Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Daily functioning of dyspnea, self-esteem and physical self in patients with moderate COPD before, during and after a first inpatient rehabilitation program

Purpose. Inpatient rehabilitation improves dyspnea and increases self-esteem between admission and discharge in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some researchers nevertheless argue that the changes may be due to nursing effects and thus that scores will decrease quickly at home after discharge. This study assessed the change in dyspnea, self-esteem and physical self mean scores and stability in patients with moderate COPD during three consecutive four-week periods: at home, during an inpatient rehabilitation program, and again at home post-discharge. Methods. Twenty-three consecutive patients [63.9 years (SD 6.6)] with moderate COPD [FEV1 = 55.8% (SD 13.2)] were included. The participants responded to the Physical Self Inventory and rated dyspnea using a visual analogue scale twice a day. Exercise tolerance was assessed with the six-minute walk test (6MWT) at admission and discharge. Results. 6MWT performance improved between admission and discharge [452.3 m. (SD 74.0) vs. 503.3 m. (SD 80.4), p < 0.001]. Dyspnea ratings improved (p < 0.001), as did the self-esteem and physical self scores between the two home periods (p < 0.001). The group showed less instability (SD and range) in their assessments of physical self-worth at home post-discharge compared to pre-admission (p < 0.01). Before rehabilitation, the correlation coefficients between dyspnea, and self-esteem, the perceptions of physical condition and attractive body were all significant. After rehabilitation, the coefficients between dyspnea, and perceived physical condition, physical strength and sport competence were significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The results suggest that a first rehabilitation program increases the mean physical self scores in patients with moderate COPD and decreases their instability; the program also improves dyspnea. However, the impact of rehabilitation was greater on specific perceptions of physical abilities than on the global self-esteem. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these changes, which were probably due to rehabilitation program.
Evaluation of map quality by matching and scoring high-level, topological map structures

Mapping is an important task for mobile robots. But assessing the quality of maps in a simple, efficient and automated way is not trivial and an ongoing research topic. A new approach on map evaluation is presented here. It is based on Topology Graphs as a topological, abstracted representation of 2D grid maps. The Topology Graphs are derived from Voronoi Diagrams that get post-processed to capture the high-level spatial structures. Based on a similarity metric on vertices in Topology Graphs, the vertices can be matched across maps and spatial (dis)similarities and hence errors in the mapping can be identified and measured. More precisely, the vertex-similarity is the basis to match the structures of Topology Graphs up to the identification of subgraph isomorphisms through wave-front propagation. This allows to determine important map quality attributes up to very challenging structural elements like brokenness, i.e., the number of locally correct partitions in the candidate map and their relative placement towards each other. Experiments with real robot generated maps including examples from various teams in the RoboCup Rescue competition are used to validate the usefulness of this method for map quality assessment.
To Be Fully There: Psychological Presence at Work

This article develops the concept of psychological presence to describe the experiential state enabling organization members to draw deeply on their personal selves in role performances, i.e., express thoughts and feelings, question assumptions, innovate. The dimensions of psychological presence are described along with relevant organizational and individual factors. The concept's implications for theory and research about the person-role relationship are described.
P2 Growth Restriction on an rpoC Mutant Is Suppressed by Alleles of the Rz1 Homolog lysC

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli strain 397c carries a temperature-sensitive mutation, rpoC397, that removes the last 50 amino acids of the RNA polymerase β′ subunit and is nonpermissive for plating of bacteriophage P2. P2 gor mutants productively infect 397c and define a new gene, lysC, encoded by a reading frame that extensively overlaps the P2 lysis accessory gene, lysB. The unusual location of lysC with respect to lysB is reminiscent of the Rz/Rz1 lysis gene pair of phage λ. Indeed, coexpression of lysB and lysC complemented the growth defect of λ Rz/Rz1 null mutants, indicating that the LysB/C pair is similar to Rz/Rz1 in both gene arrangement and function. Cells carrying the rpoC397 mutation exhibited an early onset of P2-induced lysis, which was suppressed by the gor mutation in lysC. We propose that changes in host gene expression resulting from the rpoC397 mutation result in changes in the composition of the bacterial cell wall, making the cell more susceptible to P2-mediated lysis and preventing accumulation of progeny phage sufficient for plaque formation.
Local Binary Pattern features for pedestrian detection at night/dark environment

Being fast to compute and simple to implement, Local Binary Pattern (LBP) has also shown superior performance in texture classification and face detection. However, it is not well optimized for pedestrian detection. At night/dark environment, pedestrian detection typically needs to overcome problems of low contrast, image blur, and image noise. A novel feature extraction method, consisting of Weighted LBP, Multi-resolution LBP, and Multi-scale LBP, is proposed to solve them. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves upon the basic LBP significantly and outperforms benchmarks such as HOG and CoHOG.
Reduced inflammation in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis after therapy switch to rituximab

Objective: To describe the effects of switching treatment from ongoing first-line injectable therapies to rituximab on inflammatory activity measured by MRI and levels of CSF neurofilament light chain (CSF-NFL) in a cohort of patients with clinically stable relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Method: Seventy-five patients with clinically stable RRMS treated with the first-line injectables interferon-β (IFN-β) and glatiramer acetate (GA) at 3 Swedish centers were switched to rituximab in this open-label phase II multicenter study. After a run-in period of 3 months, 2 IV doses of 1,000 mg rituximab were given 2 weeks apart followed by repeated clinical assessment, MRI, and CSF-NFL for 24 months. Results: The mean cumulated number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions per patient at months 3 and 6 after treatment shift to rituximab was reduced compared to the run-in period (0.028 vs 0.36, p = 0.029). During the first year after treatment shift, the mean number of new or enlarged T2 lesions per patient was reduced (0.01 vs 0.28, p = 0.004) and mean CSF-NFL levels were reduced by 21% (p = 0.01). Conclusions: For patients with RRMS, a treatment switch from IFN or GA to rituximab is associated with reduced inflammatory activity measured by MRI and CSF-NFL. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that rituximab has an equal or superior effect in reducing inflammatory activity in RRMS measured by MRI and CSF-NFL compared to first-line injectables during the first year after treatment shift.
Responding to the Expressed Needs of Urban Middle School Principals

School principals are deemed essential to current school reform, yet the rhetoric about their importance is often unaccompanied by sufficient attention either to what new knowledge and skills they need or to how they will learn what they need to know to forward today s complex reform agenda. Principals who were trained to be managers are now expected to be leaders in the context of school reform and district decentralization. Despite these role changes, many school reform efforts provide little opportunity for principals to learn what they need to know to forward reform at the school and classroom levels. This article, based on a study of 23 urban middle school principals who participated in extended professional development designed to address their knowledge and skill needs, addresses two questions: (a) What do principals engaged in urban middle school reform report that they need to know to lead reform that includes a significant focus on teaching and learning? and (b) Based on their reports and other knowledge about professional development, what pedagogical strategies might maximize principals' learning?
Quasi-Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes for Two Transmit Antennas and Three Time Slots

In this paper, a class of quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes (Q-STBC) is proposed for systems with two transmit antennas and three time slots, where the Alamouti code is not applicable due to the odd time slots. The proposed Q-STBC codes achieve rate one and full diversity with low complexity maximum likelihood decoding. The Q-STBC design also shows excellent properties in other practical aspects, such as the compatibility with the single antenna transmission mode, low power fluctuation, and low receiver decoding and transmitter encoding complexity.
Fixed Parameter Inapproximability for Clique and Set-cover with Super Exponential Time in K

A minimization (resp., maximization) problem is called fixed parameter (r, t)-hard for two r, t if there does not exist an algorithm that given a problem instance I with optimum value opt and an integer k, either finds a feasible solution of value at most r(k) · k (resp., at least k/r(k)) in time t(k) or finds in time t(k) a certificate that k < opt (resp., k > opt) in time t(k) · |I| O(1) for some function t. In maximization problems like clique only o(k) hardness can be proven. Indeed, returning a single vertex is an opt approximation for the clique problem. Fellows [14] conjectured that clique and setcover have no (r, t) approximation for any functions r and t. We prove fixed parameter hardness for clique and setcover, for super exponential in k time t(k) (later we explain why reductions with sub exponential in k time are undesireable). Our hardness, is proved via gap reductions from 3-sat and assuming the Exponential Time Hypothesis (eth) [12]. The value of k equals in all cases to the value of the optimum on a yes instance. We find out that the crux of fixed parameter inapproxima-bility is educing opt while maintaining the gap. While it sems that 1 this was never implicitly said, some proofs reduced the value of k, which is similar to reducing the value of opt. We provide system-ativ and simple but effective techniques to reduce the optimum and maintain the gap. Our results are as follows: 1. Set cover is (r, t)-FPT-hard for r(k) = (log k) γ and t(k) = exp(exp((log k) γ)) · poly(n) = exp k (log f k) · poly(n) for some constant γ > 1 and f = γ − 1. 2. Under eth and a stronger version of pgc there exists constants d 1 , d 2 > 0 so that setcover is (r, t)-FPT-hard for r(k) = opt d 1 and t(k) = exp(exp(k d 2)). 3. Under eth alone, setcover cannot be approximated within c √ log k for some constant c, in time exp k (log k) f · poly(n) for f the same constant as above. 4. Under the eth, for any constant c, clique is (c, t)-FPT-hard for t(k) = exp(exp(k d)) for some constant d that depends on c. It is also (r, t)-f pt-hard for some super constant function r(k) and t(k) = …
Boundary object use in cross-cultural software development teams

This article examines the evolving use of boundary objects in cross-cultural software teams. Our field study of a Jamaican-Indian team examines the use of software specifications and project management tools as boundary objects in facilitating sharing across knowledge boundaries. We examine how and why the role and use of boundary objects may facilitate collaboration across knowledge boundaries at one time and contribute to conflict at other times. We unpack the interacting elements that both facilitate and constrain knowledge sharing, and trigger conflicts at different stages of the software team development. Specifically, we found that the use of boundary objects at transitions involving definitional control and the subsequent redistribution of power/authority may inhibit knowledge sharing. The subsequent reifying of cultural boundaries along with negative stereotyping led to relational conflict, through a process we call culturizing , as cross-cultural differences emerged as problematic for team dynamics.
MRG1 Binds to the LIM Domain of Lhx2 and May Function as a Coactivator to Stimulate Glycoprotein Hormone α-Subunit Gene Expression*

Tissue-specific expression of the α-subunit gene of glycoprotein hormones involves an enhancer element designated the pituitary glycoprotein basal element, which interacts with the LIM homeodomain transcription factor, Lhx2. In the present studies we have explored the function of the LIM domain of Lhx2 in stimulating α-subunit transcription. When fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain, the LIM domain of Lhx2 was shown to contain a transcriptional activation domain. Furthermore, in the context of an α-subunit reporter gene in which a GAL4-binding site replaced the pituitary glycoprotein basal element, the LIM domain enhanced both basal and Ras-mediated transcription. In addition, a synergistic response to Ras activation was observed when the Lhx2 LIM domain and the transactivation domain of Elk1 are directed to a minimal reporter gene. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified the recently described melanocyte-specific gene-related gene 1 (MRG1) as an Lhx2 LIM-interacting protein. MRG1 was shown to bind Lhx2 in vitro, and a co-immunoprecipitation assay provided evidence that endogenous MRG1 forms a complex with Lhx2 in αT3–1 cells. Expression of MRG1 in αT3–1 cells enhanced α-subunit reporter gene activity. MRG1 was also shown to bind in vitro to the TATA-binding protein and the transcriptional coactivator, p300. These data suggest a model in which the Lhx2 LIM domain activates transcription through interaction with MRG1 leading to recruitment of p300/CBP and the TATA-binding protein.
The concept of a middle power in international relations: Distinguishing between emerging and traditional middle powers

This article seeks to develop a distinction between emerging and traditional middle powers as a means to giving the concept of a middle power greater analytical clarity. All middle powers display foreign policy behaviour that stabilises and legitimises the global order, typically through multilateral and cooperative initiatives. However, emerging and traditional middle powers can be distinguished in terms of their mutually-influencing constitutive and behavioural differences. Constitutively, traditional middle powers are wealthy, stable, egalitarian, social democratic and not regionally influential. Behaviourally, they exhibit a weak and ambivalent regional orientation, construct ing identities distinct from powerful states in their regions and offer appeasing concessions to pressures for global reform. Emerging middle powers by contrast are semi-peripheral, materially inegalitarian and recently democratised states that demonstrate much regional influence and self-association. Behaviourally, they opt for reformist and not radical global change, exhibit a strong regional orientation favouring regional integration but seek also to construct identities distinct from those of the weak states in their region.
Policy for Mobile Devices to Access Grid Infrastructure

Grid computing has made rapid strides during the last few years from their first use in the scientific computing domain to enterprise grids deploying commercial applications. Grid computing permits participating entities connected via networks to dynamically share their resources. Its increasing usage and popularity in the scientific community and the prospect of seamless integration and interaction with heterogeneous devices and services makes it possible to develop further complex and dynamic applications for the grid. However, the efficient management of such a large computing AbstrAct
Using Textual Transcripts of Parliamentary Interventions for Proﬁling Portuguese Politicians

This work presents an experimental study on the subject of proﬁling political actors through textual transcriptions of their parliamentary interventions. Supervised learning techniques were used to learn models, which attempt to classify Portuguese politicians according to their gender, their age group, or their political afﬁliation and orientation. Experiments were made using different types of classiﬁcation models, using state-of-the-art feature weighting schemes, using stylometric features from state-of-the-art approaches for author proﬁling, and using features derived from distributional word clustering or from concise semantic analysis. Experiments with the group Lasso regularization technique for logistic regression models were also performed. The experiments showed that language usage is indeed indicative of a person’s characteristics and ideology.
Emotion Regulation and Stress Reactivity in the Adolescent Daughters of Depressed Mothers

The daughters of women with a history of depression are at heightened risk for a range of mental health problems. The present study investigated emotion regulation, cortisol reactivity to stress, and interpersonal competence as potential indicators of risk in adolescent girls at high versus low risk for depression. Participants were a community sample of 47 girls and their mothers (27 high risk and 20 low risk). Mothers and daughters had been interviewed to assess diagnostic history as part of a previous longitudinal study. In the current study, daughters completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) and cortisol samples were collected before and after exposure to this psychosocial stressor. Both mothers and daughters completed self-report questionnaires and daughters were re-assessed using the Depressive Disorders module of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. High risk mothers were also interviewed to assess the timing and chronicity of their depressive episodes during their daughters’ lifetime. High and low risk girls had equivalent ratings of self-reported stress following the TSST-C, but different physiological responses. Girls at high risk for depression showed a blunted cortisol response to the TSSTC whereas low risk girls showed a normal cortisol response. High risk status for depression predicted a blunted cortisol response to stress, which predicted difficulties with emotion regulation; difficulties with emotion regulation in turn predicted a greater number of selfreported depressive symptoms. These results suggest that maternal depression may act as a stressor that compromises stress-response system functioning in daughters and produces related difficulties with emotion regulation.
Predictive models of acute mountain sickness after rapid ascent to various altitudes.

PURPOSE Despite decades of research, no predictive models of acute mountain sickness (AMS) exist, which identify the time course of AMS severity and prevalence following rapid ascent to various altitudes. METHODS Using general linear and logistic mixed models and a comprehensive database, we analyzed 1292 AMS cerebral factor scores in 308 unacclimatized men and women who spent between 4 and 48 h at altitudes ranging from 1659 to 4501 m under experimentally controlled conditions (low and high activity). Covariates included in the analysis were altitude, time at altitude, activity level, age, body mass index, race, sex, and smoking status. RESULTS AMS severity increased (P < 0.05) nearly twofold (i.e., 179%) for every 1000-m increase in altitude at 20 h of exposure, peaked between 18 and 22 h of exposure, and returned to initial levels by 48 h of exposure regardless of sex or activity level. Peak AMS severity scores were 38% higher (P < 0.05) in men compared with women at 20 h of exposure. High active men and women (>50% of maximal oxygen uptake for >45 min at altitude) demonstrated a 72% increase (P < 0.05) in the odds (odds ratio, 1.72; confidence interval, 1.03-3.08) of AMS compared with low active men and women. There was also a tendency (P = 0.10) for men to demonstrate greater odds of AMS (odds ratio, 1.65; confidence interval, 0.84-3.25) compared with women. Age, body mass index, race, and smoking status were not significantly associated with AMS. CONCLUSIONS These models provide the first quantitative estimates of AMS risk over a wide range of altitudes and time points and suggest that in addition to altitude and time at altitude, high activity increases the risk of developing AMS. In addition, men demonstrated increased severity but not prevalence of AMS.
LUT filters for quantized processing of signals

We introduce a method to perform filtering on approximations (quantized versions) of the input signal, which lends itself to a practical implementation solely based on look-up tables (LUTs). The LUT filter approximates the performance of some traditional nonlinear filters at a fraction of the cost. The filter is divided into an approximation stage that is constant for all filters and a filtering stage, which is one LUT that can change in order to implement different filters. We introduce an overlapped hierarchical vector quantization (OHVQ) scheme that is used as the approximation stage. The output is produced by mapping the OHVQ codes to filtered data. Hence, all processing is done via LUTs, even though the filter size needs to be small because of typical OHVQ contraints. Switching among filters demands changing pointers to only one small LUT. Preliminary analysis and image processing examples are shown, demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed method.