Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skin Intrinsic Fluorescence Is Associated With Hemoglobin A1c and Hemoglobin Glycation Index but Not Mean Blood Glucose in Children With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between skin advanced glycation end products (sAGEs) with mean blood glucose (MBG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and MBG-independent, between-patient differences in HbA1c among children with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Children aged 5 to 20 years with type 1 diabetes of at least 1 year duration participated. At a clinic visit, sAGE was estimated noninvasively by measurement of skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF). SIF data were adjusted to correct for variation in skin pigmentation. MBG-independent, between-patient differences in HbA1c were examined by statistically controlling HbA1c for MBG or alternatively by use of a hemoglobin glycation index (HGI). Results were similar whether HbA1c, MBG, and HGI were analyzed as single values from the time of the SIF examination visit or as the mean values from all available visits of the patient. RESULTS HbA1c was correlated with MBG (r = 0.5; P < 0.001; n = 110). HbA1c and HGI, but not MBG, were statistically associated with SIF after adjustment for age, duration of diabetes, race, sex, and BMI z-score. SIF increased with age and duration of diabetes and was higher in girls than boys. CONCLUSIONS sAGE levels estimated by SIF increase with age, duration of diabetes, and female sex. sAGE is correlated with MBG-independent biological variation in HbA1c, but not with MBG itself. These results suggest that factors besides MBG that influence HbA1c levels also contribute to accumulation of sAGE.
MTHFR Gene Polymorphism as a Risk Factor for Silent Brain Infarcts and White Matter Lesions in the Japanese General Population: The NILS-LSA Study

Background and Purpose— Silent brain infarcts (SBI) and white matter lesions are relatively common neuroimaging findings, especially in the elderly population. The genetic background for SBI and white matter lesions in a large Japanese general population was investigated. Methods— Subjects were recruited from participants in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging. Genotyping of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T gene mutation and brain MRI examination were performed in 1721 subjects free of any history of stroke. SBI and white matter lesions were diagnosed from MRI findings. Results— Of 1721 MRI examinations, SBI was observed in 178 (10.3%). The prevalence of SBI and white matter lesions increased with age. The prevalence of SBI was significantly higher in subjects with the MTHFR TT genotype compared with the TC+CC genotype (14.6% versus 9.5%; 42 of 288 versus 136 of 1433; &khgr;2=6.71;P =0.010). The stage of white matter lesions was not significantly different. In subjects ≥60 years of age (n=849), the prevalence of SBI was significantly higher in TT than TC+CC (27.7% versus 16.6%; 36 of 130 versus 119 of 719; &khgr;2=9.16;P =0.002). The prevalence of moderately advanced white matter lesions was also significantly higher in TT than TC+CC (60.7% versus 49.0%; 79 of 130 versus 352 of 719; &khgr;2=9.16;P =0.002). After correction for other risk factors, the MTHFR TT genotype was independently associated with SBI (odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.68;P =0.018) and moderately advanced white matter lesions (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.33;P =0.02). Conclusions— These findings indicate that the MTHFR TT genotype is an independent risk factor for SBI and white matter lesions in the general Japanese population, especially in elderly subjects.
Self-disclosure topic model for classifying and analyzing Twitter conversations

Self-disclosure, the act of revealing oneself to others, is an important social behavior that strengthens interpersonal relationships and increases social support. Although there are many social science studies of self-disclosure, they are based on manual coding of small datasets and questionnaires. We conduct a computational analysis of self-disclosure with a large dataset of naturally-occurring conversations, a semi-supervised machine learning algorithm, and a computational analysis of the effects of self-disclosure on subsequent conversations. We use a longitudinal dataset of 17 million tweets, all of which occurred in conversations that consist of five or more tweets directly replying to the previous tweet, and from dyads with twenty of more conversations each. We develop self-disclosure topic model (SDTM), a variant of latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) for automatically classifying the level of self-disclosure for each tweet. We take the results of SDTM and analyze the effects of self-disclosure on subsequent conversations. Our model significantly outperforms several comparable methods on classifying the level of selfdisclosure, and the analysis of the longitudinal data using SDTM uncovers significant and positive correlation between selfdisclosure and conversation frequency and length.
Multi-resolution analysis and fractional quantum Hall effect: more results

In a previous paper we have proved that any multi-resolution analysis of 2() produces, for even values of the inverse filling factor and for a square lattice, a single-electron wavefunction of the lowest Landau level (LLL) which, together with its (magnetic) translate, gives rise to an orthonormal set in the LLL. We have also discussed the inverse construction. In this paper we simplify the procedure, clarifying the role of the kq-representation. Moreover, we extend our previous results to the more physically relevant case of a triangular lattice and to odd values of the inverse filling factor. We also comment on other possible shapes of the lattice as well as on the extension to other Landau levels. Finally, just as a first application of our technique, we compute (an approximation of) the Coulomb energy for the Haar wavefunction, for a filling ν = 1/3.
Personality Change in Adulthood: Loci of Change and the Role of Interpersonal Process

This study examined personality change in two domains—dispositional tendencies (emotion traits) and characteristic adaptations (views of self) over eight years in a sample of older adults (M = 63.4). Stability coefficients for anxiety, depression, interest, anger, anger-in, anger-out, and aggression ranged from . 47 to . 75; only anger-out showed significant change over the eight years. On the other hand, respondents reported moderate changes in perspectives, goals, personality, feelings, and ways of relating and the ratings of outside informants were significantly correlated with self-reports of change for all but goals. Personality change was associated with positive and negative interpersonal life events of an intimate nature such as marriage, divorce, and death of loved ones that took place over the past eight years, and was not associated with other high and low points in lives involving careers, changes in residence, and more distant social relationships.
Fatigue Failure in Shear Loading of Porcine Lumbar Spine Segments

Study Design. An in vitro study on porcine spinal segments. Objectives. To determine the differences in mechanical behavior and fatigue strength in shear loading between intact spinal segments and segments without posterior elements, and between segments in neutral and flexed positions. Summary of Background Data. Limited data are available on shear strength of spinal segments. Literature suggests that shear loading can lead to failure of the posterior elements and failure of the disc, when the posterior elements cannot provide adequate protection. Methods. In 2 experiments, 18 and 20 spines of pigs (80 kg) were used, respectively. Shear strength of the T13–L1 segment was tested, while loaded with 1600-N compression. L2–L3 and L4–L5 segments were loaded with a sinusoidal shear between 20% and 80% of the strength of the corresponding T13–L1 segment and 1600-N compression. In experiment No. 1, the posterior elements were removed in half the segments. In experiment No. 2, half the segments were tested in the neutral position, and half were tested in 10° flexion. Results. The group without posterior elements had failure earlier than the intact group. In the group without posterior element, stiffness increased on failure; in the intact group, it decreased. In experiment No. 2, no differences between groups were found. Conclusions. Repetitive shear loading can induce failure of porcine spinal segments, likely caused by fracture of the posterior elements, and, although repetitive anterior shear forces can also induce disc damage, this appears not to occur in intact segments, not even when flexed close to maximal.
DMesh: Incorporating Practical Directional Antennas in Multichannel Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have been proposed as an effective solution for ubiquitous last-mile broadband access. Three key factors that affect the usability of WMNs are high throughput, cost-effectiveness, and ease of deployability. In this paper, we propose DMesh, a WMN architecture that combines spatial separation from directional antennas with frequency separation from orthogonal channels to improve the throughput of WMNs. DMesh achieves this improvement without inhibiting cost-effectiveness and ease of deployability by utilizing practical directional antennas that are widely and cheaply available (e.g., patch and yagi) in contrast to costly and bulky smart beamforming directional antennas. Thus, the key challenge in DMesh is to exploit spatial separation from such practical directional antennas despite their lack of electronic steerability and interference nulling, as well as the presence of significant sidelobes and backlobes. In this paper, we study how such practical directional antennas can improve the throughput of a WMN. Central to our architecture is a distributed, directional channel assignment algorithm for mesh routers that effectively exploits the spatial and frequency separation opportunities in a DMesh network. Simulation results show that DMesh improves the throughput of WMNs by up to 231% and reduces packet delay drastically compared to a multiradio multichannel omni antenna network. A DMesh implementation in our 16-node 802.11b WMN testbed using commercially available practical directional antennas provides transmission control protocol throughput gains ranging from 31% to 57%
Genomic signature is preserved in short DNA fragments

The "chaos game representation" (CGR) paradigm has been implemented to display the use of short oligonucleotides in genomes in the form of fractal images. These images can be considered as a genomic signature. Using an unsupervised classification approach, it is shown that short fragments of genomic sequences retain most of the characteristics of the species they come from. It thus appears possible to perform a global comparison of species by means of genome fragments found in databases. The efficiency of this approach is evaluated as a function of the size of the fragments and the length of the oligonucleotides.
The influence of experience on the reproducibility of the ankle-brachial systolic pressure ratio in peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

OBJECTIVES to estimate the intra-observer variability of the measurement of the ankle-brachial systolic pressure index (ABPI) and to compare the reproducibility of the measurements by experienced vascular laboratory assistants and by less-experienced general practice personnel. DESIGN repeated measurement of ABPI by general practitioners (GPs), GP-assistants and vascular laboratory assistants using a pocket Doppler device and a random-zero sphygmomanometer. METHODS AND MATERIALS ABPI was measured in six patients with various degrees of PAOD by two experienced observers (vascular laboratory assistants) and by 24 less-experienced observers (18 practice assistants, six GPs). RESULTS the total number of measurements was 354. The overall intra-observer variability estimate was 11.8% ABPI. The intra-observer variability was 7.3% in the experienced observers and 12.0% in the less-experienced observers. The difference of variability between experienced and less-experienced observers was significant. CONCLUSIONS the ABPI is suitable in follow-up studies where repeated measurements are needed. Differences between measurements can be minimised by performing repeated measurements or by using more experienced observers.
Lifestyle and Cancer Risk

AbstractThe global incidence of cancer is expected to increase substantially over the next decades. This trend is very much driven by a rise in lifestyle-related cancers due to economic and demographic transitions worldwide. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, diet, and physical inactivity, and also reproductive and hormonal factors are considered as causes of cancer and main targets for primary prevention. While smoking, which may be responsible for around 20% to 30% of all incident cancers, is clearly the strongest lifestyle-related risk factor overall, followed by alcohol consumption and obesity, the importance of specific factors for individual cancer types and subtypes varies greatly. Remarkably, it has been argued that half of all cancers in industrially developed and affluent societies could be avoided by nonsmoking, reducing alcohol consumption, weight control and physical activity, a plant-based diet, and breast-feeding.
Tractable Learning for Structured Probability Spaces: A Case Study in Learning Preference Distributions

Probabilistic sentential decision diagrams (PSDDs) are a tractable representation of structured probability spaces, which are characterized by complex logical constraints on what constitutes a possible world. We develop general-purpose techniques for probabilistic reasoning and learning with PSDDs, allowing one to compute the probabilities of arbitrary logical formulas and to learn PSDDs from incomplete data. We illustrate the effectiveness of these techniques in the context of learning preference distributions, to which considerable work has been devoted in the past. We show, analytically and empirically, that our proposed framework is general enough to support diverse and complex data and query types. In particular, we show that it can learn maximum-likelihood models from partial rankings, pairwise preferences, and arbitrary preference constraints. Moreover, we show that it can efficiently answer many queries exactly, from expected and most likely rankings, to the probability of pairwise preferences, and diversified recommendations. This case study illustrates the effectiveness and flexibility of the developed PSDD framework as a domain-independent tool for learning and reasoning with structured probability spaces.
The origin of the 1·73‐m2 body surface area normalization: problems and implications

A historical review of the origins of body surface area (BSA) determination reveals a number of theoretical and methodological errors, as does the choice of 1·73 m2 as the normal BSA for humans. BSA normalization is justifiable for some physiological variables, e.g. glomerular filtration rate and cardiac output, but not all. However, other normalization indices, in particular extracellular volume, offer theoretical and practical advantages compared with BSA. While the choice of the figure 1·73 m2 is essentially arbitrary, and inapplicable to modern Western populations, its retention as a permanent physiological constant is recommended, in order to permit international and historical comparisons.
Selective delivery of boron by the melanin precursor analogue p-boronophenylalanine to tumors other than melanoma.

The melanin precursor analogue p-boronophenylalanine (BPA) has been used to deliver 10B to melanoma tissue for boron neuron capture therapy. Uptake studies in tumor models other than melanoma now indicate that BPA is capable of delivering therapeutic amounts of boron to tumors other than melanoma. The KHJJ murine mammary tumor carried s.c. in BALB/c mice, the GS-9L rat glioma carried both s.c. and intracranially in F-344 rats, and the human U-87 MG glioma xenograft carried s.c. in nude mice have all shown significant accumulation of boron in tumor tissue following single p.o. (intragastric) doses of BPA. In this KHJJ mammary tumor, the L isomer of BPA was preferentially accumulated compared to the D isomer, indicative of a carrier-mediated transport process. Double-label, whole-body autoradiographic studies in a pigmented murine melanoma have shown that the boron distribution (from BPA) differs from the distribution of a tritiated melanin precursor (tyrosine). Boron accumulated only in the tumor; labeled tyrosine accumulated in tumor, liver, intestinal epithelium, bone-marrow, and secretory glands. Toxicity studies in mice and rabbits indicate that, even at very high doses, BPA p.o. caused no adverse effect in tissues, on blood chemistry, or on differential leukocyte counts. These data indicate that BPA may be generally useful as a boron delivery agent for boron neutron capture therapy of tumors.
Lack of Lipid A Pyrophosphorylation and Functional lptA Reduces Inflammation by Neisseria Commensals

ABSTRACT The interaction of the immune system with Neisseria commensals remains poorly understood. We have previously shown that phosphoethanolamine on the lipid A portion of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) plays an important role in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. For pathogenic Neisseria, phosphoethanolamine is added to lipid A by the phosphoethanolamine transferase specific for lipid A, which is encoded by lptA. Here, we report that Southern hybridizations and bioinformatics analyses of genomic sequences from all eight commensal Neisseria species confirmed that lptA was absent in 15 of 17 strains examined but was present in N. lactamica. Mass spectrometry of lipid A and intact LOS revealed the lack of both pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation in lipid A of commensal species lacking lptA. Inflammatory signaling in human THP-1 monocytic cells was much greater with pathogenic than with commensal Neisseria strains that lacked lptA, and greater sensitivity to polymyxin B was consistent with the absence of phosphoethanolamine. Unlike the other commensals, whole bacteria of two N. lactamica commensal strains had low inflammatory potential, whereas their lipid A had high-level pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation and induced high-level inflammatory signaling, supporting previous studies indicating that this species uses mechanisms other than altering lipid A to support commensalism. A meningococcal lptA deletion mutant had reduced inflammatory potential, further illustrating the importance of lipid A pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation in the bioactivity of LOS. Overall, our results indicate that lack of pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation of lipid A contributes to the immune privilege of most commensal Neisseria strains by reducing the inflammatory potential of LOS.
Variable expressivity and mutation databases: The androgen receptor gene mutations database

For over 50 years genetics has presumed that variations in phenotypic expression have, for the most part, been the result of alterations in genotype. The importance and value of mutation databases has been based on the premise that the same gene or allelic variation in a specific gene that has been proven to determine a specific phenotype, will always produce the same phenotype. However, recent evidence has shown that so called “simple” Mendelian disorders or monogenic traits are often far from simple, exhibiting phenotypic variation (variable expressivity) that cannot be explained solely by a gene or allelic alteration. The AR gene mutations database now lists 25 cases where different degrees of androgen insensitivity are caused by identical mutations in the androgen receptor gene. In five of these cases the phenotypic variability is due to somatic mosaicism, that is, somatic mutations that occur in only certain cells of androgen‐sensitive tissue. Recently, a number of other cases of variable expressivity have also been linked to somatic mosaicism. The impact of variable expressivity due to somatic mutations and mosaicism on mutation databases is discussed. In particular, the effect of an organism exhibiting genetic heterogeneity within its tissues, and the possibility of an organism’s genotype changing over its lifetime, are considered to have important implications for mutation databases in the future. Hum Mutat 17:382–388, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Parental consent for newborn screening in southern Taiwan

Objects: With the advent of genetic technologies, many genetic/metabolic disorders can be detected asymptomatically but might be untreatable, and the benefits and risks of screening for them are not fully known. The purpose of this study is to explore current practice with regard to the parental consent process in newborn screening (NBS). Design: Staff in 23 obstetric clinics/hospitals that conduct NBS in one city of southern Taiwan were interviewed. Using content analysis, 15 interview transcripts, eight completed questionnaires, and other relevant documents from the 23 clinics/hospitals were analysed to reveal the framework of the parental consent process in NBS in southern Taiwan. Main measures: Three categories—informed consent, informed dissent, and no informed/consent—were developed to analyse the parental consent process in NBS. Results: The parental consent procedures in NBS and the quality of the information provided before obtaining consent vary widely. Because the traditional NBS was incorporated into routine paediatric practices in most clinics/hospitals, the most frequently encountered consent model is “informed dissent” (60.9%) and “no informed/consent” (30.4%); while an “informed consent” model (45.5%) is the frequent model for screening rare metabolic/genetic disorders. Conclusions: Specific guidelines to regulate the parental consent process for NBS are essential. Further studies should investigate parental responses to NBS, taking these as the basis on which to establish an informed consent model in Taiwan.
Efficient modelling of mid to high frequency underwater acoustic propagation

Accurate prediction of the acoustic interference field at mid to high frequencies is computationally intensive, even for ray theory based models, and is of little practical use because the fine detail of the interference pattern is sensitive to the exact values of environmental parameters, such as bathymetry and sound speed, that are inherently uncertain. This paper considers an alternative approach in which a much faster incoherent beam model is used to compute the mean acoustic field, and the interference is treated as a statistical process based on a Rayleigh amplitude distribution. Excellent agreement was found between interference field statistics obtained using this hybrid approach, and those resulting from a full coherent transmission loss calculation whenever the horizontal separation between source and receiver was sufficiently large that there were many contributing ray paths.