Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of a COL1A1 Sp1 Binding Site Polymorphism on Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity: An Index of Compliance

Reduced arterial compliance precedes changes in blood pressure, which may be mediated through alterations in vessel wall matrix composition. We investigated the effect of the collagen type I-&agr;1 gene (COL1A1) +2046G>T polymorphism on arterial compliance in healthy individuals. We recruited 489 subjects (251 men and 238 women; mean age, 22.6±1.6 years). COL1A1 genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction and digestion by restriction enzyme Bal 1. Arterial pulse wave velocities were measured in 3 segments, aortoiliac (PWVA), aortoradial (PWVB), and aorto-dorsalis-pedis (PWVF), as an index of compliance using a noninvasive optical method. Data were available for 455 subjects. The sample was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with genotype distributions and allele frequencies that were not significantly different from those reported previously. The T allele frequency was 0.22 (95% confidence interval, 0.19 to 0.24). Two hundred eighty-three (62.2%) subjects were genotype GG, 148 (35.5%) subjects were genotype GT, and 24 (5.3%) subjects were genotype TT. A comparison of GG homozygotes with GT and TT individuals demonstrated a statistically significant association with arterial compliance: PWVF 4.92±0.03 versus 5.06±0.05 m/s (ANOVA, P =0.009), PWVB 4.20±0.03 versus 4.32±0.04 m/s (ANOVA, P =0.036), and PWVA 3.07±0.03 versus 3.15±0.03 m/s (ANOVA, P =0.045). The effects of genotype were independent of age, gender, smoking, mean arterial pressure, body mass index, family history of hypertension, and activity scores. We report an association between the COL1A1 gene polymorphism and arterial compliance. Alterations in arterial collagen type 1A deposition may play a role in the regulation of arterial compliance.
Predictive and prognostic properties of TB-LAM among HIV-positive patients initiating ART in Johannesburg, South Africa

While the diagnostic properties of the TB LAM urine assay (LAM) have been well-described, little is known about its predictive and prognostic properties at ART initiation in a routine clinic setting. We describe the predictive and prognostic properties of LAM in HIV-positive patients initiating ART at an urban hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Retrospective study of HIV-positive adults (>18 years) who initiated standard first-line ART between February 2012 and April 2013 and had a LAM test at initiation. In HIV-positive patients with no known TB at ART initiation, we assessed the sensitivity, specificity and positive/negative likelihood ratios of LAM to predict incident TB within 6 months of ART initiation. In addition, in patients with a TB diagnosis and on TB treatment <3 months at ART initiation, we measured the CD4 response at 6 months on ART. Of the 274 patients without TB at ART initiation, 65% were female with median CD4 count of 213 cells/mm3. Among the 14 (5.1%) patients who developed active TB, none were urine LAM +ve at baseline. LAM had poor sensitivity (0.0% 95% CI 0.00-23.2) to predict incident TB within 6 months of initiation. We analyzed 22 patients with a confirmed TB diagnosis at initiation separately. Of these, LAM +ve patients (27%) showed lower CD4 gains compared to LAM negative patients (median increase 103 vs 199 cells/mm3; p = 0.08). LAM has limited value for accurately predicting incident TB in patients with higher CD4 counts after ART initiation. LAM may help identify TB/HIV co-infected patients at ART initiation who respond more slowly to treatment and require targeted interventions to improve treatment outcomes. Larger studies with longer patient follow-up are needed.
The Development of Camera Calibration Methods and Models

Correction for image distortion in cameras has been an important topic for as long as users have wanted to faithfully reproduce or use observed information. Initially the main application was mapping. While this task continues today, other applications also require precise calibration of cameras, such as close range three dimensional measurement and many two dimensional measurement tasks. In the past, the cameras used were few in number and highly expensive whereas today a typical large industrial company will have many inexpensive cameras being used for highly important measurement tasks. Cameras are used more today than they ever were but the golden age of camera calibration for aerial mapping is now well in the past. This paper considers some of the key developments and attempts to put them into perspective. In particular the driving forces behind each improvement have been highlighted.
A demonstration that the hippocampus supports both recollection and familiarity

Recognition memory is thought to depend on two distinct processes: recollection and familiarity. There is debate as to whether damage to the hippocampus selectively impairs recollection or whether it impairs both recollection and familiarity. If hippocampal damage selectively impairs recollection but leaves familiarity intact, then patients with circumscribed hippocampal lesions should exhibit the full normal range of low-confidence and high-confidence familiarity-based recognition. High-confidence, familiarity-based decisions are ordinarily accompanied by successful recollection (when memory is intact). However, patients with hippocampal lesions, if recollection is impaired, should frequently experience high-confidence, familiarity-based recognition in the absence of recollection, and this circumstance (termed the “butcher-on-the-bus” phenomenon) should occur more often in patients than in healthy controls. We tested five patients with circumscribed hippocampal damage, asking them to recognize recently studied words as well as to remember the context in which the items were studied. Relative to controls, the patients exhibited no increased tendency to experience the butcher-on-the-bus phenomenon. The simplest explanation of the results is that hippocampal damage impairs familiarity as well as recollection. The same conclusion was suggested when two competing models of recognition memory were used to analyze the data.
SOCIAL PEER-TO-PEER FOR SOCIAL PEOPLE

With increasing amounts of information digitally available, computerized searching has become a commodity. Typical computer search services work by creating a searchable, central index equivalent to the Yellow Pages. Humans will often use such central indexes, but we are also likely to exploit our social networks. We can directly contact someone we believe has knowledge about the resources we seek. This social network is built and maintained by socializing with and talking about other people. In this paper we present how we use a social Peer-to-Peer search infrastructure, The Socialized.Net, to give computers a rudimentary social network. This allows applications to work in a more humanly natural way, seamlessly integrating centralized services and distributed, direct contact. Specifically, we demonstrate applications within Instant Messaging, Shared bookmarks and Distributed BitTorrent key files and how The Socialized.Net makes the creation of such applications much easier than other currently used approaches.
Damage size monitoring of composite aircraft structures based on ultrasonic testing and image processing

According to damage tolerance philosophy, a composite component with a flaw is allowed to be operated if it is included in a maintenance program that will ensure damage detection before it reduces the residual strength of the structure below an acceptable limit. One of the damage tolerance approaches includes damage extent identification and monitoring of its growth. In view of the progressive behaviour of damage in composite structures, they should be periodically inspected to monitor damage progression. This article presents an approach to damage size monitoring of composite aircraft structures by means of ultrasonic testing with the C-scan mode and a developed algorithm based on image processing techniques. To test the algorithm, pairs of results of ultrasonic testing of composite elements of aircraft, carried out at time intervals, were used. The analysis of such results is difficult due to the complexity of the obtained C-scans, which is caused by the variable thickness of the aircraft skin and the presence of other elements in the tested structure (e.g. rivets and reinforcements). The proposed method enables the extraction of damage contours, preceded by indication of regions of interest by an expert, and calculation of an increase in the damage surface area, based on two input C-scans, as well as comparison of their contours.
Automatic Image Annotation using SURF Features

Automatic image annotation is a challenging field with a far reaching effect. As the world moves towards becoming more and more dependent on digital technologies every day, use of machine to automatically annotate images can be proved as demanding in many fields of image processing. Automatic Image Annotation reduces the gap between low level image features and high level image semantics. Utilization of Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) in automatic image annotation is very appealing due to the fact that SURF is scale and rotation invariant detector and descriptor and is much faster than any other schemes. Unlike other methods SURF features use the entire image instead of segmented blocks of image. That is why annotation of images by using SURF can be considered as more accurate. In this paper, a SVM based image annotation approach is proposed that uses SURF features of image for annotation purpose. The experiments suggest that the method proposed is much more efficient than other methods. General Terms Pattern Recognition, Image Annotation.
Gender differences in how men and women who are referred for IVF cope with infertility stress.

BACKGROUND Men and women use a variety of coping strategies to manage stress associated with infertility. Although previous research has helped us understand these coping processes, questions remain about gender differences in coping and the nature of the relationship between coping and specific types of infertility stress. METHODS This study examined the coping behaviours of 1026 (520 women, 506 men) consecutively referred patients at a University-affiliated teaching hospital. Participants completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Fertility Problem Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. RESULTS Women used proportionately greater amounts of confrontative coping, accepting responsibility, seeking social support and escape/avoidance when compared with men, whereas men used proportionately greater amounts of distancing, self-controlling and planful problem-solving. For men and women, infertility stress was positively related to escape/avoidance and accepting responsibility and negatively related to seeking social support, planful problem-solving and distancing. CONCLUSIONS By analysing relative coping scores, this study identified key gender differences in how men and women cope with infertility. This was particularly true for men's coping processes that had previously remained hidden because of less frequent use of coping strategies when compared with women.
Perspectives on Raman spectroscopy of Graphene

The novel advanced material, Graphene, first report in Science in 2004, consists of single molecular layers of highly crystalline graphite. It is the basic structural element of some carbon allotropes including graphite, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. It was isolated for the first time by a collaborative team at the Department of Physics, University of Manchester, UK and the Institute for Microelectronics Technology Chernogolovka, Russia. Graphene exhibits excellent electron transport properties which make it a potentiel material for future nanoelectronic devices. Electronic mobilities in excess of 15 000 cm2V-1s-1 at room temperature have been reported. Its mechanical strength is excellent, at least 200 times better than steel and it has a high thermal conductance. An exciting field of development for this material is for a new generation of ultra-fast nanoscale transistors operating in the THz region. Due to its scale and optical properties, graphene is hardly visible on most substrates. However, distinguishing the number of graphene layers as well as quantifying the impact of disorder on its properties is critical for the study of graphenebased devices. Raman micro spectroscopy has proven to be a convenient and reliable technique for determining both of these properties. The high structural selectivity of Raman spectroscopy, combined with both spectral and spatial resolution as well as the non-destructive nature of this technique make it an ideal candidate as a standard characterisation tool in the fast growing field of graphene.
Abundance and distribution of owls Strigiformes in the Pieniny Mountains National Park ( southern Poland ) – the pattern of changes in the protected area after 10 years

This paper presents the results of the owl survey conducted in 2012 in the Pieniny National Park (southern Poland) and compares them with the results from 2002. The survey was carried out using the mapping method and playback. Six species of owls have been recorded, of which Tawny Owl Strix aluco (density 7.7–9.5 pairs/10 km2) was the most common. The densities of the other species were lower: Eagle Owl Bubo bubo 2.6 pairs/10 km2, Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passerinum 2.2 pairs/10 km2, Tengmalm’s Owl Aegolius funereus 0.9–2.2 pairs/10 km2, Ural Owl Strix uralensis 0.9–1.7 pairs/10 km2 and Long-eared Owl Asio otus 0.4–1.7 pairs/10 km2. The total density of the breeding owl community in 2012 was 14.6–19.8 pairs/10 km2, and it had increased compared to 2002 levels (12.9–16.3 pairs/10 km2). During the ten-year period the densities of the Tawny Owl, Pygmy Owl, Tengmalm’s Owl and Ural Owl continued to rise, but no changes in the Eagle Owl and Long-eared Owl numbers were noted. The species richness and high density of the breeding owl community highlights the great importance of the Pieniny Mts. for these birds at the national scale. Potential factors favouring such a pattern are a strict conservation regime in the area, the high quality of various breeding habitats and abundant food resources. In addition, the mild climate of the region is of crucial importance for sedentary species.
An architecture for large-scale Internet measurement

Historically, the Internet has been woefully under-measured and under-instrumented. The problem is only getting worse with the network's ever-increasing size. We discuss the goals and requirements for building a "measurement infrastructure" for the Internet, in which a collection of measurement "platforms" cooperatively measure the properties of Internet paths and clouds by exchanging test traffic among themselves. The key emphasis of the architecture, which forms the underpinnings of the National Internet Measurement Infrastructure (NIMI) project, is on tackling problems related to scale. Consequently, the architecture emphasizes decentralized control of measurements; strong authentication and security; mechanisms for both maintaining tight administrative control over who can perform what measurements using which platforms, and delegation of some forms of measurement as a site's measurement policy permits; and simple configuration and maintenance of platforms.
Treating spondyloarthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis, to target: recommendations of an international task force

Background Therapeutic targets have been defined for diseases like diabetes, hypertension or rheumatoid arthritis and adhering to them has improved outcomes. Such targets are just emerging for spondyloarthritis (SpA). Objective To define the treatment target for SpA including ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and develop recommendations for achieving the target, including a treat-to-target management strategy. Methods Based on results of a systematic literature review and expert opinion, a task force of expert physicians and patients developed recommendations which were broadly discussed and voted upon in a Delphi-like process. Level of evidence, grade and strength of the recommendations were derived by respective means. The commonalities between axial SpA, peripheral SpA and PsA were discussed in detail. Results Although the literature review did not reveal trials comparing a treat-to-target approach with another or no strategy, it provided indirect evidence regarding an optimised approach to therapy that facilitated the development of recommendations. The group agreed on 5 overarching principles and 11 recommendations; 9 of these recommendations related commonly to the whole spectrum of SpA and PsA, and only 2 were designed separately for axial SpA, peripheral SpA and PsA. The main treatment target, which should be based on a shared decision with the patient, was defined as remission, with the alternative target of low disease activity. Follow-up examinations at regular intervals that depend on the patient's status should safeguard the evolution of disease activity towards the targeted goal. Additional recommendations relate to extra-articular and extramusculoskeletal aspects and other important factors, such as comorbidity. While the level of evidence was generally quite low, the mean strength of recommendation was 9–10 (10: maximum agreement) for all recommendations. A research agenda was formulated. Conclusions The task force defined the treatment target as remission or, alternatively, low disease activity, being aware that the evidence base is not strong and needs to be expanded by future research. These recommendations can inform the various stakeholders about expert opinion that aims for reaching optimal outcomes of SpA.
Self-regulated Accretion Disks

We consider a class of fully self-gravitating accretion disks, for which efficient cooling mechanisms are assumed to maintain the disk close to the margin of Jeans instability. For such self-regulated disks, the equations become very simple in the outer regions, where the angular momentum convective transport approximately balances the viscous transport. These latter equations are shown to lead naturally to a self-similar solution with a flat rotation curve, with a circular velocity proportional to (Ṁ)1/3 and an essentially fixed opening angle.
Application of Organizational Process Asset Library in High Maturity Process Improvement

To accomplish the organizational business objectives and consistently improve processes, high maturity processes are implemented in numerous software enterprises. Organizational process asset library (OPAL) plays a significant role in the definitions, executions and improvements for software processes. Based on the conceptions of Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and practical experience, the paper addresses the applications of OPAL on different maturity levels and proposes a structure of OPAL. This structure is implemented in an actual enterprise's OPAL and illustrated that it is beneficial for high maturity level process improvement. This paper can furnish a valuable practice for software enterprises to apply the OPAL in high maturity process improvements.
3D face reconstruction by pose correction, patch cloning and texture wrapping

Face is being considered as one of the most commonly used biometric modality. The inaccuracy in two dimensional face recognition systems is mainly due to pose variations, occlusions, illumination etc. Among this, changes in illumination condition do not affect 3D face recognition systems. But pose variation drastically changes the appearance of face images. To solve the problems with depth map and texture images corrupted by head pose variations and the occlusions generated due to these pose variations, a reconstruction method is proposed which consist of three stages. In the first stage, the pose correction is done by Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm and in the second stage the occluded region of the face is reconstructed by a resurfacing method called patch cloning. It is followed by the wrapping of reconstructed depth map by its texture to generate a 3D model. The statistical error between the original face and the reconstructed face is also evaluated. In this work, facial symmetry is used as a prior knowledge. Experiments are done with the FRAV3D database.
Cold, dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland, New Zealand

The relationship between weather and influenza and pneumonia mortality was examined retrospectively using daily data from 1980 to 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand, a humid, subtropical location. Mortality events, defined when mortality exceeded 0·95 standard deviation above the mean, followed periods of anomalously cold air (ta.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = −4·2, P < 0·01) and/or anomalously dry air (ta.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = −3·8, P < 0·01) by up to 19 days. These results suggest that respiratory infection is enhanced during unusually cold conditions and during conditions with unusually low humidity, even in a subtropical location where humidity is typically high.
Use of ITS2 Region as the Universal DNA Barcode for Plants and Animals

Background The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA is regarded as one of the candidate DNA barcodes because it possesses a number of valuable characteristics, such as the availability of conserved regions for designing universal primers, the ease of its amplification, and sufficient variability to distinguish even closely related species. However, a general analysis of its ability to discriminate species in a comprehensive sample set is lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings In the current study, 50,790 plant and 12,221 animal ITS2 sequences downloaded from GenBank were evaluated according to sequence length, GC content, intra- and inter-specific divergence, and efficiency of identification. The results show that the inter-specific divergence of congeneric species in plants and animals was greater than its corresponding intra-specific variations. The success rates for using the ITS2 region to identify dicotyledons, monocotyledons, gymnosperms, ferns, mosses, and animals were 76.1%, 74.2%, 67.1%, 88.1%, 77.4%, and 91.7% at the species level, respectively. The ITS2 region unveiled a different ability to identify closely related species within different families and genera. The secondary structure of the ITS2 region could provide useful information for species identification and could be considered as a molecular morphological characteristic. Conclusions/Significance As one of the most popular phylogenetic markers for eukaryota, we propose that the ITS2 locus should be used as a universal DNA barcode for identifying plant species and as a complementary locus for CO1 to identify animal species. We have also developed a web application to facilitate ITS2-based cross-kingdom species identification (http://its2-plantidit.dnsalias.org).
User association analysis of locales on location based social networks

In recent years, location-based social networks (LBSNs) have received high attention. While this new breed of social networks is nascent, there is no large-scale analysis conducted to investigate the associations among users in locales of the network. In this paper, we propose four locale based metrics, including Locale Clustering Coefficient, Inward Locale Transitivity, Locale Assortativity Coefficient, and Locale Assortability Coefficient to make association analysis on EveryTrail, a popular LBSN specialized on sharing trips. Based on the analysis result, we observe that people who share more trajectories will get more attention by other users, and people who are popular will connect to the people who are also popular.