Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinically-Relevant Cutaneous Lesions by Nitrogen Mustard: Useful Biomarkers of Vesicants Skin Injury in SKH-1 Hairless and C57BL/6 Mice

A paucity of clinically applicable biomarkers to screen therapies in laboratory is a limitation in the development of countermeasures against cutaneous injuries by chemical weapon, sulfur mustard (SM), and its analog nitrogen mustard (NM). Consequently, we assessed NM-caused progression of clinical cutaneous lesions; notably, skin injury with NM is comparable to SM. Exposure of SKH-1 hairless and C57BL/6 (haired) mice to NM (3.2 mg) for 12–120 h caused clinical sequelae of toxicity, including microblister formation, edema, erythema, altered pigmentation, wounding, xerosis and scaly dry skin. These toxic effects of NM were similar in both mouse strains, except that wounding and altered pigmentation at 12–24 h and appearance of dry skin at 24 and 72 h post-NM exposure were more pronounced in C57BL/6 compared to SKH-1 mice. Conversely, edema, erythema and microblister formation were more prominent in SKH-1 than C57BL/6 mice at 24–72 h after NM exposure. In addition, 40–60% mortality was observed following 120 h of NM exposure in the both mouse strains. Overall, these toxic effects of NM are comparable to those reported in humans and other animal species with SM, and thus represent clinically-relevant cutaneous injury endpoints in screening and optimization of therapies for skin injuries by vesicating agents.
Causal Effect Inference with Deep Latent-Variable Models

Learning individual-level causal effects from observational data, such as inferring the most effective medication for a specific patient, is a problem of growing importance for policy makers. The most important aspect of inferring causal effects from observational data is the handling of confounders, factors that affect both an intervention and its outcome. A carefully designed observational study attempts to measure all important confounders. However, even if one does not have direct access to all confounders, there may exist noisy and uncertain measurement of proxies for confounders. We build on recent advances in latent variable modeling to simultaneously estimate the unknown latent space summarizing the confounders and the causal effect. Our method is based on Variational Autoencoders (VAE) which follow the causal structure of inference with proxies. We show our method is significantly more robust than existing methods, and matches the state-of-the-art on previous benchmarks focused on individual treatment effects.
THE INFLUENCE OF CHOLESTEROL AND CHARGE ON THE MEMBRANE DOMAINS OF ALKYLPHOSPHOLIPID LIPOSOMES AS STUDIED BY EPR

ABSTRACT Alkylphospholipids are physiologically active derivatives of lipids effective in the treatment of breast cancer. Among them, octadecyl-(1,1-dimethyl-4-piperidino-4-yl)-phosphate (OPP) was demonstrated recently to have the strongest antitumor effect in micellar as well as in sterically stabilised liposome suspension with a low cholesterol content. In this work electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to study the influence of cholesterol, charge, and sterical stabilisation by PEG2000DSPE on the domain structure and fluidity characteristics of the membrane of OPP liposomes. As a spin probe 5-doxylpalmitoyl methyl ester was used. By computer simulation of the EPR spectra it was found that the experimental spectra are composed of three spectral components, which were attributed to three types of domains with different fluidity characteristics. The EPR parameters as well as the proportions of the individual domains were found to be mainly dependent on the amount of cholesterol, and only to a minor degree on charge and sterical stabilisation. There was a pronounced increase in the proportion of membrane domains with low order parameter, when the molar ratio of cholesterol to OPP was decreased below 1. At the same time the order parameters of all domains decreased, pointing to a transition from a less to a more fluid membrane organisation. These results coincide with an improved therapeutic activity of formulations with a low molar ratio of cholesterol to OPP and indicates that the fluidity characteristics of the membrane may be important for the effectiveness of liposomal alkylphospholipids against breast cancer cells.
Exploring the Throughput Boundaries of Randomized Schedulers in Wireless Networks

Randomization is a powerful and pervasive strategy for developing efficient and practical transmission scheduling algorithms in interference-limited wireless networks. Yet, despite the presence of a variety of earlier works on the design and analysis of particular randomized schedulers, there does not exist an extensive study of the limitations of randomization on the efficient scheduling in wireless networks. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by proposing a common modeling framework and three functional forms of randomized schedulers that utilize queue-length information to probabilistically schedule nonconflicting transmissions. This framework not only models many existing schedulers operating under a timescale separation assumption as special cases, but it also contains a much wider class of potential schedulers that have not been analyzed. We identify some sufficient and some necessary conditions on the network topology and on the functional forms used in the randomization for throughput optimality. Our analysis reveals an exponential and a subexponential class of functions that exhibit differences in the throughput optimality. Also, we observe the significance of the network's scheduling diversity for throughput optimality as measured by the number of maximal schedules each link belongs to. We further validate our theoretical results through numerical studies.
Depathologizing Asian American Perspectives of Health and Healing.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this literature review is to analyze how culture, both western and Asian, affect the characterization of Asian Americans in mental health. FINDINGS: Asian Americans are pathologized by the current Western health care system in two primary areas: somatization and dependency. The diagnosis of somatization contributes to the stereotyping of Asian Americans as hypochondriacal and alexythymic; the dependency characterization fosters the belief that Asian Americans are physcoloically immature and unsophisicated. Due to these perceptions, mental health services do not adequately serve the needs of Asian Americans. CONCLUSIONS: A cultural perspective of indigenous Asian values and specific diagnositic terminology explains these differences in Asian American practices of health and healing.
Production Potential of Gram Based Intercropping Systems under Rainfed Conditions

An experiment was conducted to find out suitable intercrop with chickpea under rainfed condition for maximizing the productivity of intercropping system at Agricultural Research Station, Borwat Farm, Banswara during Rabi 2008-09 and 2009-10. Significantly higher chickpea equivalent yield (2523 kg ha -1 ), water use efficiency (420.42 kg ha/cm), net return (Rs.58698/- ha -1 ) and B:C (3.46) were recorded under chickpea + mustard (4:2) rows cropping system over sole chickpea, sole barley, sole durum wheat, sole mustard, chickpea + barley (3:1) rows, chickpea + barley (3:2) rows, chickpea + durum wheat (3:1) rows and chickpea + durum wheat (3:1) rows, respectively. However, it was found at par with chickpea + mustard (4:1) rows cropping system chickpea equivalent yield (2430 kg ha -1 ), water use efficiency (405.0 kg ha/cm), net return (Rs.55675/- ha -1 ) and B:C (3.23) in the pooled analysis.
Monaural and binaural processing of fluctuating sounds in the auditory system

Two models of the effective signal processing in the human auditory system have been developed recently. One model from Dau et al. (1997) can predict human listeners’ performance with static and dynamic monaural signals. The other model from Breebaart et al. (2001a) is a binaural model that is based on the same peripheral processing as the Dau model, but was developed mainly for static signals. These models were selected because of their success and common roots for the development of a consolidated model that can effectively process static and dynamic, monaural and binaural signals in reverberant environments. Such a model could eventually be used as the basis for real-time speech recognition and auditory object identification systems. In this project, the first steps toward this goal were made with measurements of the ability of the auditory systems to detect monaural, diotic and dichotic envelope fluctuations. The measurements were performed using artificial probe signals in a series of headphone experiments with pure-tone and 3, 30 and 300 Hz wide noise carriers centered at 5 kHz aimed at measuring the threshold for the detection and discrimination of amplitude modulation. The amplitude modulation was presented monaurally, diotically and interaurally in antiphase with diotic and interaurally uncorrelated carriers. The pure-tone results showed a very different shape than the binaural temporal modulation transfer function (TMTF) reported in the literature. This suggests a new paradigm for characterizing the envelope processing capabilities of the binaural system. The intrinsic fluctuations of both diotic and uncorrelated carriers were seen to create masking in the binaural domain, similar in some respects to that reported in previous studies in the monaural domain. Preliminary tests indicated that the Breebaart model would not be able to predict the same relative thresholds as were measured when using narrowband carriers without further development with dynamic signals. Further simulations were recommended to test the dynamic capabilities of the model in order to find its strengths and weaknesses. When the model can successfully predict thresholds similar to those measured, it will be well equipped to process both monaural and binaural, static and dynamic signals in anechoic conditions. The next steps will be to gather data and continue development of the model with more complex, reverberant environments.
Cefepime, Piperacillin-Tazobactam, and the Inoculum Effect in Tests with Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae

ABSTRACT There is little information about the clinical effectiveness of cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam in the treatment of infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing pathogens. Some inferences have been drawn from laboratory studies, which have usually involved only one or a few strains of ESBL-producingKlebsiella pneumoniae or Escherichia colithat produced only a limited range of ESBLs. Such studies are indirect, sometimes conflicting, indicators of efficacy. To extend previous laboratory findings, a study was designed to investigate organism-drug interactions by determining the in vitro activities of eight parenteral β-lactam agents against 82 clinical and laboratory strains ofKlebsiella, Escherichia,Enterobacter, Citrobacter,Serratia, Morganella, andProteus species that produced 22 different ESBLs, alone or in combination with other β-lactamases. Activities were determined in broth microdilution MIC tests using standard and 100-fold-higher inocula. An inoculum effect, defined as an eightfold or greater MIC increase on testing with the higher inoculum, was most consistently detected with cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone and least frequently detected with meropenem and cefoteten. Piperacillin-tazobactam was intermediate between these two groups of agents. Although the inoculum effect is an in vitro laboratory phenomenon, if it has any predictive value in identifying increased risk of therapeutic failure in serious infections, these results support suggestions that cefepime may be a less-than-reliable agent for therapy of infections caused by ESBL-producing strains.
Electrophoretic Karyotype Analysis of Sequential Candida parapsilosis Isolates from Patients with Persistent or Recurrent Fungemia

ABSTRACT We assessed the genetic relatedness of sequential isolates ofCandida parapsilosis during persistent or recurrent fungemia and the effect of central venous catheter (CVC) removal. Serial isolates of C. parapsilosis were obtained from 17 patients with persistent or recurrent fungemia over periods of up to 5 months. Forty-eight C. parapsilosis isolates from the blood of 17 patients were analyzed by electrophoretic karyotyping (EK) with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), revealing 25 different karyotypes. The strains sequentially isolated from each of seven patients whose fungemia resolved following CVC removal had the same karyotype. Two patients with fungemia that cleared without CVC removal each had two sequential isolates with different karyotypes. In six (75%) of the eight patients whose fungemia was recurrent even after CVC removal, the karyotypes of the pre- and post-CVC removal isolates were different, implying the emergence of a new strain. Overall, the sequential strains from each patient had identical karyotypes in 53% (9 of 17) of the patients and two different karyotypes in 47% (8 of 17). This study shows that EK with PFGE is useful for investigating persistent or recurrent fungemia due to C. parapsilosis and that recurrent fungemia due to C. parapsilosis is more likely caused by reinfection with a second strain.
Type D personality, illness perception, social support and quality of life in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients

Abstract The previous studies reported Type D was associated with poor quality of life (QoL), increased psychological distress, and impaired health status in cardiac patients. The aim of this study is to assess the relationships among Type D personality, illness perception, social support, and investigate the impact of Type D personality on QoL in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Type D personality was assessed by the Chinese 14-item Type D Personality Scale (DS14). Illness perceptions were assessed using the Chinese version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ). Social support status was assessed by the well-validated social support rating scale (SSRS). Patients’ QoL was assessed by using Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36), respectively. The Type Ds had significantly lower objective support score (8.18 ± 2.56 vs. 9.67 ± 3.28, p = 0.0001), subjective support score (6.71 ± 2.0 vs. 7.62 ± 1.93, p = 0.0001) and utilization of social support score (6.76 ± 2.0 vs. 7.61 ± 1.94, p = 0.0001) than that of the non-type Ds. Type Ds believed their illness had much more serious consequences (7.67 ± 2.64 vs. 6.27 ± 3.45, p < 0.001), and experience much more symptoms that they attributed to their illness (6.65 ± 2.54 vs. 7.31 ± 2.36, p = 0.023). Significant differences were found between Type Ds and non-Type Ds in PCS (40.53 ± 6.42 vs. 48.54 ± 6.21 p < 0.001) and MCS (41.7 1 ± 10.20 vs. 46.35 ± 9.31, p = 0.012). The correlation analysis demonstrated that Type D was negatively associated with physical component score (PCS) (r = –0.29, p < 0.01), mental component score (MCS) (r = –0.31, p < 0.01), and social support (r = –0.24, p < 0.001). Using multiple linear regression analysis, we found that Type D personality was independently associated with PCS (β = –0.32, p < 0.001) and MCS (β = –0.24, p < 0.001). Type D personality was a predictor of poor QoL in CAPD patients. The current study is the first to identify a strong association among Type D, illness perceptions, social support and QoL in CAPD patients. The worse illness perceptions and lower social support level therefore represent possible mechanisms to explain the link between Type D and poor QoL in CAPD patients.
Neuronal Responses to Texture-Defined Form in Macaque Visual Area V2

Human and macaque observers can detect and discriminate visual forms defined by differences in texture. The neurophysiological correlates of visual texture perception are not well understood and have not been studied extensively at the single-neuron level in the primate brain. We used a novel family of texture patterns to measure the selectivity of neurons in extrastriate cortical area V2 of the macaque (Macaca nemestrina, Macaca fascicularis) for the orientation of texture-defined form, and to distinguish responses to luminance- and texture-defined form. Most V2 cells were selective for the orientation of luminance-defined form; they signaled the orientation of the component gratings that made up the texture patterns but not the overall pattern orientation. In some cells, these luminance responses were modulated by the direction or orientation of the texture envelope, suggesting an interaction of luminance and texture signals. We found little evidence for a “cue-invariant” representation in monkey V2. Few cells showed selectivity for the orientation of texture-defined form; they signaled the orientation of the texture patterns and not that of the component gratings. Small datasets recorded in monkey V1 and cat area 18 showed qualitatively similar patterns of results. Consistent with human functional imaging studies, our findings suggest that signals related to texture-defined form in primate cortex are most salient in areas downstream of V2. V2 may still provide the foundation for texture perception, through the interaction of luminance- and texture-based signals.
Comorbidities in Children and Adolescents with AIDS Acquired by HIV Vertical Transmission in Vitória, Brazil

Background Studying diseases associated with AIDS is essential for establishing intervention strategies because comorbidities can lead to death. The objectives were to describe the frequency of comorbidities and verify their distribution according to demographic, epidemiological and clinical data as well as to classify diseases in children and adolescents with AIDS in Vitória, Brazil. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among children with AIDS, as defined according to the criteria established by the Ministry of Health, who acquired HIV via vertical transmission, were aged 0 to 18 years, and were monitored at a referral hospital from January 2001 to December 2011. Results A total of 177 patients were included, of whom 97 were female (55%). There were 60 patients (34%) <1 year old, 67 patients (38%) between the ages of 1 and 5, and 50 patients (28%) ≥6 years of age included at the time of admission to the Infectious Diseases Ward. Regarding clinical-immunological classification, 146 patients (82.5%) showed moderate/severe forms of the disease at the time of admission into the Ward, and 26 patients (14.7%) died during the study. The most common clinical signs were hepatomegaly (81.62%), splenomegaly (63.8%), lymphadenopathy (68.4%) and persistent fever (32.8%). The most common comorbidities were anaemia (67.2%), pneumonia/septicaemia/acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) (64.2%), acute otitis media (AOM)/recurrent sinusitis (55.4%), recurrent severe bacterial infections (47.4%) and dermatitis (43.1%). An association between severe clinical-immunological classification and admission to the Ward for children aged less than one year old was found for several comorbidities (p<0.001). Conclusion Delayed diagnosis was observed because the majority of patients were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Ward at ≥1 year of age and were already presenting with serious diseases. The general paediatrician should be alert to this possibility to make an early diagnosis in children infected with HIV.
Derivatives of Faber Polynomials and Markov Inequalities

We study asymptotic behavior of the derivatives of Faber polynomials on a set with corners at the boundary. Our results have applications to the questions of sharpness of Markov inequalities for such sets. In particular, the found asymptotics are related to a general Markov-type inequality of Pommerenke and the associated conjecture of Erdos. We also prove a new bound for Faber polynomials on piecewise smooth domains.
Early diagnosis of ischaemic colitis.

During the last few years, it has become widely recognized that a clinical state closely resembling ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease may be produced by insufficiency of the vascular supply to the large bowel (Boley, Schwartz, Lash, and Sternhill 1963; Schwartz Boley, Lash, and Sternhill, 1963; McGovern and Goulston, 1965; Irwin, 1965; Marston, Pheils, Thomas, and Morson, 1966; Farman, 1966; Sturdy, 1968). Moreover the clinical distinction between these varieties of non-specific colitis may be of considerable importance, for the natural history of ischaemic colitis differs considerably from that encountered in dealing with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. However, apart from the studies already mentioned, reports of ischaemic colitis in the literature have been few and far between, and this applies especially to cases of ischaemic colitis diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. The present paper reports such a case, in which a diagnosis of ischaemic colitis was made within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms; describes the clinical and radiological progress of the patient concerned; and contrasts this clinical and radiological picture with that of other forms of non-specific colitis.
Tracking and Coordination of Multiple Agents Using Sensor Networks: System Design, Algorithms and Experiments

This paper considers the problem of pursuit evasion games (PEGs), where the objective of a group of pursuers is to chase and capture a group of evaders in minimum time with the aid of a sensor network. The main challenge in developing a real-time control system using sensor networks is the inconsistency in sensor measurements due to packet loss, communication delay, and false detections. We address this challenge by developing a real-time hierarchical control system, named LochNess, which decouples the estimation of evader states from the control of pursuers via multiple layers of data fusion. The multiple layers of data fusion convert noisy, inconsistent, and bursty sensor measurements into a consistent set of fused measurements. Three novel algorithms are developed for LochNess: multisensor fusion, hierarchical multitarget tracking, and multiagent coordination algorithms. The multisensor fusion algorithm converts correlated sensor measurements into position estimates, the hierarchical multitarget tracking algorithm based on Markov chain Monte Carlo data association (MCMCDA) tracks an unknown number of targets, and the multiagent coordination algorithm coordinates pursuers to chase and capture evaders using robust minimum-time control. The control system LochNess is evaluated in simulation and successfully demonstrated using a large-scale outdoor sensor network deployment