Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Skipping Networks

Inspired by the recent neuroscience studies on the left-right asymmetry of the human brain in processing low and high spatial frequency information, this paper introduces a dual skipping network which carries out coarse-to-fine object categorization. Such a network has two branches to simultaneously deal with both coarse and fine-grained classification tasks. Specifically, we propose a layer-skipping mechanism that learns a gating network to predict which layers to skip in the testing stage. This layer-skipping mechanism endows the network with good flexibility and capability in practice. Evaluations are conducted on several widely used coarse-to-fine object categorization benchmarks, and promising results are achieved by our proposed network model.
Validation of a Risk Estimation of Tumor Recurrence After Transplant (RETREAT) Score for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence After Liver Transplant

Importance Several factors are associated with increased hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT), but no reliable risk score has been established to determine the individual risk for HCC recurrence. Objective We aimed to develop and validate a Risk Estimation of Tumor Recurrence After Transplant (RETREAT) score for patients with HCC meeting Milan criteria by imaging. Design, Setting, and Participants Predictors of recurrence were tested in a development cohort of 721 patients who underwent LT between 2002 and 2012 at 3 academic transplant centers (University of California–San Francisco; Mayo Clinic, Rochester; and Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville) to create the RETREAT score. This was subsequently validated in a cohort of 341 patients also meeting Milan criteria by imaging who underwent LT at the University of Toronto transplant center using the C concordance statistic and net reclassification index. Main Outcomes and Measures Characteristics associated with post-LT HCC recurrence. Results A total of 1061 patients participated in the study; 77.8% (825) were men, and the median (IQR) age was 58.2 (53.3-63.9) years in the development cohort and 56.4 (51.7-61.0) years in the validation cohort (P < .001). In the development cohort of 721 patients (542 men), median &agr;-fetoprotein (AFP) level at the time of LT was 8.3 ng/mL; 9.4% had microvascular invasion (n = 68), and 22.1% were beyond Milan criteria on explant (n = 159) owing to understaging by pretransplantation imaging. Cumulative probabilities of HCC recurrence at 1 and 5 years were 5.7% and 12.8%, respectively. On multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, 3 variables were independently associated with HCC recurrence: microvascular invasion, AFP at time of LT, and the sum of the largest viable tumor diameter and number of viable tumors on explant. The RETREAT score was created using these 3 variables, with scores ranging from 0 to 5 or higher that were highly predictive of HCC recurrence (C statistic, 0.77). RETREAT was able to stratify 5-year post-LT recurrence risk ranging from less than 3% with a score of 0 to greater than 75% with a score of 5 or higher. The validation cohort (n = 340; 283 men) had significantly higher microvascular invasion (23.8% [n = 81], P < .001), explant beyond Milan criteria (37.3% [n = 159], P < .001), and HCC recurrence at 5 years (17.9% [n = 159], P = .03). RETREAT showed good model discrimination (C statistic, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77-0.86) and superior recurrence risk classification compared with explant Milan criteria (net reclassification index, 0.40; P = .001) in the validation cohort. Conclusions and Relevance We have developed and validated a simple and novel prognostic score that may improve post-LT HCC surveillance strategies and help identify patients who may benefit from future adjuvant therapies.
Sex differences in episodic memory in early midlife: impact of reproductive aging

Objective: Few have characterized cognitive changes with age as a function of menopausal stage relative to men, or sex differences in components of memory in early midlife. The study aim was to investigate variation in memory function in early midlife as a function of sex, sex steroid hormones, and reproductive status. Methods: A total of 212 men and women aged 45 to 55 were selected for this cross-sectional study from a prenatal cohort of pregnancies whose mothers were originally recruited in 1959 to 1966. They underwent clinical and cognitive testing and hormonal assessments of menopause status. Multivariate general linear models for multiple memory outcomes were used to test hypotheses controlling for potential confounders. Episodic memory, executive function, semantic processing, and estimated verbal intelligence were assessed. Associative memory and episodic verbal memory were assessed using Face-Name Associative Memory Exam (FNAME) and Selective Reminding Test (SRT), given increased sensitivity to detecting early cognitive decline. Impacts of sex and reproductive stage on performance were tested. Results: Women outperformed men on all memory measures including FNAME (&bgr; = −0.30, P < 0.0001) and SRT (&bgr; = −0.29, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, premenopausal and perimenopausal women outperformed postmenopausal women on FNAME (initial learning, &bgr;= 0.32, P = 0.01) and SRT (recall, &bgr;= 2.39, P = 0.02). Across all women, higher estradiol was associated with better SRT performance (recall, &bgr; = 1.96, P = 0.01) and marginally associated with FNAME (initial learning, &bgr; = 0.19, P = 0.06). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that, in early midlife, women outperformed age-matched men across all memory measures, but sex differences were attenuated for postmenopausal women. Initial learning and memory retrieval were particularly vulnerable, whereas memory consolidation and storage were preserved. Findings underscore the significance of the decline in ovarian estradiol production in midlife and its role in shaping memory function.
Small Vessels, Big Role: Renal Microcirculation and Progression of Renal Injury

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem. Data from the US Renal Data System Reports show that the number of patients enrolled in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Medicare-funded programs increased to a staggering 60-fold during the last 4 decades1–4 and now consumes a significant portion of the healthcare budget. Despite the magnitude of resources dedicated to treatment of chronic renal disease and the substantial improvements in the quality of dialysis and coadjuvant therapeutic strategies, these patients experience significant reductions in their quality of life, increased morbidity, and higher mortality. Furthermore, a recent projection shows that the incidence and prevalence of CKD may continue to increase in coming decades.5 This somber scenario emphasizes the need for a better understanding of underlying mechanisms of renal injury and the development of novel interventions and strategies to slow the onset and progression of CKD. Microvascular networks are dynamic anatomic units that are tightly balanced to provide nutrition and remove waste products to meet the metabolic and functional demands of each tissue. In the kidney, the glomerular and peritubular capillaries also command glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and recirculation of body fluids, nutrients, hormones, and other substances to the body.6,7 Endothelial dysfunction as well as functional and structural rarefaction8 of the renal microvessels play a prominent role in inducing renal injury associated with major cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, a defective renal microcirculation is a universal pathological feature in CKD that progresses as CKD evolves and compromise both the renal nutrition and renal function.6,7 The current review will focus on the role of microvascular disease in the progression of renal injury. It will discuss the involvement of microvascular disease as both cause and consequence of pathological …
21-Gene Recurrence Score and Locoregional Recurrence in Node-Positive/ER-Positive Breast Cancer Treated With Chemo-Endocrine Therapy

Background: The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) predicts risk of locoregional recurrence (LRR) in node-negative, estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancer. We evaluated the association between RS and LRR in node-positive, ER-positive patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy plus tamoxifen in National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-28. Methods: B-28 compared doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC X 4) with AC X 4 followed by paclitaxel X 4. Tamoxifen was given to patients age 50 years or older and those younger than age 50 years with ER-positive and/or progesterone receptor–positive tumors. Lumpectomy patients received breast radiotherapy. Mastectomy patients received no radiotherapy. The present study includes 1065 ER-positive, tamoxifen-treated patients with RS assessment. Cumulative incidence functions and subdistribution hazard regression models were used for LRR to account for competing risks including distant recurrence, second primary cancers, and death from other causes. Median follow-up was 11.2 years. All statistical tests were one-sided. Results: There were 80 LRRs (7.5%) as first events (68% local/32% regional). RS was low: 36.2%; intermediate: 34.2%; and high: 29.6%. RS was a statistically significant predictor of LRR in univariate analyses (10-year cumulative incidence of LRR = 3.3%, 7.2%, and 12.2% for low, intermediate, and high RS, respectively, P < .001). In multivariable regression analysis, RS remained an independent predictor of LRR (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28 to 5.26, for a 50-point difference, P = .008) along with pathologic nodal status (HR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.20 to 3.03, for four or more vs one to three positive nodes, P = .006) and tumor size (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.55, for a 1 cm difference, P = .02). Conclusions: RS statistically significantly predicts risk of LRR in node-positive, ER-positive breast cancer patients after adjuvant chemotherapy plus tamoxifen. These findings can help in the selection of appropriate candidates for comprehensive radiotherapy.
Imaging of cerebrovascular reserve and oxygenation in Moyamoya disease

This study aimed to determine whether measurements of cerebrovascular reserve and oxygenation, assessed with spin relaxation rate R2′, yield similar information about pathology in pre-operative Moyamoya disease patients, and to assess whether R2′ is a better measure of oxygenation than other proposed markers, such as R2* and R2. Twenty-five pre-operative Moyamoya disease patients were scanned at 3.0T with acetazolamide challenge. Cerebral blood flow mapping with multi-delay arterial spin labeling, and R2*, R2, and R2′ mapping with Gradient-Echo Sampling of Free Induction Decay and Echo were performed. No baseline cerebral blood flow difference was found between angiographically abnormal and normal regions (49 ± 12 vs. 48 ± 11 mL/100 g/min, p = 0.44). However, baseline R2′ differed between these regions (3.2 ± 0.7 vs. 2.9 ± 0.6 s−1, p < 0.001), indicating reduced oxygenation in abnormal regions. Cerebrovascular reserve was lower in angiographically abnormal regions (21 ± 38 vs. 41 ± 26%, p = 0.001). All regions showed trend toward significantly improved oxygenation post-acetazolamide. Regions with poorer cerebrovascular reserve had lower baseline oxygenation (Kendall's τ = −0.24, p = 0.003). A number of angiographically abnormal regions demonstrated preserved cerebrovascular reserve, likely due to the presence of collaterals. Finally, of the concurrently measured relaxation rates, R2′ was superior for oxygenation assessment.
Combinatorial Methods for Epistasis and Dominance

We develop computational tools for the analysis of nonlinear genotype-phenotype relationships with epistasis among multiple loci or dominance interactions among multiple alleles within the same locus. Theory distinguishes between separable traits, with removable epistasis, and traits with essential epistasis. Separable traits can be transformed to a natural scale where additive methods apply. The methods we present solve for the natural scale, exactly when possible and approximately when not. Through graph methods, our methods allow for enumeration, counting, or sampling of distinct trait architectures satisfying constraints from the separability theory. A tool is provided for diagnosing which separability constraints are violated by a given nonseparable architecture. For genetic traits controlled by limited numbers of loci and alleles, our algorithm enumerates all possible trait structures and finds exact or error-minimizing linearizing transformations by formulating a constrained optimization program. We find that the fraction of possible distinct genetic traits satisfying simple criteria that can be fully or approximately linearized is high for small systems and falls as the number of alleles or loci increases.
Buprenorphine and pain treatment in pediatric patients: an update

Introduction The usual management of moderate to severe pain is based on the use of opioids. Buprenorphine (BPN) is an opioid with an analgesic potency 50 times greater than that of morphine. It is widely used in various pain models and has demonstrated efficacy and safety in adult patients; however, there are insufficient clinical trials in pediatric populations. Purpose The aim of this study was to perform an updated meta-analysis on the implementation of BPN in the treatment of pain in the pediatric population. Methods A bibliographic search was carried out in different biomedical databases to identify scientific papers and clinical trials with evidence of BPN use in children and adolescents. Results A total of 89 articles were found, of which 66 were selected. Analysis of these items revealed additional sources, and the final review included a total of 112 publications. Conclusion Few studies were found regarding the efficacy and safety of BPN use in children. In recent years, the use of this drug in the pediatric population has become widespread, so it is imperative to perform clinical trials and pharmacological and pharmacovigilance studies, which will allow researchers to develop dosage schemes based on the evidence and minimize the risk of adverse effects.
Optimal Financial Knowledge and Wealth Inequality

We show that financial knowledge is a key determinant of wealth inequality in a stochastic life cycle model with endogenous financial knowledge accumulation, where financial knowledge enables individuals to better allocate lifetime resources in a world of uncertainty and imperfect insurance. Moreover, because of how the US social insurance system works, better-educated individuals have most to gain from investing in financial knowledge. Our parsimonious specification generates substantial wealth inequality relative to a one-asset saving model and one in which returns on wealth depend on portfolio composition alone. We estimate that 30–40 percent of retirement wealth inequality is accounted for by financial knowledge.
Computational modeling of spinal circuits controlling limb coordination and gaits in quadrupeds

Interactions between cervical and lumbar spinal circuits are mediated by long propriospinal neurons (LPNs). Ablation of descending LPNs in mice disturbs left-right coordination at high speeds without affecting fore-hind alternation. We developed a computational model of spinal circuits consisting of four rhythm generators coupled by commissural interneurons (CINs), providing left-right interactions, and LPNs, mediating homolateral and diagonal interactions. The proposed CIN and diagonal LPN connections contribute to speed-dependent gait transition from walk, to trot, and then to gallop and bound; the homolateral LPN connections ensure fore-hind alternation in all gaits. The model reproduces speed-dependent gait expression in intact and genetically transformed mice and the disruption of hindlimb coordination following ablation of descending LPNs. Inputs to CINs and LPNs can affect interlimb coordination and change gait independent of speed. We suggest that these interneurons represent the main targets for supraspinal and sensory afferent signals adjusting gait.
Adhesive wear behaviour of aluminium hybrid metal matrix composites using genetic algorithm

This paper involves the optimisation of the process parameters for the aluminium/alumina/graphite hybrid metal matrix composite to obtain the least wear rate during dry sliding process. The tribological properties of the composite have been studied and discussed. Experiments were carried out using pin-on-disc tribometer by varying the parameters such as load, velocity, distance & the alumina composition of the composite and the wear rate for each input configuration was calculated. Using this empirical data, the regression equation was obtained using Artificial Neural Networks and this function was then optimised using Genetic Algorithm. The least wear rate was obtained for the composite with an alumina composition of 5 wt%.
Overweight and Obesity among Preschool Children in Port Harcourt , Nigeria

Childhood obesity portends risk of adult overweight and obesity and its health consequences. This problem is preventable; unfortunately information on the extent of the problem is scarce in Nigeria. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity among preschool children in Port Harcourt. A cross-sectional study was conducted between September and November, 2010. Two hundred and twenty children in pre-nursery and nursery schools in Port Harcourt were studied. Information were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire filled out by their parents. Heights and weights were measured and BMI calculated, CDC BMI-for-age used for classification of overweight and obesity. Analysis was done using Epi Info 6.04 d. The mean age of the preschoolers was 3.2±1.0 years. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 15% and 8.6%, respectively. There was no significant sex difference (p = 0.720), viewing television longer than one hour daily was not associated with BMI >85th centile (p = 0.118), while consumption of high fat diet (p = 0.046) and sugar-sweetened drinks (p = 0.000), were associated. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was high among preschoolers in Port Harcourt and was strongly associated with consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. Mothers in Port Harcourt should be discouraged from giving their children sugar sweetened drinks. More robust studies are needed to confirm findings and identify other risk factors.
JustPoint: Identifying Colors with a Natural User Interface

People with severe visual impairments usually have no way of identifying the colors of objects in their environment. While existing smartphone apps can recognize colors and speak them aloud, they require the user to center the object of interest in the camera's field of view, which is challenging for many users. We developed a smartphone app to address this problem that reads aloud the color of the object pointed to by the user's fingertip, without confusion from background colors. We evaluated the app with nine people who are blind, demonstrating the app's effectiveness and suggesting directions for improvements in the future.
Effects of porosity gradient of multilayered electrospun nanofibre mats on air filtration efficiency

Abstract Performance of the nanofibrous filter media is determined by fibre diameter and pore size distribution of the membranes. In this study, an attempt is made to fabricate a nanofibrous multi-scale filter media by simply varying the layer-by-layer-assisted stacking structure and composition of individual fibres within the single layers. These structural controls of the filter membrane helped to form a skeletal frame-worked membrane with controlled filtration efficiency and pressure drop aerosol particle filtration application. Altering the right electrospinning parameters, layering structure of the membrane resulted in changes in average fibre diameter and pore size distribution, especially in the middle layer of media, while a gradient in pore size and its distribution was created. The results of measurements of pressure drop and filtration efficiency indicated that by changing the gradient in pore size and its distribution in the middle membrane, keeping other layers constant, the pressure drop and filtration efficiency can be effectively tuned. The results suggested that this developed filter media could be used as promising materials for a variety of potential applications in high efficiency particulate air filters with tunable characteristics.
Resource allocation algorithms for OFDM based wireless systems

Carrier Aggregation (CA) is a key functionality for next generation wireless communication systems that enables operators to create larger virtual carrier bandwidths for data hungry applications by aggregating available Component Carriers (CCs). In this paper, the Resource Allocation (RA) optimisation problem in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based wireless systems is studied with CA. We show that RA with CA can be formulated as a complex mixed integer programming optimisation problem under the practical constraints of transmit power and limited number of CCs available for each user. A two-step solution is proposed, Step 1: CC allocation is performed to satisfy users CA constraints and remove the intractable integer constraints of the optimisation problem, Step 2: power and SubCarrier (SC) allocation algorithm assigns resources among users sub-optimally. We propose two efficient methods based on our two-step solution with reasonably low complexity refer as Two-Step RA Algorithm (TSRAA) and Efficient RA Algorithm (ERAA). The performance of TSRAA and ERAA are compared with the highly complex Combinatorial Algorithm (COA) introduced as an optimal solution. Simulation results verify that TSRAA reaches to optimum solution and exploits the multi-CC diversity of wireless systems. Furthermore, numerical results show that ERAA achieves satisfying performance with very low complexity.
Adolescent cannabis use, change in neurocognitive function, and high-school graduation: A longitudinal study from early adolescence to young adulthood

Abstract The main objective of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate bidirectional associations between adolescent cannabis use (CU) and neurocognitive performance in a community sample of 294 young men from ages 13 to 20 years. The results showed that in early adolescence, and prior to initiation to CU, poor short-term and working memory, but high verbal IQ, were associated with earlier age of onset of CU. In turn, age of CU onset and CU frequency across adolescence were associated with (a) specific neurocognitive decline in verbal IQ and executive function tasks tapping trial and error learning and reward processing by early adulthood and (b) lower rates of high-school graduation. The association between CU onset and change in neurocognitive function, however, was found to be accounted for by CU frequency. Whereas the link between CU frequency across adolescence and change in verbal IQ was explained (mediated) by high school graduation, the link between CU frequency and tasks tapping trial and error learning were independent from high school graduation, concurrent cannabis and other substance use, adolescent alcohol use, and externalizing behaviors. Findings support prevention efforts aimed at delaying onset and reducing frequency of CU.