Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunoblot Assay Using Recombinant Antigens as a Supplemental Test To Confirm the Presence of Antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi

ABSTRACT The diagnosis of chronic Chagas' disease is generally made by detecting antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi. Most conventional serological tests are based on lysates of whole parasites or semipurified antigen fractions from T. cruzi epimastigotes grown in culture. The occurrence of inconclusive and false-positive results has been a persistent problem with the conventional assays, and there is no universally accepted gold standard for confirmation of positive test results. We describe here an immunoblot assay for detecting antibodies to T. cruzi in which four chimeric recombinant antigens (rAgs), designated FP3, FP6, FP10, and TcF, are used as target antigens. Each of these rAgs is composed of several antigenically distinct regions and includes repetitive as well as nonrepetitive sequences. Each rAg is coated as a discrete line on a nitrocellulose strip. Assay sensitivity was assessed by testing 345 specimens known to be positive for antibodies to T. cruzi. All 345 of these samples showed two to four reactive test bands in addition to the three on-board control bands that are on each strip. Assay specificity was determined by testing 500 specimens from random U.S. blood donors, all of which gave negative results. Based on the results obtained in this study, we propose the following scheme for interpretation of test results: (i) no bands or a single test band = a negative result; (ii) two or more test bands with at least one band showing intensity of 1+ or higher = a positive result; and (iii) multiple faint test bands (±) = indeterminate result. Based on this scheme, the prototype immunoblot assay showed sensitivity of 100% (n = 345) and specificity of 100% (n = 500). Additionally, all 269 potentially cross-reacting and T. cruzi antibody-negative specimens tested negative in our immunoblot assay. The rAg-based immunoblot assay has potential as a supplemental test for confirming the presence of antibodies to T. cruzi in blood specimens and for identifying false-positive results obtained with other assays.
Efficient Strategies for Calculating Blockwise Likelihoods Under the Coalescent

The inference of demographic history from genome data is hindered by a lack of efficient computational approaches. In particular, it has proved difficult to exploit the information contained in the distribution of genealogies across the genome. We have previously shown that the generating function (GF) of genealogies can be used to analytically compute likelihoods of demographic models from configurations of mutations in short sequence blocks (Lohse et al. 2011). Although the GF has a simple, recursive form, the size of such likelihood calculations explodes quickly with the number of individuals and applications of this framework have so far been mainly limited to small samples (pairs and triplets) for which the GF can be written by hand. Here we investigate several strategies for exploiting the inherent symmetries of the coalescent. In particular, we show that the GF of genealogies can be decomposed into a set of equivalence classes that allows likelihood calculations from nontrivial samples. Using this strategy, we automated blockwise likelihood calculations for a general set of demographic scenarios in Mathematica. These histories may involve population size changes, continuous migration, discrete divergence, and admixture between multiple populations. To give a concrete example, we calculate the likelihood for a model of isolation with migration (IM), assuming two diploid samples without phase and outgroup information. We demonstrate the new inference scheme with an analysis of two individual butterfly genomes from the sister species Heliconius melpomene rosina and H. cydno.
Improved assessment of aortic calcification in Japanese patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE Vascular calcification is a feature of arteriosclerosis and in hemodialysis (HD) patients it may be severe, even at a relatively young age, and is closely related to the overall prognosis. We used the aortic calcification area index (ACAI), derived from the aortic calcification index (ACI), to evaluate and analyze the risk factors for abdominal aortic calcification in HD patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Subjects comprised 137 patients on maintenance HD. ACAI was measured on abdominal plain computed tomography: 10 slices of the abdominal aorta were obtained at 1-cm intervals from the bifurcation of the common iliac artery and the area of the aortic cross-section and calcification was measured using image software. The calcification area was divided by the cross-sectional area and expressed as a percentage (%). The mean value for the 10 slices was also calculated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to ACAI being lower or higher than the mean value and the risk factors in each group were compared by multivariate analysis. Results Group comparison showed significant differences in age, systolic blood pressure, serum calcium, and lipoprotein(a). On multiple regression analysis, age, systolic blood pressure, and serum calcium were independent risk factors. On logistic regression analysis, age, duration of dialysis, systolic blood pressure, and serum calcium were independent risk factors. CONCLUSION Risk factors for abdominal aortic calcification in HD patients include age, systolic blood pressure, and serum calcium, according to ACAI evaluation. The ACAI was accurate and useful for evaluating abdominal calcification.
Gender equality and smoking: a theory-driven approach to smoking gender differences in Spain

Background The intersection between gender and class can aid in understanding gender differences in smoking. Aim To analyse how changes in gender inequality relate to differences in smoking prevalence by gender, education and birth cohort in Spain over the past five decades (1960–2010). Methods The Gender Inequality Index (GII) was calculated in 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010. GII ranges from 0 to 1 (1=highest inequality) and encompasses three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and labour market. Estimates of female and male smoking prevalence were reconstructed from representative National Health Surveys and stratified by birth cohort and level of education. We calculated female-to-male smoking ratios from 1960 to 2010 stratified by education and birth cohort. Results Gender inequality in Spain decreased from 0.65 to 0.09 over the past 50 years. This rapid decline was inversely correlated (r=−0.99) to a rising female-to-male smoking ratio. The youngest birth cohort of the study (born 1980–1990) and women with high education levels had similar smoking prevalences compared with men. Women with high levels of education were also the first to show a reduction in smoking prevalence, compared with less educated women. Conclusions Gender inequality fell significantly in Spain over the past 50 years. This process was accompanied by converging trends in smoking prevalence for men and women. Smoking prevalence patterns varied greatly by birth cohort and education levels. Countries in earlier stages of the tobacco epidemic should consider gender-sensitive tobacco control measures and policies.
Online evolution of femtocell coverage algorithms using genetic programming

The wide adoption of smartphones has resulted in an exponential increase in the demand for wireless data. To address this problem, operators have started deploying large numbers of small cells. In order to operate such small cell network cost-effectively they need to be able to intelligently optimize their configuration, which can be achieved by applying machine learning techniques such as genetic programming. The use of genetic programming has previously been used to derive joint coverage algorithms for a group of enterprise femtocells. However, the evolution of the algorithms was performed in an offline manner, on a pre-defined simulation model of the deployment scenario. In this paper, an approach to perform the evolution in an online manner using an automated model building process is presented. The model building process uses network traces as inputs to create a hierarchical Markov model that is shown to be able to capture the behavior of the femtocell network well. It is shown that the resulting environment model can effectively drive the on-line evolution of coverage optimization algorithms.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Facilitates Wound Healing Events That Promote Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that are involved in both injury and repair mechanisms in the CNS. Pharmacological blockade of MMPs, limited to the first several days after spinal cord injury, improves locomotor recovery. This beneficial response is, however, lost when treatment is extended beyond the acutely injured cord to include wound healing and tissue remodeling. This suggests that some MMPs play a beneficial role in wound healing. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the role of MMP-2, which is actively expressed during wound healing, in white matter sparing and axonal plasticity, the formation of a glial scar, and locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury. MMP-2 increased between 7 and 14 d after injury, where it was immunolocalized in reactive astrocytes bordering the lesion epicenter. There was reduced white matter sparing and fewer serotonergic fibers, caudal to the lesion in injured MMP-2 null animals. MMP-2 deficiency also resulted in increased immunoreactivity to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and a more extensive astrocytic scar. Most importantly, locomotion in an open field, performance on a rotarod, and grid walking were significantly impaired in injured MMP-2 null mice. Our findings suggest that MMP-2 promotes functional recovery after injury by regulating the formation of a glial scar and white matter sparing and/or axonal plasticity. Thus, strategies exploiting MMPs as therapeutic targets must balance these beneficial effects during wound healing with their adverse interactions in the acutely injured spinal cord.
The synthesis of glycine and serine by the rat.

The two amino acids, serineand cystine (or cysteine), show a striking resemblance in some aspects of their intermediary metabolism. They are quantitatively similar in their glycogenic action 1913) and have been shown to be metabolized to pyruvate: cysteine and cystine by liver extracts
LARGE-SCALE COHERENT DIPOLE ANISOTROPY?

We have reanalyzed and compared the dipoles of the 1.2 Jy and 0.6 Jy (QDOT) IRAS galaxy samples. We find strong indications from both samples for (a) significant contributions to the gravitational field that shapes the Local Group motion from depths up to� 170 h 1 Mpc and (b) a large-scale coherence of the dipole anisotropy, indications provided mainly by the fact that the differential dipoles of large equal volume shells are aligned with the CMB dipole and exhibit significant dipole signals. The two IRAS dipoles are indistinguishable within 50 h 1 Mpc and beyond � 130 h 1 Mpc while the QDOT dipole, having a lower flux limit, continues growing with respect to the 1.2 Jy sample up to � 100 h 1 Mpc in agreement with Rowan-Robinson et al (1990).
Deregulation, Consolidation, and Efficiency: Evidence from U.S. Nuclear Power

For the first four decades of its existence the U.S. nuclear power industry was run by regulated utilities, with most companies owning only one or two reactors. Beginning in the late 1990s electricity markets in many states were deregulated and almost half of the nation's 103 reactors were sold to independent power producers selling power in competitive wholesale markets. Deregulation has been accompanied by substantial market consolidation and today the three largest companies control more than one-third of all U.S. nuclear capacity. We find that deregulation and consolidation are associated with a 10 percent increase in operating efficiency, achieved primarily by reducing the frequency and duration of reactor outages. At average wholesale prices the value of this increased efficiency is approximately $2.5 billion annually and implies an annual decrease of almost 40 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Interacting Adaptive Processes with Different Timescales Underlie Short-Term Motor Learning

Multiple processes may contribute to motor skill acquisition, but it is thought that many of these processes require sleep or the passage of long periods of time ranging from several hours to many days or weeks. Here we demonstrate that within a timescale of minutes, two distinct fast-acting processes drive motor adaptation. One process responds weakly to error but retains information well, whereas the other responds strongly but has poor retention. This two-state learning system makes the surprising prediction of spontaneous recovery (or adaptation rebound) if error feedback is clamped at zero following an adaptation-extinction training episode. We used a novel paradigm to experimentally confirm this prediction in human motor learning of reaching, and we show that the interaction between the learning processes in this simple two-state system provides a unifying explanation for several different, apparently unrelated, phenomena in motor adaptation including savings, anterograde interference, spontaneous recovery, and rapid unlearning. Our results suggest that motor adaptation depends on at least two distinct neural systems that have different sensitivity to error and retain information at different rates.
On 3D Retrieval from Photos

In this paper, we propose a method for 3D-model retrieval from one or more photos. This method provides an "optimal" selection of 2D views to represent a 3D-model, and a probabilistic Bayesian method for 3D-model retrieval from realistic photos and sketches using these views. The characteristic view selection algorithm is based on an adaptive clustering algorithm and uses statistical model distribution scores to select the optimal number of views. We also introduce a Bayesian approach to score the probability of correspondence between the queries and the 3D-models. We present our results on the Princeton 3D Shape Benchmark database (1814 3D-models) and 50 photos (real photographs, sketches, synthesised images). A practical on-line 3D-model retrieval system based on our approach is available on the web to asset our results.
Economic Evaluations of Acute Pain Service Programs: A Systematic Review

ObjectiveThe purpose was to review the literature on the economic benefits associated with Acute Pain Service (APS) programs systematically. APSs have received widespread acceptance and formal support from institutions and organizations, but little is known about its economic benefits. MethodsMEDLINE and other databases were searched for economic evaluations of APSs. The study characteristics and methodological quality was assessed using standardized tools. All costs were adjusted to 2005 US dollars. ResultsTen economic evaluations (involving 14,774 patients) were identified that met eligibility criteria. There were wide variations in study designs, methodological quality, and outcome measures. There was insufficient data to identify which APSs model (anesthesiologist-based/nursing support or nurse-based/anesthesiologist supervised) was more cost-effective. The cost of APSs for surgical patients from direct and indirect effects (improved pain management from education in patients not receiving APS) varied from $2.28 to $5.08/patient/d. The level of evidence to support the cost-savings associated with APSs (shorter duration of intensive care unit and hospital stays) were limited to partial economic analyses. There was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of APSs as the quality of life and patient's willingness to pay for an APS intervention were not measured, respectively. The overall quality of published economic evaluations of APSs was poor. ConclusionsThere is a lack of high-quality economic studies to support the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefits of APSs.
Consequences of early postnatal benzodiazepines exposure in rats. I. Cognitive-like behavior

Clinical and experimental studies suggest possible risks associated with the repeated administration of benzodiazepines (BZDs) during the prenatal or early postnatal period on further development and behavior. In the present study, we assess short- and long-term effects of early exposure to clonazepam (CZP) on cognitive tasks. CZP (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg/day) was administered from postnatal day (P)7 until P11, and animals were exposed to the following behavioral tests at different developmental stages: (1) a homing response (HR) test, which exploits the motivation of a rat pup to reach its home nest, was administered on P12, P15, P18 and P23 rats; (2) passive avoidance was tested in three trials (at 0, 2 and 24 h intervals) on P12, P15, P18, P25 and P32 rats; (3) within- and between-session habituation was tested in an open field (OF) at P70; and (4) a long-term memory (LTM) version of the Morris water maze (MWM) was tested at P80. A 1.0 mg/kg dose of CZP extended latency in the HR and decreased the number of correct responses when tested at P12 and P23. In the first trial of the passive avoidance test, latency to enter a dark compartment was shorter in the CZP-exposed rats. Both treated and control animals older than P15 learned the passive-avoidance response at the same rate. Irrespective of the treatments, all adult animals showed within-session habituation. Between-session habituation, however, was found only in the controls. With respect to the MWM test, all animals learned to reach the platform, but animals exposed to higher doses of CZP spent more time swimming in the first acquisition test. No difference between groups was found in a repeated acquisition test (10 and 40 days after the first acquisition test). The results of the present study show that even short-term exposure to CZP alters behavioral responsiveness in pre-weaning, juvenile and adult animals. Not only were changes observed on conventional cognitive tests in our study, but the changes also seem to be related to emotional/motivational responsiveness.
Etiological treatment in patients infected by Trypanosoma cruzi: experiences in Argentina

Purpose of review The aim of this review is to describe knowledge, mainly of the last 15 years, that changed criteria for specific treatment against Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Recent findings Over the past 15 years, there has been an increase in the use of new methodologies to evaluate the efficacy of antiparasitic treatments. These tools showed that the evaluation period for trypanocidal treatment effectiveness could be shortened. Based on the hypothesis that Chagas' cardiomyopathy may indeed be triggered by persistent parasitic infection, it seems plausible that trypanocidal therapy may delay, reduce or prevent the progression to the disease. Summary Based on the present knowledge, we can assume that every patient infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in the acute phase and in the early chronic phase (i.e. children under 16 years old) must be treated, and adults could be treated. In this area, research priorities should target obtaining new drugs to allow shorter treatments with fewer adverse reactions and improving new tools to confirm cure when patients are treated during the Chronic Phase.
Electromagnetic waves generated by line exponentially decaying current pulses

Electromagnetic pulses emanated by exponentially decaying currents propagating along a finite line segment with subluminal and luminal velocities are considered. Corresponding electromagnetic problem for the decaying unit-step current is solved by incomplete separation of variables and the basic solution is obtained for the magnetic field strength. This solution is a sum of an analytical expression and a quadrature term, the latter admitting good analytical approximation in the far zone (r/lgsim10), where the entire electromagnetic field can be assessed. Eventually, the results of this work represent feasible analytical expressions for the electromagnetic-pulse durations and maximum amplitude for different configurations of the source, including such practical models as a bipolar current and a current pulse partially reflected from the radiator end
Genotyping of carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from tracheal tube discharge of hospitalized patients in intensive care units, Ahvaz, Iran

Background and Objectives Carbapenem resistant A. baumannii is an emerging cause of nosocomial infections. The aims of this study were identification of the most prevalent of carbapenem resistant genes, molecular typing and antimicrobial evaluation of A.baumannii in intensive care units. Materials and Methods Two hundred and six A. baumannii were isolated from tracheal tube discharge of hospitalized patients at different intensive care units in Ahvaz, Iran. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was done on all isolates. Multiplex and singleplex PCR were performed for detection of blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24-like, blaOXA-51-like, blaOXA-58-like, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaSPM and blaNDM genes. Genetic relationship of all isolates was determined by REP-PCR method. Results Out of 206 examined isolates, 198 (96.1%) isolates were resistant to imipenem and meropenem. However 3.9% isolates were sensitive to these antibiotics. The blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-24-like genes were detected in 85% and 8.7% of strains, respectively. No blaOXA-58- like, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaSPM and blaNDM were detected. REP-PCR results showed that isolates were belonged to five genotypes: Genotype A was the most prevalent (P- value < 0.001): it was observed in 75 of 206 strains (36.4%). Genotype B, and C were found in 28.6% and 27.7%, respectively. The rate of other genotypes was as follows: D (2.4%), E (1%). Conclusion Based on the obtained results, the rate of carbapenem resistance was high among of A. baumannii which was isolated from intensive care units patients and oxacillinase genes were the most prevalent carbapenem resistant genes. These results revealed that three clones, A, B and C of A.baumannii are common in our hospitals.
Analysis of multiple factors involved in acute progressive cerebral infarction and extra- and intracranial arterial lesions

In order to identify the potential factors involved in the development of acute progressive cerebral infarction (PCI), the association between potential risk factors and extra- and intracranial arterial lesions was investigated. A total of 608 patients underwent cerebral angiography to analyze the morphological characteristics between the PCI and NPCI groups. In addition, data from numerous cases of extra- and intracranial arterial lesions were collected and compared with the control groups, and the associations between the severity of arterial lesions and the potential influential factors were analyzed. In the blood vessels responsible for cerebral infarction, various degrees of atherosclerotic plaques and stenosis were observed. Age, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, glycosylated hemoglobin and blood pressure affected the degrees of hardening, plaques and stenosis. Analysis of cerebral artery stenosis revealed that age, diabetes mellitus and plasma fibrinogen were risk factors for cerebral artery stenosis, while the HDL/low density lipoprotein ratio was a protective factor. Therefore, the results of the present study indicate that the lesions of blood vessels are a major pathological change in PCI and multiple factors are involved in the pathogenesis.