Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A predictive instrument to improve coronary-care-unit admission practices in acute ischemic heart disease. A prospective multicenter clinical trial.

Each year 1.5 million patients are admitted to coronary-care units (CCUs) for suspected acute ischemic heart disease; for half of these, the diagnosis is ultimately "ruled out. " In this study, conducted in the emergency rooms of six New England hospitals ranging in type from urban teaching centers to rural nonteaching hospitals, we sought to develop a diagnostic aid to help emergency room physicians reduce the number of their CCU admissions of patients without acute cardiac ischemia. From data on 2801 patients, we developed a predictive instrument for use in a hand-held programmable calculator, which requires only 20 seconds to compute a patient's probability of having acute cardiac ischemia. In a prospective trial that included 2320 patients in the six hospitals, physicians' diagnostic specificity for acute ischemia increased when the probability value determined by the instrument was made available to them. Rates of false-positive diagnosis decreased without any increase in rates of false-negative diagnosis. Among study patients with a final diagnosis of "not acute ischemia," the number of CCU admissions decreased 30 per cent, without any increase in missed diagnoses of ischemia. The proportion of CCU admissions that represented patients without acute ischemia dropped from 44 to 33 per cent. Widespread use of this predictive instrument could reduce the number of CCU admissions in this country by more than 250,000 per year.
A kit to facilitate and standardize the processing of sputum for measurement of airway inflammation.

BACKGROUND The use of inflammometry has been shown to be effective for managing asthma. However, sputum processing can be time consuming. Furthermore, methods of sputum processing can vary among facilities. To help with standardization and to simplify the procedure for laboratory staff, a novel, commercially available processing device (Accufilter, Cellometrics Inc, Canada) has been developed. OBJECTIVE To assess the validity of the Accufilter device and kit for recovery of treated specimens, and for quantitative sputum inflammatory cell counts by comparing intrasample measurements with those using the same procedure without the Accufilter device and kit. METHODS The present study was a wet laboratory comparison of induced sputum cell counts obtained from sputum processed with versus without the device and kit. Comparisons of each sputum specimen were performed by the same technologist in random order. RESULTS A total of 39 samples were processed using both the standard method and the Accufilter device. The intraclass correlation coefficients were high for the weight of the filtrate, and for eosinophil and neutrophil differential counts. CONCLUSION A good degree of agreement of results was apparent when the two methods were compared. The differences noted between both methods were minimal and did not modify clinical interpretation. The use of the Accufilter device and kit can be used in place of the standard method for sputum quantitative analysis, especially in centres with large sample loads.
GUIDEBOOK ON METHODS TO ESTIMATE NON-MOTORIZED TRAVEL: OVERVIEW OF METHODS

This guidebook provides a means for practitioner to better understand and estimate bicycle and pedestrian travel and to address transportation planning needs. The guidebook describes and compares the various methods that can be used to forecast non-motorized travel demand or that otherwise support the prioritization and analyses of non-motorized projects. These methods are categorized according to four major purposes: (1) demand estimation; (2) relative demand potential; (3) supply quality analysis; and (4) supporting tools and techniques. Discrete choice models, regional travel models, sketch plan methods, facility demand potential, bicycle compatibility measures, and geographic information systems are among the methods and tools described. Overview of Methods provides a concise overview for each available method, including some typical applications, pros and cons, and a quick reference guide on ease of use, data requirements, sensitivity to design factors, and whether widely used. In addition, it discusses general issues for consideration in forecasting non-motorized travel demand, such as the dimension of travel behavior and factors influencing bicycling and walking, and identifies future needs in this area. Supporting Documentation provides substantially more detail on the methods including purpose, structure, input/data needs, assumptions, and real-world applications. It also contains an extensive annotated bibliography of references on demand forecasting methods, supporting tools and techniques, and factors influencing the choice to walk or bicycle, as well as potential contacts in this field.
An integrative review of subjective and objective measures of sleep disturbances in breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND Sleep disturbances are recognized as a side effect of cancer treatment, affecting physiological and psychological functioning. Sleep disturbances can persist through treatment and survivorship, and are increasingly prevalent among breast cancer survivors (BCSs). OBJECTIVES The purpose of this review is to summarize current research on subjective and objective measures of sleep disturbances, the association between subjective and objective measures, and interventions used to manage sleep disturbances among BCSs after the completion of treatment. METHODS Articles published from 2003-2013 were retrieved using PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Key search terms included breast cancer, sleep actigraphy, and sleep disturbances. Articles assessing sleep subjectively and objectively in the post-treatment period were included. FINDINGS Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria.
Angiopoietin-1 and Angiopoietin-2 Share the Same Binding Domains in the Tie-2 Receptor Involving the First Ig-like Loop and the Epidermal Growth Factor-like Repeats*

Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) have been identified as ligands with different effector functions of the vascular assembly and maturation-mediating receptor tyrosine kinase Tie-2. To understand the molecular interactions of the angiopoietins with their receptor, we have studied the binding of Ang-1 and Ang-2 to the Tie-2 receptor. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based competition assays and co-immunoprecipitation experiments analyzing the binding of Ang-1 and Ang-2 to truncation mutants of the extracellular domain of Tie-2 showed that the first Ig-like loop of Tie-2 in combination with the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats (amino acids 1–360) is required for angiopoietin binding. The first Ig-like domain or the EGF-like repeats alone are not capable of binding Ang-1 and Ang-2. Concomitantly, we made the surprising finding that Tie-2 exon-2 knockout mice do express a mutated Tie-2 protein that lacks 104 amino acids of the first Ig-like domain. This mutant Tie-2 receptor is functionally inactive as shown by the lack of ligand binding and receptor phosphorylation. Collectively, the data show that the first 104 amino acids of the Tie-2 receptor are essential but not sufficient for angiopoietin binding. Conversely, the first 360 amino acids (Ig-like domain plus EGF-like repeats) of the Tie-2 receptor are necessary and sufficient to bind both Ang-1 and Ang-2, which suggests that differential receptor binding is not likely to be responsible for the different functions of Ang-1 and Ang-2.
Estimating response obligation in multi-party human-robot dialogues

When a robot interacts with users in public spaces, it receives various sounds, such as surrounding noises and users' voices, and furthermore needs to interact with multiple people at the same time. In this paper, we present a machine learning-based method to estimate a response obligation, i.e., whether an input sound should be responded to by the robot or not. This enables the robot to reject not only noises but also monologues and user utterances toward other users. Our proposed method uses not only acoustic information but also users' motions and postures during a sound segment as features. In addition, user behaviors after a sound segment are taken into account to exploit typical user behaviors in human-robot interaction; for example, a user often stands still when he/she speaks to a robot. Experimental results showed our proposed model significantly outperformed a baseline. We found that user behaviors both during and after sound segments are helpful for estimating the response obligation.
Evaluation of MERIS Chlorophyll-a Retrieval Processors in a Complex Turbid Lake Kasumigaura over a 10-Year Mission

Abstract: The chlorophyll-a (Chla) products of seven processors developed for the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor were evaluated. The seven processors, based on a neural network and band height, were assessed over an optically complex water body with Chla concentrations of 8.10–187.40 mg∙m−3 using 10-year MERIS archival data. These processors were adopted for the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) sensor. Results indicated that the four processors of band height (i.e. the Maximum Chlorophyll Index (MCI_L1); and Fluorescence Line Height (FLH_L1)); neural network (i.e. Eutrophic Lake (EUL); and Case 2 Regional (C2R)) possessed reasonable retrieval accuracy with root mean square error (R2) in the range of 0.42–0.65. However, these processors underestimated the retrieved Chla > 100 mg∙m−3, reflecting the limitation of the band height processors to eliminate the influence of non-phytoplankton matter and highlighting the need to train the neural network for highly turbid waters. MCI_L1 outperformed other processors during the calibration and validation stages (R2 = 0.65, Root mean square error (RMSE) = 22.18 mg∙m−3, the mean absolute relative error (MARE) = 36.88%). In contrast, the results from the Boreal Lake (BOL) and Free University of Berlin (FUB) processors demonstrated their inadequacy to accurately retrieve Chla concentration > 50 mg∙m−3, mainly due to the limitation of the training datasets that resulted in a high MARE for BOL (56.20%) and FUB (57.00%). Mapping the spatial distribution of Chla concentrations across Lake Kasumigaura using the seven processors showed that all processors—except for the BOL and FUB—were able to accurately capture the Chla distribution for moderate and high Chla concentrations. In addition, MCI_L1 and C2R processors were evaluated over 10-years of monthly measured Chla as they demonstrated the best retrieval accuracy from both groups (i.e. band height and neural network, respectively). The retrieved Chla of MCI_L1 was more accurate at tracking seasonal and annual variation in Chla than C2R, with only slight overestimation occurring during the springtime.
SYNCHRONIZING AND STABILIZATION OF WEAK GRIDS WITH VSC AND NONLINEAR POWER DAMPING CONTROL

This paper presents a new methodology for a weak grid is to make possible the addition of voltage source converters more effective. The controller is mainly composed of two parts, namely linear power damping and synchronizing controller and a supplementary nonlinear controller. The first part synchronizes a voltage source converter (VSC) to the grid by supplying damping and synchronizing power components automatically and injects full power under very weak grid conditions. The frequency and angle regulation of the linear controller are choosen from the cascaded angle, frequency and power loops. Inspite of stable and smooth operation of linear controller in various cases, the stability of the weak grids cannot be guaranteed under sudden large transients which quickly transfers system dynamics to nonlinear region. In order to succeed this problem, the second part i.e the supplementary nonlinear controller is designed along with the linear controller to intensify the performance of the system under certain large disturbances such as low power and high power injection, self -synchronization and fault- ride-through conditions in weak grids. Simulation results of the proposed controller were carried out in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. Simulation results prove that the proposed nonlinear controller improves the performance of the system under abnormal disturbances and shows the effective working of the controller. By replacing the dc source of the controller with a photovoltaic system, improved profiles are obtained and the cost of operation of the entire system is reduced than before which are to be observed from the simulation results of the replaced controller.
Depth based Occlusion Detection and Localization from 3D Face Image

In this paper, authors have proposed two novel techniques for occlusion detection and then localization of the occluded section from a given 3D face image if occlusion is present. For both of these methods, at first, the 2.5D or range face images are created from input 3D face images. Then for detecting the occluded faces, two approaches have been followed, namely: block based and threshold based. These two methods have been investigated individually on Bosphorus database for localization of occluded portion. Bosphorus database consists of different types of occlusions, which have been considered during our research work. If 2D and 3D images are compared then 3D images provide more reliable, accurate, valid information within digitized data. In case of 2D images each point, named as pixel, is represented by a single value. One byte for gray scale and three byte for color images in a 2D grid whereas in case of 3D, there is no concept of 2D grid. Each point is represented by three values, namely X, Y and Z. The ‘Z’ value in X-Y plane does not contain the reflected light energy like 2D images. The facial surface’s depth data is included in Z’s point set. The threshold or cutoff based technique can detect the occluded faces with the accuracy 91.79% and second approach i.e. block based approach can successfully detect the same with the success rate of 99.71%. The accuracy of the proposed occlusion detection scheme has been measured as a qualitative parameter based on subjective fidelity criteria.
Etanercept improves linear growth and bone mass acquisition in MTX-resistant polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES Chronic inflammation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis interferes with linear growth and bone mass acquisition. We prospectively evaluated and compared linear growth and evolution of bone mass acquisition and body composition in MTX-resistant polyarticular-course JIA (polyJIA) patients started on etanercept and in recently diagnosed polyJIA patients started on MTX monotherapy. METHODS Sixteen MTX-resistant polyJIA patients were given add-on etanercept, eight recently diagnosed polyJIA patients were started on MTX. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 6, 12 and 18 months with respect to disease activity, linear growth, BMD and body composition. RESULTS Baseline patient and disease characteristics were similar in both groups. Clinical disease activity (Pediatric ACR30) was equally well controlled in both groups. Growth velocity increased significantly allowing catch-up growth in the etanercept + MTX group only. BMD (lumbar spine Z-score) improved significantly in both groups. A significant increase of bone mineral content and lean:fat mass ratio was seen in the etanercept + MTX group, but not in the MTX group. CONCLUSION Clinical control of disease activity by etanercept in MTX-refractory polyJIA is associated with rapidly instituted catch-up growth and improvement of bone mineralization and body composition. In recently diagnosed polyJIA patients treated with MTX the relation between clinical response and these parameters was less evident. Preliminary data on serum IL-6 and osteoprotegerin levels indicate that the beneficial effects seen with etanercept therapy may be related to its control of systemic IL-6 production and enhancement of osteoblast activity.
Soybean isoflavones. Characterization, determination, and antifungal activity.

~~~~~ ~ ~ with 60% ethanol of commercially defatted soybean flakes and subsequent evaporation of the ethanol. Ten kilograms of soybean flakes yielded approximately 3 kg of syrup. A portion of the syrup (3.5 1.) was stirred with two volumes of acetone for 2 hr at room temperature for extraction of the isoflavones. The isolation and separation of the isoflavone glycosides were carried out according to Naim et al. (1973). The glycosides were separated by chelation of those bearing an unsubstituted hydroxyl group at Cg
Endothelial function and cardiovascular risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in remission phase

To the editorUlcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD)are the main chronic inﬂammatory disorders ofdigestive tract (inﬂammatory bowel disease [IBD])[1]. There is evidence that patients with IBD are atincreased thrombotic risk compared to generalpopulation since it has been demonstrated that IBDare associated with subclinical atherosclerosis,endothelial dysfunction and increased carotidintima-media thickness [2,3]. Intestinal vessels mayshow a microvascular endothelial dysfunction in IBD,which correlates to intestinal activity. In a previousstudy [4], we demonstrated that subjects sufferingfrom IBD in an active phase show an endothelialdysfunction, measured by brachial ﬂow-mediateddilatation (FMD). Therefore, we report here resultsabout the endothelial function assessed by FMD in agroup of IBD patients in remission phase.A total of 58 (men/female: 30/28, mean age 43.95 ±15.15 years) patients with IBD, 29 CD and 29 UC,were recruited. Forty healthy controls matched forgender and age were enrolled. Diagnosis was basedon standard clinical, endoscopic and histologicalcriteria. Disease activity was assessed according toHarvey–Bradshaw index (HBI) for CD and GlobalDisease activity index (Mayo) for UC.Mean HBI was 1.57 ± 1.23, range 0–4, while DAIwas constantly 0 points, except for two patients whohad Mayo 1 (0.07 ± 0.26). C-reactive protein (CRP)anderythrocytesedimentationrate(ESR)werewithinnormalvaluesbothinIBDandcontrols(TableI). IBDpatients were under medical treatment (salicylatesand/orazathioprine). Physicalexamination,laboratoryinvestigations,electrocardiography,ambulatorybloodpressure monitoring, ultrasound examination of thecarotid arteries (Intima-Media thickness [IMT]) andbrachialarteryFMDwereperformed,accordingtotheprotocol of our previous experience [4–6]. Comparisons between groups were analyzed usingStudent’s t test for independent samples, ANOVAplus Neuman–Keuls. Frequencies were comparedusing chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test. ThePearson’s coefﬁcient of correlation (R) was calcu-lated. Multiple regression analysis was then appliedto evaluate independent associations and confound-ing parameters.As reported in Table I, cases and controls were notsigniﬁcantly different, except for triglycerides levels
A semiparametric recurrent events model with time‐varying coefficients

We consider a recurrent events model with time‐varying coefficients motivated by two clinical applications. We use a random effects (Gaussian frailty) model to describe the intensity of recurrent events. The model can accommodate both time‐varying and time‐constant coefficients. We use the penalized spline method to estimate the time‐varying coefficients. We use Laplace approximation to evaluate the penalized likelihood without a closed form. We estimate the smoothing parameters in a similar way to variance components. We conduct simulations to evaluate the performance of the estimates for both time‐varying and time‐independent coefficients. We apply this method to analyze two data sets: a stroke study and a child wheeze study. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and Synthesis of Highly Active Peroxisome Proliferator‐Activated Receptor (PPAR) β/δ Inverse Agonists with Prolonged Cellular Activity

Based on 3‐(((4‐(hexylamino)‐2‐methoxyphenyl)amino)sulfonyl)‐2‐thiophenecarboxylic acid methyl ester (ST247, compound 2), a recently described peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)β/δ‐selective inverse agonist, we designed and synthesized a series of structurally related ligands. The structural modifications presented herein ultimately resulted in a series of ligands that display increased cellular activity relative to 2. Moreover, with methyl 3‐(N‐(2‐(2‐ethoxyethoxy)‐4‐(hexylamino)phenyl)sulfamoyl)thiophene‐2‐carboxylate (PT‐S264, compound 9 u), biologically relevant plasma concentrations in mice were achieved. The compounds presented in this study will provide useful novel tools for future investigations addressing the role of PPARβ/δ in physiological and pathophysiological processes.
Delivering Ideal Employee Experiences

Employee-centric strategies have moved from employee satisfaction and brand awareness to employee “affinity” or “attachment. ” In today's marketplace, occupational health nurses understand that differentiation (i.e., the perception of uniqueness) is the direct result of superior employee interactions, which lead to better employee care, enduring employee relationships, loyal employees, and satisfied employers. What drives employees to occupational health nurse attachment? The answer is a passion for rising above the competition to create ideal employee experiences.
The Efficacy of an Educational Treatment Program for Patients with Epilepsy (MOSES): Results of a Controlled, Randomized Study

Summary: Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the educational program MOSES (Modular Service Package Epilepsy). It was developed to improve patients' knowledge and understanding about their epilepsy, its treatment, and psychosocial consequences. The program intends to improve patients' coping with the disease, to strengthen self‐esteem, and to support patients to become experts in managing their epilepsy.
Multi-function and cascadable MEMS logic device

We present a reprogrammable Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) logic device that can perform the fundamental logic gate AND, a universal logic gate NAND, and a tristate logic gate using mixed-frequency excitation. The concept is based on exciting combination resonances due to the mixing of two or more input signals. The device vibrates at two steady states; a high state when the combination resonance is activated and a low state when no resonance is activated. These vibration states are assigned to logical value 1 or 0 to realize these logic gates. Using AC signals to drive the resonator and to execute the logic inputs unifies the input and output wave forms of the logic device, thereby opening the possibility for cascading among logic devices. Moreover, the ability to perform these logic operations at any input frequency using frequency mixing techniques allows for overcoming the limitation of having a fixed operating frequency. These characteristics of such logic devices lay down the basis to achieve complex computing operations.
Uniform access to Internet directory services

As networks and internetworks of computers expand in size and scope, discovery and location of resources becomes a primary function of the networked computing environment. Static tables describing network resources have been replaced by dynamic directory services, such as X.500 and the Internet Domain Name System. These dynamic directory services provide more timely and accurate information about network resources than static tables. A wide variety of services address various components of the resource discovery and location problem. These services can be loosely classified as either low-level protocols or high-level services. Low-level protocols, such as RARP and ICMP, are simple delivery protocols and provide limited information; high-level services, such as the Internet Domain Name System and X.500, use complex delivery protocols to answer complex queries. Neither class of directory service is appropriate in all situations. Low-level services are too restrictive in the type of queries and information they support, while high-level services may be too expensive for some low-function networks.