Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidural Space as a Starling Resistor and Elevation of Inflow Resistance in a Diseased Epidural Space

Background and Objectives The origin and the presence of negative pressure in the epidural space as well as the relationship of the extent of epidural anesthesia to epidural pressure has long been a subject of controversy. To further elucidate epidural pressure and its time course, the pressure at the needle tip was continuously measured as it traversed the interspinous ligament and the ligamentum flavum. Methods In a group of 22 patients, fluid was infused under gravity, and in a second group of 25 patients, boluses of fluid were administered at controlled infusion rates and under gravity. The volume-pressure-flow relationship was thus measured in one of two ways, either with a manual syringe and pressure transducer or with a pressure-monitoring-computer-controlled volumetric infusion pump. Results Natural pressure, (i.e., pressure in the epidural space before instrumentation is applied) could be approached when the space was first entered before fluid was infused (initial pressure); or after fluid had been infused (residual pressure). Epidural pressure could be extrapolated from the upsweep of the volume-pressure-flow relationship by projecting it back to just before the first injection. The extrapolated pressure lay between the initial and residual pressures. Medicinal solution placed in the barrel of the syringe did not infuse under gravity until the syringe barrel was lifted to a certain height, at which flow began and continued at a perceptible rate, with very little or no further increase in height required to maintain flow. The pressure at which flow began was the critical opening pressure, a characteristic of a Starling resistor. Furthermore, resistance to inflow of fluid was related to the presence or absence of natural or surgical disease in the epidural space. Resistance was significantly higher in the diseased than in the surgical group, at 114 (range, 22-226) mm Hg/L/h versus 46 (range, 8-86) mm Hg/L/h. Three phases were seen in the pressure-time recordings. Conclusions Volume-pressure-flow relationships in the epidural space can be explained by a model in which epidural and subarachnoid pressures are inextricably related with the Starling pressure, dependent on the subarachnoid pressure. This model suggests reasons why spread of anesthetics might be difficult to predict.
Outcomes After Stent Implantation for the Treatment of Congenital and Postoperative Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Children

Background— Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare condition that can lead to worsening pulmonary hypertension and cardiac failure in children, and it is frequently lethal. Surgical and transcatheter approaches are acutely successful but restenosis is common and rapid. Methods and Results— We reviewed outcomes among patients who underwent transcatheter pulmonary vein stent implantation for congenital or postoperative PVS at <18 years of age. A total of 74 pulmonary veins were stented with bare metal, drug-eluting, or covered stents in 47 patients. Primary diagnoses included PVS associated with anomalous venous return in 51%, PVS associated with other congenital cardiovascular defects in 36%, and congenital (“de novo”) PVS in 13% of patients. Median age at the time of pulmonary vein stent implantation was 1.4 years. During a median cross-sectional follow-up of 3.1 years, 21 patients died. Estimated survival was 62±8% at 1 year and 50±8% at 5 years after pulmonary vein stent implantation. Stent placement acutely relieved focal obstruction in all veins. Of the 54 stents reexamined with catheterization, 32 underwent reintervention. Freedom from reintervention was 62±7% at 6 months and 42±7% at 1 year. Stent occlusion was documented in 9 cases and significant in-stent stenosis in 17 cases. Stent implantation diameter ≥7 mm was associated with longer freedom from reintervention (hazard ratio, 0.32; P=0.015) and from significant in-stent stenosis (hazard ratio, 0.14; P=0.002). Major acute complications occurred in 5 cases. Conclusions— Transcatheter stent implantation can acutely relieve PVS in children, but reintervention is common. Larger stent lumen size at implantation is associated with longer stent patency and a lower risk of reintervention.
Monitoring deployed application usage with process mining

Increasingly, devices are connected to the Internet and are recording events. Computers, X-ray machines, high-end copiers, interactive kiosks, RFID scanners, etc. are examples of such devices. Typically, there are many devices running the same application (e.g., a computer running SAP R/3 or an X-ray machine running diagnosis software) and their event logs reflect the actual use of the application in the field. This way it is possible to systematically monitor real-life processes. Process mining aims at the analysis of such event logs, and we argue that proper log analysis can be used to increase reliability, usability, and serviceability of deployed applications. In this paper, we present a case study conducted within Philips Healthcare and based on the process mining tool ProM. Moreover, we address technical challenges of dealing with large, real-life data sets, and discuss generic methods of dealing with problems of diversity and complexity in unstructured environments.
Genome and other Sequence Information from Primate Models of HIV Infection

1. Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor, TX. 2. Cornell University, Ithaca NY. 3. New England Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, MA. 4. Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO. 5. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. 6. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. and The Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 7. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Modeling and quantifying frequency-dependent fitness in microbial populations with cross-feeding interactions

Coexistence of multiple populations by frequency-dependent selection is common in nature, and it often arises even in well-mixed experiments with microbes. If ecology is to be incorporated into models of population genetics, then it is important to represent accurately the functional form of frequency-dependent interactions. However, measuring this functional form is problematic for traditional fitness assays, which assume a constant fitness difference between competitors over the course of an assay. Here, we present a theoretical framework for measuring the functional form of frequency-dependent fitness by accounting for changes in abundance and relative fitness during a competition assay. Using two examples of ecological coexistence that arose in a long-term evolution experiment with Escherichia coli, we illustrate accurate quantification of the functional form of frequency-dependent relative fitness. Using a Monod-type model of growth dynamics, we show that two ecotypes in a typical cross-feeding interaction—such as when one bacterial population uses a byproduct generated by another—yields relative fitness that is linear with relative frequency.
A Novel Two-Component Response Regulator Links rpf with Biofilm Formation and Virulence of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri

Citrus bacterial canker caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri is a serious disease that impacts citrus production worldwide, and X. axonopodis pv. citri is listed as a quarantine pest in certain countries. Biofilm formation is important for the successful development of a pathogenic relationship between various bacteria and their host(s). To understand the mechanisms of biofilm formation by X. axonopodis pv. citri strain XW19, the strain was subjected to transposon mutagenesis. One mutant with a mutation in a two-component response regulator gene that was deficient in biofilm formation on a polystyrene microplate was selected for further study. The protein was designated as BfdR for biofilm formation defective regulator. BfdR from strain XW19 shares 100% amino acid sequence identity with XAC1284 of X. axonopodis pv. citri strain 306 and 30–100% identity with two-component response regulators in various pathogens and environmental microorganisms. The bfdR mutant strain exhibited significantly decreased biofilm formation on the leaf surfaces of Mexican lime compared with the wild type strain. The bfdR mutant was also compromised in its ability to cause canker lesions. The wild-type phenotype was restored by providing pbfdR in trans in the bfdR mutant. Our data indicated that BfdR did not regulate the production of virulence-related extracellular enzymes including amylase, lipase, protease, and lecithinase or the expression of hrpG, rfbC, and katE; however, BfdR controlled the expression of rpfF in XVM2 medium, which mimics cytoplasmic fluids in planta. In conclusion, biofilm formation on leaf surfaces of citrus is important for canker development in X. axonopodis pv. citri XW19. The process is controlled by the two-component response regulator BfdR via regulation of rpfF, which is required for the biosynthesis of a diffusible signal factor.
Institutions and Organizations: Ideas and Interests

Preface to Third Edition Introduction 1. Early Institutionalists Early Institutional Theory in Economics Early Institutional Theory in Political Science Early Institutional Theory in Sociology 2. Institutional Theory Meets Organization Studies Institutions and Organizations: Early Approaches Foundations of Neoinstitutional Theory 3. Crafting an Analytic Framework I: Three Pillars of Institutions Defining Institutions The Three Pillars of Institutions The Three Pillars and Legitimacy Basic Assumptions associated with the Three Pillars 4. Constructing an Analytic Framework II: Content, Agency, Carriers and Levels Institutional Content and Organizations Agency and Institutions Varying Carriers Varying Levels of Analysis 5. Institutional Construction Creating Institutions Selected Studies of Institutional Construction 6. Institutionalization Three Conceptions of Institutionalization: Underlying Mechanisms Maintaining and Diffusing Institutions Carriers and Institutional Mechanisms 7. Institutional Processes and Organizations Organizations and Institutions: Three Views Legitimacy and Isomorphism Institutional Context and Organizational Structure Interactive Processes Strategic Processes Sources of Divergence 8. Institutional Processes and Organization Fields Conceptualizing Organization Fields Field Structuration Processes Structuration, Destructurating, and Restructuration 9. An Overview and a Caution Distinctive Features The Maturation of Institutional Theory and Research A Cautionary Comment References Index About the Author
The parasagittal zonation within the olivocerebellar projection. II. Climbing fiber distribution in the intermediate and hemispheric parts of cat cerebellum

Olivocerebellar fibers from different subnuclei of the rostral inferior olive decussate in the brain stem and terminate as climbing fibers in one or two narrow, longitudinally arranged zones of the cerebellar cortex. These fibers issue collaterals to the central cerebellar nucleus that receives its afferents from the same cortical zone in which the parent fibers terminate. The rostral medial accessory olive projects to zone C2 and sends collaterals to the posterior interposed nucleus. A differentiation can be made between the rostral pole of this subnucleus which projects primarily to the paraflocculus and the ansiform lobule. More caudal areas connect with zone C2 in the anterior lobe and the paramedian lobule. The dorsomedial cell column projects to a lateral zone (zone A2) of lobule IX and more rostrolateral portions of the medial accessory olive supply a still more lateral zone of this lobule. The rostral half of the dorsal accessory olive sends fibers to zones C1 and C3. These fibers issue collaterals to the anterior interposed nucleus. A distinction can be made between the ventrolateral dorsal accessory olive, projecting to lobules II‐IV and the ventral folia of the paramedian lobule and the dorsomedial portion of the rostral dorsal accessory olive that connects with lobules V, VI and the dorsal folia of the paramedian lobule. The most rostral part of the dorsal accessory olive provides more fibers into zone C3, more caudally located cells distribute primarily to zone C1. The rostral principal olive is connected with zone D and collateral terminations are found in the lateral cerebellar nucleus. In the paraflocculus the D zone can be divided into subzones D1 and D2. This study further substantiates the similarity in the organization of corticonuclear and olivocerebellar connections. The results are in general agreement with other recent investigations on the olivocerebellar system (Armstrong et al., '74; Brodal et al., '75; Brodal, '76; Hoddevik et al., '76; Brodal and Walberg, '77a,b; Oscarsson, '73, '76; Oscarsson and Sjölund, '77a,b).
The immune response of mice to antigen in macrophages.

Peritoneal macrophages obtained following an injection of proteose peptone, and after uptake of Maia squinado haemocyanin were transferred to syngeneic hosts. Immunogenicity was tested by the capacity of macrophages containing the antigen to prime normal or irradiated (660–700 r) recipients for a secondary immune challenge. The immunogenicity of macrophages containing antigen depended on interaction with immunocompetent lymphoid cells since irradiated hosts were unresponsive unless normal lymphoid cells were also supplied. For optimal immune response the live macrophages had to gain access to lymphoid organs. Depending on the amount of antigen transferred with the macrophages, the recipient mice synthesized on secondary challenge 7S and/or 19S antibody. The kinetics of response to the antigen in macrophages were similar to those seen when using free soluble material except for some quantitative differences. Although the immune response was dependent on the total dose of antigen transferred with the macrophages, somewhat higher antibody titres were obtained with macrophages having a high antigen—cell ratio. Antigen in macrophages could elicit a secondary response in primed mice. The immunogenicity of macrophage-held haemocyanin was not impaired by X-irradiation of macrophage donors.
HISTORICAL POPULATION SIZE CHANGE OF BOWHEAD WHALES INFERRED FROM DNA SEQUENCE POLYMORPHISM DATA

Abstract Nucleotide sequence data from the mitochondrial control region were used from a phylogenetic context to investigate the long-term history of a population of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). In addition, the coalescence time of these sequences was used to estimate the age of the inferred patterns of population size change. The results indicate that mitochondrial genetic polymorphism was not affected by a recent bottleneck that occurred near the turn of the 20th century, thereby preserving the signature of historical population size change in the mitochondrial genome. Further analysis showed that this population underwent an expansion initiated in the Middle to Late Pleistocene. As such, early Holocene changes in Arctic sea ice distribution appear to have had little influence on patterns of genetic variability in this population. Corresponding Editor: S. Karl
Stochastic phonological grammars and acceptability

In foundational works of generative phonology it is claimed that subjects can reliably discriminate between possible but non-occurring words and words that could not be English. In this paper we examine the use of a probabilistic phonological parser for words to model experimentally-obtained judgements of the acceptability of a set of nonsense words. We compared various methods of scoring the goodness of the parse as a predictor of acceptability. We found that the probability of the worst part is not the best score of acceptability, indicating that classical generative phonology and Optimality Theory miss an important fact, as these approaches do not recognise a mechanism by which the frequency of well-formed parts may ameliorate the unacceptability of low-frequency parts. We argue that probabilistic generative grammars are demonstrably a more psychologically realistic model of phonological competence than standard generative phonology or Optimality Theory.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nosocomial infection trends in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia during 2002-2007

Background and Objectives: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen that causes severe morbidity and mortality in many hospitals worldwide. The aim of the present study was to assess the burden of MRSA nosocomial infection, its association with factors of interest, and its antimicrobial susceptibility. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a database of all S aureus that were cultured from patients admitted to the different wards of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) over a period of 6 years. Results: The MRSA infections rate was 10.0 per 1000 hospital admissions. The incidence density rate of MRSA infections during the study period was 1.8 per 1000 patient-days, with annual rates ranging from 0.95 to 3.47 per 1000 patient-days. Duration of hospitalization, previous antibiotic use, and bedside invasive procedures were significantly higher among MRSA than methicillin-sensitive S aureus patients (P>.05). The highest number of MRSA infections were found in orthopedic wards (25.3%), followed by surgical wards (18.2%) and intensive care units (ICUs) (16.4%). All MRSA isolates were resistant to erythromycin (98.0%), co-trimoxazole (94.0%) and gentamicin (92.0%). Clindamycin was the best antibiotic with only 6% resistance. All MRSA isolates were sensitive to vancomycin. Conclusion: The rate of nosocomial MRSA infection per 1000 admissions was higher than that in other studies. The three factors associated most significantly with acquired MRSA infections included duration of hospitalization, antibiotic use, and bedside invasive procedures. This study confirmed that vancomycin-resistant S aureus has not yet been established in HUSM.
Self-Perception of Parental Role, Family Functioning, and Familistic Beliefs in Italian Parents: Early Evidence

Recent research has explored the relationships between family and cultural issues, claiming attention on the need to consider and evaluate cultural values and beliefs as useful factors to promote positive family adjustment and parenting outcomes (Cardoso and Thompson, 2010; Taylor et al., 2012). This paper explored self-perception of parental role, family maladjustment and cultural beliefs in a sample of Italian parents. More specifically, 204 mother and 204 fathers of adolescents (13–17 years old) filled self-report questionnaires about family system maladjustment (Family Assessment Measure-III), self-perception of parental role (Self-Perception of Parental Role), parents’ beliefs and attitudes toward the family (Attitudinal Familism Scale), and parents’ cultural values (Cultural Values Survey). Results showed that parents have a similar self-perception of family functioning and they share common cultural beliefs and values toward the family. However, fathers felt more satisfied and involved in parenting then mothers and they were more able to balance the different roles of their life. Mothers and fathers showed a similar path of correlations, in which greater level of satisfaction in parenting and better ability in role balancing correlated with a more positive family adjustment. Moreover, a higher perception of family maladjustment was associated to lower levels of family cohesion and cooperation. Furthermore, higher levels of satisfaction were associated to higher scores in family solidarity, equality among sexes and equality in decision takers. These results introduce important implications for family studies in Italian culture, and open to comparison with parenting in other cultures.
Reflection removal based on single light field capture

Photography through reflective surfaces suffers from the obstruction of reflections, which deteriorates the visibility of background targets and causes challenges for subsequent computer vision applications. In this paper, we propose a novel reflection removal algorithm using light field (LF) cameras. Unlike conventional cameras, LF cameras capture extra directional information of incoming rays which enable our algorithm to remove reflections with only a single shot. We analyze the optical geometry of the background and reflection imagery in a LF camera, and generalize a set of rules that could facilitate our algorithm to differentiate the edges from different optical sources. We show that the proposed method produces significantly better reflection removal results based on the LF data as compared to traditional methods based on multiple-shot image sequences as input.
Comparison of Fuzzy Membership Functions for Value of Information Determination

Network-centric military operations are redefining information overload as military commanders and staffs are inundated with vast amounts of information. Recent research has developed a fuzzy-based system to assign a Value of Information (VoI) determination for individual pieces of information. This paper presents an investigation on the effect of using triangular and trapezoidal fuzzy membership functions within the system.
Approximate Linear Programming for First-order MDPs

We introduce a new approximate solution technique for first-order Markov decision processes (FOMDPs). Representing the value function linearly w.r. t. a set of first-order basis functions, we compute suitable weights by casting the corresponding optimization as a first-order linear program and show how off-the-shelf theorem prover and LP software can be effectively used. This technique allows one to solve FOMDPs independent of a specific domain instantiation; furthermore, it allows one to determine bounds on approximation error that apply equally to all domain instantiations. We apply this solution technique to the task of elevator scheduling with a rich feature space and multi-criteria additive reward, and demonstrate that it outperforms a number of intuitive, heuristicallyguided policies.
How Different are Genetic Programs ? Entropy Methods for Studying Diversity and Complexity in Genetic Programming

We propose a new approach to the study of Genetic Programming dynamics, using genotypic entropy metrics. The aim of the approach is to provide a single framework for simultaneously studying diversity and individual complexity, both of the raw trees and their non-redundant sub-components. Th e entropy metrics are based on the entropy of small subtrees, a nd we show that the analysis is largely independent of the exact choice of subtree shape. To facilitate the study of redundancy, we apply powerful new methods for detecting and removing redundancy; while these methods are tailored to the particular function set used her e, they are readily extensible to other function sets. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach by applyin g it to a well-known symbolic regression problem. Using the new methods, we measure quantitative relationships betwee n solution complexity and diversity, explore relationshipsbetween population structure and problem success or failure, and analyse the relationships between the different solutions found byGP.