Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inducing portable neural network trees for text data through DCAMC

An NNTree is a decision tree with each non-terminal node containing a neural network (NN). Our previous researches show that compared with neural networks, the NN-tree can classify given data in a hierarchical structure which has very small system scale can can be applied to many PORTABLE DEVICE applications. However, for text data, the high dimensionality is a serious problem for induction of NNTrees since the system scale may still become too large and each NN spends too much time for training. To solve the problem, we have proposed discriminant multiple center (DMC) method. In this paper, we combined DMC method with comparative advantage (CA) based algorithm together and proposed discriminant comparative advantage based multiple center (DCAMC) method for inducing NNTrees. DCAMC is a two-stage approach, in which all data are first mapped to a lower dimensional space based on the comparative advantage law, and the LDA is then conducted on the mapped space. Experimental results on three popular databases show that DCAMC can produce NNTrees more efficiently than DMC method.
A Review of Mycotoxins in Food and Feed Products in Portugal and Estimation of Probable Daily Intakes

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that occur naturally in agricultural commodities worldwide. Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone, trichothecenes, and ergot alkaloids are presently the most important for food and feed safety. These compounds are produced by several species that belong to the Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Claviceps genera and can be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, cytotoxic, neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, estrogenic, and immunosuppressant. Human and animal exposure to mycotoxins is generally assessed by taking into account data on the occurrence of mycotoxins in food and feed as well as data on the consumption patterns of the concerned population. This evaluation is crucial to support measures to reduce consumer exposure to mycotoxins. This work reviews the occurrence and levels of mycotoxins in Portuguese food and feed to provide a global overview of this issue in Portugal. With the information collected, the exposure of the Portuguese population to those mycotoxins is assessed, and the estimated dietary intakes are presented.
Seasonal trends in photosynthesis and electron transport during the Mediterranean summer drought in leaves of deciduous oaks.

The California Mediterranean savanna has harsh summer conditions with minimal soil moisture, high temperature, high incoming solar radiation and little or no precipitation. Deciduous blue oaks, Quercus douglasii Hook. and Arn. , are winter-deciduous obligate phreatophytes, transpiring mostly groundwater throughout the summer drought. The objective of this work is to fully characterize the seasonal trends of photosynthesis in blue oaks as well as the mechanistic relationships between leaf structure and function. We estimate radiative load of the leaves via the FLiES model and perform in situ measurements of leaf water potential, leaf nitrogen content, an index of chlorophyll content (SPAD readings), photosynthetic and electron transport capacity, and instantaneous rates of CO2 assimilation and electron transport. We measured multiple trees over 3 years providing data from a range of conditions. Our study included one individual that demonstrated strong drought stress as indicated by changes in SPAD readings, leaf nitrogen and all measures of leaf functioning. In the year following severe environmental stress, one individual altered foliation patterns on the crown but did not die. In all other individuals, we found that net carbon assimilation and photosynthetic capacity decreased during the summer drought. SPAD values, electron transport rate (ETR) and quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) did not show a strong decrease during the summer drought. In most individuals, PSII activity and SPAD readings did not indicate leaf structural or functional damage throughout the season. While net carbon assimilation was tightly coupled to stomatal conductance, the coupling was not as tight with ETR possibly due to contributions from photorespiration or other protective processes. Our work demonstrates that the blue oaks avoid structural damage by maintaining the capacity to convert and dissipate incoming solar radiation during the hot summer drought and are effective at fixing carbon by maximizing rates during the mild spring conditions.
Xanthine oxidase inhibition for the treatment of stroke disease: a novel therapeutic approach

Despite widespread implementation of effective preventative therapy, strokerelated morbidity and mortality remains high and cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of disability in the adult population. Beyond these human costs, a significant financial burden is incurred for health services through both in-patient and the subsequent care of stroke patients. Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to reduce this burden. In this article we highlight the growing case for xanthine oxidase inhibition (XOI) as a potential therapeutic approach for the prevention and management of cerebrovascular disease. Treatment options for patients with acute stroke are limited, and preventative strategies hold the greatest promise for reducing the burden of stroke. Antihypertensive, lipid
Marked Intratumoral Heterogeneity of the Proto‐Oncogene Her‐2/neu Determined by Three Different Detection Systems

Abstract: It is customary to submit only one portion of a breast cancer to determine if there is amplification or overexpression of the proto‐oncogene HER‐2/neu. In routine studies of the expression of neu in breast cancer, however, we noted discrepancies in intratumoral positivity. To investigate this phenomenon further, multiple tumor specimens (129 samples) from 41 women with breast cancer were examined. Forty cases were analyzed for neu amplification by slot blot assay and 18 with fluorescent in situ hybridization. Neu overexpression was determined using four different specific antibodies. In more than 50% of cases there were discrepancies in results between the tissue blocks examined. This was evident in both inter‐ and intra‐assay comparisons. It is concluded that intratumoral heterogeneity of neu amplification/overexpression in breast cancer exists to a far greater degree than previously recognized and could be a responsible factor for conflicting published data regarding neu's prognostic significance. Examination of only one tumor sample may not give a true indication of either amplification or overexpression of this oncogene.
Long-Term Botulinum Toxin Dose Consistency for Treatment of Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia

Objectives: Botulinum toxin (BTX) injection is currently the primary and most common treatment for adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD). A variety of injection strategies and dosage regimens have been described. This study reports on our experience with the dosage schedule and dosing consistency of BTX for the treatment of ADSD. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our laryngeal BTX database for the period 1991 to 2005. Our strict inclusion requirements limited our selection to 13 patients who had received a minimum of 6 injections (average, 11.5; range, 6 to 19) of BTX for ADSD. Results: The average total dose of BTX to the larynx for each treatment episode was 3.9 units (range, 1.5 to 7.5). The total dose administered tended to trend downward among patients who began treatment from 1991 to 1998, indicating that the initial dose (usually 2.5 units per side) may have been high. Those patients who began from 1999 onward had a more stable dose, indicating that the initial dose (usually 1.5 units per side) was more suitable. The subjects underwent an average of 2.2 injections (range, 1 to 5) before reaching their optimal BTX dose. The total number of treatments performed in this group of patients was 150, of which 145 were successful (96.7%). Conclusions: The BTX dose for the optimal treatment of ADSD usually remains consistent over time, as does the treatment interval. An initial dose of 1.5 units per side or less appears to improve dosing stability, indicating that the initial dosing of 2.5 units per side in our study was often greater than required. The optimal BTX dose was usually ascertained by the second or third injection. In our patient population, the long-term dosing consistency of BTX confirmed that neither tachyphylaxis nor increasing sensitivity to BTX occurred during the course of treatment for ADSD.
Delight design

i n t e r a c t i o n s / j u l y + a u g u s t 2 0 0 6 : / 64 Many products delight the user because their designers understand users' needs and design products to deliver on them. How do you create a delightful prod-uct? Users are delighted when a routine action is no longer needed because the technology and design have cooperated to acknowledge and accommodate user behavior and/or needs. Here is a delightful design: My rental car's windshield-wiper control is easy to find and turn on. Moreover, it senses how much water is on the windshield and adjusts its speed accordingly. Part of the delight is that this is so much better than the car I'm used to driving! And part of it is that it is simply an innovative and useful technical accomplishment. I'm delighted! Another delightful design: Many years ago, Quicken for Mac remembered my previous entries and entered them as I typed new entries. Predictive text has now become fairly standard. It's not so delightful anymore, but that first experience was awesome. Now most text-processing applications do something similar with predic-tive text and automatic spell checking. A personal delight: After some time using and appreciating iTunes, I purchased my first iPod. From the packaging to the nifty device itself, to attaching it to my computer and watching it automatically fill up with my music, the entire experience was seamless and delightful. And yet another delight: No matter how easy or painful it is to use my variety of digital cameras, when I plug one into my Windows XP machine, Picasa automatically loads and displays them in a friendly environment that makes managing and editing my pictures a charm. We can relate countless other less glamorous examples: Whether it is delight from a worker who gets their expenses paid back ten times faster with their ERP program, or grateful tax payers using the electronic tax-paying tools at their disposal , good design appreciates the task of the user, and delightful design makes it a joy (or perhaps a relief! ) to use. So let's celebrate our victories—large and small—more vocally, and more frequently. We tend to focus on improving our critiquing skills, concentrating on the flaws we can correct to improve inadequate design. Halls of Shame (here we cringe, having been roundly bashed there) should be …
Analytical Time-Domain Models for Performance Optimization of Multilayer GNR Interconnects

In this paper, we are proposing novel analytical time domain models for side contact and top contact multilayer graphene nanoribbon (MLGNR) interconnects. Our proposed models give physical insights about the transient behavior of these MLGNRs. The proposed models have been verified with existing data as well as exhaustive simulation and exhibit excellent accuracy. Based on our analysis, we identify limiting factors that need to be considered for the design of optimum top contact MLGNRs that exceed the performance of copper and match that of side contact MLGNR interconnects. Finally, we compare the performance of our optimum top contact MLGNRs with optical interconnects to predict the future roadmap for next generation interconnect technology.
Arginine as a Synergistic Virucidal Agent

Development of effective and environmentally friendly disinfectants, or virucidal agents, should help prevent the spread of infectious diseases through human contact with contaminated surfaces. These agents may also be used, if non-toxic to cells and tissues, as chemotherapeutic agents against infectious diseases. We have shown that arginine has a synergistic effect with a variety of virucidal conditions, namely acidic pH and high temperature, on virus inactivation. All of these treatments are effective, however, at the expense of toxicity. The ability of arginine to lower the effective threshold of these parameters may reduce the occurrence of potential toxic side effects. While it is clear that arginine can be safely used, the mechanism of its virus inactivation has not yet been elucidated. Here we examine the damages that viruses suffer from various physical and chemical stresses and their relations to virus inactivation and aggregation. Based on the relationship between the stress-induced structural damages and the infectivity of a virus, we will propose several plausible mechanisms describing the effects of arginine on virus inactivation using the current knowledge of aqueous arginine solution properties.
Brassica napus seed meal soil amendment modifies microbial community structure , nitric oxide production and incidence of Rhizoctonia root rot

A low glucosinolate content (21.8 mmol g) Brassica napus seed meal (RSM) applied to orchard soils altered communities of both pathogenic and saprophytic soil micro-organisms. RSM amendment reduced infection by native and introduced isolates of Rhizoctonia spp. and recovery of Pratylenchus spp. from apple roots. Root infection by Rhizoctonia solani AG-5 was also suppressed in split-root assays where a portion of the root system was cultivated in RSM-amended soils and the remainder grown in the presence of the pathogen but lacking RSM. R. solani hyphal growth was not inhibited by RSM amendment. Suppression of Pratylenchus was attained to an equivalent extent by amending soils with either RSM or soybean meal (SM) when applied to provide a similar N content. Thus, glucosinolate hydrolysis products did not appear to have a significant role in the suppression of Rhizoctonia spp. or Pratylenchus spp. obtained via RSM amendment. RSM amendment elevated populations of Pythium spp. and of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria that release nitric oxide but suppressed fluorescent pseudomonad numbers. Streptomyces spp. soil populations increased significantly in response to RSM but not SM amendment. The vast majority of Streptomyces spp. recovered from the apple rhizosphere produced nitric oxide and possessed a nitric oxide synthase homolog. We propose that transformations in the bacterial community structure are associated with the observed control of Rhizoctonia root rot, with NO production by soil bacteria potentially having a role in the induction of plant systemic resistance. q 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Misconception and concerns about bioidentical hormones used for custom-compounded hormone therapy.

The results of the Women’s Health Initiative hormone therapy (HT) trials have caused both apprehension and confusion about the overall risks and benefits associated with postmenopausal HT (1). Since the results were published, patient and clinician interest in potential alternatives to conventional HT has grown immensely and continues to grow. This appears to be particularly true for products or regimens that claim to have fewer risks and side effects than commercially available HT preparations. One commonly used alternative HT involves customcompounded hormone preparations. The hormones in these preparations include estrogen [17 -estradiol (estradiol), estrone, and/or estriol], progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone. The products can be prepared in individualized dosages and forms such as creams, gels, lotions, sublingual tablets, troches (lozenges) for buccal administration, and suppositories by compounding pharmacies from a clinician’s prescription. They are often touted by advocates as safer than commercially prepared HT products. Proponents also claim that customcompounded HT is associated with fewer side effects and may provide better symptom relief than conventional HT because the hormones used in the preparations are “bioidentical,” i.e. identical to those made in the body. The majority of these claims are unsubstantiated, and no rigorous randomized control trials have been carried out to support any of the claims. Because the customcompounding of HT products is not regulated, a particular concern is that some women may be overdosed, or treated with ineffective products, or subject to unidentified risk. The objectives of the present commentary are: 1) to show that the so-called “bioidentical” hormones in custom-compounded HT preparations may not be identical to those made in the body; and 2) to point out how the lack of regulation of these hormone products can cause adverse effects in postmenopausal women using them.
Enhanced Diapycnal Mixing by Salt Fingers in the Thermocline of the Tropical Atlantic

Diapycnal mixing plays a significant role in the ocean's circulation and uptake of heat and carbon dioxide, but has not been quantified in salt finger–driven thermohaline staircases. We recently performed a tracer release experiment in the western tropical Atlantic staircase at ∼400 m depth. The observed dispersion implies an effective diapycnal diffusivity for tracer and salt of 0.8 to 0.9 × 10–4 m2/s. Temperature microstructure data interpreted in terms of a vertical production-dissipation balance yields a smaller effective diffusivity for heat of 0.45 (± 0.2) × 10–4 m2/s, consistent with salt fingers and well above the mixing ascribable to mechanical turbulence.
The legionnaires’ outbreak in Barrow-in-Furness, summer 2002

Lessons learnt from the UK’s largest outbreak of legionnaires’ disease. If the term “catastrophe management” is not an oxymoron, the staff at Furness General Hospital in the north west of England are uniquely experienced in this area. In the summer of 2002 this 400 bed hospital was confronted with the UK’s largest ever outbreak of legionnaire’s disease.1 The disease was confirmed microbiologically in over 170 people, with 498 suspected cases being admitted to the hospital over a 10 day period. The mortality rate was about 3%. This compares favourably with another large recent outbreak in the Netherlands, where at least 188 people were infected by a contaminated fountain at a flower show (mortality 13%)2 and with sporadic cases in the UK (11% in 1998). 3 We feel that this was due to prompt recognition and appropriate management rather than low virulence of the organism. The outbreak also provided an early—and very public—test for the nascent Health Protection Agency (HPA). The trust was able to secure funding for a study reporting the hospital’s response to the incident and exploring the relation between the its major incident plan (drawn up in 1997 according to national guidance4) and what took place in practice. The study was reported in the Emergency Medicine Journal in April last year.5 The researchers interviewed in detail 15 managerial and clinical staff involved in the outbreak. In this editorial, inspired by that paper, some of the key players in the handling of the outbreak join the paper’s lead author to summarise the management of the outbreak and draw out some pointers for the future. A case of legionnaire’s disease was identified in Barrow-in-Furness on 30 July. A second case was identified in east Lancashire two days later; this person had recently visited Barrow and an …
Microalbuminuria in Patients With NIDDM: An Overview

We have come a long way in our understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical significance of albuminuria in patients with NIDDM. However, substantial gaps remain to be defined. NIDDM nephropathy is a serious and increasingly burdensome disease for both the diabetic individual and the society at large. Onset of microalbuminuria, an early but common manifestation of NIDDM nephropathy, marks an ominous turn for the NIDDM patient, in whom its development forecasts a grave cardiovascular outcome. Interception of albuminuria with antihypertensive agents such as ACE inhibitors in otherwise healthy NIDDM subjects holds a significant promise but must first await further investigation.
Nested preview control by utilizing virtual plane for biped walking pattern generation including COG up-down motion

This paper describes a nested preview control by utilizing virtual plane for biped walking pattern generation including Center Of Gravity (COG) up-down motion. A preview control is effective to generate the biped walking patterns online. We proposed a biped walking pattern generation in our past research. In the method, biped walking patterns including COG up-down motions were generated by using the preview control with the virtual plane. However, some Zero-Moment Point (ZMP) errors between ZMP references and ZMP outputs remain. This is because prospective information of the ZMP reference cannot be transformed to the virtual plane in the method. In this paper, the ZMP errors are therefore decreased by using a nested structure. Besides, 3-Dimensional (3D) walking is achieved in an experiment.
Prevalence, severity and determinants of asthma in Danish five‐year‐olds

Background: The prevalence of asthma and wheeze is increasing. Aim: To study the annual and cumulative prevalence of asthma and wheeze in 5‐y‐old Danish children. Methods: We obtained data on 3052 (82.0% of eligible) Danish children by a postal parental questionnaire including ISAAC questions regarding respiratory symptoms and our own questions on sociodemography and tobacco exposure. Results: “Wheeze ever” was reported in 38.3%, “doctor‐diagnosed asthma ever” in 10.5%, “childhood bronchitis ever” in 30.0%, “current wheeze” (<12 mo) in 19.7%, and being “severe” (>3 episodes) in 3.9% of the children. Current wheeze was associated with male gender (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.35–1.96), low parental post‐primary education (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.02–1.63 for <3 y vs ≥3 y) and current maternal smoking (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.39–2.04). “Severe current wheeze” was recognized as asthma in six and childhood bronchitis in three of 10 cases. Nearly all diagnosed asthmatics had suffered wheeze, two‐thirds recently.
Adjustable Robust Singular Value Decomposition: Design, Analysis and Application to Finance

The Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is a fundamental algorithm used to understand the structure of data by providing insight into the relationship between the row and column factors. SVD aims to approximate a rectangular data matrix, given some rank restriction, especially lower rank approximation. In practical data analysis, however, outliers and missing values maybe exist that restrict the performance of SVD, because SVD is a least squares method that is sensitive to errors in the data matrix. This paper proposes a robust SVD algorithm by applying an adjustable robust estimator. Through adjusting the tuning parameter in the algorithm, the method can be both robust and efficient. Moreover, a sequential robust SVD algorithm is proposed in order to decrease the computation volume in sequential and streaming data. The advantages of the proposed algorithms are proved with a financial application.