Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MALDI-TOF MS Enables the Rapid Identification of the Major Molecular Types within the Cryptococcus neoformans/C. gattii Species Complex

Background The Cryptococcus neoformans/C. gattii species complex comprises two sibling species that are divided into eight major molecular types, C. neoformans VNI to VNIV and C. gattii VGI to VGIV. These genotypes differ in host range, epidemiology, virulence, antifungal susceptibility and geographic distribution. The currently used phenotypic and molecular identification methods for the species/molecular types are time consuming and expensive. As Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) offers an effective alternative for the rapid identification of microorganisms, the objective of this study was to examine its potential for the identification of C. neoformans and C. gattii strains at the intra- and inter-species level. Methodology Protein extracts obtained via the formic acid extraction method of 164 C. neoformans/C. gattii isolates, including four inter-species hybrids, were studied. Results The obtained mass spectra correctly identified 100% of all studied isolates, grouped each isolate according to the currently recognized species, C. neoformans and C. gattii, and detected potential hybrids. In addition, all isolates were clearly separated according to their major molecular type, generating greater spectral differences among the C. neoformans molecular types than the C. gattii molecular types, most likely reflecting a closer phylogenetic relationship between the latter. The number of colonies used and the incubation length did not affect the results. No spectra were obtained from intact yeast cells. An extended validated spectral library containing spectra of all eight major molecular types was established. Conclusions MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid identification tool for the correct recognition of the two currently recognized human pathogenic Cryptococcus species and offers a simple method for the separation of the eight major molecular types and the detection of hybrid strains within this species complex in the clinical laboratory. The obtained mass spectra provide further evidence that the major molecular types warrant variety or even species status.
Recognition memory of neutral words can be impaired by task-irrelevant emotional encoding contexts: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence

Previous studies on the effects of emotional context on memory for centrally presented neutral items have obtained inconsistent results. And in most of those studies subjects were asked to either make a connection between the item and the context at study or retrieve both the item and the context. When no response for the contexts is required, how emotional contexts influence memory for neutral items is still unclear. Thus, the present study attempted to investigate the influences of four types of emotional picture contexts on recognition memory of neutral words using both behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) measurements. During study, words were superimposed centrally onto emotional contexts, and subjects were asked to just remember the words. During test, both studied and new words were presented without the emotional contexts and subjects had to make “old/new” judgments for those words. The results revealed that, compared with the neutral context, the negative contexts and positive high-arousing context impaired recognition of words. ERP results at encoding demonstrated that, compared with items presented in the neutral context, items in the positive and negative high-arousing contexts elicited more positive ERPs, which probably reflects an automatic process of attention capturing of high-arousing context as well as a conscious and effortful process of overcoming the interference of high-arousing context. During retrieval, significant FN400 old/new effects occurred in conditions of the negative low-arousing, positive, and neutral contexts but not in the negative high-arousing condition. Significant LPC old/new effects occurred in all conditions of context. However, the LPC old/new effect in the negative high-arousing condition was smaller than that in the positive high-arousing and low-arousing conditions. These results suggest that emotional context might influence both the familiarity and recollection processes.
Transition to adult health care for adolescents and young adults with cancer

As the prognosis for children and adolescents with cancer improves, we must reconsider how we will provide care to the adolescents and young adults who have survived these conditions. On the premise that the global needs of adults are best served by health care obtained in the adult health‐care system, the case is made for transition from pediatric to adult‐oriented health care for adolescents and young adults with cancer. The benefits of transition, barriers to implementation, and models of care are discussed.
Generalized Doppler power spectrum for 3D non-isotropic scattering environments

This paper presents a novel generalized Doppler power spectrum. The expression is useful especially when the scattering propagation is three-dimensional and non-isotropically distributed, which is almost always the case in urban macrocell environments. The generalized Doppler power spectrum includes the well-known U-shaped power spectrum as a special case. This generalized expression helps further investigations on the characteristics of wireless channels. It also assists the research on mobility management for next generation networks.
Individual olfactory signatures in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Individual discrimination is likely a prerequisite for most primate social interactions. Olfactory cues are one set of stimuli used by primates to discriminate between individuals. Despite the importance of these olfactory signatures, there is little published research assessing the existence or function of individually unique odors among primates. This review systematically assesses behavioral and biochemical aspects of individual odors in a New World primate, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). There are three objectives to this review: First, behavioral evidence for odors unique to the individual is evaluated in the context of results demonstrating that marmosets are able to discriminate between the scents from a familiar and a novel individual conspecific in behavioral bioassays under a variety of conditions. Second, biochemical evidence for individual scent signatures is debated with reference to studies examining qualitative and quantitative differences between the chemical compositions of scent‐mark pools from adult females. A combined gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis demonstrated that each female had a unique ratio of highly volatile chemicals in the scent mark that could affect individual discrimination. Finally, the possible adaptive significance of individual odors in marmosets is debated. Individual odors may play a key role in regulating both female intrasexual competition and intersexual communication by providing a basis for the assessment of individual quality. Am. J. Primatol. 68:585–604, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Safety of combination antiretroviral prophylaxis in high-risk HIV-exposed newborns: a retrospective review of the Canadian experience

The optimal management of infants born to HIV‐positive mothers who are untreated or have detectable viral load prior to delivery remains controversial. Despite the increasing use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for post‐exposure prophylaxis (PEP) of neonates at high risk of HIV infection, there is little safety and pharmacokinetic data to support this approach. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of cART for PEP in HIV‐exposed neonates.
Experience and brain development.

This article considers how experience can influence the developing and mature brain and proposes a new categorization scheme based upon the type of information stored and the brain mechanisms that appear to be involved in storing it. In this scheme, experience-expectant information storage refers to incorporation of environmental information that is ubiquitous in the environment and common to all species members, such as the basic elements of pattern perception. Experience-expectant processes appear to have evolved as a neural preparation for incorporating specific information: in many sensory systems, synaptic connections between nerve cells are overproduced, and a subsequent selection process occurs in which aspects of sensory experience determine the pattern of connections that remains. Experience-dependent information storage refers to incorporation of environmental information that is idiosyncratic, or unique to the individual, such as learning about one's specific physical environment or vocabulary. The neural basis of experience-dependent processes appears to involve active formation of new synaptic connections in response to the events providing the information to be stored. Although these processes probably do not occur entirely independently of one another in development, the categories offer a new view more in accord with neural mechanisms than were terms like "critical" or "sensitive period. "
Requirement of the Histidine Kinase Domain for Signal Transduction by the Ethylene Receptor ETR11

In Arabidopsis, ethylene is perceived by a receptor family consisting of five members, one of these being ETR1. The N-terminal half of ETR1 functions as a signal input domain. The C-terminal region of ETR1, consisting of a His kinase domain and a putative receiver domain, is likely to function in signal output. The role of the proposed signal output region in ethylene signaling was examined in planta. For this purpose, the ability of mutant versions of ETR1 to rescue the constitutive ethylene-response phenotype of the etr1-6;etr2-3;ein4-4 triple loss-of-function mutant line was examined. A truncated version of ETR1 that lacks both the His kinase domain and the receiver domain failed to rescue the triple mutant phenotype. A truncated ETR1 receptor that lacks only the receiver domain restored normal growth to the triple mutant in air, but the transgenic seedlings displayed hypersensitivity to low doses of ethylene. A mutation that eliminated His kinase activity had a modest effect upon the ability of the receptor to repress ethylene responses in air. These results demonstrate that the His kinase domain plays a role in the repression of ethylene responses. The potential roles of the receiver domain and His kinase activity in ethylene signaling are discussed.
Evaluation of Clinical Response According to Plasma Paroxetine Level in Paroxetine-Responsive Major Depression

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the clinical response according to paroxetine plasma levels (PPL) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients responsive to 20 mg/d paroxetine. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the charts of 94 MDD patients who had received 20 mg/d paroxetine and whose PLL had been determined on the 1st and 3rd week. Those with PPL over 120 ng/mL were Group 1, 120-30 ng/mL Group 2, and less than 30 ng/mL Group 3. Treatment response was evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) in the first and the third week. Results: A weak correlation between PPL values and MDD treatment response were determined in this study. There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups regarding the HAM-D and BPRS scores in the 3rd week. We found significantly higher PPL levels in Group 1 and 2 on the 3rd week compared to the 1st week. There was no statistically significant difference between 1st and 3rd week PPL levels in Group 3. There was a weak positive correlation between the treatment response rates (initial HAM-D scores/3rd week HAM-D scores) and PPL levels. Conclusions: Present study suggested that there is a large amount of interpersonal pharmacogenetic variability for paroxetine metabolism. Higher PPL levels in the third week suggested that PPL measurement may be more reliable in the 3rd week than the first week.
Chronic graft‐versus‐host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor: incidence, risk factors and association with relapse. A report from the Japan Marrow Donor Program

Chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) remains the major cause of late morbidity and mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We retrospectively analysed 2937 patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor (UR‐BMT) facilitated by the Japan Marrow Donor Program (JMDP) and survived beyond day 100 after transplantation. The cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD (limited + extensive) or extensive chronic GVHD at 5 years post‐transplant was 45·8% and 28·2%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, seven variables predicting chronic GVHD were identified: recipient age over 20 years, donor age over 30 years, primary diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia, human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐A or ‐B mismatch, total body irradiation‐containing regimen, platelet count not having reached 50 × 109/l by day 100, and prior acute GVHD. Among 2609 patients with haematological malignancy, overall survival was significantly higher in patients with limited chronic GVHD but lower in patients with extensive chronic GVHD compared with those without chronic GVHD. The cumulative incidence of relapse among patients with limited or extensive chronic GVHD was significantly lower than that among patients without chronic GVHD. Our results suggest that limited chronic GVHD provides a survival benefit to patients with haematological malignancies by reducing the risk of relapse without increasing the risk of death from chronic GVHD.
The Association between Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetic Retinopathy: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2010

Purpose To explore the relationship between chronic kidney disease and diabetic retinopathy in a representative population of Korean diabetic adults. Methods We analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2008-2010). A total of 15,409 individuals (weighted frequency, 32,168,636) aged 19 and over who completed ophthalmologic and renal functional examinations were evaluated. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or proteinuria greater than 1+. Seven standard photographs from the Early Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Study were obtained from each eye after pharmacological pupil dilatation. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was defined as the presence of 1 or more retinal microaneurysms or retinal blot hemorrhages with or without more severe lesions. Vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) was defined as the presence of a clinically significant macular edema (CSME) or proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Results CKD was significantly associated with DR and VTDR (odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI); 2.49(1.43-4.35) and 3.74(1.56-8.95), respectively) in the diabetic population. After controlling for confounders, however, CKD was significantly associated only with DR [adjusted OR (aOR), 95% CI; 2.34(1.04-5.28)]. In the subgroup analysis for CKD, only proteinuria was significantly associated with DR and VTDR (aOR, 95% CI; 4.56(1.51-13.77) and 5.61(1.06-29.87), respectively) in this population. Conclusions Our results show that CKD appears to be associated with DR and VTDR in a Korean diabetic population. In particular, proteinuria, not decreased eGFR, is more significantly associated with DR or VTDR.
Thermal Analysis of GCLs at a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

This study was conducted to determine long-term thermal regime of landfill liner systems using a field temperature monitoring program and numerical analysis of heat transfer. Temperatures in liner systems that contain geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) were monitored prior and subsequent to waste placement. Data were collected in three cells at a landfill in Midwestern USA for more than five years. The liner system in one of the cells was left exposed (not covered with waste) for a period exceeding one year subsequent to cell construction. The lowest and highest GCL temperatures were –1°C and 35°C, respectively and the localized temperature gradients ranged from approximately –186°C/m to +134°C/m across the liner system during the exposed period. Seasonal temperature fluctuations were dampened and increasing temperature trends were observed after placement of the first lift of waste over the liner systems. Temperatures in liners reached 30 °C under 5-year-old waste with an annual rate of temperature increase of approximately 4 °C/a. In general, average temperature gradients decreased, however, hig h variations in gradients remained subsequent to waste placement. Numerical analysis was used for exposed liner systems to model observed behavior and to predict liner response under varied conditions. Good agreement was observed between measured and predicted temperatures. Temperature distributions in liners were determined for variable thicknesses of sand protective layers in 3 climatic regions. Sand thicknesses of more than 1 m were required to maintain temperatures between 0 and 40 °C and thicknesses on the order of 3 m were required to limit seasonal temperature variations to within 10°C in GCLs.
Genomewide Association Study Identifies Novel Genetic Loci That Modify Antiplatelet Effects and Pharmacokinetics of Clopidogrel

Genetic variants in the pharmacokinetic (PK) mechanism are the main underlying factors affecting the antiplatelet response to clopidogrel. Using a genomewide association study (GWAS) to identify new genetic loci that modify antiplatelet effects in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease, we identified novel variants in two transporter genes (SLC14A2 rs12456693, ATP‐binding cassette [ABC]A1 rs2487032) and in N6AMT1 (rs2254638) associated with P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) and plasma active metabolite (H4) concentration. These new variants dramatically improved the predictability of PRU variability to 37.7%. The associations between these loci and PK parameters of clopidogrel and H4 were observed in additional patients, and its function on the activation of clopidogrel was validated in liver S9 fractions (P < 0.05). Rs2254638 was further identified to exert a marginal risk effect for major adverse cardiac events in an independent cohort. In conclusion, new genetic variants were systematically identified as risk factors for the reduced efficacy of clopidogrel treatment.
The Contributions of Economics to the Study of College Access and Success

Background/Context The essay provides a comprehensive review of work by economists and others in related quantitative disciplines on the transition of students to college. A particular emphasis is given to the role of price and financial aid although issues related to college preparation, access, and persistence are also investigated. The final section discusses ongoing debates within economics about college access and success and suggests directions for future research. Purpose While other papers review parts of this literature, given the breadth and depth of the work on the transition to college, none gives a full picture of the contribution of economics to this area of understanding. Research Design A main goal of the economics literature has been to establish a causal relationship rather than one based on the correlation of trends or patterns. In pursuit of causality, economists rely on complex estimation techniques usually involving large samples of quantitative data and often utilize “natural experiments” to establish the impact of a factor or policy. Unfortunately, the data requirements for such work, along with the concerns about biases, often limits the kinds of questions that can be confidently answered. The primary framework in economics of education is the human capital model. When deciding whether to continue their education, individuals compare the benefits of human capital to the costs of obtaining it. Numerous articles highlight important factors in these decisions, including both monetary and non-monetary considerations as well as uncertainty and risk aversion. Conclusions/Recommendations While great progress has been made by economists to understand issues related to college access and success, the article makes suggestions about possible future research. More work is needed to understand the role of primary and secondary schools in college attendance, why there are differences in academic course-taking and performance, and the role of expectations and information in college access. Although economists have greatly contributed to the understanding of the role of costs and benefits in college demand, additional work is needed to clarify the role of parents, teachers, peers, and neighborhoods in college decisions. Additional research is also needed to resolve the current debate about the relative role of resources in comparison to long-term family circumstances and academic preparation. Finally, more information is also need about what factors affect college success.
The reconstruction of high resolution image based on compressed sensing

Constrained by traditional sampling theory, it is difficult to obtain high resolution image directly by signal acquisition system. The method that uses compressed sensing technology to measure the high resolution image and reconstruct with measurements breaks the bottleneck of Nyquist sampling theory, which is a new application for compressed sensing in image processing field. In CS, the reconstruction of super resolution image can be converted to how to construct measurement matrix and design reconstruction algorithm. For the reason that Gaussian measurement matrix requires a great number of high dimensional projection computations, we introduce sparse random projection into compressed sensing, proposing a measurement matrix which obeys sparse random projection distribution: sparse projection matrix. For the reason that the existing OMP algorithms require a lot of linear measurements to ensure accurate reconstruction, we propose an improved OMP algorithm. Experimental results show that, with sparse projection matrix and the improved OMP algorithm, high resolution image can be reconstructed accurately with little number of measurements.
Hygienic behaviour of honey bees and its application for control of brood diseases and varroa: Part II. Studies on hygienic behaviour since the Rothenbuhler era

Part I of this review summarized the initial research on hygienic behaviour of honey bees, Apis mellifera. This early work that concerned hygienic behaviour as a mechanism of resistance to American foulbrood (AFB) has been the foundation for all subsequent research on hygienic behaviour. In Part II, research on hygienic behaviour in relation to other bee diseases and to Varroa jacobsoni and in Apis species and subspecies is reviewed. In addition, techniques to screen bee colonies for the behaviour are detailed, and practical applications of breeding bees for hygienic behaviour are given. A section on neuroethology demonstrates how modern neurobiological techniques are being used to detect the reasons for differences in responses of hygienic and non-hygienic bees to abnormal brood.