Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating explanations of socio-economic inequalities in health: the Dutch GLOBE study.

BACKGROUND The GLOBE study is a prospective cohort study specifically aimed at the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health in the Netherlands. The returns of the study are reviewed after ten years of follow-up, and the studies' contribution to the development of policy measures to reduce inequalities in health in the Netherlands are described. METHODS The study started in 1991 with a baseline postal survey (response rate 70.1% or n=18973, 15-74 years of age). Two sub-samples of respondents to this survey were subsequently interviewed in 1991 (response 79.4% and 72.3%, n=5667). Baseline data collection included measures of socio-economic position, health and possible explanatory factors. Follow-up involved repeated postal surveys and interviews, and routinely collected data on hospital admissions, cancer incidence and mortality by cause of death. RESULTS Compared with higher socio-economic groups, lower socio-economic groups showed higher prevalence rates of poor self-reported health (perceived general health, health complaints, chronic conditions, disabilities), higher incidence rates of specific conditions (myocardial infarction) and higher rates of all-cause mortality. The higher prevalence of adverse material circumstances, unhealthy behaviour, adverse psychosocial characteristics, and adverse childhood circumstances in the lower socio-economic groups was important in the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health. Socio-economic differences in health care utilization did not contribute to the explanation. CONCLUSIONS The GLOBE study contributed significantly to the understanding of the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health in the Netherlands. Study results were a main source of information in the development of policy measures aimed at the reduction of socio-economic inequalities in health in the Netherlands.
Transmission of Epi-Alleles with MET1-Dependent Dense Methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana

DNA methylation in plants targets cytosines in three sequence contexts, CG, CHG and CHH (H representing A, C or T). Each of these patterns has traditionally been associated with distinct DNA methylation pathways with CHH methylation being controlled by the RNA dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway employing small RNAs as a guide for the de novo DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE (DRM2), and maintenance DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (MET1) being responsible for faithful propagation of CG methylation. Here we report an unusual ‘dense methylation’ pattern under the control of MET1, with methylation in all three sequence contexts. We identified epi-alleles of dense methylation at a non coding RNA locus (At4g15242) in Arabidopsis ecotypes, with distinct dense methylation and expression characteristics, which are stably maintained and transmitted in genetic crosses and which can be heritably altered by depletion of MET1. This suggests that, in addition to its classical CG maintenance function, at certain loci MET1 plays a role in creating transcriptional diversity based on the generation of independent epi-alleles. Database inspection identified several other loci with MET1-dependent dense methylation patterns. Arabidopsis ecotypes contain distinct epi-alleles of these loci with expression patterns that inversely correlate with methylation density, predominantly within the transcribed region. In Arabidopsis, dense methylation appears to be an exception as it is only found at a small number of loci. Its presence does, however, highlight the potential for MET1 as a contributor to epigenetic diversity, and it will be interesting to investigate the representation of dense methylation in other plant species.
Security analysis of a widely deployed locking system

Electronic locking systems are rather new products in the physical access control market. In contrast to mechanical locking systems, they provide several convenient features such as more flexible access rights management, the possibility to revoke physical keys and the claim that electronic keys cannot be cloned as easily as their mechanical counterparts. While for some electronic locks, mechanical flaws have been found, only a few publications analyzed the cryptographic security of electronic locking systems. In this paper, we analyzed the electronic security of an electronic locking system which is still widely deployed in the field. We reverse-engineered the radio protocol and cryptographic primitives used in the system. While we consider the system concepts to be well-designed, we discovered some implementation flaws that allow the extraction of a system-wide master secret with a brute force attack or by performing a Differential Power Analysis attack to any electronic key. In addition, we discovered a weakness in the Random Number Generator that allows opening a door without breaking cryptography under certain circumstances. We suggest administrative and technical countermeasures against all proposed attacks. Finally, we give an examination of electronic lock security standards and recommend changes to one widely used standard that can help to improve the security of newly developed products.
Moving object detection using motion field constraint with observer motion parameter

In this paper we propose a method for detecting moving objects in image sequence observed from a moving platform using optical flow. This problem is difficult because moving observer (i.e. camera) causes apparent motion in the image even for stationary environment. The method can be applied to many situations, such as a robot vision and an obstacle detection for an autonomous vehicle system. We assume that observer motion parameter (translation and rotation) is known and image system is modeled by perspective projection. For the problem, some methods have been proposed, in which the complex logarithm mapping, the estimation of Focus of Expansion and the depth of objects are used. For a given motion parameter of camera, we can formulate motion field constraint (MFC) in the image plane which is satisfied by the relative movement of stationary environment against camera motion. On the other hand, the motion vector in the image plane, which is called motion field, is estimated by the well-known optical flow constraint (OFC). Our main idea is to use the difference between two estimation results. One is the solution of minimizing least squared OFC subjected with MFC, and the other is the solution of that without MFC. For the stationary environment region, the difference between two is small and the difference tends to be large at the moving region. Therefore, the suitable criterion for these values will separate two regions precisely. In our study, two criteria are proposed and are investigated. One criterion uses squared residual of OFC with and without MFC. Another criterion uses directional error between two solutions. The validity of our method is shown through some examples, and the obtained results show the latter criterion gives more accurate estimation than the former one.
Design of FIR filters with sum of power-of-two representation using simulated annealing

This work presents an efficient optimization method to design FIR filters with sum of power-of-two coefficients. The optimization problem is first formulated to minimize the number of nonzero digits in the whole set of filter coefficients. Then, a simplified Simulated Annealing algorithm is used to solve the problem. This method allows dealing with classical in-band ripple and stop-band rejection constraints, but also allows adding uncommon constraints, like transition band or stop-band shape constraints. For moderate long FIR filters, the proposed approach achieves comparable or better results than previous algorithms. Moreover, the method enables designing longer filters (~ 1500 coefficients) in a few hours, with a 30 to 50% reduction in the number of nonzero digits.
Regulatory mechanisms in cell-mediated immune responses. III. I-region control of suppressor cell interaction with responder cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions

Active suppression of mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) response is mediated by a soluble factor released by alloantigen-activated murine suppressor cells. Genetic restrictions controlling suppressor factor interaction with MLR responder cells were elucidated in this study. Non- H-2 genetic background was irrelevant to effective interaction. Using congenic strains and strains with intra-H-2 recombinants the genetic locus controlling suppressor T-cell-responder cell interaction was mapped in the I-C or S regions of the H-2 complex. Similarly, recombinant strains were used to exclude the presence of another suppressor cell-responder cell interaction locus in K,I-A, and I-B regions. It thus appears that the I-C subregion of the H-2 complex controls suppressive cell interactions in this T-cell-mediated immune response.
A dynamic image recognition method for sleeper springs trouble of moving freight cars based on Haar features

A novel conception of automatic recognition for free-trouble sleeper springs is proposed and Adaboost algorithm based on Haar features is applied for the sleeper springs recognition in Trouble of moving Freight car Detection System (TFDS). In the recognition system, feature set of sleeper springs is determined by Haar features and selected by Adaboost algorithm. In order to recognize and select the free-trouble sleeper springs from all the captured dynamic images, a cascade of classifier is established by searching dynamic images. The amount of detected images is drastically reduced and the recognition efficiency is improved due to the conception of free-trouble recognition. Experiments show that the proposed method is characterized by simple feature, high efficiency and robustness. It performs high robustness against noise as well as translation, rotation and scale transformations of objects and indicates high stability to images with poor quality such as low resolution, partial occlusion, poor illumination and overexposure etc. The recognition time of a 640×480 image is about 16ms, and Correct Detection Rate is high up to about 97%, while Miss Detection Rate and Error Detection Rate are very low. The proposed method can recognize sleeper springs in all-weather conditions, which advances the engineering application for TFDS.
Reproducibility in the diagnosis of needle core biopsies of non‐palpable breast lesions: an international study using virtual slides published on the world‐wide web

Zito F A, Verderio P, Simone G, Angione V, Apicella P, Bianchi S, Conde A F, Hameed O, Ibarra J, Leong A, Pennelli N, Pezzica E, Vezzosi V, Ventrella V, Pizzamiglio S, Paradiso A & Ellis I (2010) Histopathology 56, 720–726 Reproducibility in the diagnosis of needle core biopsies of non‐palpable breast lesions: an international study using virtual slides published on the world‐wide web
Intratumoral Immunization: A New Paradigm for Cancer Therapy

Immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment is of prognostic and therapeutic import. These immune cell subsets can be heterogeneous and are composed of mature antigen-presenting cells, helper and effector cytotoxic T cells, toleragenic dendritic cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and regulatory T cells, among other cell types. With the development of novel drugs that target the immune system rather than the cancer cells, the tumor immune microenvironment is not only prognostic for overall patient outcome, but also predictive for likelihood of response to these immune-targeted therapies. Such therapies aim to reverse the cancer immunotolerance and trigger an effective antitumor immune response. Two major families of immunostimulatory drugs are currently in clinical development: pattern recognition receptor agonists (PRRago) and immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies (ISmAb). Despite their immune-targeted design, these agents have so far been developed clinically as if they were typical anticancer drugs. Here, we review the limitations of this conventional approach, specifically addressing the shortcomings of the usual schedules of intravenous infusions every 2 or 3 weeks. If the new modalities of immunotherapy target specific immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, it might be preferable to deliver them locally into the tumor rather than systemically. There is preclinical and clinical evidence that a therapeutic systemic antitumor immune response can be generated upon intratumoral immunomodulation. Moreover, preclinical results have shown that therapeutic synergy can be obtained by combining PRRagos and ISmAbs to the local tumor site. Clin Cancer Res; 20(7); 1747–56. ©2014 AACR.
HIV‐1‐induced cell fusion is mediated by multiple regions within both the viral envelope and the CCR‐5 co‐receptor

Although the human hCCR‐5 chemokine receptor can serve as a co‐receptor for both M‐tropic (ADA and BaL) and dual‐tropic (89.6) strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1), the closely related mouse mCCR‐5 homolog is inactive. We used chimeric hCCR‐5–mCCR‐5 receptor molecules to examine the functional importance of the three extracellular domains of hCCR‐5 that differ in sequence from their mCCR‐5 equivalents. While this analysis revealed that all three of these extracellular domains could participate in the functional interaction with HIV‐1 envelope, clear differences were observed when different HIV‐1 strains were analyzed. Thus, while the ADA HIV‐1 isolate could effectively utilize chimeric human–mouse CCR‐5 chimeras containing any single human extracellular domain, the BaL isolate required any two human extracellular sequences while the 89.6 isolate would only interact effectively with chimeras containing all three human extracellular sequences. Further analysis using hybrid HIV‐1 envelope proteins showed that the difference in co‐receptor specificity displayed by the ADA and BaL isolates was due partly to a single amino acid change in the V3 loop, although this interaction was clearly also modulated by other envelope domains. Overall, these data indicate that the interaction between HIV‐1 envelope and CCR‐5 is not only complex but also subject to marked, HIV‐1 isolate‐dependent variation.
Almost optimal lower bounds for small depth circuits

We give improved lower bounds for the size of small depth circuits computing several functions. In particular we prove almost optimal lower bounds for the size of parity circuits. Further we show that there are functions computable in polynomial size and depth k but requires exponential size when the depth is restricted to k 1. Our Main Lemma which is of independent interest states that by using a random restriction we can convert an AND of small ORs to an OR of small ANDs and conversely. Warning: Essentially this paper has been published in Advances for Computing and is hence subject to copyright restrictions. It is for personal use only.
An Introduction to Third Generation of Neural Networks for Edge Detection

Being inspired by the structure and behavior of the human visual system the spiking neural networks for edge detection comes in existence. Edge detection is one of the most important factor in image analysis whose goal can be regarded as to find edges present in an image. ANN has been developed so far. Later a network model based on spiking neurons is proposed for edge detection Spiking neuron networks (SNNs) which are often referred to as the third generation of neural networks and have potential to solve problems related to biological stimuli. SNNs improve the representation capacity and the processing abilities of neural networks. SNN is able to perform edge detection within a processing time is consistent with human visual system. This paper presents a concept that how SNN can be applied
Ten years of a multidisciplinary diabetic foot team approach in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Diabetes mellitus can cause devastating foot problems including loss of protective sensation with subsequent ulcerations and amputations. The natural history and pathophysiology of diabetic foot ulcers is best understood and managed by a multiprofessional team approach. The main factors for prevention and treatment of these devastating diabetic foot conditions are shown, with special attention to education of the patient. This approach decreases the morbidity of the disease, besides its economical and social feasibility.
Characterization of silent stores

The recent discovery that many store instructions are silent creates new opportunities for computer architects. A silent store does not change the state of the system because it writes a value that already exists at the write address, and can safely be eliminated from the dynamic instruction stream. We analyze silent stores in several benchmarks in the context of their high-level source code and explain why they occur. We also introduce the concept of critical silent stores and show that their removal is sufficient for eliminating avoidable writebacks. Finally, we show that frequently occurring stores are highly likely to be silent and that selectively squashing them can drastically reduce the total number of silent stores. This paper explores and illuminates several aspects of store value locality.
Religiousness and the Trajectory of Self-Rated Health Across Adulthood

This study evaluates the association of religiousness with the growth parameters characterizing changes in self-rated health during adulthood (ages 20-94 years). Even after controlling for health behaviors, social support/social activity, and four of the Big Five, women who were highly religious in 1940 had higher mean self-rated health throughout their lifespan, slower rates of linear decline, and less pronounced cascades than did less religious women. For men, the associations of religiousness with the growth parameters underlying self-rated health were negligible. Results indicate that the association of religiousness with women’s self-rated health may persist after controlling for mundane mediators and that the association of religiousness and self-rated health is not an artifact of the association between religiousness and the Big Five.
Is There a Role and Place for Community Media in the Remit ?

The debates on a new public remit tend – not surprisingly – to focus on the different aspects of the public broadcasting service. Though legitimate questions originate from this focus, this article shifts the emphasis towards another group of media that can (potentially) play an important public role: community media [CM]. Because of the complexity of CM, which is characterised by the tension between the diversity and the specificity of these organisations, a multi-theoretical approach is used, combining four theoretical frameworks. The combination of these frameworks not only results in a more elaborate analysis of the identity of CM, highlighting the importance and the vulnerability of these CM-organisations, but also allows emphasising the need for a series of remedying strategies. These strategies are not only aimed at improving the position of CM, but are also oriented towards the reconceptualisation of convergence from a technologically determined articulation to an articulation that centralises the democratic quality of public life.
Sustained Reduction in the Clinical Incidence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization or Infection Associated with a Multifaceted Infection Control Intervention

Objective. To assess the impact and sustainability of a multifaceted intervention to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission implemented in 3 chronologically overlapping phases at 1 hospital. Design. Interrupted time-series analyses. Setting. A Veterans Affairs hospital in the northeastern United States. Patients and Participants. Individuals admitted to acute care units from October 1, 1999, through September 30, 2008. To calculate the monthly clinical incidence of MRSA colonization or infection, the number of MRSA-positive cultures obtained from a clinical site more than 48 hours after admission among patients with no MRSA-positive clinical cultures during the previous year was divided by patient-days at risk. Secondary outcomes included clinical incidence of methicillin-sensitive S. aureus colonization or infection and incidence of MRSA bloodstream infections. Interventions. The intervention—implemented in a surgical ward beginning October 2001, in a surgical intensive care unit beginning October 2003, and in all acute care units beginning July 2005—included systems and behavior change strategies to increase adherence to infection control precautions (eg, hand hygiene and active surveillance culturing for MRSA). Results. Hospital-wide, the clinical incidence of MRSA colonization or infection decreased after initiation of the intervention in 2001, compared with the period before intervention (P = .002), and decreased by 61% (P < .001) in the 7-year postintervention period. In the postintervention period, the hospital-wide incidence of MRSA bloodstream infection decreased by 50% (P = .02), and the proportion of S. aureus isolates that were methicillin resistant decreased by 30% (P < .001). Conclusions. Sustained decreases in hospital-wide clinical incidence of MRSA colonization or infection, incidence of MRSA bloodstream infection, and proportion of S. aureus isolates resistant to methicillin followed implementation of a multifaceted prevention program at one Veterans Affairs hospital. Findings suggest that interventions designed to prevent transmission can impact endemic antimicrobial resistance problems.
Field Applications of Complex Resistivity Tomography

Summary A complex resistivity inversion algorithm and its application to field data from different tomographic surveys is presented. The algorithm is based on the finite-element method for forward modeling and a regularized GaussNewton approach to solve the inverse problem, with both parts being formulated in terms of complex arithmetic. In the first field data example, the inversion procedure is successfully applied to delineate subsurface hydrocarbon contamination at a former jet fuel depot. A Cole-Cole analysis of the inversion results at multiple frequencies provides additional structural information. The second example is from a mineral exploration survey, where a zone of high sulfide concentration within a metamorphic rock complex is imaged. The examples demonstrate the usefulness of complex resistivity tomography for both environmental and mining-related field problems.
IR spectrum and radiative forcing of CF4 revisited

[1] Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) is included as a greenhouse gas within the Kyoto Protocol. There are significant discrepancies in the reported integrated infrared (IR) absorption cross section of CF4 leading to uncertainty in its contribution to climate change. To reduce this uncertainty, the IR spectrum of CF4 was measured in two different laboratories, in 0–933 hPa of air diluent at 296 ± 2K over the wavelength range 600–3700 cm−1 using spectral resolutions of 0.03 or 0.50 cm−1. There was no discernable effect of diluent gas pressure or spectral resolution on the integrated IR absorption, and a value of the integrated absorption cross section of (1.90 ± 0.17) × 10−16 cm2 molecule−1 cm−1 was derived. The radiative efficiency (radiative forcing per ppbv) and GWP (relative to CO2) of CF4 were calculated to be 0.102 W m−2 ppbv−1 and 7200 (100 year time horizon). The GWP for CF4 calculated herein is approximately 30% greater than that given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) [2002] partly due to what we believe to be an erroneously low value for the IR absorption strength of CF4 assumed in the calculations adopted by the IPCC. The radiative efficiency of CF4 is predicted to decrease by up to 40% as the CF4 forcing starts to saturate and overlapping absorption by CH4, H2O, and N2O in the atmosphere increases over the period 1750–2100. The radiative forcing attributable to increased CF4 levels in the atmosphere from 1750 to 2000 is estimated to be 0.004 W m−2 and is predicted to be up to 0.033 W m−2 from 2000 to 2100, dependent on the scenario.