Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating in-home walking speed distributions for unobtrusive detection of mild cognitive impairment in older adults

Timely recognition of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease is of great significance. Many smart systems, developed to continuously monitor older adults' health and cognition, use a number of predefined measures associated with the older adults' activity in their homes. However, this approach has been demonstrated to focus on idiosyncratic nuances of the individual subjects, and thus could potentially not perform as well when tested on new subjects. In this paper, we address this problem by building proper statistical models of older adults' in-home walking speed. Using the data pertaining to 15 older adults monitored for an average period of 3 years, we used linear regression with a Gaussian likelihood to model the subjects' in-home walking speed, and we used dynamic time warping to demonstrate significant difference between the walking speed distributions of the subjects when cognitively intact and when having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Using a simple thresholding approach of the dynamic time warping costs, we were able to detect MCI in older adults with areas under the ROC curve and the precision-recall curve of 0.906 and 0.790, respectively, using a time frame of 12 weeks.
Evolution of White Matter Lesions

A 3-year follow-up of 273 participants (mean age 60 years) of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study provides first information on the rate, clinical predictors and cognitive consequences of MRI white matter lesions (WML) in elderly individuals without neuropsychiatric disease. Lesion progression was found in 17.9% of individuals over a time period of 3 years. Diastolic blood pressure and early confluent or confluent white matter hyperintensities at baseline were the only significant predictors of white matter hyperintensity progression. Genetic association studies in the setting of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study provide first evidence for genetic susceptibility factors for progression of WML. We observed associations with the paraoxonase Leu→Met 54 polymorphism and with the M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene. Lesion progression had no influence on the course of neuropsychologic test performance over the observational period, but the statistical power of this analysis was low.
A 2.1-GHz PLL with −80dBc/−74dBc reference spur based on aperture-phase detector and phase-to-analog converter

This paper presents a 2.1-GHz PLL with low power consumption, low in-band phase noise and low reference spur. A new aperture-phase detector (APD) compares the phases between reference and VCO output in a time window, which eliminates the power and noise contributions from the divider. At the end of phase detection, a phase-to-analog converter (PAC) generates an analog voltage in proportion to the phase error and then controls the current amplitude of the following charge pump (CP) circuit. When transferred to PLL output, CP noise is not multiplied by N2 compared with a conventional PLL, which leads to the PLL with lower in-band phase noise. In the proposed CP, the charging and discharging currents have equal pulse width and equal amplitude close to zero when PLL is locked, resulting in a low reference spur and super-low power consumption of CP. The proposed PLL is implemented in TSMC 0. 13μm CMOS process, which consumes 2.5 mA from a 1.2-V supply voltage and occupies a core area of 0.48 mm × 0.86 mm excluding PAD. Measurement results indicate that the PLL achieves a reference spur level of −80dBc/−74dBc, and an in-band phase noise of −103 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset.
Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) Signaling Induces CREB-dependent Chromogranin Expression during Neuronal Differentiation*

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) mediates neurite outgrowth and cell migration upon stimulation with its ligand, amphoterin. We show here that RAGE-dependent changes in cell morphology are associated with proliferation arrest and changes in gene expression in neuroblastoma cells. Chromogranin B, a component of secretory vesicles in endocrine cells and neurons, was found to be up-regulated by RAGE signaling during differentiation of neuroblastoma cells along with the two other members of the chromogranin family, chromogranin A and secretogranin II. Ligation of RAGE by amphoterin lead to rapid phosphorylation and nuclear localization of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), a major regulator of chromogranin expression. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK1/2-Rsk2-dependent CREB phosphorylation efficiently inhibited up-regulation of chromogranin gene expression upon RAGE activation. To further study the effects of RAGE and amphoterin on cellular differentiation, we stimulated embryonic stem cells expressing RAGE or a signaling-deficient mutant of RAGE with amphoterin. Amphoterin was found to promote RAGE-dependent neuronal differentiation of embryonic stem cells characterized by up-regulation of neuronal markers light neurofilament protein and β-III-tubulin, activation of CREB, and increased expression of chromogranins A and B. These data suggest that RAGE signaling is capable of driving neuronal differentiation involving CREB activation and induction of chromogranin expression.
Novel Weapons Testing: Are Invasive Plants More Chemically Defended than Native Plants?

Background Exotic species have been hypothesized to successfully invade new habitats by virtue of possessing novel biochemistry that repels native enemies. Despite the pivotal long-term consequences of invasion for native food-webs, to date there are no experimental studies examining directly whether exotic plants are any more or less biochemically deterrent than native plants to native herbivores. Methodology/Principal Findings In a direct test of this hypothesis using herbivore feeding assays with chemical extracts from 19 invasive plants and 21 co-occurring native plants, we show that invasive plant biochemistry is no more deterrent (on average) to a native generalist herbivore than extracts from native plants. There was no relationship between extract deterrence and length of time since introduction, suggesting that time has not mitigated putative biochemical novelty. Moreover, the least deterrent plant extracts were from the most abundant species in the field, a pattern that held for both native and exotic plants. Analysis of chemical deterrence in context with morphological defenses and growth-related traits showed that native and exotic plants had similar trade-offs among traits. Conclusions/Significance Overall, our results suggest that particular invasive species may possess deterrent secondary chemistry, but it does not appear to be a general pattern resulting from evolutionary mismatches between exotic plants and native herbivores. Thus, fundamentally similar processes may promote the ecological success of both native and exotic species.
XML design: An FCA point of view

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) documents are the main format for publishing and interchanging data on the Web. Integrity constraints are essential in data design. Functional dependencies are the most important semantic constraints. Functional dependencies satisfied by XML data have been introduced recently. Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) is a mathematical theory of concept hierarchies which is based on Lattice Theory. Data is represented as a two-dimensional context of objects and attributes. FCA discovers dependencies within the data based on the relation among objects and attributes. In this paper we take a first step towards using an FCA approach to study functional dependencies in XML databases. The novelty of our approach is the software, which analyzes an XML document, constructs the Formal Context corresponding to the flat representation of the XML data and finds the implications, which are functional dependencies in XML data.
A multi-proxy reconstruction of paleolimnology and paleoclimatic variability using authigenic lake carbonates from Cleland Lake, British Columbia

In small closed-basin lakes in semi-arid regions, variations in precipitation/evaporation (P/E) balance affect the physical, biological, and chemical composition of the lake water and sediment. This study presents visible derivative spectroscopy (VDS), XRF-derived elemental concentrations, sedimentological compositions, and δ 18 O values of carbonates (δ 18 Ocarb) in sediment cores from Cleland Lake, British Columbia. The data provides insight into paleolimnological variations during the past 14000 years, based on three sediment cores from shallow, intermediate and deep parts of the lake, and can be used as an analogue to understand future climatic changes and associated changes to aquatic ecosystems. VDS-based principal components (PCs) derived two PCs that correlate with illite/sphalerite and smectite/chlorite that indicate paleohydrology and lake sedimentary composition, respectively. Four of the PCs correlate with the standard reflectance curves of dinoflagellate algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria, and were used as paleoproductivity proxy. Lake productivity is limited to early successional cyanobacteria during deglaciation (14000 to 11500 cal yr BP). Rapid rise in dinoflagellates and a second cyanobacteria community suggest lower lake levels from 11600 to 8600 cal yr BP. Laminated to massive carbonate mud, rich in Ca, Sr, and calcium carbonate (LOI derived) provide additional evidence for a shallow lake. Conditions promoting cyanobacteria shifted xvii toward those favoring diatoms around 9400 and lasted until 170 cal yr BP. A climate transition to wet conditions is suggested by rapid drops in percent CaCO3 and Ca levels and facies changes to well-laminated, organic-matter-rich sediment between 8700 and 8600 cal yr BP. A rapid decline in diatoms, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellate algae is recorded from 8500 to 7700 cal yr BP, simultaneous with the global-cooling event centered on 8200 cal yr BP. Lake sediment and phytoplankton abundance reflect rapid changes after the deposition of Mazama tephra around 7700 cal yr BP. Late Holocene levels of diatoms, carbonates, and illite suggest frequent changes in moisture levels at century scale, possibly associated with ocean-atmosphere tele-connection to the changes in solar irradiance. In contrast, early-Holocene lake level changes are associated with long-term climate forcing, like solar insolation, and reveal a much longer periodicity of around 5000 years. This research points out that natural forcing mechanisms affecting the sea surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean, similar to the solar insolation, solar irradiance and glacial melt water fluxes can affect the regional climate and the lake productivity by affecting the moisture transport to the region.
Structure-Function Analysis of Barley NLR Immune Receptor MLA10 Reveals Its Cell Compartment Specific Activity in Cell Death and Disease Resistance

Plant intracellular immune receptors comprise a large number of multi-domain proteins resembling animal NOD-like receptors (NLRs). Plant NLRs typically recognize isolate-specific pathogen-derived effectors, encoded by avirulence (AVR) genes, and trigger defense responses often associated with localized host cell death. The barley MLA gene is polymorphic in nature and encodes NLRs of the coiled-coil (CC)-NB-LRR type that each detects a cognate isolate-specific effector of the barley powdery mildew fungus. We report the systematic analyses of MLA10 activity in disease resistance and cell death signaling in barley and Nicotiana benthamiana. MLA10 CC domain-triggered cell death is regulated by highly conserved motifs in the CC and the NB-ARC domains and by the C-terminal LRR of the receptor. Enforced MLA10 subcellular localization, by tagging with a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) or a nuclear export sequence (NES), shows that MLA10 activity in cell death signaling is suppressed in the nucleus but enhanced in the cytoplasm. By contrast, nuclear localized MLA10 is sufficient to mediate disease resistance against powdery mildew fungus. MLA10 retention in the cytoplasm was achieved through attachment of a glucocorticoid receptor hormone-binding domain (GR), by which we reinforced the role of cytoplasmic MLA10 in cell death signaling. Together with our data showing an essential and sufficient nuclear MLA10 activity in disease resistance, this suggests a bifurcation of MLA10-triggered cell death and disease resistance signaling in a compartment-dependent manner.
Distinctive features of positive anti-cell antibody tests (indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells) in patients with non-autoimmune diseases

Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether characteristics of positive results in the indirect immunofluorescence assay on HEp-2 cells for anti-cell antibodies (HEp-2 IFA) differ between patients with non-autoimmune diseases (NADs) and patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Methods Cross-sectional observational study comparing HEp-2 IFA test results in three groups: (a) 558 NAD patients comprising four subgroups (cancer (n = 95), infectious diseases (n = 148), psychiatric diseases (n = 163), common non-infectious chronic diseases (n = 152)); (b) 194 SARD patients; (c) 1217 healthy individuals (HIs). Sera were tested at 1:80 dilution and diluted to the end titer. Slides were analyzed by two independent blinded examiners. Results A positive HEp-2 IFA test occurred in 102 (18.3%) NAD patients, 170 (87.6%) SARD patients and 150 (12.3%) HIs. The four NAD subgroups did not differ regarding HEp-2 IFA frequency, titer or pattern. HEp-2 IFA titer was higher in NAD patients than in HIs and both had lower titer than SARD patients. Nuclear dense fine speckled pattern was more frequent in NAD patients and HIs than in SARD patients (p < 0.001). Nuclear homogeneous and nuclear coarse speckled patterns were more frequent in SARD patients than in the other groups (p < 0.001). The nuclear fine speckled pattern was prevalent in all three groups, but presented a gradient in titer across them; HIs and NAD patients had low and intermediary titers, which were significantly lower than in SARD patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion Positive HEp-2 IFA frequency, pattern and titer present differential features in NAD and SARD patients, and this attribute adds value to the test in the diagnosis of SARDs.
Understanding the complexity of biopsychosocial factors in the public health epidemic of overweight and obesity

Obesity is a complex and multifaceted public health problem. This commentary reflects on a new theoretical model of obesity (i.e. Homeostatic Theory of Obesity proposed by Marks), and calls for additional research to examine biopsychosocial factors that may be of importance in developing interventions that promote long-term maintenance of weight loss and in developing obesity prevention programs. Furthermore, we discuss the role of socioeconomic factors in obesity and call for interdisciplinary efforts to address obesity risk factors in the interest of public health.
Optimisation of Wi-Fi Mesh Network for small cell backhaul

In the design of Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) for small cell backhaul, deployment cost and reliability are important considerations and are mainly determined by network topology. Reliability ensures the network quality for clients and cost is a major concern in telecom operators. In practice, increasing redundant network links improves the reliability of a backhaul network, but increases the cost substantially. Generally, network reliability and cost are considered separately. In this paper, we propose two algorithms based on minimum spanning tree (MST) and the shortest path (TSP) constructing reliable backhaul infrastructure that resists the disabled single mesh nodes with low cost. Via a case study, we show the relationship between deployment cost and reliability. The proposed optimization model provides the backhaul network operators with reliable and costs trade-off solutions and compared deploy cost in different bandwidth.
Near-infrared detection and optical follow-up of the GRB990705 afterglow

Optical and near-infrared observations of the GRB990705 error box were carried out with ESO telescopes at La Silla and Paranal in Chile and with the NOAO SPIREX 0.6-meter telescope in Antarctica. We detected the counterpart of this GRB in the near-infrared H band and optical V band. The power-law decline of the near-infrared lightcurve is rather steep with a decay index ' 1.7 in the first hours, and a pos- sible steepening after one day. Broadband spectral analysis of the optical/near-infrared afterglow suggests that this GRB took place in a high density environment. A deep optical image ob- tained at Antu (VLT-UT1) about 5 days after the GRB trigger shows at the position of the transient an extended object which might be the host galaxy of GRB990705.
Analysis of Multivariate Survival Data

models for correlated survival data, such as ordered and unordered multiple events per subject. Chapter 10 discusses calculation of expected survival curves with extrapolation. As in Chapter 3, materials after Chapters 6 only require that the reader be comfortable with the counting process notation. One can understand this material well enough without reference to martingales. Part of the material in this book has been taught over last few years by the authors in various workshops, which have received great popularity and success. Terry Therneau is the author of most S-plus survival functions and also an author of two SAS procedures. This book has showed how one can implement all the above mentioned models in survival analysis through the S-plus and SAS packages. The data sets and these programs are available on the author’s web pages. The book may be suitable for a graduate level course in survival analysis assuming the instructor covers parametric models from other texts in parallel, but a set of exercises in each chapter would have been helpful. The writing style is light and almost humorous in many places. We get the feeling that the authors had a lot of fun writing this book. If only it was available a decade ago.
Airway emergency post thyroidectomy: The role of thyroid hormone pharmacokinetics and compliance with treatment

1. reed larson P, davies t, Hay i. the thyroid gland: Williams textbook of Endocrinology. 9th edition. W.B. Saunders Company; p. 389-504.2008. Philadelphia, Pa. 2. Zonszein J, Santangelo rP, Mackin JF, lee tC, Coffey rJ, Canary JJ. Propranalol therapy in thyrotoxicosis: a review of 84 patients undergoing surgery. am J Med 1979; 66:411-6. 3. izumi M, larsen Pr. Correlation of sequential changes in serum thyroglobulin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine in patients with graves’disease and subacute thyroiditis. Metabolism 1978;27:449-60. Sir,
Effects of radiotherapy and surgery in early breast cancer. An overview of the randomized trials.

BACKGROUND Randomized trials of radiotherapy and surgery for early breast cancer may have been too small to detect differences in long-term survival and recurrence reliably. We therefore performed a systematic overview (meta-analysis) of the results of such trials. METHODS Information was sought on each subject from investigators who conducted trials that began before 1985 and that compared local therapies for early breast cancer. Data on mortality were available from 36 trials comparing radiotherapy plus surgery with the same type of surgery alone, 10 comparing more extensive surgery with less extensive surgery, and 18 comparing more extensive surgery with less extensive surgery plus radiotherapy. Information on mortality was available for 28,405 women (97.4 percent of the 29,175 women in the trials). RESULTS The addition of radiotherapy to surgery resulted in a rate of local recurrence that was three times lower than the rate with surgery alone, but there was no significant difference in 10-year survival; among a total of 17,273 women enrolled in such trials, mortality was 40.3 percent with radiotherapy and 41.4 percent without radiotherapy (P = 0.3). Radiotherapy was associated with a reduced risk of death due to breast cancer (odds ratio, 0.94; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.00; P = 0.03), which indicates that, after 10 years, there would be about 0 to 5 fewer deaths due to breast cancer per 100 women. However, there was an increased risk of death from other causes (odds ratio, 1.24; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.42; P = 0.002). This, together with the age-specific death rates, implies, after 10 years, a few extra deaths not due to breast cancer per 100 older women or per 1000 younger women. During the first decade or two after diagnosis, the excess in the rate of such deaths that was associated with radiotherapy was much greater women who were over 60 years of age at randomization (15.3 percent vs. 11.1 percent [339 vs. 249 deaths]) than among those under 50 (2.5 percent vs. 2.0 percent [62 vs. 49 deaths]). Breast-conserving surgery involved some risk of recurrence in the remaining tissue, but no significant differences in overall survival at 10 years were found in the studies of mastectomy versus breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy (4891 women), more extensive surgery versus less extensive surgery (4818 women), or axillary clearance versus radiotherapy as adjuncts to mastectomy (4370 women). CONCLUSIONS Some of the local therapies for breast cancer had substantially different effects on the rates of local recurrence--such as the reduced recurrence with the addition of radiotherapy to surgery--but there were no definite differences in overall survival at 10 years.
Datalife Time Analysis in RDM+ Real-Time Communication Protocol

Real-time systems are being used increasingly in control applications such as in automobiles, aircraft and process control. Real-time communication protocols are designed in order to satisfy basic requirements of these systems such as reliability, safety and in time message delivery. One of the most important requirements of such critical systems is in time update of real-time data which has to be facilitated by these protocols. CAN (Controller Area Network) is one of the important and common protocols which is widely used in such an environment. RDM (Round Data Mailer) and RDM+ are two new protocols that have been designed to fulfill the requirements of distributed real-time systems. In this paper, we are trying to compare RDM+ and CAN protocols based on data lifetime which is the time interval between two consecutive updates of a real-time datum. The obtained results show that RDM+ performs better and provides fresher data to the consumers.