Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small, Moderate, and Large Changes, and the Minimum Clinically Important Difference in the University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire

Abstract Minimum clinically important change of 5 points in the University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (SOBQ) is established, but cutoff values between a small, a moderate, and a large change are still unknown. We used the data set of National Emphysema Treatment Trial consisting of severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, whose mean age was 64 years. Changes from baseline to post-surgical 6-month follow-up were evaluated. The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire was used as anchor: |∆SGRQ| < 4, meaningless change; 4 ≤ |∆SGRQ| < 8, small change; 8 ≤ |∆SGRQ| < 13, moderate change; 13 ≤ |∆SGRQ|, large change. We decided the final cutoff values for the SOBQ as medians of the three anchor methods. We also decided the range of cutoff values as the range of three values. In a cohort of surgically treated patients (N = 484), we propose value of 5 (range 5–6), 11 (range 9–15), and 16 (range 14–20) for the cutoff values between a meaningless and a small change (minimum clinically important difference), a small and a moderate change, and a moderate and a large change, respectively. In a cohort of medically treated patients, numbers of patients categorized according to ∆SOBQ scores were similar to those of the patients categorizes according to the ∆SGRQ (N = 480) or ∆Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (N = 425). We propose group-level cutoff values and range between a small, a moderate, and a large changes.
A novel all-fiber optical interleaver with flat-top passband

An all-fiber optical interleaver with almost rectangular wavelength response is developed by using a new configuration. The device consists of a 2times2 and a 3times3 directional fiber coupler. Based on the digital approximation method of Fourier series, the relationships among the splitting ratios of the couplers, the length difference of interference arms, and the intensity transmission spectrum are analyzed. The results indicate that a uniform flattop spectral response can be obtained by the configuration when the length difference of interference arms and the coupling coefficient of the couplers, with some certain values, are given. The passband and stopband of optical interleaver are improved remarkably. The coupling ratio of couplers and the proportion of the length differences can be controlled accurately in the course of fabricating the interleaver. A novel structure of an interleaver is fabricated by using the fused biconical taper technics in experiment. The experimental results are in good agreement with the analytical ones
Is Japanese manufacturing really hollowing out

This essay is a non-technical summary of evidence from previous studies that examine the relationship between Japanese exports or the exports of Japanese multinational parent firms on the one hand and the economic activities of foreign affiliates of Japanese multinationals on the other. Although there are many possible definitions of hollowing out, one of the most common definitions refers to a process where the transfer of economic activities to foreign affiliates of multinationals leads to reduction of economic activities in home country and more specifically in the home country parents of those multinationals. The economic activity most directly affected is exports, and changes in exports can then lead to changes in production, employment, and so on. However, the empirical evidence summarized in this essay suggests that there is no negative relationship between economic activities of foreign affiliates and exports of Japanese parents or Japanese manufacturing exports. These results are generally consistent with previous results for Sweden and the United States, which suggest that activities of foreign affiliates usually stimulate or have no relationship to economic activity in the parent firm or home industry. 1 The author wishes to thank Robert E. Lipsey and Magnus Blomstrom, who have co-authored previous papers on this topic, for their advice on related topics. I would also like to thank members of the Committee for Analysis of the Survey of Overseas Business Activities of Japanese Companies (Nihon Kigyou no Kaigai Jigyou Katsudou Chousa Bunseki Kenkyukai) in 1998-2001, particularly Kyoji Fukao, for comments on related research, data, and information that helped me understand the nature of the data being used. The author is solely responsible for all remaining errors and for all opinions expressed.
Glycosaminoglycans: molecular properties, protein interactions, and role in physiological processes.

Article de synthese sur les glycosaminoglycanes chez les mammiferes: proprietes et structure des proteoglycanes et des proteines de liaison des glycosaminoglycanes; roles dans la regulation des processus cellulaires et la regulation de l'expression des genes; interaction avec les facteurs de transcription
Internet Banking and ATMs Applications: In Context of Multi Currencies Economy

This research aims to point out to what extent internet-banking, ATMs and other electronic money instruments are used in the Palestinian economy based on multi currencies. It used multi research instruments including: Examining the related laws, rules and regulations regarding the issue, structured interviews and relevant questionnaires were articulated and conducted to selected samples of bankers and banks’ clients from 12 banks. The study found that all Palestinian banks have ATM machines, which deals with three currencies including JD, NIS, and USD with various transactions, while about a half of the banks issue credit cards to their clients, and offer internet inquires and internet transactions. With the exception of ATM, the majority of the banking clients don’t know about the existing possibilities of E- banking channels available in their banks and/ or how to use it. The banking directors and staff do not see much increase in using the E- banking transactions by their clients, in spite of the new adopted electronic instruments by the majority of banks in the last decade.
Coordinated methyl and RNA binding is required for heterochromatin localization of mammalian HP1α

In mammalian cells, as in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Drosophila, HP1 proteins bind histone H3 tails methylated on lysine 9 (K9). However, whereas K9‐methylated H3 histones are distributed throughout the nucleus, HP1 proteins are enriched in pericentromeric heterochromatin. This observation suggests that the methyl‐binding property of HP1 may not be sufficient for its heterochromatin targeting. We show that the association of HP1α with pericentromeric heterochromatin depends not only on its methyl‐binding chromo domain but also on an RNA‐binding activity present in the hinge region of the protein that connects the conserved chromo and chromoshadow domains. Our data suggest the existence of complex heterochromatin binding sites composed of methylated histone H3 tails and RNA, with each being recognized by a separate domain of HP1α.
Integrated Object Segmentation and Tracking for 3D LIDAR Data

This paper proposes a novel method for integrated tracking and segmentation of 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data. The conventional processing pipeline of object tracking methods performs the segmentation and tracking modules consecutively. They apply a connected component algorithm on a grid for object segmentation. This results in an under-segmentation and in turn wrong tracking estimates when there are spatially close objects. We present a new approach in which segmentation and tracking modules profit from each other to resolve ambiguities in complex dynamic scenes. A non-parametric Bayesian method, the sequential distance dependent Chinese Restaurant Process (s-ddCRP), enables us to combine segmentation and tracking components. After a pre-processing step which maps measurements to a grid representation, the proposed method tracks each grid cell and segments the environment in an integrated way. A smoothing algorithm is applied to the estimated grid cell velocities for better motion consistency of neighboring dynamic grid cells. Experiments on data obtained with a Velodyne HDL64 scanner in real traffic scenarios illustrate that the proposed approach has a encouraging detection performance and conclusive motion consistency between consecutive time frames.
A 5W ultra-broadband power amplifier using silicon LDMOSFETs

We present the design of a high-efficiency power amplifier using silicon LDMOSFETs for the ultra-broadband from 2 to 500MHz. To achieve both the high efficiency and the output power required, the bias condition for the class-AB operation has been applied. In addition, a push-pull structure and a negative feedback network have been adopted for the broadband operation which has been implemented using broadband coaxial transmission line transformers and a broadband high-Q RF choke inductor. It is shown from the experimental results presented that the implemented power amplifier exhibits an output power at the 1dB compression point (P1dB) of more than 5W, as well as having a power-added efficiency of more than 43% at P1dB over the entire operational frequency band from 2 to 500MHz. The results also show very flat power gain characteristics of 22±1.5dB from 2MHz to 500MHz.
A survey of resuscitation training in Canadian undergraduate medical programs.

Tn he article by Dr. David H. Goldstein and Robert K. Beckwith (Can Med Assoc J 1991; 145: 23-27) asks to what extent medical students are taking advanced life support courses; it should ask what students' needs are in this area and how we would best go about meeting them. Goldstein and Beckwith recommend that the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) develop a resuscitation curriculum. The CAEP fully agrees that there should be specific undergraduate resuscitation training and that it should be part of the licensure requirements. We have approached the Medical Council of Canada, all medical schools and the provincial licensing boards over the past 2 years requesting the establishment of prelicensure requirements for this as well as for emergency medicine in general. We are developing a set of teaching objectives along the lines proposed by the American College of Emergency Physicians' and the Society of Teachers of Emergency Medicine,2 which will be presented to these groups. We strongly promote community-based continuing medical education that addresses resuscitation training for the physician in nonacademic and smaller centres to compensate for what has not been provided in our medical schools to date. However, we take issue with the assumption that "merit badge" courses (the advanced life support courses) are the best way of teaching skills: they do not seem to guarantee proficiency in the clinical setting (several studies have demonstrated a loss of the acquired psychomotor skills within 6 months3'4) and are, of necessity, out of date within a year of the most recent revision. Do we, then, insist that medical students learn something that is no longer accepted? The courses do teach skills and give standard treatment protocols, but they explain only briefly the pathophysiologic features of a problem. This results in rigid practice patterns and, difficulty in adapting to advances in knowledge. As well, we should be able to establish a successful curriculum for less than the estimated $3 million proposed in the article. Let us agree that present undergraduate curricula woefully lack proper resuscitation training. CAEP is trying to correct this lack. We disagree, however, that the available advanced life support courses are necessarily the best way to do so.
Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder

Seventy‐four patients with primary carcinoma of the gallbladder, diagnosed over 18 years from 1969 to 1987, were studied retrospectively. The most common presenting complaint was abdominal pain, followed by jaundice and weight loss. Surgery was performed in 61 patients and of these patients, only two had accurate preoperative diagnosis which was made by ultrasonography. Twelve of the 13 patients who were treated medically had the disease diagnosed at autopsy. One of the 13 patients had the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer by the findings of ultrasonography and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scanning. The resectability of the surgically managed group was 36.1%, and the majority of patients with advanced tumors (82.2%) were deemed unresectable. The most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma. Liver was the organ most commonly invaded (76.5%) by direct extension and/or metastases, followed by regional lymph nodes (52.9%). The overall 5‐year survival rate was 5.4%. A high index of suspicion of the disease, intraoperative examination of gallbladder specimen, and earlier, more aggressive surgical treatment may improve patient survival.
Inactivation of ribonucleotide reductase in tumour cells and inhibition of tumour cell growth by p-alkoxyphenols

A significant correlation between the inactivation of the growth-regulating enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RR) with the growth inhibition of four different tumour cell lines has been found for seven different p-alkoxyphenol derivatives with varying lengths of alkyl side chain. In Novikoff hepatoma and human leukaemia cells, inactivation of RR by p-alkoxyphenols was monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of the catalytically essential tyrosyl radical in the subunit R2 of RR. A significant inhibition of cellular growth of Novikoff hepatoma cells, human leukaemia cells and two human melanoma cell lines (MeWo and M5) by p-alkoxyphenols was also observed by growth inhibition assays. Inactivation of RR in whole tumour cells as well as inhibition of cellular growth of tumour cell lines by p-alkoxyphenols both show an increase in inhibition with increasing length of the alkyl side chain; the most effective inhibitors are pisobutoxyphenol, p-butoxyphenol and p-propoxyphenol. The enzyme RR, and in particular the catalytically essential tyrosyl radical in the active site, is recognized as an important cellular target for growth inhibition of Novikoff hepatoma cells, human leukaemia cells and melanoma cells by p-alkoxyphenols. Thus, the most potent RR inhibitors p-isobutoxyphenol, p-butoxyphenol and p-propoxyphenol may be considered as future antiproliferative drugs for the systemic treatment of melanoma as well as leukaemia and possibly other malignancies.
Reliably secure software systems

The security of IT-systems has obtained a crucial role. It is important for people’s everyday life, for the success of companies, and for the critical infrastructure of entire countries. The collection of data about user behavior, for instance, can help to optimize the services offered, but it also poses threats to the users’ privacy. The migration to on-line services and electronic processing can help to reduce costs, but it also increases the dependence on the availability of access to these services. Finally, electronic voting can help to simplify the casting and counting of votes, but it also raises concerns about possible manipulations of election results. The need for IT-security is reflected by the high demand for security solutions and in the annually growing security software revenues. For securing IT-systems, a wide spectrum of mechanisms is available. Authentication, access control, and cryptography canbe integrated into software to counter security threats. Firewalls, malware scanners, intrusion detection systems, and auditing can be used to provide additional protection. Such security mechanisms can be effectively used to eliminate vulnerabilities and to reduce risks of attacks. But when does a given combination of security mechanisms provide sufficient security? What are the criteria for classifying software as secure? Property-centric security complements the mechanism-centric security tradition by providing criteria for satisfactory IT-security and analysis techniques for certifying that these criteria are met. To capture security requirements, declarative security properties are employed, a prominent example being the noninterference property. This property requires that a system’s outputs to untrusted sinks must be independent from secret inputs, and it, hence, can be used to express confidentiality and privacy requirements. Program analysis is employed to check whether a given software complies with a given property. For instance, static analysis can be used to check that no secrets will be leaked by executing a program. The connection between a declarative security property and an analy-
Reversible Reprogramming of Circulating Memory T Follicular Helper Cell Function during Chronic HIV Infection

Despite the overwhelming benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in curtailing viral load in HIV-infected individuals, ART does not fully restore cellular and humoral immunity. HIV-infected individuals under ART show reduced responses to vaccination and infections and are unable to mount an effective antiviral immune response upon ART cessation. Many factors contribute to these defects, including persistent inflammation, especially in lymphoid tissues, where T follicular helper (Tfh) cells instruct and help B cells launch an effective humoral immune response. In this study we investigated the phenotype and function of circulating memory Tfh cells as a surrogate of Tfh cells in lymph nodes and found significant impairment of this cell population in chronically HIV-infected individuals, leading to reduced B cell responses. We further show that these aberrant memory Tfh cells exhibit an IL-2–responsive gene signature and are more polarized toward a Th1 phenotype. Treatment of functional memory Tfh cells with IL-2 was able to recapitulate the detrimental reprogramming. Importantly, this defect was reversible, as interfering with the IL-2 signaling pathway helped reverse the abnormal differentiation and improved Ab responses. Thus, reversible reprogramming of memory Tfh cells in HIV-infected individuals could be used to enhance Ab responses. Altered microenvironmental conditions in lymphoid tissues leading to altered Tfh cell differentiation could provide one explanation for the poor responsiveness of HIV-infected individuals to new Ags. This explanation has important implications for the development of therapeutic interventions to enhance HIV- and vaccine-mediated Ab responses in patients under ART.
Prevalence and penetrance of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in a population series of 649 women with ovarian cancer.

A population-based series of 649 unselected incident cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed in Ontario, Canada, during 1995-96 was screened for germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. We specifically tested for 11 of the most commonly reported mutations in the two genes. Then, cases were assessed with the protein-truncation test (PTT) for exon 11 of BRCA1, with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis for the remainder of BRCA1, and with PTT for exons 10 and 11 of BRCA2. No mutations were found in all 134 women with tumors of borderline histology. Among the 515 women with invasive cancers, we identified 60 mutations, 39 in BRCA1 and 21 in BRCA2. The total mutation frequency among women with invasive cancers, 11.7% (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 9.2%-14.8%), is higher than previous estimates. Hereditary ovarian cancers diagnosed at age <50 years were mostly (83%) due to BRCA1, whereas the majority (60%) of those diagnosed at age >60 years were due to BRCA2. Mutations were found in 19% of women reporting first-degree relatives with breast or ovarian cancer and in 6.5% of women with no affected first-degree relatives. Risks of ovarian, breast, and stomach cancers and leukemias/lymphomas were increased nine-, five-, six- and threefold, respectively, among first-degree relatives of cases carrying BRCA1 mutations, compared with relatives of noncarriers, and risk of colorectal cancer was increased threefold for relatives of cases carrying BRCA2 mutations. For carriers of BRCA1 mutations, the estimated penetrance by age 80 years was 36% for ovarian cancer and 68% for breast cancer. In breast-cancer risk for first-degree relatives, there was a strong trend according to mutation location along the coding sequence of BRCA1, with little evidence of increased risk for mutations in the 5' fifth, but 8.8-fold increased risk for mutations in the 3' fifth (95%CI 3.6-22.0), corresponding to a carrier penetrance of essentially 100%. Ovarian, colorectal, stomach, pancreatic, and prostate cancer occurred among first-degree relatives of carriers of BRCA2 mutations only when mutations were in the ovarian cancer-cluster region (OCCR) of exon 11, whereas an excess of breast cancer was seen when mutations were outside the OCCR. For cancers of all sites combined, the estimated penetrance of BRCA2 mutations was greater for males than for females, 53% versus 38%. Past studies may have underestimated the contribution of BRCA2 to ovarian cancer, because mutations in this gene cause predominantly late-onset cancer, and previous work has focused more on early-onset disease. If confirmed in future studies, the trend in breast-cancer penetrance, according to mutation location along the BRCA1 coding sequence, may have significant impact on treatment decisions for carriers of BRCA1-mutations. As well, BRCA2 mutations may prove to be a greater cause of cancer in male carriers than previously has been thought.
Infection‐induced wheezing during the first year of life does not mean asthma: a 50‐year‐old observation

Boesen published in Acta Paediatrica 50 y ago before the era of laboratory studies for respiratory viruses or for markers of atopy an article considering the outcome of young children with wheezing. In the years 1940-1945 185 infants or young children were admitted to hospital with asthmatic bronchitis defined by the presence of prolonged expiration in a child with respiratory tract infection. By currently used diagnostic terms the material of the study consisted of patients with bronchiolitis and obstructive (or wheezy) bronchitis. In 1951 when the children were 6-11 y of age a questionnaire was sent to all of them and 162 (88%) answered. Thirty-one of them were = 5 mo 54 were 6-11 mo 44 were 1-2 y and 33 were = 3 y of age during the original hospitalization. There were four main results in the study. (excerpt)
Emission in Reverberation Chamber: numerical evaluation of the total power radiated by a wire with a stochastic collocation method

A methodology for the evaluation of the total power radiated by a wire in a Reverberation Chamber is proposed. The cavity Green’s function and a probabilistic model for the quality factor are used in order to avoid the simulation of the set cavity/stirrer. The numerical evaluation of the current is carried out starting from a method of moments. Then a stochastic collocation method is proposed for the evaluation of the radiated power average. Results are finally compared to Monte-Carlo simulations.