Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yellow fever vaccination during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion: a case‐control study

objective To assess a possible association between Yellow fever (YF) vaccine (inadvertently) administered during early pregnancy and spontaneous abortion.method A hospital‐based case‐control study conducted in a Brazilian town after a YF vaccine campaign that followed an epidemic of dengue. The study included 39 women who attended a university hospital with spontaneous abortion (cases) and 74 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of that hospital (controls). results The crude odds ratio (relative risk estimate) of this association was 2.49, which dropped to 2.29 (95% CI 0.65–8.03) when adjusted for several confounders by multiple logistic regression. Dengue and exposure to organophosphate insecticide fogging during pregnancy were not associated with spontaneous abortion.conclusion This study, although small and with low power, provides some evidence that women vaccinated with YF vaccine during early pregnancy have an increased risk of having spontaneous abortion. Based on these findings a sensible recommendation should be to avoid YF vaccination of pregnant women unless their risk of acquiring YF outweighs the risk of vaccine‐related abortion.
Complete intersection singularities of splice type as universal abelian covers

It has long been known that every quasi-homogeneous normal complex surface singularity with Q-homology sphere link has universal abelian cover a Brieskorn complete intersection singularity. We describe a broad generalization: First, one has a class of complete intersection normal complex surface singularities called "splice type singularities", which generalize Brieskorn complete intersections. Second, these arise as universal abelian covers of a class of normal surface singularities with Q-homology sphere links, called "splice-quotient singularities". According to the Main Theorem, splice-quotients realize a large portion of the possible topologies of singularities with Q-homology sphere links. As quotients of complete intersections, they are necessarily Q-Gorenstein, and many Q-Gorenstein singularities with Q-homology sphere links are of this type. We conjecture that rational singularities and minimally elliptic singularities with Q-homology sphere links are splice-quotients. A recent preprint of T Okuma presents confirmation of this conjecture.
T cells compete by cleaving cell surface CD27 and blocking access to CD70‐bearing APCs

T cells compete against each other for access to molecules on APCs in addition to peptide/MHC complexes. However, the identity of cell surface molecules that influence T‐cell competition, other than peptide/MHC, have yet to be defined. Here, we identify CD70, a TNF ligand expressed on activated APCs, as an important mediator of T‐cell competition for APCs. Upon engagement of CD27 by CD70, CD27 is proteolytically cleaved from the surface of the interacting CD8+ T cell and captured by CD70 expressing dendritic cells. The capture of CD27 effectively masks CD70 on APCs, disallowing the interaction with CD27 on other competing T cells. Collectively, our data indicate that T cells compete against each other for access to the TNF‐ligand CD70, an interaction that affects the duration and potency of T cell/DC interactions, thus influencing the repertoire of responding CD8+ T cells to self or foreign antigens.
The Distinct Effects of Information Technology and Communication Technology on Firm Organization

Empirical studies on information communication technologies (ICT) typically aggregate the “information” and “communication” components together. We show theoretically and empirically that these have very different effects on the empowerment of employees, and by extension on wage inequality. If managerial hierarchies are devices to acquire and transmit knowledge and information, technologies that reduce information costs enable agents to acquire more knowledge and ‘empower’ lower level agents. Conversely, technologies reducing communication costs substitute agent’s knowledge for directions from their managers, and lead to centralization. Using an original dataset of firms in the US and seven European countries we study the impact of ICT on worker autonomy, plant manager autonomy and spans of control. Consistently with the theory we find that better information technologies (Enterprise Resource Planning for plant managers and CAD/CAM for production workers) are associated with more autonomy and a wider span of control. By contrast, communication technologies (like data networks) decrease autonomy for both workers and plant managers. Our findings are robust to using exogenous variation in cross-country telecommunication costs arising from differential regulatory regimes.
Molecular simulations of phosphonium-based ionic liquid

Compared with imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs), phosphonium-based ILs have been proven to be more stable in thermodynamics and less expensive to manufacture. In this work, a kind of phosphonium-based IL, [PC6C6C6C14][Tf2N], was studied under several conditions using molecular dynamics simulations based on both the all-atom force field (AAFF) and the united-atom force field. Liquid density was calculated to validate the force field. Compared with experimental data, good agreement was obtained for the simulated density based on the AAFF. Heat capacities at constant pressure were calculated at several temperatures, and good linear relationships were observed. Self-diffusion coefficients, viscosities and conductivities were also calculated to study the dynamics properties of this IL. The viscosity of this IL at 293 K was also compared with experimental data, and the error was in a reasonable range. In order to depict the microstructures of the IL, centre-of-mass and site-to-site radial distribution functions were employed. In addition, spatial distribution functions were investigated to present the more intuitive features.
Use of Long-term Cultured Embryoid Bodies May Enhance Cardiomyocyte Differentiation by BMP2

Purpose Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can proliferate for a prolonged period and differentiate into cardiomyocytes in vitro. Recent studies used bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) to generate cardiomyocytes from hESCs, however, all those studies used early embryoid bodies (EBs) and did not retrieve cardiomyocytes with a high yield. In this study, we treated long-term cultured EBs with BMP2 in order to promote differentiation into cardiomyocytes from hESCs. Materials and Methods hESC lines, including SNUhES3 and SNUhES4, were used in this study. Undifferentiated hESC colonies were detached to form EBs and cultured for up to 30 days. These long-term cultured EBs were differentiated into cardiomyocytes in serum-containing media. In our protocol, BMP2 was applied for 5 days after attachment of EBs. Cardiac specific markers, beating of differentiated cells and electron microscopic (EM) ultrastructures were evaluated and analyzed. Results Compared to 10-day or 20-day EBs, 30-day EBs showed a higher expression level of cardiac specific markers, Nkx2.5 and α-myosin heavy chain (αMHC). Treatment of BMP2 increased expression of cardiac troponin (cTn) I and α-actinin when evaluated at 20 days after attachment of 30-day EBs. Beating of differentiated cells was observed from 7 to 20 days after attachment. Moreover, EM findings demonstrated fine structures such as Z bands in these differentiated cardiomyocytes. These long-term cultured EBs yielded cardiomyocytes with an efficiency of as high as 73.6% when assessed by FACS. Conclusion We demonstrated that the use of long-term cultured EBs may enhance differentiation into cardiomyocytes from hESCs when treated with BMP2.
Stability in community-acquired pneumonia: one step forward with markers?

Background: Biological markers as an expression of systemic inflammation have been recognised as useful for evaluating the host response in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the biological markers procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) might reflect stability after 72 h of treatment and the absence of subsequent severe complications. Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed in 394 hospitalised patients with CAP. Clinical stability was evaluated using modified Halm’s criteria: temperature ⩽37.2°C; heart rate ⩽100 beats/min; respiratory rate ⩽24 breaths/min; systolic blood pressure ⩾90 mm Hg; oxygen saturation ⩾90%; or arterial oxygen tension ⩾60 mm Hg. PCT and CRP levels were measured on day 1 and after 72 h. Severe complications were defined as mechanical ventilation, shock and/or intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or death after 72 h of treatment. Results: 220 patients achieved clinical stability at 72 h and had significantly lower levels of CRP (4.2 vs 7 mg/dl) and of PCT (0.33 vs 0.48 ng/ml). Regression logistic analyses were performed to calculate several areas under the ROC curve (AUC) to predict severe complications. The AUC for clinical stability was 0.77, 0.84 when CRP was added (p = 0.059) and 0.77 when PCT was added (p = 0.45). When clinical stability was achieved within 72 h and marker levels were below the cut-off points (0.25 ng/ml for PCT and 3 mg/dl for CRP), no severe complications occurred. Conclusions: Low levels of CRP and PCT at 72 h in addition to clinical criteria might improve the prediction of absence of severe complications.
Racemization of Serine Residues Catalyzed by Dihydrogen Phosphate Ion: A Computational Study

Spontaneous, nonenzymatic reactions in proteins are known to have relevance to aging and age-related diseases, such as cataract and Alzheimer’s disease. Among such reactions is the racemization of Ser residues, but its mechanism in vivo remains to be clarified. The most likely intermediate is an enol. Although being nonenzymatic, the enolization would need to be catalyzed to occur at a biologically relevant rate. In the present study, we computationally found plausible reaction pathways for the enolization of a Ser residue where a dihydrogen phosphate ion, H2PO4−, acts as a catalyst. The H2PO4− ion mediates the proton transfer required for the enolization by acting simultaneously as both a general base and a general acid. Using the B3LYP density functional theory method, reaction pathways were located in the gas phase and hydration effects were evaluated by single-point calculations using the SM8 continuum model. The activation barriers calculated for the reaction pathways found were around 100 kJ mol−1, which is consistent with spontaneous reactions occurring at physiological temperature. Our results are also consistent with experimental observations that Ser residue racemization occurs more readily in flexible regions in proteins.
The Stem-Loop Binding Protein Is Required for Efficient Translation of Histone mRNA In Vivo and In Vitro

ABSTRACT Metazoan replication-dependent histone mRNAs end in a conserved stem-loop rather than in the poly(A) tail found on all other mRNAs. The 3′ end of histone mRNA binds a single class of proteins, the stem-loop binding proteins (SLBP). In Xenopus, there are two SLBPs: xSLBP1, the homologue of the mammalian SLBP, which is required for processing of histone pre-mRNA, and xSLBP2, which is expressed only during oogenesis and is bound to the stored histone mRNA in Xenopus oocytes. The stem-loop is required for efficient translation of histone mRNAs and substitutes for the poly(A) tail, which is required for efficient translation of other eucaryotic mRNAs. When a rabbit reticulocyte lysate is programmed with uncapped luciferase mRNA ending in the histone stem-loop, there is a three- to sixfold increase in translation in the presence of xSLBP1 while xSLBP2 has no effect on translation. Neither SLBP affected the translation of a luciferase mRNA ending in a mutant stem-loop that does not bind SLBP. Capped luciferase mRNAs ending in the stem-loop were injected into Xenopus oocytes after overexpression of either xSLBP1 or xSLBP2. Overexpression of xSLBP1 in the oocytes stimulated translation, while overexpression of xSLBP2 reduced translation of the luciferase mRNA ending in the histone stem-loop. A small region in the N-terminal portion of xSLBP1 is required to stimulate translation both in vivo and in vitro. An MS2-human SLBP1 fusion protein can activate translation of a reporter mRNA ending in an MS2 binding site, indicating that xSLBP1 only needs to be recruited to the 3′ end of the mRNA but does not need to be directly bound to the histone stem-loop to activate translation.
Influence of Compatibilizer-Type and Processing Approach on the Dispersion of OMMT in High-Density Polyethylene Matrix

High-density polyethylene/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared via melt intercalation in an internal mixer using both a direct mixing and master batching method. Two types of maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene, high-density polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride, and linear low-density polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride, (HDPE-g-MA, LLDPE-g-MA) were used as compatibilizers to enhance the dispersibility of nanoclay in HDPE. Dispersion of organoclay in the nanocomposites was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheological mechanical spectroscopy (RMS). Effects of clay content and degree of clay dispersion on the rheological and tensile properties were also investigated. Furthermore, the effect of order of mixing on the dispersion and distribution of the clay layers was studied. The obtained results showed that organoclay in the nanocomposites were dispersed homogeneously and exfoliated better when HDPE-g-MA and the direct mixing route were used. Although in the master batching method clay intercalated better, clay layers chiefly remain in compatibilizer rich areas. On the other hand, direct mixing was observed to lead to clay particles being dispersed in the HDPE matrix or at the interface of the matrix and compatibilizer and, consequently, better improvement in the tensile modulus was achieved. It was determined that the compatibilizer with the higher miscibility with the matrix was the key factor for achieving better exfoliation of clay sheets.
Prevalence and risk factors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy

AbstractThe aim of the study is to evaluate the epidemiology and clinical features of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM). A retrospective cohort study was conducted.A total of 210 adult patients with sepsis or septic shock admitted to a Japanese tertiary care hospital from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) on admission.The definition of SICM was ejection fraction (EF) < 50% and a ≥10% decrease compared to the baseline EF which recovered within 2 weeks, in sepsis or septic shock patients.Our primary outcome was the incidence rate of SICM. Our secondary outcomes were the in-hospital mortality rate and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay according to the presence or absence of SICM. In total, 29 patients (13.8%) were diagnosed with SICM. The prevalence rate of SICM was significantly higher in male than in female (P = 0.02). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the incidence of SICM was associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95–0.99), higher lactate level on admission (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05–1.32) and history of heart failure (HF) (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 1.37–10.40). There were no significant differences in the in-hospital and 30-day mortality between patients with and without SICM (24.1% vs 12.7%, P = 0.15; 20.7% vs 12.1%, P = 0.23). Lengths of hospital and ICU stay were significantly longer in patients with SICM than in those without SICM (median, 43 vs 26 days, P = 0.04; 9 vs 5 days, P < 0.01). SICM developed in 13.8% of patients with sepsis and septic shock. A younger age, higher lactate levels on admission and history of HF were risk factors.
Accelerated long-term forgetting in aging and intra-sleep awakenings

The architecture of sleep and the functional neuroanatomical networks subtending memory consolidation processes are both modified with aging, possibly leading to accelerated forgetting in long-term memory. We investigated associative learning and declarative memory consolidation processes in 16 young (18–30 years) and 16 older (65–75 years) healthy adults. Performance was tested using a cued recall procedure at the end of learning (immediate recall), and 30 min and 7 days later. A delayed recognition test was also administered on day 7. Daily sleep diaries were completed during the entire experiment. Results revealed a similar percentage of correct responses at immediate and 30-min recall in young and older participants. However, recall was significantly decreased 7 days later, with an increased forgetting in older participants. Additionally, intra-sleep awakenings were more frequent in older participants than young adults during the seven nights, and were negatively correlated with delayed recall performance on day 7 in the older group. Altogether, our results suggest a decline in verbal declarative memory consolidation processes with aging, eventually leading to accelerated long-term forgetting indicating that increased sleep fragmentation due to more frequent intra-sleep awakenings in older participants contribute to the reported age-related decline in long-term memory retrieval. Our results highlight the sensitivity of long-term forgetting measures to evidence consolidation deficits in healthy aging.
Attitudes of osteopathic physicians toward physician-assisted suicide

Abstract The use of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the care of terminally ill patients is controversial. While there are published surveys assessing the attitudes and views of physicians in certain specialties, both nationally and in targeted geographic areas, no such data are available specifically pertaining to osteopathic physicians, who deliver 9% of the primary care in the United States. This article describes a study whose purpose was to identify the views and perspectives of osteopathic physicians on PAS through a national survey. Questionnaires were forwarded to all board-certified internists who are members of the American College of Osteopathic Internists and all surgeons and a random sample of family physicians who are members of the American Osteopathic Association. Physicians were surveyed with initial and follow-up mailings. The 49-item questionnaire was a modified version of the Physician Survey, Center for Ethics in Health Care: Oregon Health Sciences University. Of the 2910 questionnaires that were mailed, 1028 were returned in a usable form, for a 35% response rate. Respondents were predominantly (81%) male and from all parts of the country. Most (58%) would not be willing to prescribe a medication for a competent, terminally ill patient to use with the primary intention of ending his or her own life, and most (55%) would oppose the legalization of PAS. Thirty-three percent of osteopathic physicians admit to receiving requests by terminally ill patients for PAS. Most (53%) osteopathic physicians indicate that the osteopathic principle of holistic care has influenced their decision-making on this issue, and a significant minority (44%) responded that the osteopathic oath influenced their view on PAS. Religion and the degree of prayer frequency were important predictors of the decisions to support or oppose PAS. When compared to other physician surveys, this survey of osteopathic physicians demonstrates some similarities in response but also significant differences. These data suggest that osteopathic education and training may result in a perspective on PAS that reflects the distinctiveness of the osteopathic profession.
Determining the placement of German verbs in English–to–German SMT

When translating English to German, existing reordering models often cannot model the long-range reorderings needed to generate German translations with verbs in the correct position. We reorder English as a preprocessing step for English-to-German SMT. We use a sequence of hand-crafted reordering rules applied to English parse trees. The reordering rules place English verbal elements in the positions within the clause they will have in the German translation. This is a difficult problem, as German verbal elements can appear in different positions within a clause (in contrast with English verbal elements, whose positions do not vary as much). We obtain a significant improvement in translation performance.
The Effect of Rule Use on the Utility of Explanation-Based Learning

The utility problem in explanation-based learning concerns the ability of learned rules or plans to actually improve the performance of a problem solving system. Previous research on this problem has focused on the amount, content, or form of learned information. This paper examines the effect of the use of learned information on performance. Experiments and informal analysis show that unconstrained use of learned rules eventually leads to degraded performance. However, constraining the use of learned rules helps avoid the negative effect of learning and lead to overall performance improvement. Search strategy is also shown to have a substantial effect on the contribution of learning to performance by affecting the manner in which learned rules arc used. These effects help explain why previous experiments have obtained a variety of different results concerning the impact of explanation-based learning on performance.
New twisted quantum current algebras

We introduce a twisted quantum affine algebra associated to each simply laced finite dimensional simple Lie algebra. This new algebra is a Hopf algebra with a Drinfeld-type comultiplication. We obtain this algebra by considering its vertex representation. The vertex representation quantizes the twisted vertex operators of Lepowsky-Wilson and Frenkel-Lepowsky-Meurman. We also introduce a twisted quantum loop algebra for the Kac-Moody case and give its level one representation.
The Casiquiare river acts as a corridor between the Amazonas and Orinoco river basins: biogeographic analysis of the genus Cichla

The Casiquiare River is a unique biogeographic corridor between the Orinoco and Amazonas basins. We investigated the importance of this connection for Neotropical fishes using peacock cichlids (Cichla spp.) as a model system. We tested whether the Casiquiare provides a conduit for gene flow between contemporary populations, and investigated the origin of biogeographic distributions that span the Casiquiare. Using sequences from the mitochondrial control region of three focal species (C. temensis, C. monoculus, and C. orinocensis) whose distributions include the Amazonas, Orinoco, and Casiquiare, we constructed maximum likelihood phylograms of haplotypes and analyzed the populations under an isolation‐with‐migration coalescent model. Our analyses suggest that populations of all three species have experienced some degree of gene flow via the Casiquiare. We also generated a mitochondrial genealogy of all Cichla species using >2000 bp and performed a dispersal‐vicariance analysis (DIVA) to reconstruct the historical biogeography of the genus. This analysis, when combined with the intraspecific results, supports two instances of dispersal from the Amazonas to the Orinoco. Thus, our results support the idea that the Casiquiare connection is important across temporal scales, facilitating both gene flow and the dispersal and range expansion of species.