Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combining Spotify and Twitter Data for Generating a Recent and Public Dataset for Music Recommendation

In this paper, we present a dataset based on publicly available information. It contains listening histories of Spotify users, who posted what they are listening at the moment on the micro blogging platform Twitter. The dataset was derived using the Twitter Streaming API and is updated regularly. To show an application of this dataset, we implement and evaluate a pure collaborative ltering based recommender system. The performance of this system can be seen as a baseline approach for evaluating further, more sophisticated recommendation approaches. These approaches will be implemented and benchmarked against our baseline approach in future works.
Polymorphism within the interferon-gamma/receptor complex is associated with pulmonary tuberculosis.

RATIONALE Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is of central interest in the study of tuberculosis. A number of single-gene mutations have been identified in the IFN-gamma signaling pathway that predispose to severe mycobacterial disease, but the relevance of polymorphism within these genes to the common phenotype of tuberculosis remains unclear. METHODS A total of 1,301 individuals were included in a large, detailed study of West African populations with pulmonary tuberculosis. We investigated disease association with the genes encoding IFN-gamma and its receptor subunits (IFNG, IFNGR1, and IFNGR2). RESULTS Within the IFNG gene, two promoter variants showed evidence of novel disease association: -1616GG (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-2.00; p = 0.008) and +3234TT (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.09-1.80; p = 0.009). The +874AA genotype was not significantly more frequent among cases over control subjects (OR, 1.16; 95%CI, 0.89-1.51; p = 0.25). In addition, novel disease association was also found with the -56CC genotype of the IFNGR1 promoter (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57-0.99; p = 0.041). No disease association was seen with the IFNGR2 locus. CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence of a significant role for genetic variation at the IFNG locus and provide detailed understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying this association. The disease association with IFNGR1 is novel, and together these findings support the hypothesis that genetically determined variation in both IFN-gamma production and responsiveness influences the risk of developing tuberculosis.
Association of severity of conjunctival and corneal calcification with all-cause 1-year mortality in maintenance haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Conjunctival and corneal calcification (CCC) is the most common form of metastatic calcification in patients with chronic renal failure. The aim of this study is to investigate if severity of CCC correlates with vascular calcification and mortality in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. METHODS One hundred and nine MHD patients were recruited. CCC was evaluated by external eye photographs, and was graded and scored according to modified Porter and Crombie classification system described by Tokuyama et al. Chest X-ray examination was used to evaluate aortic arch calcification. Geographic, haematological, biochemical and dialysis-related data were obtained. The patients were analysed for traditional and non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease stratified by severity of CCC. All patients were followed up for 1 year to investigate the risks for mortality. RESULTS Forty-three, 35 and 31 patients had mild (scores ≤ 4), moderate and severe (scores ≥ 9) CCC at baseline, respectively. With trend estimation, patients with severe CCC had a significantly higher percentage of severe aortic arch calcification. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that hypertension, haemodialysis duration and corrected calcium level were associated with scores of CCC in MHD patients. Moreover, age, corrected calcium-phosphate level, and moderate and severe CCC were associated with grades of aortic arch calcification. At 1-year follow-up, 11 of 109 (10.1%) patients had died. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that age, corrected calcium and severe CCC were significant risk factors for all-cause 1-year mortality in MHD patients. Each increment of one score of CCC is associated with a 26.4% increased risk for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS Severity of CCC, which is easily obtained at bedside, acts as an independent predictor for all-cause 1-year mortality in MHD patients.
Arenas of Comfort in Adolescence: A Study of Adjustment in Context

Cicchetti, D. , Rappaport, J., Sandler, I. , & Weissberg, R. , (Eds.) (2000). The Promotion of Wellness in Children and Adolescents. Washington, DC: CWLA Press. 515 pp. ISBN 0-87868-791-2. Price: $28.95 (paperback). The 16 chapters in The Promotion of Wellness in Children and Adolescents offer a breadth of theoretical knowledge and practical application that examine the complicated issues of encouraging child wellness in American society. Each chapter of the book is written by different authors contributing their expertise in the fields of developmental psychopathology, developmental psychology, and community psychology. All were influenced by the work of Emory Cowen. The main objective of the book is to present a multitude of approaches to the wellness issue for children and adolescents. The book begins with a historical perspective on the study of wellness and moves toward applications, a discussion of community wellness, and the development of programs. The foreword is written by George W. Albee, a pioneer in the field of prevention and a leader in community psychology. Chapter 1, written by Raymond Lotion, discusses theoretical approaches and evaluation measures in the promotion of wellness. Lorion believes a shift in focus has occurred in mental health sciences, where current practitioners focus attention on well-being rather than on the more traditional examination of troubled individuals. The next 4 chapters explore (a) the research regarding adolescent wellness and competence with a focus on children experiencing urban poverty, (b) how the inclusion of children and their families in the planning of wellness programs fosters empowerment, (c) various methods for designing and researching prevention programs, and (d) the role of resilience in the ability of children to successfully face adversity. Chapter 6 discusses the importance of examining the makeup of neighborhoods when researching the impact of wellness on children and adolescents. Aber and Nieto look at a pluralistic neighborhood theory that raises many questions such as: How do you define neighborhood'? Who gets to define neighborhood? and What is desirable, healthy and ideal about neighborhoods? When looking at wellness, the theory points out that what may be good for an individual may not be good for all. The next several chapters provide examples of strategies and programs for preventing problems and enhancing wellness. Examples of research indicating that health promotion is important in preventing problems for children and adolescents later in life is discussed in chapter 7. The chapter also looks at health promotion and how to use it as a strategy for prevention, particularly in programs with a prevention goal. Chapter 8, written in a dialogue format with Cowen conversing with one of his grandchildren, illustrates the diverse methods used to enhance the well-being of children and adolescents. Examples include strengthening early caregiver attachments, promoting competence acquisition in children, and engineering settings and environments that favor positive adaptation. …
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and Kawasaki disease: Combined manifestation and differential diagnosis

Both hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and Kawasaki disease (KD) are diagnosed in patients with prolonged resistant fever by using a scoring system. Concurrent manifestation of both conditions has been reported previously. We describe an infant of 7 weeks whose condition fulfilled the criteria of HLH, but who, after clinical response to treatment, suddenly died from a myocardial infarction at 11 weeks. Post‐mortem examination revealed a previously unknown coronary arteritis typical for KD. Since it is difficult to distinguish between KD and HLH, both diseases should be considered in young children with overlapping symptoms. Repeated echocardiograms may be helpful in these cases. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;53:493–495. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparative Microbial Diversity in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Food Animal Species1

Abstract Molecular tools based on small subunit (SSU) rDNA gene sequences offer a powerful and rapid tool for the analysis of complex microbial communities found in the gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of food animal species. Extensive comparative sequence analysis of SSU rRNA molecules representing a wide diversity of organisms shows that different regions of the molecule vary in sequence conservation. Oligonucleotides complementing regions of universally conversed SSU rRNA sequences are used as universal probes, while those complementing more variable regions of sequence are useful as selective probes targeting species, genus, or phylogenetic groups. Different approaches derive different information and this is highly dependent on the type of target nucleic acid employed and the conceptual and technical basis used for nucleic acid probe design. Generally these approaches can be divided into DNA-based methods employing empirically characterized probes and rRNA-based methods based on comparative sequence analysis for design and interpretation of “rational” probes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based techniques can also be applied to the analysis of microbial communities in the GIT. Direct cloning of SSU rDNA genes amplified from these complex communities can be used to determine the extent of diversity in these GIT communities. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is another powerful tool for profiling microbial diversity of microbial communities in GI tracts. Sequence analysis of the excised DGGE amplicons can then be used to presumptively identify predominant bacterial species. Examples of how these molecular approaches are being used to study the microbial diversity of communities from steers fed different diets, swine fed probiotics, and Atlantic salmon fed aquaculture diets are presented.
Helicobacter hepaticus Induces an Inflammatory Response in Primary Human Hepatocytes

Helicobacter hepaticus can lead to chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma in certain strains of mice. Until now the pathogenic role of Helicobacter species on human liver tissue is still not clarified though Helicobacter species identification in human liver cancer was successful in case controlled studies. Therefore we established an in vitro model to investigate the interaction of primary human hepatocytes (PHH) with Helicobacter hepaticus. Successful co-culturing of PHH with Helicobacter hepaticus was confirmed by visualization of motile bacteria by two-photon-microscopy. Isolated human monocytes were stimulated with PHH conditioned media. Changes in mRNA expression of acute phase cytokines and proteins in PHH and stimulated monocytes were determined by Real-time PCR. Furthermore, cytokines and proteins were analyzed in PHH culture supernatants by ELISA. Co-cultivation with Helicobacter hepaticus induced mRNA expression of Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in PHH (p<0.05) resulting in a corresponding increase of IL-8 and MCP-1 concentrations in PHH supernatants (p<0.05). IL-8 and IL-1β mRNA expression was induced in monocytes stimulated with Helicobacter hepaticus infected PHH conditioned media (p<0.05). An increase of Cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression was observed, with a concomitant increase of prostaglandin E2 concentration in PHH supernatants at 24 and 48 h (p<0.05). In contrast, at day 7 of co-culture, no persistent elevation of cytokine mRNA could be detected. High expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on PHH cell membranes after co-culture was shown by two-photon-microscopy and confirmed by flow-cytomety. Finally, expression of Cytochrome P450 3A4 and albumin mRNA were downregulated, indicating an impairment of hepatocyte synthesis function by Helicobacter hepaticus presence. This is the first in vitro model demonstrating a pathogenic effect of a Helicobacter spp. on human liver cells, resulting in an inflammatory response with increased synthesis of inflammatory mediators and consecutive monocyte activation.
The efficacy of a psychosocial intervention for HIV/AIDS caregiving dyads and individual caregivers: A controlled treatment outcome study

The present study examined the comparative efficacy of intervening at the caregiver/care-recipient dyadic level, versus the individual caregiver level, for caregivers and their care-recipients with HIV/AIDS. Participants were randomly assigned to a Dyad Intervention (DI), a Caregiver Intervention (CI) or Wait List Control group (WLC), and assessed by interview and self-administered scales immediately before treatment and eight weeks later. Participants in the intervention groups also completed a four-month follow-up assessment. Dependent variables included global distress, social adjustment, dyadic adjustment, subjective health status, HIV/AIDS knowledge and target problem ratings. Results showed that caregivers in the DI group showed greater improvement from pre- to post-treatment on global distress, dyadic adjustment and target problems than the CI and WLC caregivers. The CI and DI caregivers showed greater improvement than the WLC group on all dependent variables except social adjustment. Care-recipients in the DI group improved significantly from pre- to post-treatment on dyadic adjustment, social adjustment, knowledge, subjective health status and Target Problem 1, whereas the CI and WLC care-recipients failed to improve on any of these measures. The treatment gains made by the DI caregivers and care-recipients on most dependent variables were maintained at a four-month follow-up. Findings support a reciprocal determinism approach to the process of dyadic adjustment and suggest that intervening at the caregiver/care-recipient level may produce better outcomes for both the caregiver and care-recipient than intervening at the individual caregiver level.
Presentations and Outcome of Thyroiditis from a Tertiary Care Hospital of Karachi.

OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical presentations and short-term outcomes of patients with thyroiditis presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. STUDY DESIGN Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Endocrinology, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, from June 2014 to February 2015. METHODOLOGY Patients between 18 and 70 years of age with acute onset of thyroiditis confirmed on thyroid scan or clinical judgment presenting to the outpatient services were included in the study. Pregnant females, psychiatric patients and patients having other chronic illnesses were excluded from the study. RESULTS A total of 26 patients with thyroiditis attended the endocrine clinic. Mean age of patients was 41.2 ± 11.12 years. There were 18 (69.2%) females. Clinical presentations were fever (65.4%), tender neck (23.1%), goiter (19.2%), localized tenderness in neck and palpable lymph nodes (26.9%). Major symptoms reported were: sore throat (69.2%), weight loss (38.5%), upper respiratory tract infection, thyroid pain, tremor, sweating and fever of unknown origin in 26.9% cases. All the patients had raised Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). Low Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) < 0.4 mlU/L was seen in 88.5% and 57.7% had raised Free T4 > 1.8 ng/dL. Complete recovery was seen in 88.5% patients while 11.5% had early hypothyroidism. CONCLUSION Fever and sore throat were the main presenting features of thyroiditis patients. ESR was raised in all patients. A majority of patients had complete recovery with appropriate management; however, few cases developed hypothyroidism.
Conformance Checking in Integration Testing of Time-constrained Distributed Systems based on UML Sequence Diagrams

The provisioning of a growing number of services depends on the proper interoperation of multiple products, forming a new distributed system, often subject to timing requirements. To ensure the interoperability and timely behavior of this new distributed system, it is important to conduct integration tests that verify the interactions with the environment and between the system components. Integration test scenarios for that purpose may be conveniently specified by means of UML sequence diagrams (SDs) enriched with time constraints. The automation of such integration tests requires that test components are also distributed, with a local tester deployed close to each system component, coordinated by a central tester. The distributed observation of execution events, combined with the impossibility to ensure clock synchronization in a distributed system, poses special challenges for checking the conformance of the observed execution traces against the specification, possibly yielding inconclusive verdicts. Hence, in this paper we investigate decision procedures and criteria to check the conformance of observed execution traces against a specification set by a UML SD enriched with time constraints. The procedures and criteria are specified in a formal language that allows executing and validating the specification. Examples are presented to illustrate the approach.
Socioeconomic Inequities in Diet Quality and Nutrient Intakes among Australian Adults: Findings from a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study

Poor diet may represent one pathway through which lower socioeconomic position (SEP) leads to adverse health outcomes. This study examined the associations between SEP and diet quality, its components, energy, and nutrients in a nationally representative sample of Australians. Dietary data from two 24-h recalls collected during the cross-sectional Australian Health Survey 2011-13 (n = 4875; aged ≥ 19 years) were analysed. Diet quality was evaluated using the Dietary Guidelines Index (DGI). SEP was assessed by index of area-level socioeconomic disadvantage, education level, and household income. Linear regression analyses investigated the associations between measures of SEP and dietary intakes. Across all of the SEP indicators, compared with the least disadvantaged group, the most disadvantaged group had 2.5–4.5 units lower DGI. A greater area-level disadvantage was associated with higher carbohydrate and total sugars intake. Lower education was associated with higher trans fat, carbohydrate, and total sugars intake and lower poly-unsaturated fat and fibre intake. Lower income was associated with lower total energy and protein intake and higher carbohydrate and trans fat intake. Lower SEP was generally associated with poorer diet quality and nutrient intakes, highlighting dietary inequities among Australian adults, and a need to develop policy that addresses these inequities.
Collagen gene expression during development of avian synovial joints: Transient expression of types II and XI collagen genes in the joint capsule

The developmental sequence of the embryonic joint has been well studied morphologically. There are, however, no definitive studies of cell function during joint development. In order to begin to understand the differentiation events that contribute to joint formation, we examined the expression of collagen mRNAs encoding types I, IIA, IIB, and XI. In situ hybridization was performed on chicken embryo hind limb buds and digits from day 7 to day 18 (Hamburger and Hamilton stages 31–44). In the day 7 (stage 31) limb bud, there was a condensation of mesenchyme forming the primitive tarsal and metatarsal bones that showed abundant expression of type IIA procollagen message, but no type IIB or type α1(XI) message. By day 8 (stage 33), co‐expression of types IIA, and type XI procollagen mRNAs was observed in the condensations, with expression of IIB restricted to early chondrocytes with metachromatically staining matrix. At this stage, DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis was observed in cells near the midline of the interzone region between the developing anlagen, and in areas between and around the individual digits of the paddle. The presumptive apoptotic cells were more numerous at day 9 (stage 35), and were not found in the developing joint at subsequent time points, including the initiation of spatial cavitation of the joint. From days 11–18, type IIA procollagen mRNA was expressed in flattened cells at the surface of the anlagen, and in the perichondrium and in the developing joint capsule; type IIB mRNA message was found only in chondrocytes. Type XI mRNA was expressed by all type II‐expressing cells. Alpha 1(I) mRNA was expressed early by cells of th8e interzone and capsule, but as cavitation progressed, the type I expressing cells of the interzone merged with the superficial layer of the articular surface. Thus, at the time of joint cavitation, there was a distinct pattern of expression of procollagen messages at the articular surface, with type I being outermost, followed by morphologically similar cells expressing type IIA, then chondrocytes expressing type IIB. The progenitor cells expressing type IIA message define a new population of cells. These cell populations contribute to the molecular heterogeneity of the articular cartilage, and these same populations likely exist in the developing joints of other species. The transient transcription of type II and type XI collagen genes, characteristic of chondrocytes, by cells in the joint capsule demonstrates that these cells may have chondrogenic potential. ©1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Psychometric Properties of the Professionalism Assessment Rating Scale

The issue of professionalism in the training of medical students has become a major focus within the field of medical education. For years, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has measured the quality of osteopathic medical students (DO students) interpersonal and communication skills through SP (SP) encounters in which SPs rate the DO students relative to eight criteria (items) which, in aggregate, are known as the Professionalism Assessment Rating Scale (PARS). These criteria are linked in the literature to patient outcomes, patient adherence, patient satisfaction, and malpractice. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the PARS, based on data from the SP encounters of 205 osteopathic medical students from a PCOM class during their first three years of medical school. Results showed the PARS to be comprised of a single, highly reliable factor. This single factor accounted for between 58.25-72.92 % of the variance across 13 separate SP encounters for which the total scale coefficient alpha ranged from . 84-. 95. Results of an analysis of variance indicated that performance significantly improved across each of the three years (M Year 1 = 6.30, SD = .45; M Year 2 = 6.40, SD = .44; M Year 3 = 6.48, SD = .58) and that the DO students improved consistently over the 3 years. A positive linear correlation was found between Year 1 and Year 2 (r = .46, r = .22), Year 2 and Year 3 (r = .42, r = .18) and Year 1 and Year 3 (r = .36, r = .13). PARS scores were shown to correlate significantly with Clinical Clerkship Evaluations (CCEs) in three of the 39 SP encounters. Educational and clinical implications of these findings are discussed, and additional suggestions for future research are put forward. PROFESSIONALISM ASSESSMENT RATING SCALE vi Table of