Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emergence of a New Norovirus Genotype II.4 Variant Associated with Global Outbreaks of Gastroenteritis

ABSTRACT Norovirus (NoV) is highly infectious and is the major cause of outbreak gastroenteritis in adults, with pandemic spread of the virus being reported in 1995 and 2002. The NoV genome is genetically diverse, which has hampered development of sensitive molecular biology-based methods. In this study we report on a nested reverse transcriptase PCR (nRT-PCR) that was designed to amplify the highly conserved 3′ end of the polymerase region and the 5′ end of the capsid gene of NoV genogroup II (GII). The nRT-PCR was validated with strains isolated from sporadic and outbreak cases between 1997 and 2004 in New South Wales, Australia. Phylogenetic analysis identified six genotypes circulating in New South Wales, GII.1, GII.3, GII.4, GII.6, GII.7, and GII.10, with GII.4 being the predominant genotype. In 2004, there was a marked increase in NoV GII activity in Australia, with a novel GII.4 variant being identified as the etiological agent in 18 outbreaks investigated. This novel GII.4 variant, termed Hunter virus, differed by more than 5% at the amino acid level across the capsid from any other NoV strain in the GenBank and EMBL databases. The Hunter virus was subsequently identified as the etiological agent in large epidemics of gastroenteritis in The Netherlands, Japan, and Taiwan in 2004 and 2005.
Blocking and Binding Folate Receptor Alpha Autoantibodies Identify Novel Autism Spectrum Disorder Subgroups

Folate receptor α (FRα) autoantibodies (FRAAs) are prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They disrupt the transportation of folate across the blood-brain barrier by binding to the FRα. Children with ASD and FRAAs have been reported to respond well to treatment with a form of folate known as folinic acid, suggesting that they may be an important ASD subgroup to identify and treat. There has been no investigation of whether they manifest unique behavioral and physiological characteristics. Thus, in this study we measured both blocking and binding FRAAs, physiological measurements including indices of redox and methylation metabolism and inflammation as well as serum folate and B12 concentrations and measurements of development and behavior in 94 children with ASD. Children positive for the binding FRAA were found to have higher serum B12 levels as compared to those negative for binding FRAAs while children positive for the blocking FRAA were found to have relatively better redox metabolism and inflammation markers as compared to those negative for blocking FRAAs. In addition, ASD children positive for the blocking FRAA demonstrated better communication on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, stereotyped behavior on the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist and mannerisms on the Social Responsiveness Scale. This study suggests that FRAAs are associated with specific physiological and behavioral characteristics in children with ASD and provides support for the notion that these biomarkers may be useful for subgrouping children with ASD, especially with respect to targeted treatments.
Quantitative Genetics of Scale Counts in the Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis

This study addresses the quantitative genetic basis of phenotypic variation and covariation for a series of meristic traits in the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (six head scale counts: loreals, supraand infralabials, preand postoculars, temporals; three body scale counts: ventrals, subcaudals, dorsal scale rows at midbody; two derived traits: umbilical scar size and position). Each trait was scored on approximately 540 offspring and their 47 dams captured in the wild while gravid. Correlations of the meristic traits with body mass at birth, dam's snout-vent length and body mass, litter size, and number of days each dam was held under laboratory conditions prior to giving birth were removed by computing residuals from multiple regression equations. Narrow-sense heritabilities (estimated by restricted maximum likelihood) of residuals were high for temporal scale counts (0.59), moderately large for ventral (0.29) and subcaudal scale counts (0.41), and low (in the range 0-0.12) for the other five traits. Probably as a consequence of the low statistical power of significance testing under restricted maximum likelihood, only the heritability for temporal scales was significantly
Short Samples in Authorship Attribution: A New Approach

The question of minimal sample size is one of the most important issues in stylometry and nontraditional authorship attribution. In the last decade or so, a few studies concerning different aspects of scalability in stylometry have been published (Zhao and Zobel, 2005; Hirst and Feiguina, 2007; Stamatatos, 2008; Koppel et al., 2009; Mikros, 2009; Luyckx and Daelemans, 2011), but the question has not been answered comprehensively. In his recent study, Eder proposed a systematic approach to solve the problem in a series of experiments, claiming that a sample should have at least 5,000 running words to be attributable (Eder, 2015). The above studies (and many other as well) tacitly assume that there exists a certain amount of linguistic data that allows for reliable authorial recognition, and the real problem at stake is to determine that very value. However, one can assume that the authorial fingerprint is not distributed evenly in a collection of texts. Just the contrary, many experiments seem to suggest that the authorial voice is sometimes overshadowed by other signals, such as genre, gender, chronology, or translation. Some authors, say Chandler, should be easily attributable, while some other authors, say Virginia Woolf, will probably have their fingerprint somewhat hidden. Moreover, authorship attribution is ultimately a matter of context: telling apart Hemingway and Dickens will always be easier than distinguishing the Bronte sisters. On theoretical grounds, then, the minimal sample size can not be determined once and forever for the entire corpus, but may be different for different texts in the corpus.
A Rare Case of Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemosiderosis in an Adult

Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemosiderosis is a rare condition, primarily affecting the pediatric population. IPH is characterized by the triad of hemoptysis, iron deficiency anemia, and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, though not all the symptoms may be seen. Due to the myriad of diseases that present as such, IPH is often a diagnosis of exclusion. Treatment with corticosteroids prevents further episodes of hemoptysis, and improves the anemia. We report on a rare case of IPH in an adult who presented with chronic anemia and shortness of breath.
The modulation of information processing by reward expectation and spatial attention

Reward expectation and spatial attention both exert powerful control over behaviour and modulate neural activity. The experiments in this thesis aimed to chart the dynamics of reward expectation effects across the time course of information processing and examine the relationship between reward and attention. Experiments 3.1 and 3.2 parametrically manipulated reward magnitude in the presence or absence of attention and demonstrated reward could influence reaction time (RT) under conditions of time pressure. Experiments 4.1 and 4.2 independently varied reward and spatial probabilities and illustrated independent and interactive effects of reward and attention at late stages of cognitive processing (the P300 potential), as well as modulation of detection sensitivity (d') by reward under conditions of uncertainty when reward was able to work through feature-based attention. The experiment of Chapter 5 cued reward and attention trial by trial and showed under these conditions, not only could reward influence late stages of information processing, but expectation of reward reduced peak latency of the visual N1 potential. Reward and attention also modulated motor preparation with both independent and interactive effects. The experiment of Chapter 6 examined the dynamics of reward association with task-relevant targets and irrelevant distracters during visual search and demonstrated that task-irrelevant but motivationally-salient distracter items could capture attentional resources away from the target, guided by endogenous reward association alone. The experiments of this thesis demonstrated the ability of reward expectation to modulate both behaviour and multiple stages of information processing, with effects predominantly independent from those of attention. Reward could influence processing from early visual analysis and target detection stages. Interaction between the two systems occurred at late processing stages, whereby reward and attentional information may have been integrated to provide a cohesive representation of the stimulus given the current environmental conditions.
High Throughput Sequencing Analysis of the Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Gene from Flow-Sorted B Cell Sub-Populations Define the Dynamics of Follicular Lymphoma Clonal Evolution

Understanding the dynamics of evolution of Follicular Lymphoma (FL) clones during disease progression is important for monitoring and targeting this tumor effectively. Genetic profiling of serial FL biopsies and examples of FL transmission following bone marrow transplant suggest that this disease may evolve by divergent evolution from a common ancestor cell. However where this ancestor cell resides and how it evolves is still unclear. The analysis of the pattern of somatic hypermutation of the immunoglobulin gene (Ig) is traditionally used for tracking the physiological clonal evolution of B cells within the germinal center and allows to discriminate those cells that have just entered the germinal center and display features of ancestor cells from those B cells that keep re-circulating across different lymphoid organs. Here we investigated the pattern of somatic hypermutation of the heavy chain of the immunoglobulin gene (IgH-VH) in 4 flow-sorted B cells subpopulations belonging to different stages of differentiation, from sequential lymph node biopsies of cases displaying diverse patterns of evolution, using the GS-FLX Titanium sequencing platform. We observed an unexpectedly high level of clonality, with hundreds of distinct tumor subclones in the different subpopulations from the same sample, the majority detected at a frequency <10−2. By using a lineage trees analysis we observed in all our FL and t-FL cases that the oligoclonal FL population was trapped in a narrow intermediate stage of maturation that maintains the capacity to undergo SHM, but was unable to further differentiate. The presence of such a complex architecture highlights challenges currently encountered in finding a cure for this disease.
Importance of Substrate Composition, pH and Other Variables on Tissue Factor Enhancement of Factor Vlla Activity

Summary Tissue factor (TF) markedly enhances the ability of factor VIIa (FVIIa) to cleave both macromolecular and small peptidyl substrates. Using soluble mutant TF (sTF) to investigate TF-enhanced FVIIa amidolytic activity in solution, we screened thirty-four commercially available peptidyl-p-nitroanilide substrates and found that substrate hydrolysis rates were influenced by both the peptide sequence and the N-terminal blocking group (MeSO2 > MeO-CO or free N-terminus >> benzoyl). Two substrates (Chromozym t-PA: MeSO2-D-Phe-Gly-Arg-pNA; and CBS 34.47: H-D-cyclohexylglycyl-α-aminobutyryl-Arg-pNA) were cleaved at rates higher than those of previously reported chromogenic substrates for FVIIa. The pH range of FVIIa amidolytic activity toward Chromozym t-PA was 6.5 to 10 with an optimum at pH 7.8, while sTF·VIIa had a higher pH optimum (pH 8.4 to 8.5). The degree of enhancement of FVIIa activity by sTF varied from 12-fold at pH 7.5 to 73-fold at pH 9.9. The effect of a variety of agents on FVIIa amidolytic activity was surveyed: most decreased activity, while glycerol and ethylene glycol enhanced the activity of FVIIa but not sTF·VIIa. These results indicate that the effect of sTF on the catalytic center of FVIIa is pH-dependent, and that certain polyalcohols can partially substitute for TF.
Effects of Long-Term Water-Aging on Novel Anti-Biofilm and Protein-Repellent Dental Composite

The aims of this study were to: (1) synthesize an anti-biofilm and protein-repellent dental composite by combining 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) with quaternary ammonium dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM); and (2) evaluate the effects of water-aging for 180 days on protein resistance, bacteria-killing ability, and mechanical properties of MPC-DMAHDM composite. MPC and DMAHDM were added into a resin composite. Specimens were stored in distilled water at 37 °C for 1, 30, 90, and 180 days. Mechanical properties were measured in three-point flexure. Protein attachment onto the composite was evaluated by a micro bicinchoninic acid approach. An oral plaque microcosm biofilm model was employed to evaluate oral biofilm viability vs. water-aging time. Mechanical properties of the MPC-DMAHDM composite after 180-day immersion matched those of the commercial control composite. The composite with 3% MPC + 1.5% DMAHDM had much stronger resistance to protein adhesion than control (p < 0.05). MPC + DMAHDM achieved much stronger biofilm-eradicating effects than MPC or DMAHDM alone (p < 0.05). Biofilm colony-forming units on the 3% MPC + 1.5% DMAHDM composite were three orders of magnitude lower than commercial control. The protein-repellent and antibacterial effects were durable and showed no loss in water-aging from 1 to 180 days. The novel MPC-DMAHDM composite possessed strong and durable resistance to protein adhesion and potent bacteria-eradicating function, while matching the load-bearing ability of a commercial dental composite. The novel MPC-DMAHDM composite represents a promising means of suppressing oral plaque growth, acid production, and secondary caries.
Fatty acid composition and tocopherol profiles of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seed oils

The oil contents of safflower seeds ranged from 23.08% to 36.51%. The major fatty acid of safflower oil is linoleic acid, which accounted for 55.1–77.0% in oils, with a mean value of 70.66%. Three types of tocopherols were found in safflower oil in various amount α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol, ranged from 46.05 to 70.93 mg/100 g, 0.85 to 2.16 mg/100 g and trace amount to 0.45 mg/100 g oils, respectively. This research shows that both fatty acid and tocopherol contents differ significantly among the safflowers.
Do Markets Care About Central Bank Governor Changes? Evidence from Emerging Markets

Central bank governor changes in emerging markets may convey important signals about future monetary policy. Based on a new daily data set, this paper examines the reactions of foreign exchange markets, domestic stock market indices and sovereign bond spreads to central bank governor changes. The data cover 20 emerging markets over the period 1992-2006. We find that the replacement of a central bank governor negatively affects financial markets on the announcement day. This negative effect is mainly driven by irregular changes, i.e., changes occurring before the scheduled end of tenure, sending negative signals about perceived central bank independence. Personal characteristics of the central banker, to the contrary, are less important for market reactions. We find no evidence that changes in the central banker's conservatism affect the reactions of the markets. Finally, market reactions are similar in countries with high and low degrees of central bank independence.
Assessing the accuracy of drug profiles in an electronic medical record system of a Washington state hospital.

OBJECTIVES To determine the accuracy of patients' electronic medical record (EMR) drug profiles, to assess the relationship of copayment status with errors of commission and omission within drug profiles, and to evaluate the association between errors of commission in primary and secondary sections of the drug profiles. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of patients' EMR drug profiles at a 46-bed hospital in Washington state. METHODS Patients' drug profiles were compared against hospital staff interviews. Drug profiles listing each medication the patient was taking, without listing drugs the patient was not taking, exhibited perfect accuracy. We evaluated associations between errors of commission and omission, copayment status between errors of commission and omission, and associations between errors of commission in primary and secondary sections of the drug profiles. RESULTS Demographics of study patients are similar to previously published research, and accuracy outcomes seem to be better than those of previously published studies. Fifty-six percent of drug profiles in our study hospital exhibited perfect accuracy. Errors of commission and omission were unassociated with copayment status; errors of commission in the primary section of the drug profile were unassociated with errors of commission in the secondary section of the drug profile. CONCLUSIONS A medication reconciliation program may have led to a high rate of perfectly accurate drug profiles; while its purpose is to increase accuracy and to decrease errors, it may also assist in reducing adverse drug events. Results show that copayment amounts influence drug utilization; these may be associated with errors of commission and omission and not simply with copayment status.
Graph nonisomorphism has subexponential size proofs unless the polynomial-time hierarchy collapses

We establish hardness versus randomness trade-offs for a broad class of randomized procedures. In particular, we create efficient nondeterministic simulations of bounded round Arthur-Merlin games using a language in exponential time that cannot be decided by polynomial size oracle circuits with access to satisfiability. We show that every language with a bounded round Arthur-Merlin game has subexponential size membership proofs for infinitely many input lengths unless the polynomial-time hierarchy collapses. This provides the first strong evidence that graph nonisomorphism has subexponential size proofs. We set up a general framework for derandomization which encompasses more than the traditional model of randomized computation. For a randomized procedure to fit within this framework, we only require that for any fixed input the complexity of checking whether the procedure succeeds on a given random bit sequence is not too high. We then apply our derandomization technique to four fundamental complexity theoretic constructions: The Valiant-Vazirani random hashing technique which prunes the number of satisfying assignments of a Boolean formula to one, and related procedures like computing satisfying assignments to Boolean formulas non-adaptively given access to an oracle for satisfiability. The algorithm of Bshouty et al. for learning Boolean circuits. Constructing matrices with high rigidity. Constructing polynomial-size universal traversal sequences. We also show that if linear space requires exponential size circuits, then space bounded randomized computations can be simulated deterministically with only a constant factor overhead in space.
Functional stabilization of weakened thalamic pacemaker channel regulation in rat absence epilepsy

Aberrant function of pacemaker currents (Ih), carried by hyperpolarization‐activated cation non‐selective (HCN) channels, affects neuronal excitability and accompanies epilepsy, but its distinct roles in epileptogenesis and chronic epilepsy are unclear. We probed Ih function and subunit composition during both pre‐ and chronically epileptic stages in thalamocortical (TC) neurones of the Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rat from Strasbourg (GAERS). Voltage gating of Ih was unaltered in mature somatosensory TC cells, both in vivo and in vitro. However, the enhancement of Ih by phasic, near‐physiological, cAMP pulses was diminished by ∼40% and the half‐maximal cAMP concentration increased by ∼5‐fold. This decreased responsiveness of Ih to its major cellular modulator preceded epilepsy onset in GAERS, persisted throughout the chronic state, and was accompanied by an enhanced expression of the cAMP‐insensitive HCN1 channel mRNA (> 50%), without changes in the mRNA levels of HCN2 and HCN4. To assess for alterations in TC cell excitability, we monitored the slow up‐regulation of Ih that is induced by Ca2+‐triggered cAMP synthesis and important for terminating in vitro synchronized oscillations. Remarkably, repetitive rebound Ca2+ spikes evoked normal slow Ih up‐regulation in mature GAERS neurones; that sufficed to attenuate spontaneous rhythmic burst discharges. These adaptive mechanisms occurred upstream of cAMP turnover and involved enhanced intracellular Ca2+ accumulation upon repetitive low‐threshold Ca2+ discharges. Therefore, HCN channels appear to play a dual role in epilepsy. Weakened cAMP binding to HCN channels precedes, and likely promotes, epileptogenesis in GAERS, whereas compensatory mechanisms stabilizing Ih function contribute to the termination of spike‐and‐wave discharges in chronic epilepsy.
Enhancing Communication between Marketing and Engineering: The Moderating Role of Relative Functional Identification

Using research in social psychology, the authors illustrate how two key routes to improve communication between marketing and engineering are dependent on the strength of managers’ psychological connection to their functional area compared to the firm as a whole (i.e., relative functional identification). In particular, they argue that relative functional identification moderates the relationship between strategies traditionally used to affect interfunctional relationships (information-sharing norms and integrated goals) and the frequency, bidirectionality, and coerciveness of interfunctional communication behaviors. In turn, these communication behaviors are linked to information use and perceived relationship effectiveness. The authors empirically test predictions of the framework in two studies. Study 1 results suggest that (1) the efficacy of the traditional strategies depends on marketing managers’ relative functional identification and (2) the traditional strategies can have negative and unintended effects on communication behaviors. In Study 2, the authors replicate and extend Study 1 by illustrating that bidirectional communication is as important as frequency in increasing both information use by engineering personnel and the perceived effectiveness of interfunctional relationships. The authors conclude with implications for theory building and managerial practice.
Socioeconomic Inequalities and Occupational Injury Disability in China: A Population-Based Survey

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of occupational injury disability (OID) and to examine the socioeconomic status of OID in China. Methods: The data derived from the China National Sample Survey on Disability in 2006 involving people aged 16–59 years old. Descriptive statistics are used to measure OID’s prevalence, and a binary logistic regression is used to identify the risk factors. Results: The population-weighted prevalence of OID is 1.81 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.67–1.94). Socioeconomic risk factors include male sex, older age, living in urban areas, junior high school education, income below the poverty line, a lack of occupational injury insurance, living in the western region and working in high-risk occupations. Conclusions: OID is common among Chinese people aged 16–59 years old. Being male or older and having a lower income are risk factors for OID, similar to the results of previous research, but education is different. More training and education needs to be implemented to prevent OID.