Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure to Concentrated Ambient Particles Does Not Affect Vascular Function in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Background Exposure to fine particulate air pollution is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We previously demonstrated that exposure to dilute diesel exhaust causes vascular dysfunction in humans. Objectives We conducted a study to determine whether exposure to ambient particulate matter causes vascular dysfunction. Methods Twelve male patients with stable coronary heart disease and 12 age-matched volunteers were exposed to concentrated ambient fine and ultrafine particles (CAPs) or filtered air for 2 hr using a randomized, double-blind cross-over study design. We measured peripheral vascular vasomotor and fibrinolytic function, and inflammatory variables—including circulating leukocytes, serum C-reactive protein, and exhaled breath 8-isoprostane and nitrotyrosine—6–8 hr after both exposures. Results Particulate concentrations (mean ± SE) in the exposure chamber (190 ± 37 μg/m3) were higher than ambient levels (31 ± 8 μg/m3) and levels in filtered air (0.5 ± 0.4 μg/m3; p < 0.001). Chemical analysis of CAPs identified low levels of elemental carbon. Exhaled breath 8-isoprostane concentrations increased after exposure to CAPs (16.9 ± 8.5 vs. 4.9 ± 1.2 pg/mL, p < 0.05), but markers of systemic inflammation were largely unchanged. Although there was a dose-dependent increase in blood flow and plasma tissue plasminogen activator release (p < 0.001 for all), CAPs exposure had no effect on vascular function in either group. Conclusions Despite achieving marked increases in particulate matter, exposure to CAPs—low in combustion-derived particles—did not affect vasomotor or fibrinolytic function in either middle-aged healthy volunteers or patients with coronary heart disease. These findings contrast with previous exposures to dilute diesel exhaust and highlight the importance of particle composition in determining the vascular effects of particulate matter in humans.
Augmented Efficient BackProp for backpropagation learning in deep autoassociative neural networks

We introduce Augmented Efficient BackProp as a strategy for applying the backpropagation algorithm to deep autoencoders, i.e., autoassociators with many hidden layers, without relying on a weight initialization using restricted Boltzmann machines. This training method is an extension of Efficient BackProp, first proposed by LeCun et al. [1], and is benchmarked on three different types of application datasets.
String loop corrected hypermultiplet moduli spaces

Using constraints from supersymmetry and string perturbation theory, we determine the string loop corrections to the hypermultiplet moduli space of type II strings compactified on a generic Calabi-Yau threefold. The corresponding quaternion-Kahler manifolds are completely encoded in terms of a single function. The latter receives a one-loop correction and, using superspace techniques, we argue for the existence of a non-renormalization theorem excluding higher loop contributions.
The effect of combination of chelating agents on the translocation of intramuscularly depostied 239Pu nitrate in the rat.

Abstract The effect of direct injection of chelating agents into simulated puncture wounds contaminated with 239Pu nitrate has been investigated. The ability to stimulate absorption of 239Pu from the injection site decreases in the order: Desferrioxamine (DFOA) > calcium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) ≫ disodium dipicolinate > trisodium citrate. Substantially better results are obtained by simultaneous administration of mixtures of DTPA + dipicolinate, DTPA + DFOA, DFOA + citrate, and DTPA + citrate, all showing virtually the same effectiveness. The retention pattern of 239Pu translocated from the wound into body organs after chelation therapy is considered as a measure of the complex stability in vivo. Greatest reduction in the skeleton and liver is achieved by DTPA and by its combination with DFOA or citrate. On the other hand, the 239Pu transferred from the injection site shows increased proportional deposition in the kidneys by DFOA, in the skeleton by dipicolinate and in the liver and skeleton by citrate. Combinations of DTPA with tartrate, lactate, pyruvate or chinolinate as well as those of citrate with dipicolinate or chinolinate are equally or less effective than DTPA or DFOA alone. Hyaluronidase does not influence the effectiveness of treatment. Up to about 90% of 239Pu can be removed from the injection site by treatment 1 hr after administration and up to about 30% 3 weeks later. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Secondary infall and dark matter haloes

We test the secondary infall model (SIM) by direct comparison with the results of N-body simulations. Eight cluster-size and six galactic-size dark matter haloes have been selected at z = 0 and resimulated with high resolution. Based on their density profiles at the initial redshift, we compute their evolution by the SIM, assuming a simple prescription for the angular momentum. A comparison of the density profiles obtained by the SIM and the numerical experiments at z = 5, 1 and 0 shows that, for most of the haloes at most epochs, the SIM reproduces the simulated matter distribution with a typical fractional deviation of less than 40 per cent over more than six orders of magnitudes in the density. It is also found that, within the SIM framework, most of the diversity in the shape of the density profiles at z = 0 arises from the scatter in the primordial spherically averaged density profile rather than the scatter in the angular momentum distribution. A crude optimization shows that a similar degree of agreement is obtained for galactic and cluster haloes, but the former seem to require slightly higher amounts of angular momentum. Our main conclusion is that the SIM provides a viable dynamical model for predicting the structure and evolution of the density profile of dark matter haloes.
A life stage of particle-laden rat dendritic cells in vivo: their terminal division, active phagocytosis, and translocation from the liver to the draining lymph

Initiation of an adoptive immune response against pathogenic organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, may involve phagocytic activity of dendritic cells (DC) or their immature precursors as a prelude to antigen processing and presentation. After intravenous injection of rats with particulate matter, particle-laden cells were detected in the peripheral hepatic lymph. Since it has been known there is a constant efflux of DC from nonlymphoid organs into the draining peripheral lymph, we examined whether these particle-laden cells belonged to the DC or macrophage lineage. The majority of particle-laden cells in lymph showed immature monocyte-like cytology, and the amount of ingested particles was small relative to typical macrophages. We identified these particle-laden cells as DC based on a number of established criteria: (a) they had a phenotype characteristic of rat DC, that is, major histocompatibility complex class Ihigh+ and IIhigh+, intercellular adhesion molecule 1+ and 80% positive with the rat DC- specific mAb OX62; (b) they showed strong stimulating capacity in primary allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction; (c) in vitro, they had little phagocytic activity; and (d) the kinetics of translocation was similar to that of lymph DC in that they migrated to the thymus- dependent area of the regional nodes. Furthermore, bromodeoxyuridine feeding studies revealed that most of the particle-laden DC were recently produced by the terminal division of precursor cells, at least 45% of them being <5.5 d old. The particle-laden DC, defined as OX62+ latex-laden cells, were first found in the sinusoidal area of the liver, in the liver perfusate, and in spleen cell suspensions, suggesting that the site of particle capture was mainly in the blood marginating pool. It is concluded that the particle-laden cells in the hepatic lymph are recently produced immature DC that manifest a temporary phagocytic activity for intravascular particles during or after the terminal division and that the phagocytic activity is downregulated at a migratory stage when they translocate from the sinusoidal area to the hepatic lymph.
Does Slow and Variable Recovery of Diadema antillarum on Caribbean Fore-Reefs Reflect Density-Dependent Habitat Selection?

Recovery of the Caribbean long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum from the pathogen-induced mass mortality event of 1983 has been slow and variable. Multiple studies indicate that post-mortality population densities are greatest in sheltered lagoon and back reef habitats, and that recovery is limited on forereefs where pre-mortality densities were also high [1-5]. We carried out detailed surveys of a recovering population of D. antillarum in Curacao to document an ongoing influence of habitat type on population density, and to explore what ecosystem characteristics might drive observed recovery patterns. We quantified D. antillarum population density, larval settlement rates, herbivorous fish biomass, algal turfs, macroalgae and predatory fish biomass in sites with and without structural complexity on reefs in sheltered lagoon and backreef locations, and on the forereef, using an orthogonal survey design. D. antillarum densities were greatest in sheltered lagoon and backreef locations, with high structural complexity. However, densities were significantly lower than those reported prior to the mass mortality event. Larval settlement rates were greater in sheltered lagoon and backreef locations but did not fully account for observed patterns in urchin density. Sheltered lagoon and backreef habitats had more turf algae and fewer herbivorous fish than forereef habitats. Predator abundance was generally low and did not differ significantly among habitat types. In light of our results, we hypothesize that patterns of D. antillarum recovery in Curacao are consistent with dynamics expected in the presence of density-dependent habitat selection. More algal resources and fewer herbivorous fish provide a mechanism for increased fitness and habitat suitability in sheltered, lagoon and backreef habitats. Forereefs, by contrast, offer reduced habitat suitability and, we hypothesize, will only be re-colonized once the carrying capacity of more favourable habitats is exceeded. We propose a number of testable predictions to explore this theory further, and advocate for including sheltered lagoon and backreef habitats in D. antillarum population surveys to monitor recovery, as well as protecting populations found in these habitats where necessary. We predict that when current populations return to pre-mortality densities, range expansion may allow for a return of D. antillarum to Caribbean forereefs.
Deletion of the SIM1 gene (6q16.2) in a patient with a Prader-Willi-like phenotype

Apart from Prader-Willi syndrome, which is a well delineated imprinting disorder of the 15q11-q12 region, other chromosome anomalies have been described in a small number of patients with features reminiscent of Prader-Willi syndrome, including hypotonia, progressive obesity, small extremities, and delayed developmental milestones. Among these chromosome anomalies are some cases of interstitial deletion of chromosome 6q1–5 and haploinsufficiency of the SIM1 gene (6q16.2) has been proposed as a candidate gene for obesity.6 Here, we report a fifth case of Prader-Willi-like phenotype associated with an interstitial chromosome 6q deletion (6q16.1-q21) detected only by high resolution banding techniques. This suggests that a subgroup of patients with features reminiscent of Prader-Willi syndrome and an interstitial deletion of chromosome 6q16.2 could be delineated. The proband was the only child of a 27 year old mother and a 32 year old father. Intrauterine growth retardation, oligohydramnios, and a left club foot were noted during the third trimester of pregnancy. He was born at term after a normal delivery. His growth parameters were weight 2350 g (−2.5 SD), length 47 cm (−1.5 SD), and OFC 33 cm (−1.5 SD). He was described as floppy and had feeding difficulties in early infancy. He sat at the age of 2 years, walked at 3½12 years, and had no speech when we first saw him aged 5 years. Excessive weight gain began at 3 years, with a big appetite and food seeking behaviour. There were no sleep disturbances. His behaviour was hyperactive, with a short attention span and …
Surveillance of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, United States, 1981-1983.

The increase in the incidence of RMSF observed in the 1970s appears to have plateaued at a median of 0.49 cases/100,000 for the 6-year period 1978-1983. In 1981-1983, for the first time, Oklahoma had the highest incidence of RMSF in the United States (4.10 cases/100,000/year); increased numbers of cases were also reported from two of the other three West South Central states-Texas and Arkansas. Texas, which reported 217 cases in the 3-year period, had an average incidence of 0.47 cases/100,000/year. This apparent regional increase in RMSF activity may reflect multiple factors, including increased recognition and reporting of cases and environmental factors that may be associated with a true increase in RMSF. Simultaneously, a decrease in the number of cases reported and in the incidence of RMSF have been observed in the South Atlantic states, although these states still account for most (51%) of the cases in the United States. The slight decrease in the case-fatality ratio observed over the last 9 years is unexplained. It may reflect increased awareness of RMSF and result in appropriate and timely treatment. The increasing number and percentage of cases that are laboratory confirmed suggest that the more sensitive and specific laboratory tests now required for serologic confirmation are being more widely used and are contributing to an increased accuracy of reporting of RMSF in this country. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Entrainment of overground human walking to mechanical perturbations at the ankle joint

Unlike upper-extremity robotic therapy, robotic therapy of lower extremities has not matched the effectiveness of human-administered approaches. We hypothesize that this may stem from inadvertent interference with natural movement control and investigated the oscillatory dynamics of human locomotion. Specifically, we assessed gait entrainment to periodic mechanical perturbations. Because the treadmills used in most studies necessarily interact with the dynamics of natural walking, we compared our experimental intervention during gait entrainment in treadmill and overground walking. Fourteen healthy subjects walked overground and on a treadmill while wearing an exoskeletal ankle robot which exerted short plantarflexion torque pulses at periods 50 ms shorter or longer than the subjects' preferred stride period. Entrainment to the periodic perturbation occurred in all conditions, however more readily in overground walking. In all cases, the stride period phase-locked with the torque pulse at `push-off' such that it assisted propulsion. This entrainment of the stride period and its sensitivity to context indicate the subtlety and adaptability of human walking. Our observations suggest new avenues for gait rehabilitation and implications for exoskeleton design and legged locomotion research.
A method for optimising the weight and response of brush-type wound-field direct current motors

Weight optimised direct current (DC) motors have been used lately as actuators for micro-robotics and biomedical equipment. The evolution of these motors originated from the need for lightweight compact motors with good response in the industry. Many techniques have been used in developing permanent magnet (PM) and wound-field (WF) DC motors, such as numerical analysis, selecting adequate magnetic material, finite element analysis and optimisation models. Yet, published articles on optimising the weight and response of WF DC motors reveal the development of WF weight optimised motors with problems for example non-proportional geometry, saturated armature teeth, weak output torque and high operating specific electric loading. To overcome these problems, this paper presents a method that separately optimises wound-field DC motors operating with closed-loop proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controllers. A 900-watts DC motor and its PID controllers are optimised as an example for illustrating the proposed method.
The Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults: Comparison of WHO and NCEP Criteria

The aims of this study were to compare the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome according to the WHO and NCEP ATP III criteria in Korean adults, and to compare the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome with the results in previous Korean studies. The study comprised 1,230 subjects (627 men, 603 women) aged 30-79 years (mean 52.4±10.3 years) who underwent medical check-up from April to June, 2001 in the Korea Association of Health (KAH). The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome according to the modified WHO criteria was 21.8% of men and 19.4% of women. However, the prevalence was increased 1.6 times (34.2%) in men and 2.0 times (38.7%) in women using the modified NCEP criteria. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome has varied widely according to differences in the criteria. Thus, further studies are necessary to define the appropriate criteria of the metabolic syndrome for Korean adults.
False Appearance of Gene–Environment Interactions in Genetic Association Studies

AbstractUnder the assumption of gene–environment independence, unknown/unmeasured environmental factors, irrespective of what they may be, cannot confound the genetic effects. This may lead many people to believe that genetic heterogeneity across different levels of the studied environmental exposure should only mean gene–environment interaction—even though other environmental factors are not adjusted for. However, this is not true if the odds ratio is the effect measure used for quantifying genetic effects. This is because the odds ratio is a “noncollapsible” measure—a marginal odds ratio is not a weighted average of the conditional odds ratios, but instead has a tendency toward the null. In this study, the authors derive formulae for gene–environment interaction bias due to noncollapsibility. They use computer simulation and real data example to show that the bias can be substantial for common diseases. For genetic association study of nonrare diseases, researchers are advised to use collapsible measures, such as risk ratio or peril ratio.
TanDEM-X Pol-InSAR Performance for Forest Height Estimation

TanDEM-X and TerraSAR-X platforms form together the first spaceborne single-pass polarimetric interferometer in space. This allows, for the first time, the acquisition of spaceborne polarimetric synthetic aperture radar interferometry (Pol-InSAR) data without the disturbing effect of temporal decorrelation. This paper aims to assess the potential of such data for forest applications. For this, single- and dual-pol data acquired over a boreal, a temperate, and a tropical site were investigated to characterize X-band penetration and polarization diversity of the interferometric coherence measurements. Pol-InSAR forest height inversion schemes have been proposed and implemented for the singleand dual-pol cases and cross validated against LIDAR reference measurements for all sites. The single-pol inversion relies on an external ground digital terrain model (DTM) and performed well for all sites with correlation coefficients r2 between 0.80 and 0.98. The dual-pol inversion does not require an external DTM but depends on the visibility of the whole forest layer. Accordingly, its performance varied with forest structure and season: The best performance was achieved for the summer acquisition of the boreal test site (r2 = 0.86) and for the winter acquisition of the temperate test site (r2 = 0.77). For the tropical test site, only a weak correlation (r2 = ~0.50) could be established.
Word- and Sentence-Level Confidence Measures for Machine Translation

A machine translated sentence is seldom completely correct. Confidence measures are designed to detect incorrect words, phrases or sentences, or to provide an estimation of the probability of correctness. In this article we describe several word- and sentence-level confidence measures relying on different features: mutual information between words, n-gram and backward n-gram language models, and linguistic features. We also try different combination of these measures. Their accuracy is evaluated on a classification task. We achieve 17% error-rate (0.84 f-measure) on wordlevel and 31% error-rate (0.71 f-measure) on sentence-level.
A Novel Multilevel Matrix Compression Method for Analysis of Electromagnetic Scattering From PEC Targets

We present a new multilevel matrix compression method (MLMCM) and its application to the analysis of scattering problems from three-dimensional (3-D) arbitrary-shaped conductors. The compression is achieved without generating the full subblocks of the matrix by the rank-based method. Unlike the conventional rank-based method, incoming compression matrix and outgoing compression matrix are defined when coupling with a cluster of its far interaction groups. Only a small translation matrix is redefined for every two coupling groups. The merits of the proposed method are: 1) it is kernel function-independent and can be applied to arbitrary complex media; 2) it is more efficient than conventional rank-based methods. This paper shows numerical results to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.
The Joint Diffusion of a Digital Platform and its Complementary Goods: The Effects of Product Ratings and Observational Learning

The authors study the interdependent diffusion of an open source software (OSS) platform and its software complements. They quantify the role of OSS governance, quality signals such as product ratings, observational learning, and user actions upon adoption. To do so they extend the Bass Diffusion Model and apply it to a unique data set of 6 years of daily downloads of the Firefox browser and 52 of its add-ons. The study then re-casts the resulting differential equations into non-linear, discrete-time, state space forms; and estimate them using an MCMC approach to the Extended Kalman Filtern (EKF-MCMC). Unlike continuous-time filters, the EKF-MCMC approach avoids numerical integration, and so is more computational efficient, given the length of our time-series, high dimension of our state space and need to model heterogeneity. Results show, for example, that observational learning and add-on ratings increase the demand for Firefox add-ons; add-ons can increase the market potential of the Firefox platform; a slow add-on review process can diminish platform success; and OSS platforms (i.e. Chrome and Firefox) compete rather than complement each other.
Animal models for Gaucher disease research

Gaucher disease (GD), the most common lysosomal storage disorder (LSD), is caused by the defective activity of the lysosomal hydrolase glucocerebrosidase, which is encoded by the GBA gene. Generation of animal models that faithfully recapitulate the three clinical subtypes of GD has proved to be more of a challenge than first anticipated. The first mouse to be produced died within hours after birth owing to skin permeability problems, and mice with point mutations in Gba did not display symptoms correlating with human disease and also died soon after birth. Recently, conditional knockout mice that mimic some features of the human disease have become available. Here, we review the contribution of all currently available animal models to examining pathological pathways underlying GD and to testing the efficacy of new treatment modalities, and propose a number of criteria for the generation of more appropriate animal models of GD.