Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biochemical Markers as Predictors of Rates of Bone Loss After Menopause

Biochemical markers of bone turnover may correlate with rates of bone loss in a group of postmenopausal women, but it is uncertain how useful they are in predicting rates of bone loss in the individual. The aim of this study was to determine the value of measurements of biochemical markers for the prediction of rates of bone loss in the individual. We studied 60 postmenopausal women (ages, 49–62 years), 43 of whom had gone through a natural menopause 1–20 years previously and 17 of whom had undergone hysterectomy 3–22 years ago. Lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) over 2–4 years. Bone formation markers (bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase [ibAP] and amino terminal of type I collagen [PINP] and osteocalcin [OC]) were measured in serum. Bone resorption markers (N‐telopeptide of type 1 collagen [NTx] and immunoreactive free deoxypyridinoline [iFDpd]) were measured in urine and corrected for creatinine (Cr). Rates of bone loss were calculated as percent change per year. We found significant negative correlations (Spearman rank) between all measured biochemical markers and rate of change in bone density with r values ranging from −0.35 to −0.52. When markers and rates of bone loss were divided into tertiles, prediction of bone loss in an individual was poor (κ < 0.2). There was an exponential relationship between rate of bone loss and years since menopause (YSM) in the 43 women having a natural menopause (r2 = 0.44; p = 0.008) indicating higher rates of loss in the early postmenopausal period. Levels of NTx, iFDpd, and PINP also showed a significant negative correlation with YSM. We conclude that there is a strong relationship between rates of spinal bone loss and levels of bone turnover markers. Although this is a small study, the results also suggest that using DXA measurements of the lumbar spine as the “gold standard,” it is not possible to use biochemical markers to predict rate of bone loss in the individual.
Association of a functional polymorphism of PTPN22 encoding a lymphoid protein phosphatase in bilateral Meniere's disease

Bilateral Meniere's disease (BMD) is a severe disease that usually results in bilateral severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss and chronic disequilibrium with loss of vestibular function. We examined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PTPN22 and CTLA4 genes in Caucasian patients with BMD to assess the possible association between these polymorphism and the predisposition and clinical expression of this disease.
A comparison of three structural models for personality: the big three

The major factors from 3 models of personality are compared: Eysenck's Three Factor model, Costa and McCrae's version of the Big Five, and Zuckerman and Kuhlman's Alternative Five. The 1st study describes the development of a questionnaire measure for the Alternative Five and the reliability assessments of the scales. The 2nd study used factor analysis to compare the factors among the scales from the 3 models. Extraversion and Neuroticism were quite similar across all 3 models. Eysenck's Psychoticism scale marked a factor that included Conscientiousness and Impulsive Sensation Seeking factors from the other 2 models. Agreeableness and Aggression-Hostility formed a 4th factor. Openness could be identified as a factor using facet scales, but it showed no convergence with other factors. Four of the five factors showed convergence across at least 2 of the models.
Metaphor in cognitive linguistics : selected papers from the fifth International Cognitive Linguistics Conference, Amsterdam, July, 1997

1. Introduction (by Steen, Gerard J.) 2. Kant, Blumenberg, Weinrich: Some forgotten contributions to the cognitive theory of metaphor (by Jakel, Olaf) 3. Metaphorical mappings in the sense of smell (by Ibarretxe-Antunano, Iraide) 4. The joy of counting metaphors: Relativity in the socio-economic domain (by Boers, Frank) 5. From linguistic to conceptual metaphor in five steps (by Steen, Gerard J.) 6. A typology of motivation for conceptual metaphor: correlation vs. resemblance (by Grady, Joseph) 7. Blending and metaphor (by Grady, Joseph) 8. Self and agency in religious discourse: Perceptual metaphors for knowledge at a Marian apparition site (by Balaban, Victor) 9. Taking metaphor out of our heads and putting it into the cultural world (by Gibbs, Jr., Raymond W.) 10. Metaphor: Does it constitute or reflect cultural models? (by Kovecses, Zoltan) 11. Metaphors and cultural models as profiles and bases (by Cienki, Alan) 12. Congruence by degree: On the relation between metaphor and cultural models (by Emanatian, Michele) 13. Subject Index 14. Name Index
Comparing three methods for simplifying mesh models of the lungs: an observer test to assess perceived quality

Meshes are currently used to model objects, namely human organs and other structures. However, if they have a large number of triangles, their rendering times may not be adequate to allow interactive visualization, a mostly desirable feature in some diagnosis (or, more generally, decision) scenarios, where the choice of adequate views is important. In this case, a possible solution consists in showing a simplified version while the user interactively chooses the viewpoint and, then, a fully detailed version of the model to support its analysis. To tackle this problem, simplification methods can be used to generate less complex versions of meshes. While several simplification methods have been developed and reported in the literature, only a few studies compare them concerning the perceived quality of the obtained simplified meshes. This work describes an experiment conducted with human observers in order to compare three different simplification methods used to simplify mesh models of the lungs. We intended to study if any of these methods allows a better-perceived quality for the same simplification rate. A protocol was developed in order to measure these aspects. The results presented were obtained from 32 human observers. The comparison between the three mesh simplification methods was first performed through an Exploratory Data Analysis and the significance of this comparison was then established using other statistical methods. Moreover, the influence on the observers' performances of some other factors was also investigated.
African-American Socialization Experiences by Family Structure

In our society, a two-parent family is considered the norm. Therefore, it is expected to have certain advantages over a one-parent family, especially one headed by a female, the most common of the one-parent type. The expected advantages include the areas of child rearing, economic stability, provision of both male and female role models, and lower rates of juvenile delinquency. Since there is a greater proportion of Black than of white families headed by females, the negative characteristics of one-parent families have most often been assigned Black families. Despite this, Black families have managed to survive and have demonstrated many positive outcomes (Stack, 1974; Hill, 1972; Billingsley, 1968). Therefore, it appears rather obvious that socialization outcomes are contingent on more than family structure. The type of family structure alone cannot determine the nature of the outcome of socialization. Every family, regardless of its structure, must develop its own pattern of interaction. Therefore, it seems plausible that some combination of family structure and in-
Decision-making in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis: why are so many denied surgery?

AIMS To analyse decision-making in elderly patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS AND RESULTS In the Euro Heart Survey on valvular heart disease, 216 patients aged > or =75 had severe AS (valve area < or =0.6 cm(2)/m(2) body surface area or mean gradient > or =50 mmHg) and angina or New York Heart Association class III or IV. Patient characteristics were analysed according to the decision to operate or not. A decision not to operate was taken in 72 patients (33%). In multivariable analysis, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction [OR = 2.27, 95% CI (1.32-3.97) for ejection fraction 30-50, OR = 5.15, 95% CI (1.73-15.35) for ejection fraction < or =30 vs. >50%, P = 0.003] and age [OR = 1.84, 95% CI (1.18-2.89) for 80-85 years, OR=3.38, 95% CI (1.38-8.27) for > or =85 vs. 75-80 years, P = 0.008] were significantly associated with the decision not to operate; however, the Charlson comorbidity index was not [OR = 1.72, 95% CI (0.83-3.50), P = 0.14 for index > or =2 vs. <2]. Neurological dysfunction was the only comorbidity significantly linked with the decision not to operate. CONCLUSION Surgery was denied in 33% of elderly patients with severe, symptomatic AS. Older age and LV dysfunction were the most striking characteristics of patients who were denied surgery, whereas comorbidity played a less important role.
Cell-Type-Specific Differentiation and Molecular Profiles in Skin Transplantation: Implication of Medical Approach for Genetic Skin Diseases

Skin is highly accessible and valuable organ, which holds promise to accelerate the understanding of future medical innovation in association with skin transplantation, engineering, and wound healing. In skin transplantation biology, multistage and multifocal damages occur in both grafted donor and perilesional host skin and need to be repaired properly for the engraftment and maintenance of characteristic skin architecture. These local events are more unlikely to be regulated by the host immunity, because human skin transplantation has accomplished the donor skin engraftment onto the immunocompromised or immunosuppressive animals. Recent studies have emerged the importance of α-smooth muscle actin- (SMA-) positive myofibroblasts, via stage- and cell-specific contribution of TGFβ, PDGF, ET-1, CCN-2 signalling pathways, and mastocyte-derived mediators (e.g., histamine and tryptase), for the functional reorganisation of the grafted skin. Moreover, particular cell lineages from bone marrow (BM) cells have been shown to harbour the diferentiation capacity into multiple skin cell phenotypes, including epidermal keratinocytes and dermal endothelial cells and pericytes, undercontrolled by chemokines or cytokines. From a dermatological viewpoint, we review the recent update of cell-type- and molecular-specific action associated with reconstitution of the grafted skin and also focus on the novel application of BM transplantation medicine in genetic skin diseases.
Resolving the conflict between generality and plausibility in verified computation

The area of proof-based verified computation (outsourced computation built atop probabilistically checkable proofs and cryptographic machinery) has lately seen renewed interest. Although recent work has made great strides in reducing the overhead of naive applications of the theory, these schemes still cannot be considered practical. A core issue is that the work for the server is immense, in general; it is practical only for hand-compiled computations that can be expressed in special forms. This paper addresses that problem. Provided one is willing to batch verification, we develop a protocol that achieves the efficiency of the best manually constructed protocols in the literature yet applies to most computations. We show that Quadratic Arithmetic Programs, a new formalism for representing computations efficiently, can yield a particularly efficient PCP that integrates easily into the core protocols, resulting in a server whose work is roughly linear in the running time of the computation. We implement this protocol in the context of a system, called Zaatar, that includes a compiler and a GPU implementation. Zaatar is almost usable for real problems---without special-purpose tailoring. We argue that many (but not all) of the next research questions in verified computation are questions in secure systems.
Activity‐dependent development of inhibitory synapses and innervation pattern: role of GABA signalling and beyond

GABA‐mediated synaptic inhibition is crucial in neural circuit operations. The development of GABAergic inhibitory synapses and innervation pattern in mammalian neocortex is a prolonged process, extending well into the postnatal period, and is regulated by neural activity and experience. Accumulating evidence supports the hypothesis that GABA signalling acts beyond synaptic transmission and regulates inhibitory synapse development; in other words, similar to glutamate signalling at developing excitatory synapses, GABA may coordinate pre‐ and post‐synaptic maturation at inhibitory synapses. These findings raise numerous questions regarding the underlying mechanisms, including the role of GABA receptors and their link to synaptic adhesion molecules. Since synapse formation is a crucial component of axon growth, GABA signalling may also shape the axon arbor and innervation pattern of inhibitory neurons. A mechanism unique to GABAergic neurons is activity‐dependent GABA synthesis, largely mediated through activity‐regulated transcription of the rate‐limiting enzyme GAD67. Such cell‐wide as well as synaptic regulation of GABA signalling may constitute a mechanism by which input levels and patterns onto GABAergic neurons shape their innervation pattern during circuit development.
Parylene C-Based Flexible Electronics for pH Monitoring Applications

Emerging materials in the field of implantable sensors should meet the needs for biocompatibility; transparency; flexibility and integrability. In this work; we present an integrated approach for implementing flexible bio-sensors based on thin Parylene C films that serve both as flexible support substrates and as active H+ sensing membranes within the same platform. Using standard micro-fabrication techniques; a miniaturized 40-electrode array was implemented on a 5 μm-thick Parylene C film. A thin capping film (1 μm) of Parylene on top of the array was plasma oxidized and served as the pH sensing membrane. The sensor was evaluated with the use of extended gate discrete MOSFETs to separate the chemistry from the electronics and prolong the lifetime of the sensor. The chemical sensing array spatially maps the local pH levels; providing a reliable and rapid-response (<5 s) system with a sensitivity of 23 mV/pH. Moreover; it preserves excellent encapsulation integrity and low chemical drifts (0.26–0.38 mV/min). The proposed approach is able to deliver hybrid flexible sensing platforms that will facilitate concurrent electrical and chemical recordings; with application in real-time physiological recordings of organs and tissues.
Searching the village

We describe Aardvark, a social search engine. With Aardvark, users ask a question, either by instant message, e-mail, Web input, text message, or voice. Aardvark then routes the question to the person in the user's extended social network most likely to be able to answer that question. As compared to a traditional Web search engine, where the challenge lies in finding the right document to satisfy a user's information need, the challenge in a social search engine like Aardvark lies in finding the right person to satisfy a user's information need. Further, while trust in a traditional search engine is based on authority, in a social search engine like Aardvark, trust is based on intimacy. We describe how these considerations inform the architecture, algorithms, and user interface of Aardvark, and how they are reflected in the behavior of Aardvark users.
Depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ T-cells prevents Plasmodium berghei induced cerebral malaria in end-stage disease

The role of T-cells in development of experimental cerebral malaria was analysed in C57B1/6J and C57B1/10 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei K173 or Plasmodium berghei ANKA by treatment with anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 mAbs. Mice were protected against cerebral malaria (CM) when anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 mAbs were injected before or during infection. Even in mice in end-stage disease, i.e. with a body temperature below 35·5 °C, treatment with anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 antibodies or the combination protected against CM, whereas chloroquine treatment was completely ineffective in inhibiting further development of the cerebral syndrome.
Bildungsökonomie als Steuerungswissenschaft. Entwicklungslinien und Konjunkturen

"Der Beitrag befasst sich im ersten Teil mit Entstehungshintergrund und Institutionalisierung der Bildungsokonomie im Wissenschaftssystem. Der zweite Teil thematisiert in retrospektiver Betrachtung das - wechselvolle - Verhaltnis der Bildungsokonomie zu Bildungspolitik und Erziehungswissenschaft in Deutschland. Im dritten Teil werden zentrale bildungsokonomische Forschungsfelder unter besonderer Berucksichtigung aktueller Entwicklungen skizziert. Wichtige Impulse gehen fur die Bildungsokonomie von dem in den Bildungssystemen zahlreicher Lander eingeleiteten steuerungsstrategischen Paradigmenwechsel aus. Die Einfuhrung von Konzepten des New Public Management wird insbesondere dem lange Zeit stagnierenden mikrookonomischen Forschungsansatz innerhalb der Bildungsokonomie ein breites Feld an erfahrungswissenschaftlich zu bearbeitenden Themen eroffnen. " Forschungsmethode: deskriptive Studie. (Autorenreferat). The first part of their article, the authors sketch the development and the institutionalization of economics of education within the System of the sciences. The second part gives a retrospective survey of the - ever changing -relation between economics of education, on the one hand, and educational policy and educational science in Germany, on the other. In the third part, the authors outline central research fields of economics of education, taking into account recent developments. Important impulses for economics of education result from a change in the paradigm of administrative control initiated in the educational systems of numerous countries. The introduction of concepts of New Public Management will open up a broad field of pedagogically relevant lssues, especially for the long-time stagnating micro-economic research approach within economics of education. (DIPF/Orig.)
MPEG-2 video decompression on simultaneous multithreaded multimedia processors

This paper explores microarchitecture models for a simultaneous multithreaded processor with multimedia enhancements. We enhance a wide-issue superscalar processor by the simultaneous multithreading technique, by multimedia units, and by an additional on-chip RAM storage. Our workload is a multithreaded MPEG-2 video decompression algorithm that extensively uses multimedia units. Our simulation results suggest that a 2- or 4-threaded 4-issue processor with a small on-chip RAM accessed by a local load/store unit will be superior to a wide-issue (single-threaded) superscalar processor.
Computerised Tomography in Newly Diagnosed Schizophrenia and Schizophreniform Disorder

Patients with newly diagnosed schizophrenia (n = 27) or schizophreniform disorder (n = 22) and 24 healthy volunteers were investigated by CT scan, the investigators being blind to subject status. The patients had never received medication or had been treated only briefly with neuroleptics. The patients had significantly smaller brain volume and brain length than the controls. The patients had greater sulcal enlargement in the case of both Sylvian and interhemispheric fissures and surface sulci in the frontal and parietal regions. The sulcal enlargement was more pronounced in male patients and on the left hemisphere. The study revealed no enlargement of the lateral ventricles and only a trend towards enlargement of the third ventricle in the patients. The findings were not explained by substance abuse or level of education.
JB Special Review—Cell Fate Decision, and its Underlying Molecular Mechanisms Novel working hypothesis for pathogenesis of hematological malignancies: combination of mutations-induced cellular phenotypes determines the disease (cMIP-DD)

analysis difﬁcult. Fifteen years ago, it was proposed that combination of two types of mutations induce acute leukemia; Class I mutations induce cell growth or inhibit apoptosis while class II mutations block differentiation, co-operating in inducing acute leukemia. This notion has been proven using a variety of mouse models, however most of recently found mutations are not typical class I/II mutations. Although some novel mutations have been found to func-tionally work as class I or II mutation in leukemogenesis, the classical class I/II theory seems to be too simple to explain the whole story. We here overview the molecular basis of hematological malignancies based on clinical and experimental results, and propose a new working hypothesis for leukemogenesis.
The Role of Work Experience in the Future Employability of Higher Education Graduates

Many new graduates are finding it difficult to obtain graduate-level work and impossible to break into the sectors they were aiming at. In order to address this, higher education institutions are examining the methods they use to enhance student employability and deploying various measures to grow and strengthen this activity, with an increasing focus on providing work experience. One popular way of doing this is via internships (placements). This paper examines the context in which work experience has come to the fore as an approach to enhancing employability by interrogating recent research and policy related to this agenda. Employability is presented as an on-going debate that cannot be viewed as a finite entity but must move and develop with the market, society and the global situation. In addition the paper closely examines a graduate internship programme in a university in North East England. Comparing and contrasting findings from this scheme, with other examples of experiential learning through work experience, provides some evidence to suggest the value of internships and furthermore supports some formative ideas about how internships might be developed to best serve those taking part in them: interns, employers and universities.
An Example of Inflnite Dimensional Quasi{Helix

A generalization of fractional Brownian motion, which happens to be a quasi-helix in the sense of Kahane, is presented. A brief study of its path properties is also initiated. Since its introduction by Kolmogorov and L¶, the coining of its name and its study by Mandelbrot and Van Ness, fractional Brownian Motion (fBm) has enjoyed many successes as a modeling tool in various areas of applications such as turbulence, flnance, telecommunications ((M-V), (S-T)). These successes are mainly due to the self-similar nature of fBm and to a lesser extend to the stationarity of its increments. For small increments, in application such as turbulence, fBm seems to be a valuable model but also appears inadequate for large increments. It is thus very natural to explore the existence of processes which keep some of the properties of fBm (self-similarity, stationarity of small increments, gaussianity) but also enlarge our modelling tool kit. (As well known, fBm is the only self-similar, stationary increments Gaussian process which is (a.s.) zero at the origin. ) It is the purpose of these notes to propose such a process (although we do not directly address the modelling aspect) and to brie∞y study some of its basic properties.