Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nationwide Trends in In-Hospital Mortality Among Patients With Stroke

Background and Purpose— Recent data suggest declining overall deaths attributable to stroke. However, little is known about time trends in mortality during stroke hospitalization, which may reflect a stroke's direct effects, medical complications, or care quality. This study assessed nationwide patterns in hospital deaths after experiencing an acute stroke. Methods— Data were obtained from all US states that contributed to the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. All patients admitted to hospitals between 1997 and 2006 with a discharge diagnosis of stroke (identified by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure codes) were included. Time trends in the proportion of stroke hospitalizations that resulted in death were assessed. Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality after stroke were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Results— Between 1997 and 2006, overall stroke hospitalizations lessened from 1 351 293 in 1997 to 1998 to 1 202 449 in 2005 to 2006, whereas percentage stroke hospitalizations that resulted in death decreased from 11.5% in 1997 to 1998 to 10.3% in 2005 to 2006 (P<0.0001). Odds of mortality decreased regardless of stroke type: ischemic stroke (OR 0.89, 95% CI=0.86 to 0.92), subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR 0.85, 95% CI=0.78 to 0.92), and intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 0.90, 95% CI=0.86 to 0.94). In multivariable analyses, older age, female sex, non-Medicare insurance, and multiple comorbidities were independently linked to higher odds of in-hospital mortality. Conclusions— The percentage of stroke hospitalizations resulting in death decreased over the last decade likely reflecting advancements in acute stroke care. However, specific individual/hospital-level characteristics may be targets for facilitating further declines.
Association of genetic polymorphisms of eNOS with glaucoma

Purpose Several studies suggest that vascular dysregulation play a role in the etiology of glaucoma. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphisms with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary closed angle glaucoma (PCAG). Methods There were 102 POAG and 88 PCAG patients, diagnosed on the basis of clinical history, raised intraocular pressure (IOP), cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and visual field defects, and 120 age- and sex-matched control subjects genotyped for 5 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs743507, rs3793342, rs11771443, rs7830, and rs3918188) of the human eNOS gene. Results rs3793342, rs743507, rs11771443, rs7830, and rs3918188 were not found to be associated with POAG or with PCAG. In the haplotype-based case-control analysis, the frequency of the C-T haplotype established by rs3793342 and rs11771443 was significantly higher for POAG patients than for control subjects (p<0.001, OR=5.111, 95%CI=1.766~14.788). Conclusions The C-T haplotype established by rs3793342 and rs11771443 may be genetic marks of POAG in the Han Chinese population.
ELODIE metallicity-biased search for transiting Hot Jupiters. IV. Intermediate period planets orbiti

We report here the discovery of two planet candidates as a result of our planet-search programme biased in favour of high-metallicity stars, using the ELODIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute Provence. One candidate has a minimum mass m2 sini = 2.5 MJup and is orbiting the metal-rich star HD 43691 with period P = 40 days and eccentricity e = 0.14. The other planet has a minimum mass m2 sini = 5.6 MJup and orbits the slightly metal-rich star HD 132406 with period P = 974 days and eccentricity e = 0.34. Additional observations for both stars were performed using the new SOPHIE spectrograph that replaces the ELODIE instrument, allowing an improved orbital solution for the systems.
Nonlinear spectral and spatial redistribution of light in dual core photonic crystal fiber

Nonlinear propagation of femtosecond laser pulses in dual core photonic crystal fiber was studied from the point of view of spectral and spatial redistribution of the interacting radiation. The fiber had quadratic microstructure and was made of multicomponent glass. The experiments were performed in the anomalous dispersion region of the fiber. Excitation pulses with central wavelength 1300 nm were applied. The experimental apparatus enabled separate excitation and separate spectral registration of the two fiber cores. According to the dependence of the output spectra on the input pulse energy and the profile of the spectra indicates solitonic propagation in the double core structure. Moreover, possibility to switch the spectral intensity between the two output channels by simple change of the input pulse energy or polarization direction were showed in spectral regions of fiber communication systems.
Disarming offense to facilitate defense

Computer security has traditionally focused on system defense, concentrating on protection and recovery of victim machines. Moving from the opposite perspective, we propose a complementary approach that focuses on limiting the attacking capabilities of the hosts. Software design and implementation weaknesses usually are at the basis of computer offensive capacities. Since software redesign or patching on an extensive basis is not possible, we propose the adoption of a filtering strategy to block abuse attempts at the originating machines. As an example, applications of such an approach axe presented at host level, in order to prevent root compromise attacks, and at network level, in order to prevent DoS attacks, among others. The proposed solution is not a silver bullet and could be bypassed by sophisticated users. However, we believe it can effectively restrain the offensive capabilities of hosts that could be easily seized by crackers. We discuss the pros and cons of the proposed solution and present an application to host and network security.
Similar Web Services Discovery and Matching Based on P2P and Topic Model Learning

We present an enhanced system for similar Web services discovery and matching, which extends our previous work pService. Two steps would be carried out for Web services discovery and matching. Firstly we construct a P2P Web services overlay, which would be applied for extensive search with keywords and got the candidate services sets. This overlay supports similarity search with its locality-preserving feature based on modified Skip Graph and HSFC (Hilbert Space Filling Curve). Secondly we promote a Topic Model based Web services matching algorithm selecting those accurate services from the candidate ones inquired from P2P overlay. We present the experiments on service discovery with overlay and matching accuracy, which shows our approach achieves considerable efficiency.
Multistep ahead prediction for real-time VBR video traffic using deterministic echo state network

Variable bit rate (VBR) video traffic, exhibiting high self-similarity and burstiness, has been a major traffic component in high speed network. However, its complex bit rate distribution makes VBR video traffic prediction, especially multistep ahead prediction, very difficult. Recently, deterministic echo state network with adjacent-feedback loop reservoir structure (ALR) was proved to have high prediction accuracy, good memory capacity, and simple structure. In the paper, we apply ALR to real-time VBR video traffic prediction. The proposed scheme makes use of loop reservoir with identity activation function to conduct sample learning in high dimension states. Experimental results show that the simplified ALR scheme can effectively capture dynamic characteristics of VBR video traffic with less training time. Its multistep prediction accuracy is improved by 2% on average, compared with the neural network based on multi-resolution learning.
Locomotion control of a biped locomotion robot using nonlinear oscillators

This paper proposes the locomotion control system for a biped locomotion robot. The propose control system is composed of motion generator system and motion control system. Motion generator system is composed of nonlinear oscillators, which generate the commanded trajectories of the joints as functions of phases of oscillators. Motion control system is composed of motors with controllers installed at joints, which control motions of joints. The oscillators tune the phases through the mutual interactions and the feedback signals from the touch sensors at the tips of the legs. As a result, the robot with the controller walks stably by changing its period of locomotion in a changing environment. The performance of the proposed control system is verified by numerical simulations and experiments.
Body Size, Mammographic Density, and Breast Cancer Risk

Background: Greater weight and body mass index (BMI) are negatively correlated with mammographic density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer, and are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, but with a reduced risk in premenopausal women. We have examined the associations of body size and mammographic density on breast cancer risk. Method: We examined the associations of body size and the percentage of mammographic density at baseline with subsequent risk of breast cancer among 1,114 matched case-control pairs identified from three screening programs. The effect of each factor on risk of breast cancer was examined before and after adjustment for the other, using logistic regression. Results: In all subjects, before adjustment for mammographic density, breast cancer risk in the highest quintile of BMI, compared with the lowest, was 1.04 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8-1.4]. BMI was associated positively with breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, and negatively in premenopausal women. After adjustment for density, the risk associated with BMI in all subjects increased to 1.60 (95% CI, 1.2-2.2), and was positive in both menopausal groups. Adjustment for BMI increased breast cancer risk in women with 75% or greater density, compared with 0%, increased from 4.25 (95% CI, 1.6-11.1) to 5.86 (95% CI, 2.2-15.6). Conclusion: BMI and mammographic density are independent risk factors for breast cancer, and likely to operate through different pathways. The strong negative correlated between them will lead to underestimation of the effects on risk of either pathway if confounding is not controlled. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(11):2086–92)
A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain

Back pain is a major health issue in Western countries and 60%–80% of adults are likely to experience low back pain. This paper explores the impact of back pain on society and the role of physical activity for treatment of non-specific low back pain. A review of the literature was carried out using the databases SPORTDiscuss, Medline and Google Scholar. A general exercise programme that combines muscular strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness is beneficial for rehabilitation of non-specific chronic low back pain. Increasing core muscular strength can assist in supporting the lumbar spine. Improving the flexibility of the muscle-tendons and ligaments in the back increases the range of motion and assists with the patient’s functional movement. Aerobic exercise increases the blood flow and nutrients to the soft tissues in the back, improving the healing process and reducing stiffness that can result in back pain.
Constraints for corpora development and validation

In this paper we consider corpora as a set of XML documents. The guidelines for the creation of the corpora determine the semantics of the data, stored in them. Usually the guidelines prescribe the actual structure of the corpora, the used symbols, their meaning and the relations among them. Ideally, the software supporting the creation of a corpus has to allow all the constraints that follow from the guidelines to be imposed over the XML representation of the corpus. To the best of our knowledge, such software does not exist yet. The main problems come from the complexity of the data in the corpus and the impossibility it to be to completely formalized.
The Black Male in White America

Contents: Preface African-American Males in Kindergarten African-American Males in Higher Education African-American Fatherhood Theatre and the Re-Creation of the Black Experience Contributions of African-American Males to the Sciences and Medicine The African-American Male in American Journalism African-American Males and the Economics of Poverty The Black Male in the Clinton Administration Transitioning African-American Men From the Prison Back to the Community African-American MSM & HIV: Unfulfilled But Urgent Needs The Black Male and Recent U.S. Policy Toward Africa Foreign-Born Black Males: The Invisible Voices Toward Repairing the Breach: The Future of the Black Male in White America Index.
CDIA-DS: A framework for efficient reconstruction of compound document image using data structure

With the advancement of image acquisition technology, extensive research is being conducted to convert images of paper documentation into an editable electronic format. Various techniques have been developed to extract either Text, Table or Figure region in a document image. However, our finding from past research suggests that these techniques do not deal with documents containing a combination of two or more such regions. Moreover, we believe that in order to facilitate document recreation, the extracted information requires organization in terms of its semantic layout and formatting. Therefore, we advocate the need of a combined technique for extracting each of these regions and need of structuring the extracted information efficiently. In this paper, we propose an efficient two-stage framework CDIA-DS (Compound Document Image Analysis-Data Structure) to cater the aforementioned needs. In the first stage, the regions in document image are identified, and classified in the form of Views (Text/Table/Figure). Views are then organized in the second stage through the proposed tree based structure comprising of leaf and parent nodes in the form of Views and Layouts (arrangement of one or more Views) respectively. In the end experiments are done, to examine the efficiency of CDIA-DS using the proposed data structure.
Cloning and Expression of Major Surface Antigen 1 Gene of Toxoplasma gondii RH Strain Using the Expression Vector pVAX1 in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Background: Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic protozoan infection with a high prevalence in a broad range of hosts infecting up to one-third of the world human population. Toxoplasmosis leads to serious medical problems in immunocompromised individuals and fetuses and also induces abortion and mortality in domestic animals. Therefore, there is a huge demand for the development of an effective vaccine. Surface Antigen 1 (SAG1) is one of the important immunodominant surface antigens of Toxoplasma gondii, which interacts with host cells and primarily involved in adhesion, invasion and stimulation of host immune response. Surface antigen 1 is considered as the leading candidate for development of an effective vaccine against toxoplasmosis. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clone the major surface antigen1 gene (SAG1) from the genotype 1 of T. gondii, RH strain into the eukaryotic expression vector pVAX1 in order to use for a DNA vaccine. Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from tachyzoite of the parasite using the QIAamp DNA mini kit. After designing the specific primers, SAG1 gene was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The purified PCR products were then cloned into a pPrime plasmid vector. The aforementioned product was subcloned into the pVAX1 eukaryotic expression vector. The recombinant pVAX1-SAG1 was then transfected into Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and expression of SAG1 antigen was evaluated using Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) and Western Blotting (WB). Results: The cloning and subcloning products (pPrime-SAG1 and pVAX1-SAG1 plasmid vectors) of SAG1 gene were verified and confirmed by enzyme digestion and sequencing. A 30 kDa recombinant protein was expressed in CHO cells as shown by IFA and WB methods. Conclusions: The pVAX1 expression vector and CHO cells are a suitable system for high-level recombinant protein production for SAG1 gene from T. gondii parasites and are promising approaches for antigen preparation in vaccine development.
Position control methods of spherical ultrasonic motor

In this paper, we investigate the position control of spherical ultrasonic motor (SUSM). The generated torque of SUSM is influenced by the phase difference and the driving frequency of applied AC voltages. Therefore, the control strategy is classified into three types: (a) variable phase and fixed frequency, (b) fixed phase and variable frequency, and (c) variable phase and frequency. We formulate the position control rules for SUSM based on the above three types of control variables, and investigate the performances experimentally.
Multiprocessing improvements on a low-cost system based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping

The process of Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) has become a key topic of discussion amongst the research community in robotics and autonomous vehicle since its initiation in the latest decade. Many researchers consider SLAM ready to be instrumented for robot navigation but the implementation on a low-cost system has attracted few works. In this paper, an implementation of a SLAM algorithm is presented with regard to real-world operation. It is based on the co-design of a hardware architecture and an EKF-SLAM algorithm. Experiments were conducted with an instrumented vehicle in an a priori unknown environment. Results aim to demonstrate that our approach, based on low-cost sensors interfaced to an adequate multiprocessor architecture and an optimized algorithm, is good suitable to design embedded systems for SLAM applications in real world conditions.
An Efficient Method for Identifying Statistical Interactors in Graphical Models

Network reconstruction is a main goal of many biological endeavors. Graphical Gaussian models (GGMs) are often used since the underlying assumptions are well understood, the graph is readily estimated by calculating the partial correlation (paCor) matrix, and its interpretation is straightforward. In spite of these advantages, GGMs are limited in that interactions are not accommodated. As we show, when applied in the presence of interactions, the GGM framework can lead to incorrect inference regarding dependence. Identifying the exact dependence structure in this context is a difficult problem, largely because an analogue of the paCor matrix is not available and dependencies can involve many nodes. We here present a computationally efficient approach to identify bivariate interactions in networks. A key element is recognizing that interactions have a marginal linear effect, and as a result information about their presence can be obtained from the paCor matrix. Theoretical derivations for the exact effect are presented and used to motivate the approach; and simulations suggest that the method works well, even in fairly complicated scenarios. Practical advantages are demonstrated in analyses of data from a breast cancer study.
How Computer-Based Internet-Hosted Learning Management Systems such as Moodle Can Help Develop L2 Digital Literacy

The emerging importance of Second Language (L2) Digital Literacy within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Korea is becoming apparent. This is likely to evolve to where L2 Digital Literacy becomes regarded as the most critical component of overall L2 English Literacy. Computer-based Internet- hosted Learning Management Systems (LMS) are rapidly being adopted worldwide for distance education, and are also being applied to blended (hybrid) education. LMS such as the popular open- source Moodle have a special potential in EFL Education: by setting the LMS to force English to be used exclusively throughout a course website, the meta-language can be made the target L2 language. Students develop the ability to use English to navigate the Internet, access and contribute to online resources, and engage in computer-mediated communication. Through such necessary and pragmatic engagement with English, students significantly develop their L2 Digital Literacy.
Error correction of automatic speech recognition based on normalized web distance

In this paper, we focus on the problems associated with error correction of automatic speech recognition (ASR) based on confusion networks. The problems discussed are the availability of corpus in terms of calculating the semantic score and performance degradation for error correction using N -gram due to the null transitions in the confusion networks. In attempt to solve these problems, first, we employ Normalized Web Distance as a measure for semantic similarity between words that are located far from each other. The advantage of Normalized Web Distance is that it may use the Internet and so on for learning semantic similarity, which might solve the problem of corpus availability. Secondly, an error correction model without null nodes in confusion networks is trained using conditional random fields in order to improve the performance of error correction using N -grams. Index Terms: confusion network, conditional random fields, word-error correction, normalized web distance
Assessing Teacher Effectiveness: Different models

Part 1: The background to teacher effectiveness research 1. Differentiated teacher effectiveness: Framing the concept 2. The range of teachers' work 3. Historical models of teacher effectiveness 4. Review of current research in educational effectiveness Part 2: Towards a differentiated model 5. A critique of teacher effectiveness research 6. developing a model of differentiated teacher effectiveness 7. Evidence in support of differentiated teacher effectiveness 8. Building theory and methodology Part 3: Values and policy implications 9. Effective teaching and values 10. Differentiated teacher effectiveness and teacher appraisal 11. Exploring policy implications Part 4: Differentiated teacher effectiveness research: The model in practice 12. A study of differentiated effectiveness