition site selection by this insect would help management of this pest in orchards. Oviposition site selection of codling moth was assessed by manipulative experiments and field survey. In addition, the temperatures of different sites were recorded. Neonate infestation and egg hatching were tested to evaluate the consequences of oviposition site selection. The percentage of eggs laid on the shady side of apple clusters was significantly higher than on the sunny side. How.ever, this was not influenced by leaf surface turning. Percentage of eggs on upper and lower leaf surfaces was significantly influenced by leaf surface turning. Percentage of eggs on the lower leaf surface was significantly higher than turned lower leaf surface (∼41.1% higher) and significantly higher (∼35.5%) on the turned upper leaf surface on than upper leaf surfaces. There was no significant difference in neonate infestation between leaves and fruit, as well as between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Number of eggs hatching on the shady side of clusters was significantly higher than on the sunny side (56.3% higher). In both the manipulative experiment and field survey, codling moths did not choose the sites with the highest mean temperature, but chose sites suitable for egg development and hatching. This indicates that in the field codling moth, oviposition site selection is not strictly thermophilous, but they look for the lower leaf surface on the shady side, which benefits the offspring.
I148M patatin‐like phospholipase domain‐containing 3 gene variant and severity of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in children. Genetic variability, which is a main player in NAFLD, is especially characterized by polymorphisms in genes involved in the development and progression of the disease to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Recently, the rs738409 C>G adiponutrin/patatin‐like phospholipase domain‐containing 3 (PNPLA3) polymorphism, which encodes the I148M protein variant in the catalytic domain, has been associated with severe steatosis, NASH, and liver fibrosis in adults. In this study, we investigated the association between the rs738409 PNPLA3 gene polymorphism and NAFLD in 149 consecutive children and adolescents (age = 6‐13 years) with biopsy‐proven NAFLD. We analyzed the rs738409 polymorphism by a 5′‐nuclease TaqMan assay and assessed its association with NASH: 41% of the subjects with NAFLD showed heterozygosity and 15% showed homozygosity for the at‐risk G allele. The rs738409 genotype did not influence the body mass, adiposity, lipid levels, or insulin resistance and was not associated with alanine aminotransferase levels. Interestingly, the rs738409 G allele was strongly associated with the severity of steatosis (P < 0.0001), the presence of NASH (P < 0.0001), hepatocellular ballooning (P < 0.0001), lobular inflammation (P < 0.0001), and the presence of fibrosis (P = 0.01) independently of confounders. Individuals carrying two minor G alleles almost always had severe steatosis and NASH, heterozygotes were at intermediate risk, and patients negative for G alleles had milder and often uncomplicated steatosis. Conclusion: The PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism is associated with steatosis severity, hepatocellular ballooning, lobular inflammation, and perivenular fibrosis in pediatric NAFLD. (HEPATOLOGY 2010)
Representation of transmission lines in modal domain using analytical transformation matrices

The phases of a transmission line are tightly coupled due to mutual impedances and admittances of the line. One way to accomplish the calculations of currents and voltages in multi-phase lines consists in representing them in modal domain, where its n coupled phases are represented by their n propagation modes. The separation line in their modes of propagation is through the use of a modal transformation matrix whose columns are eigenvectors associated with the parameters of the line. Usually, this matrix is achieved through numerical methods which does not allow the achievement of an analytical model for line developed directly in the phases domain. This work will show the modal transformation matrix of a hypothetical two-phase obtained with numerical and analytical procedures. It will be shown currents and voltage s at terminals of the line taking into account the use of modal transformation matrices obtained by using numerical and analytical procedures.
Socioeconomic status and weight control practices in British adults

STUDY OBJECTIVE Attitudes and practices concerning weight control in British adults were examined to test the hypothesis that variation in concern about weight and deliberate weight control might partly explain the socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in obesity. Higher SES groups were hypothesised to show more weight concern and higher levels of dieting. SETTING Data were collected as part of the monthly Omnibus Survey of the Office of National Statistics in March 1999. PARTICIPANTS A stratified, probability sample of 2690 households was selected by random sampling of addresses in Britain. One randomly selected person in each household was interviewed at their home. MAIN RESULTS As predicted, higher SES men and women had higher levels of perceived overweight, monitored their weight more closely, and were more likely to be trying to lose weight. Higher SES groups also reported more restrictive dietary practices and more vigorous physical activity. CONCLUSIONS The results are consistent with the idea that part of the protection against weight gain in higher SES groups could be a higher frequency of weight monitoring, a lower threshold for defining themselves as overweight, and a greater likelihood of deliberate efforts at weight control.
Module test case generation

While considerable attention has been given to techniques for developing complex systems as collections of reliable and reusable modules, little is known about testing these modules. In the literature, the special problems of module testing have been largely ignored and few tools or techniques are available to the practicing tester. Without effective testing methods, the development and maintenance of reliable and reusable modules is difficult indeed. We describe an approach for systematic module regression testing. Test cases are defined formally using a language based on module traces, and a software tool is used to automatically generate test programs that apply the cases. Techniques for test case generation in C and in Prolog are presented and illustrated in detail.
Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil for Biodiesel Production Using Modified Clinoptilolite Zeolite as a Heterogeneous Catalyst

Reduction of fossil fuels sources, increasing of pollution gases emission, and global warming effects increase the demand of renewable fuels. One of the main candidates of alternative fuels is biodiesel. Biodiesel limits greenhouse gas effects due to the closed CO2 cycle. Biodiesel has more biodegradability, lower combustion emissions such as CO, SOx, HC, PM and lower toxicity than petro diesel. However, biodiesel has high production cost due to high price of plant oils as raw material. So, the utilization of waste cooking oils (WCOs) as feedstock, due to their low price and disposal problems reduce biodiesel production cost. In this study, production of biodiesel by transesterification of methanol and WCO using modified sodic potassic (SP) clinoptilolite zeolite and sodic potassic calcic (SPC) clinoptilolite zeolite as heterogeneous catalysts have been investigated. These natural clinoptilolite zeolites were modified by KOH solution to increase the site activity. The optimum biodiesel yields for SP clinoptilolite and SPC clinoptilolite were 95.8% and 94.8%, respectively. Produced biodiesel were analyzed and compared with petro diesel and ASTM limits. The properties of produced biodiesel confirm well with ASTM limits. The density, kinematic viscosity, cetane index, flash point, cloud point, and pour point of produced biodiesel were all higher than petro diesel but its acid value was lower than petro diesel. Finally, the reusability and regeneration of catalysts were investigated. The results indicated that the spent zeolites cannot be reused directly for the transesterification, but they can be regenerated easily and can obtain high activity. Keywords—Biodiesel, renewable fuel, transesterification, waste cooking oil.
Natural landmark extraction in 2D laser data based on local curvature scale for mobile robot navigation

This paper proposes a novel algorithm for natural landmark extraction from 2D laser scan data. The algorithm permits to extract several types of landmarks such as dominant points, edges, center of curve segments and virtual corners. This is achieved by using a new geometrical feature identification approach based on a novel concept of local scale called local curvature scale. Intuitively, this approach is computationally efficiencies due to needless of the construction of scale space map which is required in the other methods based on scale space theory. Experimental results show that the algorithm is efficient to detect landmarks for semi-structured environments.
Kupffer Cell-Mediated Downregulation of Hepatic Transporter Expression in Rat Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion

Background. Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is frequently followed by cholestatic liver disease. Cytokines released by Kupffer cells following hepatic IR injury may subsequently regulate hepatic transporter expression. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hepatic IR injury and the resultant Kupffer cell activation alters hepatic transporter expression. Methods. Rats were subjected to 60 minutes of partial hepatic ischemia followed by 0, 3, 6, 24, or 48 hours of reperfusion. After IR surgery, the following were determined: 1) serum bilirubin and bile acid levels; 2) serum levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL6; 3) expression of several hepatic transporters; and 4) nuclear protein levels of hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1α and retinoid X receptor (RXR)-α to investigate whether altered expression of hepatic transporters following IR is associated with decreases in these transcription factors. Results. After reperfusion: 1) serum bilirubin and bile acids increased; 2) levels of all three cytokines increased; 3) mRNA expression of hepatic transporters organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp) 1a1, Oatp1a4, Oatp1b2, sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide, multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mdr) 2, and bile salt export pump decreased, whereas Mdr1b expression increased; and 4) nuclear protein levels of HNF1α decreased, whereas RXRα was not altered. Pretreatment with gadolinium chloride to deplete Kupffer cells before IR: 1) blocked the increase in serum bile acids, 2) attenuated TNFα but not IL1β/IL6 levels, 3) inhibited the altered hepatic transporter expression, and 4) blocked the decrease in HNF1α nuclear protein levels. Conclusions. These results suggest that alterations in hepatic transporter expression during IR occur through Kupffer cell-mediated events, possibly involving a decrease in nuclear HNF1α.
Prediction of heart disease using hybrid technique for selecting features

Generally Healthcare industry is known to be ‘information rich’, but woefully all the data required to discover hidden patterns are not mined. For effective decision making in field of medical, advanced techniques of data mining are used. This paper proposed a prediction of heart disease using random forest and naive bayes. In addition, approach is proposed to select features before classification in order to improve performance of models. For feature selection, SVM-RFE and gain ratio algorithms are applied to dataset which in results assigns weight to each feature. This approach helps to improve accuracy and reduce computational time. Experimental results shows that proposed approach of selecting feature increases accuracy for both models.
Modulating Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Transport-Induced Immunosuppression in Goats

The effect of 12 h road transportation on some basic blood cells and the modulating role of ascorbic acid were investigated in 40 adult Red Sokoto goats during the hot dry season. The animals were divided into two groups, GI (experimental; n = 20) and GII (control; n = 20). Group 1 was administered with ascorbic acid (AA) per os at a dosage rate of 100 mg/kg body weight, while GII was given 10 mL of sterile water per goat. Forty minutes after the administration and loading, the goats were transported for 12 h. The result obtained in GII goats showed that loading, transportation, high ambient temperature (AT), and relative humidity (RH) encountered during transportation induced lymphopenia, neutrophilia, and eosinopenia, which can cause immunosuppression. In GI goats, the administration of AA prior to loading and transportation ameliorated the adverse effects of loading and transportation stress on neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and eosinopenia of the goats.
Sickness Presenteeism Predicts Suboptimal Self-Rated Health and Sickness Absence: A Nationally Representative Study of the Swedish Working Population

Background Earlier studies have suggested that sickness presenteeism (SP) may be a risk factor for future health problems. The purpose of the present study was to test this in a nationally representative prospective study of Swedish workers. Methods Prospective cohort with a representative sample of the Swedish working population surveyed in 2008 and 2010. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression. Results Those who reported more than 7 days of SP had higher risk of suboptimal SRH compared to those who reported no SP (OR = 5.95; 95% CI 4.98–7.12), also after adjustment for confounders (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.30–2.06). Those who reported 1–7 days of SP also had an increased risk before and after adjustments. Inclusion of self-rated physical and psychological work capacity did not attenuate the associations, whereas of emotional exhaustion attenuated the ORs to non-significance for both outcomes, indicating that the health consequences associated with SP are largely related to mental health. Conclusion The results strengthen earlier findings suggesting that SP can be a risk factor for future suboptimal general health and sickness absence, particularly through mental health problems. This indicates that asking about SP could yield important information for employers, occupational health practitioners and GPs, possibly leading to more timely intervention that could decrease the risk of future sickness absence and more serious health problems, especially in the mental domain. Further studies of the possible causal pathways between SP and future health development are also warranted, especially since going to work is often seen as desirable also for those with poor health.
Embedded Debug Architecture for Bypassing Blocking Bugs During Post-Silicon Validation

Once a bug is found during post-silicon validation, before committing to a silicon respin of the design it is expected that any other bugs, which have escaped pre-silicon verification, to be also identified. This will minimize the number of respins, which in turn will reduce the implementation costs. However, this is hindered by the presence of blocking bugs in one erroneous module that inhibit the search for bugs in other parts of the chip that process data received from this erroneous module. To address this problem, in this paper we propose a novel embedded debug architecture for bypassing the blocking bugs when dealing with deterministic debug experiments.
Facial Masculinity: How the Choice of Measurement Method Enables to Detect Its Influence on Behaviour

Recent research has explored the relationship between facial masculinity, human male behaviour and males' perceived features (i.e. attractiveness). The methods of measurement of facial masculinity employed in the literature are quite diverse. In the present paper, we use several methods of measuring facial masculinity to study the effect of this feature on risk attitudes and trustworthiness. We employ two strategic interactions to measure these two traits, a first-price auction and a trust game. We find that facial width-to-height ratio is the best predictor of trustworthiness, and that measures of masculinity which use Geometric Morphometrics are the best suited to link masculinity and bidding behaviour. However, we observe that the link between masculinity and bidding in the first-price auction might be driven by competitiveness and not by risk aversion only. Finally, we test the relationship between facial measures of masculinity and perceived masculinity. As a conclusion, we suggest that researchers in the field should measure masculinity using one of these methods in order to obtain comparable results. We also encourage researchers to revise the existing literature on this topic following these measurement methods.