Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Case-control studies and Monte Carlo methods

It is well known that the presence of untractable normalizing constants in a probability density function complicates the calculation of maximum likelihood estimators. Usually numerical or Monte Carlo methods are employed in order to obtain an approximation. We propose a new statistical method for carrying out the calculations regarding maximum likelihood estimation by avoiding calculation of the normalizing constant. We formulate the problem as a semiparametric maximum likelihood estimation problem for a two samples model, where the ratio of two densities is known up to some parameters, but the forms of two densities themselves are unknown and one of the sample sizes can be chosen arbitrarily large. The two-sample semiparametric model–which is referred as density ratio model– arises naturally in case-control studies. Statistical inference techniques are developed for this model. Specifically, the semiparametric likelihood ratio statistic converges to a chi square random variable. Comparisons between the proposed method and the conventional estimated pseudo-likelihood method are studied. Monte Carlo simulations are implemented.
Charity is set up to improve adolescents’ health care

Doctors in England are being urged to join a newly launched association that aims to improve the health care of adolescents and listen to the needs of young people. A survey commissioned by the association to coincide with its launch has shown that although health professionals may be concerned about adolescents’ use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco young people themselves are more worried about body odour, self esteem, and acne. The Association for Young People’s Health (www.youngpeopleshealth.org.uk) has been formed to bring together organisations and professionals who work with young people across health, education, and social services. At the association’s launch last week the minister for public health, Dawn Primarolo, announced £27m (€36m; $53m) funding …
Histological characteristics predisposing to development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Aims Longstanding liver inflammation leads to hepatic regeneration and fibrosis, which subsequently progresses to cirrhosis in some patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. It remains unclear, however, if the histological severity of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may determine the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of necroinflammation and fibrosis at presentation of CHB on the development of HCC. Methods Medical records and radiographs of 796 biopsy-confirmed CHB patients were reviewed retrospectively for a median period of 107 months (6–218) (median age 34 years (18–64), male:female 636:160). Eighty-five per cent (680/796) of patients were treated with antiviral agents such as interferon alpha and/or lamivudine. All the patients were followed at a regular interval of 3–6 months with routine laboratory tests. Abdominal imagings together with serum alpha-fetoprotein were checked every 6–12 months to detect new HCC. Necroinflammation and fibrosis were assessed semiquantitatively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant risk factors for HCC. Results HCC developed in 3.4% (27/796) of patients during follow-up. The overall cumulative occurrence rates of HCC were 0.5% and 3.5% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age over 40 years (p<0.001), advanced fibrosis (p=0.006) and severe lobular activity (p=0.038) at presentation were independent risk factors for the development of HCC. Conclusion Advanced fibrosis and severe lobular activity rather than porto–periportal activity on histology at presentation of CHB are independent predisposing risk factors for the development of HCC.
A self-reconfiguration architecture for mesh arrays

Recent advances in VLSI technology has stimulated research in massively parallel computers to satisfy the continuously increasing demand for computer power in advanced science and technology applications. Mesh-interconnection is one of the most attractive interconnections and architectures for massively parallel computers. This paper addresses a new reconfigurable architecture to implement massively parallel mesh-arrays on a silicon wafer by wafer scale integration (WSI), which is expected as a promising technology to construct massively parallel computers on silicon wafers. The performance of the proposed scheme is discussed with respect to system yield. It is confirmed that the reconfigurable architecture without global information on the fault distribution achieves the same system yield as the earlier designs based on a graph theory which requires global information.
On ultrasonic detection of surface features

Ultrasonic range finding is an inexpensive means of obtaining 3-dimensional information about the surrounding environment. Because of this ultrasonic detection methods have received considerable attention recently, particularly in the robotic community. Unfortunately, ultrasonic range finding suffers from shortcomings that are not found in more expensive techniques such as laser range finding. For example, a laser range finder can determine both range from the sensor and location of the reflection surface due to the narrow beam used. The ultrasonic range finder beam is much larger and reflection surface location can only be determined approximately for any single range sample (it is only known that a reflecting surface lies somewhere on a segment of the surface of a sphere of range radius centered on the sensor). This paper discusses techniques for obtaining much better surface information under certain conditions. These techniques form the foundation for more sophisticated methods described in another paper for extracting surface features. The techniques can be used with other range sensors and look particularly promising for adaptively controlling a laser range finder. We will outline the mathematical techniques employed and discuss some experience obtained with a robot mounted ultrasonic range sensor.
Modeling of folds and folding pathways for some protein families of (α + β)- and (α/β)-classes

In this paper, updated structural trees for α/β-proteins containing five- and seven-segment (α/β)-motifs are represented. Novel structural motifs occurring in some families of (α + β)- and (α/β)-proteins are also characterized. Databases of these proteins have been compiled from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) and the corresponding structural trees have been constructed. The classification of these proteins has been developed and organized as an extension of the PCBOST database, which is available at http://strees.protres. ru. In total, the updated Protein Classification Based on Structural Trees database contains 11 structural trees, 106 levels, 635 folds, 4911 proteins and domains, and 14,202 PDB entries.
Development of a semi-automatic effective diversity gain measurement system for multi-antenna systems

Antenna diversity performance assessment measures are essential to multi-antenna systems. Among different evaluation metrics, the effective diversity gain is the ultimate ones since not only antenna characteristics but also environment factors are accounted. However, the conventional effective diversity gain measurement process is time consuming and labor intensive process. A semi-automatic measurement system is hence proposed in this work. Multiple antennas are connected to power detectors, which are controlled by a computer controlled AD/DA card. The system control program is coded in Labview. The whole system is mounted on a push cart. During the measurement process, the cart is moved manually in a multipath rich environment. Power levels received by antennas are recorded automatically. The proposed system can significantly reduce the time and labor required for the measurement. Measured data can be processed to yield the effective diversity gain of the tested multi-antenna system.
Deltamethrin induces mitochondrial membrane permeability and altered expression of cytochrome C in rat brain

Deltamethrin is a type II synthetic pyrethroid insecticide and is used extensively. Numerous studies have demonstrated that deltamethrin can cause severe central nervous system symptoms. The mechanism of neuro‐toxicity caused by deltamethrin is still poorly understood. This study investigated the effect of deltamethrin on the mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis pathway in rat brain. The cortex and hippocampus mitochondrial membrane potential, permeability transition, expression of cytochrome c and activity of cytochrome c oxidase was assayed at 5, 24, 48 and 72 h following deltamethrin treatment. The study observed that the membrane potential, change of absorbance at 540 nm (A540), intensities of cytochrome c in mitochondria and activity of cytochrome c oxidase in the cortex and hippocampus of treated groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. The results of the study demonstrated that deltamethrin induced a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased permeability, and reduced the expression of cytochrome c, thus depressing the activity of cytochrome c oxidase significantly. It indicates that deltamethrin may have an effect on mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis of nerve cells in the rat brain. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plataforma de Interacción Natural para el Acompañamiento Virtual

This work is focused to develop a virtual attendant which interacts with the user and takes into account his position in the environment. This feature provides access to services such as: services relative to the position and trajectory (for example, notice), oriented services to manage these parameters (for example, tracking and guiding to fixed and moving objects) or the description of the situation and/or trajectory.
Análisis genético molecular de la retinitis pigmetaria en dos familias que presentan diferentes modos de herencia mendeliana

La Retinitis Pigmentaria es una patologia hereditaria degenerativa de la retina que causa la muerte de las celulas fotorreceptoras por apoptosis. La prevalencia mundial de esta patologia se situa en tomo a 1:4000 individuos y esta considerada una de las principales causas de ceguera en el mundo desarrollado. La gran heterogeneidad genetica que presenta implica varias formas de herencia que se engloban en dos grandes categorias: mendeliana y no mendeliana. Los objetivos de esta Tesis Doctoral han sido identificar los genes responsables de la Retinitis Pigmentaria en dos familias con diferentes modos de herencia mendeliana -una de ellas con una forma ligada al cromosoma X y la otra con una forma autosomica recesiva- y evaluar la utilizacion de tecnologia de genotipado high-throughtput en el diagnostico genetico de dicha patologia. Como paso previo a la busqueda de los genes responsables de Retinitis Pigmentaria en ambas familias se ha realizado la exclusion de los genes y lod causales conocidos, bien mediante analisis de cosegregadon y ligamiento empleando marcadores STRs (Short Tandem Repeat) y SNPs (Single Nudeotide Potymorphism), bien mediante el uso de un array de genes de formas recesivas de la Retinitis Pigmentaria y Amaurosis Congenrta de Leber. Tras ello, se procedio a la secuenciacion de los exones y las regiones frontera exon-intron de los genes que no pudieron ser exduidos con el fin de identificar las posibles variantes de secuencia patogenicas. El analisis genetico molecular realizado sobre la familia afectada por una forma de Retinitis Pigmentaria ligada al cromosoma X no ha logrado determinar con absoluta certeza el gen responsable. El escrutinioide la practica totalidad del cromosoma X con 82 STRs y 33 SNPs, el cribado de 22 genes asodados a RP autosomica recesiva y la realizacion de un analisis de ligamiento de todo el genoma con 262264 marcadores SNPs, no han permitido acotar de manera consistente una region cromosomica que pudiese ser designada como candidata. Sin embargo, la utilizadon del array de genes en la familia con herencia autosomica recesiva senalo a MERTK como posible gen responsable. El analisis mutadonal de este gen revelo la presentia de una mutadon no descrita hasta el momento. Esta variante de secuenda patogenica afecta al sitio donante de splidng del intron 16 causando el skipping del exon 16 en el mRNA. Como consecuencia, se genera un cambio de pauta de lectura que introduce un codon de parada prematuro en el exon 17 dando lugar a un transcrito de mRNA alterado. Por todo lo anterior, se ha podido comprobar que las tecnicas de genotipado resultan una herramienta esendal para el diagnostico molecular de una patologia con una heterogeneidad genetica tan elevada como la mostrada por la Retinitis Pigmentaria.
Predictive Data Mining with Normalized Adaptive Training Method for Neural Networks

Predictive data mining is an upcoming and fast-growing field and offers a competitive edge for the benefit of organization. In recent decades, researchers have developed new techniques and intelligent algorithms for predictive data mining. In this research paper, we have proposed a novel training algorithm for optimizing neural networks for prediction purpose and to utilize it for the development of prediction models. Models developed in MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox have been tested for insurance datasets taken from a live data warehouse. A comparative study of the proposed algorithm with other popular first and second order algorithms has been presented to judge the predictive accuracy of the suggested technique. Various graphs have been presented to analyse the convergence behaviour of different algorithms towards point of minimum error.
Quantum Inspired Differential Evolution Algorithm

To enhance the optimization performance of differential evolution algorithm, by studying the implementation mechanism of differential evolution algorithm, a new idea of incorporating differential strategy and rotation of qubits in the Bloch sphere is proposed in this paper. In the proposed approach, the individuals are encoded by qubits described on Bloch sphere, and the rotation angles of qubits in current individual are obtained by differential strategy. The axis of rotation is designed by using vector product theory, and the rotation matrixes are constructed by using Pauli matrixes. Taking the corresponding qubits in current best individual as targets, the qubits in current individual are rotated to the target qubits about the rotation axis on the Bloch sphere. The Hadamard gates are used to mutate individuals. The simulation results of optimizing the minimum value of functions indicate that, for an iterative step, the average time of the proposed approach is 13 times as long as that of the classical differential evolution algorithm. When the same limited steps are applied in two approaches, the average optimization result of the proposed approach is 0.3 times as great as that of the classical differential evolution algorithm; when the same running time is applied in two approaches, the average optimization result of the proposed approach is 0.4 times as great as that of the classical differential evolution algorithm. These results suggest that the proposed approach is inefficient in computational ability; however, it is obviously efficient in optimization ability, and the overall optimization performance is better than that of the classical differential evolution algorithm.
Intimate Partner Homicide

Current rates of intimate partner homicide of females are approximately 4 to 5 times the rate for male victims, although the rates for both have decreased during the past 25 years. The major risk factor for intimate partner homicide, no matter if a female or male partner is killed, is prior domestic violence. This review presents and critiques the evidence supporting the other major risk factors for intimate partner homicide in general, and for intimate partner homicide of women (femicide) in particular, namely guns, estrangement, stepchild in the home, forced sex, threats to kill, and nonfatal strangulation (choking). The demographic risk factors are also examined and the related phenomena of pregnancy-related homicide, attempted femicide, and intimate partner homicide-suicide
Ceramic Chronology and Chronometric Dating

Abstract Stratigraphic and seriational analysis of the ceramics from La Blanca, Guatemala, resulted in the definition of a highly refined sequence. Within the 300 years of the Conchas phase (c. 900–600 b.c.) it is possible to define, minimally, a four-part subdivision. The four-part subdivision is based on a Stratigraphic analysis of the presence or absence of seven ceramic wares. However, experiments with seriational methods suggest that greater resolution may be obtained through the quantitative analysis of attribute frequencies. The chronological resolution obtained by these relative dating methods is at least equal to the resolution possible with chronometric methods.
Interactive SIGHT: textual access to simple bar charts

Information graphics, such as bar charts and line graphs, are an important component of many articles from popular media. The majority of such graphics have an intention (a high-level message) to communicate to the graph viewer. Since the intended message of a graphic is often not repeated in the accompanying text, graphics together with the textual segments contribute to the overall purpose of an article and cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, these visual displays are provided in a format which is not readily accessible to everyone. For example, individuals with sight impairments who use screen readers to listen to documents have limited access to the graphics. This article presents a new accessibility tool, the Interactive SIGHT (Summarizing Information GrapHics Textually) system, that is intended to enable visually impaired users to access the knowledge that one would gain from viewing information graphics found on the web. The current system, which is implemented as a browser extension that works on simple bar charts, can be invoked by a user via a keystroke combination while navigating the web. Once launched, Interactive SIGHT first provides a brief summary that conveys the underlying intention of a bar chart along with the chart's most significant and salient features, and then produces history-aware follow-up responses to provide further information about the chart upon request from the user. We present two user studies that were conducted with sighted and visually impaired users to determine how effective the initial summary and follow-up responses are in conveying the informational content of bar charts, and to evaluate how easy it is to use the system interface. The evaluation results are promising and indicate that the system responses are well-structured and enable visually impaired users to answer key questions about bar charts in an easy-to-use manner. Post-experimental interviews revealed that visually impaired participants were very satisfied with the system offering different options to access the content of a chart to meet their specific needs and that they would use Interactive SIGHT if it was publicly available so as not to have to ignore graphics on the web. Being a language based assistive technology designed to compensate for the lack of sight, our work paves the road for a stronger acceptance of natural language interfaces to graph interpretation that we believe will be of great benefit to the visually impaired community.
Divergent transcription and epigenetic directionality of human promoters

Genome‐wide datasets measuring nascent RNA have revealed that active human promoters frequently display divergent transcription, generating a stable mRNA in the forward direction toward the gene and a typically unstable one in the reverse direction away from the gene. Recent work has shown that these transcripts originate from two distinct core promoters within a single nucleosome‐free region (NFR). Different levels of forward and reverse activity lead to a wide range of directionality for promoter NFRs. Importantly, directionality is also reflected in the epigenetic modifications of nucleosomes immediately adjacent to the NFR. Here, we review the current literature pertaining to divergent transcription from promoter NFRs and its association with combinatorial histone post‐translational modifications, or chromatin states, on upstream and downstream nucleosomes. Finally, we discuss several models to interpret the directionality of promoter chromatin states.
Presystemic 24‐hydroxylation of oral 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 in rats

The metabolism of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 (25‐OHD3) was compared following its intracardial or gastric administration. The rats were deprived of calcium and vitamin D. A mixture of radiolabeled (0.3 μCi) and stable (2 μg) 25‐OHD3 was given as a single dose. After 24 h the rats given the dose by gastric tube had significantly lower serum concentrations of 25‐OHD3 and 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25‐(OH)2D3] than those injected intracardially. In contrast, serum 24,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25‐(OH)2D3] was much higher in the rats given the 25‐OHD3 dose by gastric tube (6.2 nmol/liter ±1.3 SD, n = 7) compared to the intracardial group (0.9 nmol/liter ± 0.5, p < 0.001). The preceding results were based on specific radioactivity of metabolites. The same findings were obtained by reanalyzing the samples using conventional competitive binding assays for 25‐OHD3, 1,25‐(OH)2D3, and 24,25‐(OH)2D3. The results show that orally administered 25‐OHD3 is partly metabolized to 24,25‐(OH)2D3 presystemically.
Intrathecal Immunoglobulin Synthesis in MS—A Complete Reappraisal

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by the intrathecal synthesis (ITS) of immunoglo‐ bulins (Igs), which, although nonspecific, is the strongest biological marker. Since no specific target has been elucidated, this synthesis is considered to be disease‐irrelevant. We demonstrate that this synthesis provides pertinent information about the pathophy‐ siological processes involved. Quantification of ITS is based on an approximation intrinsically underestimating its level and it remains constant in MS, albeit sometimes at a low level. B‐cell maturation seems to be initiated within the cervical lymph nodes and B‐cells traffic on both sides of the blood‐brain barrier by rounds of bidirectional traffic. During this process, they undergo somatic hypermutation, which is the hallmark of antigen‐driven antibody maturation, suggesting that most of the ITS is probably directed against as yet unknown targets. Alternatively, examining”non‐disease‐relevant” ITS in the light of meningeal tertiary lymphoid organs provides new insights into the patho‐ physiology of MS. Although no specific target has yet been identified in MS, recent developments in the search for targeted antigens point to non‐conventional antigens (posttranslationally modified proteins or oxidized products) of which a few are promising for future research.
Evaluation of the state of knowledge on hormone replacement therapy among climacteric women in the Lublin Voivodeship (Poland) Ocena stanu wiedzy kobiet w okresie klimakterium na temat hormonalnej terapii zastêpczej na terenie województwa lubelskiego (Polska)

In medical terminology, climacterium is defined as a period between the fertile phase and old age in women. It is described as a set of endocrinal, somatic and psychological changes experienced by women at the end of their fertile period and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 [1]. Women often use the terms “climacterium” and “menopause” inter chan geably to describe the period past the last phy sio logical menstruation. This is the period when patients report various, sometimes troublesome, discomforts interchangeably referred to as menopausal or climacteric discomforts [2]. Menopause is defined as the last physiological men­ strual bleeding followed by 12 months of amenorrhea provided that no pathological reasons for this condition can be identified [3]. Climacterium and menopause are physiological, na tu ral stages in the lives of all women. They are not con sideSummary