Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In ovo electroporation of Crim1 in the developing chick spinal cord

The novel mammalian gene Crim1 encodes a transmembrane bound protein with similarity to the secreted bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonists, vertebrate Chordin, and its Drosophila homologue short gastrulation. Crim1 is expressed in the neural tube in mouse in a restricted pattern, but its function in central nervous system development is largely unknown. We isolated the chicken Crim1 orthologue and analyzed its expression in the developing neural tube. Chicken CRIM1 shares strong homology to human/mouse CRIM1 and C. elegans CRIM1‐like proteins. Crim1 is expressed in a similar but not identical pattern to that in the developing spinal cord of mouse, including the notochord, floor plate, motor neurons, and the roof plate. Unlike follistatin, a secreted inhibitor of BMPs, in ovo electroporation of CRIM1, as a full‐length transmembrane bound or secreted ectodomain was not sufficient to disrupt early patterning of the neural tube. However, ectodomain CRIM1 overexpression leads to an approximate 50% decrease in populations of specific ventral neuronal populations, including ISL‐1+ motor neurons, CHX‐10+ V1, and EN‐1+ V2 interneurons. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Internet and evidence-based decision-making: a needed synergy for efficient knowledge management in health care

The Internet is introducing new ways for humans to interact with machines and to communicate with each other. In health care the Internet is providing unprecedented opportunities to access information, improve decisions, and enhance communication among decision-makers and the people affected by their decisions. However, the Internet is also creating many new problems. Seeking information on the Internet is often time-consuming. Internet users, regardless of their role, background or knowledge, can experience confusion and anxiety because of the virtually unlimited amount of information available, information that is often poorly organized and of highly variable quality and relevance.1 The Internet can also lead to conflict among decision-makers if they have access to different and contradictory information. A person's health might even be worsened if inaccurate information found on the Internet were used by decision-makers. Evidence-based decision-making involves the explicit, conscientious and judicious consideration of the best available evidence in making health care decisions.2 It is supported by a rapidly evolving set of methods and tools but its eventual adoption will depend on whether the barriers it still faces3 can be minimized or eliminated. In this paper we postulate that if the Internet and evidence-based decision-making are to reach their full potential and contribute to improvements in health care, a powerful and efficient synergy must develop between them.4 The Internet could benefit evidence-based decision-making by giving decision-makers cheap, fast and efficient access to up-to-date, valid and relevant knowledge at the right time, at the right place, in the right amount and in the right format. Conversely, the tools and principles of evidence-based medicine could be used to gain a better understanding of the role of the Internet in health care, helping us to anticipate opportunities and prevent potential problems. This article briefly describes some of the efforts that are already fostering convergence and synergy between the Internet and evidence-based decision-making, as well as the opportunities available and the challenges to be overcome.
LMR-Based Optical Fiber Refractometers for Oil Degradation Sensing Applications in Synthetic Lubricant Oils

In this work, is presented the fabrication and characterization of optical fiber refractometer based on the lossy mode resonances (LMR). Indium-tin-oxide and tin dioxide thin films deposited on optical fibers are used as the LMR supporting coatings. These resonances shift to the red as a function of the external refractive index. The refractometer has been used to characterize the degradation of a synthetic industrial gear lubricant oil at working temperature.
Prevalence, incidence and stability of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in the community

Background. Despite an abundance of clinical research on premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, few epidemiological data provide estimates of the prevalence, incidence, co-morbidity, stability and correlates of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in the community. Aims. To describe the prevalence, incidence, 12 co-morbidity factors and correlates of threshold and subthreshold PMDD in a community sample of young women. Methods. Findings are based on prospective–longitudinal community survey of 1488 women aged 14–24, who were followed-up over a period of 48 months (follow-up, N = 1251) as part of the EDSP sample. Diagnostic assessments were based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and its 12-month PMDD diagnostic module administered by clinical interviewers. Diagnoses were calculated using DSM-IV algorithms, but daily ratings of symptoms, as required, were not available. Results. The baseline 12-month prevalence of DSM-IV PMDD was 5·8%. Application of the diagnostic exclusion rules with regard to concurrent major depression and dysthymia decreased the rate only slightly (5·3%). An additional 18·6% were ‘near-threshold’ cases, mostly because they failed to meet the mandatory impairment criterion. Over the follow-up period only few new PMDD cases were observed: cumulative lifetime incidence was 7·4%. PMDD syndrome was stable across 48 months with <10% complete remissions among baseline PMDD cases. The 12-month and lifetime co-morbidity rates were high (anxiety disorders 47·4%, mood disorders 22·9%; somatoform 28·4%), only 26·5% had no other mental disorder. Particularly high odds ratios were found with nicotine dependence and PTSD. In terms of correlates increased rates of 4-weeks impairment days, high use of general health and mental health services, and increased rates of suicide attempts were found. Conclusion. In this sample of adolescents and young adults, premenstrual symptoms were widespread. However, DSM-IV PMDD was considerably less prevalent. PMDD is a relatively stable and impairing condition, with high rates of health service utilization, increased suicidality and substantial co-morbidity.
Evaluation of the HCFA model for the analysis of mortality following hospitalization.

From 1987 through 1990, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) evaluated variations in the mortality rates experienced by patients admitted to hospitals participating in the Medicare program. This study was conducted to evaluate the adequacy of the model used for that purpose. Detailed clinical data were gathered on 42,773 patients admitted to 84 statistically selected hospitals. The effect of risk adjustment using the HCFA model, which is based on claims data, was compared to a risk-adjustment model based on physiologic and clinical data. Models that include claims data were markedly superior to those containing only demographic characteristics in predicting the probability of patient death, and the addition of clinical data resulted in further improvement. The correlation of ranks of hospitals based on a model that uses only the claims data and on one that uses, in addition, clinical data, was . 91. As a screen for the identification of "high (mortality) outlier" hospitals, the claims model had moderate sensitivity (81 percent) and specificity (79 percent), a high negative predictive value (90 percent), and a low positive predictive value (64 percent) when compared to the clinical model. The two mortality models gave similar results when used to determine which structural characteristics of hospitals were related to mortality rates: hospitals with a higher proportion of registered nurses or board-certified physician specialists, or with a greater level of access to high-technology equipment had lower risk-adjusted mortality rates. These data suggest that the current claims-based risk-adjustment procedure may satisfactorily be used to characterize variations in mortality rates associated with hospitalization. The procedure could also be used as a basis for further epidemiological analyses of factors that affect the probability of patient death. However, it does not positively identify outlier hospitals as providers of problematic care.
The COL7A1 mutation database

Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (DEB) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in the COL7A1 gene that is inherited in the autosomal dominant or recessive mode. We have developed a curated, freely accessible COL7A1 specific database (http://www.col7a1‐database.info), which contains more than 730 reported and unpublished sequence variants of the gene. Molecular defects are reported according to HGVS recommendation. The clinical description module is provided with an advanced search tool together with a CSV (comm. separated values) data format download option. This compilation of COL7A1 data and nomenclature is aimed at assisting molecular and clinical geneticists to enhance the collaboration between researchers worldwide. Hum Mutat 33:327–331, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of the Organizational Performance Indicators More Favorable to the Reality of a Bank: Use of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Balance Scored Card (BSC)

This article aims highlight the importance of the quantitative methods application in conjunction with organizational tools aid in the decision-making process. The need to work with countless data is a constant in the business world. Often the manager loses time analyzing data that are not important at that moment which may result in inefficiency. In this paper are proposals a project development making use of mathematical programming as a precious tool in decision management, resulting in a reduction of time spent of analysis for business decisions and greater accuracy. To highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to redefine problems outside of normal boundaries, a bank would be the organization to work within all their agencies treats as DMU of the system. From the modeling, it is possible to identify those agencies that will provide efficient benchmarking for inefficient agencies, pointing actions to be directed to become efficient. Takes place here, a complete sensitivity analysis on alternative scenarios that could be generated by a decision maker. The proposed project would be performed in three stages, considering the case of a private sector bank: exploratory and data treatment; semi-structured interviews with the managers; analyze the relative efficiencies among the DMUs with the chosen sets of Inputs and Outputs through Data Envelopment Analysis - DEA. An analysis of the results from the standpoint of Economic Efficiency and Organizational Efficiency (BSC) would be an object of discussion.
Back Schools for Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review Within the Framework of the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group

Study Design. A systematic review within the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group. Objectives. To assess the effectiveness of back schools for patients with nonspecific low back pain (LBP). Summary of Background Data. Since the introduction of the Swedish back school in 1969, back schools have frequently been used for treating patients with LBP. However, the content of back schools has changed and appears to vary widely today. Methods. We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to November 2004 for relevant trials reported in English, Dutch, French, or German. We also screened references from relevant reviews and included trials. Randomized controlled trials that reported on any type of back school for nonspecific LBP were included. Four reviewers, blinded to authors, institution, and journal, independently extracted the data and assessed the quality of the trials. We set the high-quality level, a priori, at a trial meeting six or more of 11 internal validity criteria. Because data were clinically and statistically too heterogeneous to perform a meta-analysis, we used a qualitative review (best evidence synthesis) to summarize the results. The evidence was classified into four levels (strong, moderate, limited, or no evidence), taking into account the methodologic quality of the studies. We also evaluated the clinical relevance of the studies. Results. Nineteen randomized controlled trials (3,584 patients) were included in this updated review. Overall, the methodologic quality was low, with only six trials considered to be high-quality. It was not possible to perform relevant subgroup analyses for LBP with radiation versus LBP without radiation. The results indicate that there is moderate evidence suggesting that back schools have better short- and intermediate-term effects on pain and functional status than other treatments for patients with recurrent and chronic LBP. There is moderate evidence suggesting that back schools for chronic LBP in an occupational setting are more effective than other treatments and placebo or waiting list controls on pain, functional status, and return to work during short- and intermediate-term follow-up. In general, the clinical relevance of the studies was rated as insufficient. Conclusion. There is moderate evidence suggesting that back schools, in an occupational setting, reduce pain and improve function and return-to-work status, in the short- and intermediate-term, compared with exercises, manipulation, myofascial therapy, advice, placebo, or waiting list controls, for patients with chronic and recurrent LBP. However, future trials should improve methodologic quality and clinical relevance and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of back schools.
The society of selves

Human beings are not only the most sociable animals on Earth, but also the only animals that have to ponder the separateness that comes with having a conscious self. The philosophical problem of ‘other minds’ nags away at people's sense of who—and why—they are. But the privacy of consciousness has an evolutionary history—and maybe even an evolutionary function. While recognizing the importance to humans of mind-reading and psychic transparency, we should consider the consequences and possible benefits of being—ultimately—psychically opaque.
Design and validation of a low resource-cost video data processing method for embedded implementation of optical flow extraction

The main goal of the proposed project is to build real-time hardware implementations of Optical Flow methods for tasks like egomotion estimation and/or obstacle avoidance. The current paper presents the theoretical foundations and the development and adaptation of appropriate algorithms needed for the motion detection task and the selection of the most suitable hardware/software design environments that aids the embedded implementation process. Using proper hardware/software co-design techniques, we present the development of a low-power, low resource-cost video data processing algorithm. The developed hardware efficient Optical flow extraction method is validated via software implementation and tested with standard video sequence inputs. We than present the architecture of the same method on an embedded, FPGA-based platform.
Do Right to Work Laws Worsen Income Inequality? Evidence from the Last Five Decades

There is an ongoing debate about whether changes in labor regulations such as Right to Work (RTW) laws are contributing to the rising trend of income inequality in the U.S. We adopt Synthetic Control Method (SCM) for comparative case study to examine the impact of a state’s adoption of RTW law on its income inequality. We use a wide range of inequality measures for Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, states that enacted RTW between the 1960s and the 2000s. We find that RTW did not impact income inequality in these states. This result is underpinned by additional finding of a lack of impact of RTW on unionization and investment.
Pooling Cervical Swabs and Testing by Ligase Chain Reaction Are Accurate and Cost-Saving Strategies for Diagnosis ofChlamydia trachomatis

ABSTRACT Specimen pooling to achieve efficiency when testing urine specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis nucleic acids has been suggested. We pooled endocervical swabs from 1,288 women and also tested individual swabs by ligase chain reaction (LCR). Out of 53 positive specimens, pools of 4 or 8 specimens missed two positives, providing 96.2% accuracy compared to individual test results. Dilution and positive-control spiking experiments showed that negative specimens with inhibitors of LCR in the pool reduced the signal. Conversely, two extra positives, detected only through pooling, were negative by individual testing but became positive after storage, suggesting that fresh positive specimens with labile inhibitors may be positive in a pool because of dilution of inhibitors. For this population of women with a 4% prevalence of C. trachomatis infection, substantial savings in cost of reagents (55 to 63%) and technologist time (50 to 63%) made pooling strategies a desirable alternative to individual testing.
Extrahepatic drug metabolizing enzymes

Drug metabolizing enzymes are known to be present and active in most extrahepatic tissues. In this review, evidence is presented that expression and activity of several extrahepatic drug‐metabolizing enzymes are regulated in unique ways, which may be associated with tissue functions and activities. In several instances evidence is offered that hormonal effects may be regulated through tissue specific distribution and/or responses of transcription factors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Toxicol 13: 227–230, 1999
Subsidized temporary jobs in France: lock-in and stepping stone effects

This article evaluates the effectiveness of subsidized temporary jobs as stepping stones to regular employment. We study a French program that allows job seekers to work part-time while remaining registered with the unemployment agency. We find that subsidized temporary jobs have both a significant lock-in effect and a significant positive post-treatment impact on the hazard rate to employment. Since individuals facing a low financial incentive to work part-time also have incentives to self-select into better part-time jobs, we also find that a higher tax rate leads to a weaker lock-in effect and a stronger post-treatment effect. Simulations suggest that the lock-in effect first dominates, but that the overall effect eventually becomes positive. We finally point to ways of improving the effectiveness of the policy.
Trading Strategies within the Edges of No-Arbitrage

We develop a trading strategy that employs limit and market orders in a multiasset economy where the assets are not only correlated, but can also be structurally dependent. To model the structural dependence, the mid-price processes follow a multivariate reflected Brownian motion on the closure of a no-arbitrage region which is dictated by the bid–ask spreads of the assets. We provide a mathematical framework for such an economy and solve for the value function and optimal control for an investor who takes positions in these assets. The optimal strategy exhibits two dominant features which depend on how far the vector of mid-prices is from the no-arbitrage bounds. When mid-prices are sufficiently far from the no-arbitrage edges, the strategy behaves as that of a market maker who posts buy and sell limit orders. And when the mid-price vector is close to the edge of the no-arbitrage region, the strategy executes a combination of market orders and limit orders to profit from statistical arbitrages. We discuss a numerical scheme to solve for the value function and optimal control, and perform a simulation study to discuss the main characteristics of the optimal strategy.
Clinical significance of serum vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To evaluate the correlation between serum vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels and clinicopathological features in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Ninety-six patients who underwent HCC resection were recruited in the study. Preoperative serum levels of soluble VCAM-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Serum VCAM-1 level in HCC patients was inversely correlated with platelet count (r=-0.431, P<0.001) and serum albumin level (r=-0.279, P<0.001), and positively correlated with serum bilirubin level (r=0.379, P<0.001). Serum VCAM-1 level was not associated with tumor characteristics such as tumor size, venous invasion, presence of microsatellite nodules, tumor grade and tumor stage. Serum VCAM-1 level was significantly higher in HCC patients with cirrhosis compared with those without cirrhosis (median 704 vs 546 ng/mL, P<0.001). Furthermore, a significantly better disease-free survival was observed in HCC patients with low VCAM-1 level (P=0.019). CONCLUSION Serum VCAM-1 level appears to reflect the severity of underlying chronic liver disease rather than the tumor status in HCC patients, and low preoperative serum VCAM-1 level is predictive of better disease-free survival after surgery.
A survey on Internet of Things coordination

Internet of Things (IoT) has been identified as one of the emerging technologies in IT. It interconnects and integrates large numbers of digital and physical entities by capability of appropriate information and communication technologies, to enable building enormous useful and unimaginable services and applications. However building new IoT services or applications is a fastidious task since it is faced to several challenges such as interoperability, context-awareness, discovery, etc. In this paper we are interested on coordination challenge that is still open despite the efforts of international organizations and scientific research groups. In fact we outline in this contribution a recent literature review of existing IoT coordination approaches. A classification and our vision on this topic are presented.