Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cerebral microbleeds in the population based AGES-Reykjavik study: prevalence and location

Background and purpose: Incidental foci of signal loss suggestive of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are frequent findings on gradient echo T2* weighted MRI (T2* MRI) of patients with haemorrhagic or ischaemic stroke. There are few prevalence data on older populations. This paper reports on the prevalence and location of CMBs in a community based cohort of older men and women (born 1907–1935) who participated in the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)-Reykjavik Study, a population based cohort study that followed the Reykjavik Study Methods: As part of the examination, all eligible and consenting cohort members underwent a full brain MRI, and blood was drawn for genotyping. Results are based on the first 1962 men (n = 820) and women (n = 1142), mean age 76 years, with complete MRI and demographic information available. Results: Evidence of CMBs was found in 218 participants (11.1% (95% CI 9.8% to 12.6%)); men had significantly more CMBs than women (14.4% vs 8.8%; p = 0.0002, age adjusted). The prevalence of CMBs increased with age (p = 0.0001) in both men (p = 0.006) and women (p = 0.007). CMBs were located in the cerebral lobes (70%), the basal ganglia region (10.5%) and infratentorium (18.6%). Having a CMB was significantly associated with a homozygote Apo E 44 genotype (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Cerebral microbleeds are common in older persons. The association with homozygote Apo E 4 genotype and finding a relative predominance in the parietal lobes might indicate an association with amyloid angiopathy.
A Methodology for Automated Segmentation and Reconstruction of Urban 3-D Buildings from ALS Point Clouds

In this paper, a methodology which allows automated and efficient reconstruction of three-dimensional (3-D) geometric building models from an Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) point cloud is introduced and its performance is analyzed and evaluated. The proposed method avoids abnormal and/or infinite solutions which are typically encountered in previously published methods that use the rooftop primitive adjacency matrix to solve the critical rooftop vertices. In particular, first, an improved random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is proposed to segment the rooftop primitives, i.e., the planar patches that constitute rooftops, of each building or group of connected buildings. The algorithm successfully maintains topological consistency among primitives and avoids under- and over-segmentation with high efficiency. Second, a novel Voronoi-based primitive boundary extraction algorithm under constraints of outer and inner building boundaries is introduced in order to extract each primitive boundary. In this algorithm, the adjacent segmented primitive relationships among the various primitives are preserved by a subgraph of the Voronoi diagram so that the reconstructed neighbor primitives are seamlessly connected. Third, in order to refine the boundary shapes of primitives with irregular geometry, various criteria for making the boundary adjustments more effective are proposed. In this way, more regular 3-D buildings can be produced. Finally, the primitive boundary simplification criteria are formally introduced to generate compact 3-D building models. By using the simplification criteria, nonadjacency between neighbor primitives, intersection between boundaries, and self-intersections are, to a great extent, avoided. Numerous experimental results obtained using multiple data sets, including data from the cities of Toronto and Enschede as well as from the Niagara area, have shown that the proposed methodology has excellent performance and it can produce watertight 3-D polyhedral building models.
Hemodynamic, Renal, and Humoral Effects of the Calcium Entry Blocker Nicardipine and Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Captopril in Hypertensive Type II Diabetic Patients with Nephropathy

Summary: We compared the effect of nicardipine, a dihydropiridine derivative calcium entry blocker (CEB), with that of captopril (CAP), a converting-enzyme inhibitor (CEI), and that of the two drugs combined, on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and renal function in 12 hypertensive type II diabetic outpatients with nephropathy (persistent proteinuria >500 mg/24 h) according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. For 4-week treatments, the patients received nicardipine (NIC) 20 mg t.i. d. , CAP 50 mg b.i. d. , NIC plus CAP, and matched placebo. Each active treatment significantly reduced BP, with an additive effect of NIC and CAP combined versus either drug alone. HR did not change. Effective renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were unmodified, but renal vascular resistances (RVRs) were significantly reduced by the three active treatments. Filtration fraction (FF) did not change with NIC or with NIC plus CAP and was significantly reduced with CAP. Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was significantly reduced by each active treatment to a similar extent. Plasma renin activity (PRA) increased significantly with NIC plus CAP only and did not change when the drugs were administered singly. Plasma aldosterone, glucose, potassium, fructosamine, and urinary sodium and volume did not change during the trial. We conclude that the two drugs singly and combined are useful for treatment of hypertensive non-insulin–dependent diabetes (NIDD) patients with persistent proteinuria.
The Assessment Practices of Pre-service English Language Teachers‟ Performance from the University Supervisors‟ Experiences

This pilot study reports on 10 university supervisors’ lived experiences about practices used for assessing classroom performance of pre-service English Language (EL) teachers. In Oman, those university supervisors, who came from different nationalities, play a major role in assessing the pre-service teachers when the latter are practicing teaching during their final year of teacher education program. This qualitative driven by interpretive phenomenological study reveals these practices as understood in one institution, called Rustaq-College of Applied Sciences (CAS) in Oman. The study conducts individual semi-structured interviews with those university supervisors. Their understandings of the practices are presented and discussed in relation to pertinent literature about international best assessment practices. The findings have important implications for my PhD study and for further reconsideration about the current assessment practices of the university supervisors in Oman and in any ELT context.
Out of Africa: Uganda and UNAIDS advance a bold experiment.

The UNAIDS HIV Drug Access Initiative was launched in 1997 to aid four resource-limited countries: Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, and Viet Nam. This multipronged initiative between pharmaceutical companies and government officials aims to expand access to HIV-related drugs on a small, sustainable scale in developing countries. Uganda's experience in the implementation of the UNAIDS HIV Drug Access Initiative is presented. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was struck by the reality of AIDS in 1986 when he learned that up to 25 percent of Ugandan troops might be HIV-infected. The overall Ugandan incidence of AIDS has been reduced since that time from 30 percent to about 14.5 percent due, in part, to cooperation between government and international institutions. Various charts are included, indicating cost estimates for the delivery of HIV care, and a flow chart diagrams drug procurement from six pharmaceutical companies for distribution to Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS. Minister of Health Crispus Kiyonga appointed a 15-member National Advisory Board in 1998 that established subcommittees on Drug Policy and Financing, Care and Practice, and Vertical Transmission to implement and oversee responsibilities. The establishment of Uganda's antiretroviral (ARV) treatment guidelines, standards, and educational and treatment efforts are discussed.
Ambulatory blood pressure and the brain

Objective: To determine if initial values of casual and ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) predict white matter hyperintensities, insular subcortex hyperintensities, and brain atrophy 5 years later in a group of healthy elderly individuals. Methods: The authors studied 155 healthy men and women, aged 55 to 79 years. Two 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) sessions assessed BP level and variability during waking and sleep. Hyperintensities and total brain volume were quantified by MRI. Procedures were repeated 5 years later in 78% (121) of subjects. Results: Hyperintensities and brain atrophy increased over time, with greater increases among older subjects. The presence of increased BP level and variability initially and again 5 years later had negative consequences for the brain. Independent of age, the greater the initial SBP, the greater the likelihood that individuals would have severe white matter hyperintensities after 5 years. Also, elevated casual SBP was associated with severe insular subcortex hyperintensities and greater SBP sleep variability with increased brain atrophy. Conclusions: Among healthy elderly individuals whose initial, average, casual blood pressure (BP) was relatively low (116.9/71.1 mm Hg), small increases in casual and 24-hour ambulatory BP measures were associated with greater brain atrophy and subcortical lesions after 5 years.
In vitro activities of two glycylcyclines

The in vitro activities of two glycylcyclines, CL 329,998 and CL 331,002 (two new semisynthetic tetracyclines), were evaluated in comparison with those of tetracycline and other available oral antimicrobial agents. A total of 523 recent clinical isolates were studied, including strains resistant to tetracycline. Members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were generally > or = 16-fold more susceptible to the glycylcyclines than to tetracycline (although less difference was seen with Proteus spp.). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was modestly susceptible to both new compounds (MIC for 90% of strains tested [MIC90], 16 micrograms/ml). Tetracycline- and methicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus were all susceptible to the glycylcyclines (MIC90 < or = 1 microgram/ml). Streptococci (including Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium displayed a bimodal distribution of susceptibility to tetracycline yet were uniformly susceptible to the glycylcyclines (MIC90 < or = 0.25 microgram/ml). The glycylcyclines were highly potent against Neisseria, Moraxella, Haemophilus, and Bacteroides spp. (MIC90 < or = 0.5 microgram/ml). Strains of Chlamydia spp. (three C. trachomatis strains and one C. pneumoniae strain) were inhibited by < or = 0.25 microgram of CL 329,998 or CL 331,002 per ml. Two strains of Mycoplasma pneumoniae were inhibited by < or = 0.12 microgram of CL 331,002 per ml and by 1 microgram of CL 329,998 per ml. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium were resistant to the two glycylcyclines (MIC > or = 8 micrograms/ml). These results indicate that the two glycylcyclines have potent in vitro activities against a wide range of clinically important pathogenic bacteria.
Neuroblastoma in Southern Brazil: An 11-Year Study

The authors report on the incidence and clinical characteristics of neuroblastoma in southern Brazil. The aims of the study were to evaluate the age at diagnosis, tumor stage, MYCN status, and tumor histopathology, and to relate these factors to survival. All patients with neuroblastoma, 15 years old or younger (n = 125), admitted to the three major pediatric oncology hospitals in the state of Parana over a period of 11 years (between January 1990 and December 2000), were included in the analysis. All patients were followed for at least 5 years. In addition, a FISH evaluation for MYCN status was conducted in a subset of 34 tumors. Overall survival for tumor stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 100%, 72%, 59%, and 17%, respectively. Sixty-two percent (77/125) of all patients were older than 2 years; these represented 71% (57/80) of the patients with stage 4 disease. Children who presented with an unfavorable histopathology had a significantly worse prognosis (20% survival) than children with a favorable histopathology (67% survival). MYCN amplification was detected most commonly in stages 3 and 4 tumors (13/16). These data showed a delayed diagnosis of neuroblastoma in children in southern Brazil, and consequently survival was considerably lower in these patients.
Les militant·e·s de SUD-PTT : entre discrimination co-construite et répression syndicale

La federation SUD-PTT mene depuis plusieurs annees une campagne contre la discrimination et la repression syndicale a La Poste dont elle se dit particulierement victime. Une telle campagne peut surprendre compte tenu de la forte implantation syndicale dans cette entreprise et de l’institutionnalisation des relations sociales. La question est donc de savoir si cette entreprise peut se montrer globalement genereuse en droit syndical et adopter en meme temps une politique ou une strategie discriminatoire et repressive a l’egard des organisations syndicales les plus combatives. Plus precisement, on peut se demander si la confrontation qui oppose actuellement La Poste a ses syndicats « contestataires », dont SUD-PTT, n’a pas un autre enjeu que celui des reorganisations organisationnelles et economiques de l’entreprise, qui touche alors a la redefinition du « dialogue social » interne.
Using NAO Humanoid Robot in Kindergarten: A Proposed System

Most kindergarten students spend the majority of their day in schools, so it is important to provide them with the tools and techniques that help them develop intellectually and educationally. In this poster we propose a system that facilitates kindergarten educational process by utilizing a Humanoid robot called NAO. NAO robot will be programmed to support fun learning through providing many activities and games. The robot system will provide quizzes to test the student's understanding. It will also enable the teacher to continuously review the student's progress through an application interface installed on his/her computer.
Optimization of cluster cooling performance for data centers

A software tool using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) has been developed to optimize the cooling performance of a cluster of equipment comprised of two approximately-equal-length rows of racks and coolers bounding a common hot-aisle. Such clusters are "room neutral" from a cooling-load perspective if most or all of the hot rack exhaust is captured locally by the coolers. A direct cooling-performance assessment relative to this design objective is provided on a rack-level basis by the Capture Index (CI) and on a room-level basis by the Total Escaped Power (TEP). Various prediction techniques can be used to compute these cooling performance metrics for a cluster in real time. In this study, a Neural-Network-based algorithm is used as the "cooling prediction engine" upon which the GA optimization functionality is built. Typically, optimization of cluster cooling performance is attempted by intuition or trial and error, and one has to rely on the designer's experience. In contrast, the GA-based optimization technique in combination with the NN calculator provides a systematic approach for finding an optimized cluster layout. This integrated tool can be used to find the best arrangement of a fixed inventory of racks and coolers. This approach can also be used to find the best distribution of total heat load among racks and to identify the best rack location to which extra heat load can be added. Examples are discussed to demonstrate the potential of the software tool.
Reconsidering the family history in primary care

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to review the role of the family history in predictive genetic testing, describe how family history taking is practiced in adult primary care, identify the current barriers to appropriate application of the family history, and outline the requirements for a new family history tool for primary care.DESIGN: We reviewed current perspectives on the family history, identifying key references in the medical literature and web-based family history tools through discussions with multiple content experts in clinical genetics, family medicine, and internal medicine. We conducted a Medline query using the search terms family history and primary care to identify references from the past 10 years. To illustrate the usefulness of family history information, we calculated the predictive value of family history and genetic information for familial adenomatous polyposis using current references and standard formulas. We identified paper and web-based family history tools through discussions with content experts. We also conducted a search on the World Wide Web to identify resources for electronic medical record and family history.RESULTS: The family history is the most important tool for diagnosis and risk assessment in medical genetics, and promises to serve as a critical element in the use of predictive genetic testing in primary care. Traditional medical education about family history has often been unsophisticated and use of family history in adult primary care has been limited, compounded by multiple substantive barriers. Although there are numerous paper and computer-based aides for taking the family history, none currently meets all the needs of adult primary care.CONCLUSIONS: The patient’s family history remains a critical element in risk assessment for many conditions, but substantive barriers impede application in primary care practice, and evidence for its contribution to improved health outcomes is limited in this setting. Short of radical changes in reimbursement, new tools will be required to aid primary care physicians in the efficient collection and application of patient family history in the era of genetic testing.
Simultaneous measurement of saturation and relaxation in human brain by repetitive magnetization transfer pulses

Magnetization transfer (MT) by equidistant pulse trains can be described as being analogous to progressive partial saturation, where ‘direct’ saturation of water is amplified by MT contributions that are dependent on macromolecular content and differential saturation. This concept was applied to study the transition to steady state in the human brain using similar MT‐pulses as in imaging. Up to 41 bell‐shaped MT‐pulses of 12 ms duration were applied at frequency offsets between 0.5 and 15 kHz with flip angles between 1080 and 1440°. Central white and parietal gray matter was studied in human subjects using STEAM for localized read‐out (TE = 30 ms, TM = 13.7 ms). The apparent degree of saturation, δapp, and the longitudinal relaxation of the water pool during the pulse repetition period (PR) were fitted to the transient behavior after signal correction for cerebro‐spinal fluid. PR was varied between 15 and 100 ms to assess the PR‐dependence of the fitted parameters. The MT‐term in δapp exceeded the direct saturation and attained its maximum at PR > 100 ms. The macromolecular pool was only partially saturated by a single MT‐pulse. The offset may be increased to 2.5 kHz to reduce direct saturation without sacrificing MT in white matter. The estimated relaxation rates (1.04 ± 0.11 s−1 in WM; 0.76 ± 0.13 s−1 in GM) were faster than are commonly observed at 1.5 T. The apparent saturation is a measure for MT that is not confounded by relaxation. To maximize MT in brain tissue, MT‐pulses should be applied at PR = 100 ms or longer. At shorter PR, a larger steady state satuation is obtained at the cost of increased contributions from direct saturation. Since this accelerates the convergence, PR should be decreased to reach the steady state within a specified time. A faster transition can always be achieved at a reduced frequency offset via increased direct saturation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
[A questionnaire-based survey on attitude and behavior of sex among rural women in Hainan province].

OBJECTIVE To define the profile and risk factors of sexual attitude and behavior of rural women. METHODS Using stratified cluster sampling, tape-recorded interviews and face to face interviews were carried out among 606 rural women. RESULTS 24.6% of the women being studied accepted the idea of "premarital sexual intercourse" and thought "premarital sexual intercourse between a couple" acceptable accounted for 34.2%, 14.7% and 4% of the women reported having had premarital sexual intercourse and premarital induced abortion respectively. 5.0% of the women admitted having had sexual intercourse during menstruation. 4% and 3% of the women under study accepted "extramarital sexual intercourse" and "paid sexual intercourse" if they were in need of money. None of the women reported ever having had extramarital sex or paid sex. The results derived from two different methods did not differ significantly. Logistic rgression suggested that age, education and ethnicity were associated with attitude towards premarital sex, and age was associated with premarital sexual behavior. CONCLUSION Sex education need to be promoted and targeted among rural population at early age. "Tape-recorded interview" method did not show a better validity in this study.
Ovarian control of very low sperm/egg ratios at the commencement of mammalian fertilisation to avoid polyspermy

This essay considers the means whereby sperm/egg ratios close to unity are generated during the initial stages of fertilisation in placental mammals. Pre‐ovulatory graafian follicles and their contents are seen to be key structures orchestrating the events of sperm progression and coordinating the subsequent meeting of male and female gametes. Three levels of control over the numbers of spermatozoa activated and released from the functional reservoir in the caudal region of the fallopian tube isthmus are proposed. A primary control would be obtained by means of a countercurrent transfer of ovarian follicular progesterone from the ovarian vein into the tubal branch of the ovarian artery. The concentration of progesterone so transferred would be proportional to the number of preovulatory follicles, and thus to the number of eggs to be shed, and would act progressively to reduce sperm binding to the endosalpinx of the caudal isthmus. Differential timing of the release from epithelial binding may be a crucial means of achieving the initial low sperm/egg ratios. A secondary regulation of the release of graded numbers of viable spermatozoa towards the ampullary‐isthmic junction of the fallopian tubes would be by means of molecular messages derived from the mucified oocyte‐cumulus complex shortly before and after the time of ovulation. Third would be reorientation of sperm trajectories by molecular gradients within the cumulus cell mass to direct competent spermatozoa to those oocytes as yet unpenetrated. Together these differing levels of control would impose low sperm/egg ratios during the initial stages of fertilisation, such strict quantitative regulation of male gametes lasting at least until the block to polyspermy is fully established and the vitellus is no longer at risk from further sperm penetration. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Design of printed E-textile probers to supress electrocardiograpy noise

Dry electrodes of a smart shirt for measuring biological signals were prepared by the additive printing method using a stretchable conductive paste with Ag fillers loading. Interfacial impedance between the electrode and skin depended on the contact pressure of electrode and the moisture of stratum corneum. When moisture of stratum corneum was more than 30 %, ECG could be measured using the stretchable electrodes printed on a compression shirt. However, noise in the ECG signal increased when the moisture of stratum corneum was less than 30 %. To solve this problem, we propose to use additional electrodes made of an electrically conductive kneaded rubber.