Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics and outcome of children with pneumonia attributable to penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae.

OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of pediatric patients with pneumonia attributable to isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae that were either susceptible or nonsusceptible to penicillin. DESIGN Multicenter, retrospective study. SETTING Eight children's hospitals in the United States. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred fifty-four children with pneumococcal pneumonia identified from patients enrolled in the United States Pediatric Multicenter Pneumococcal Surveillance Study during the 3-year period from September 1, 1993 to August 31, 1996. OUTCOME MEASURES Demographic and clinical variables including necessity for and duration of hospitalization, frequency of chest tube placement, antimicrobial therapy, susceptibility of isolates, and clinical outcome. RESULTS There were 257 episodes of pneumococcal pneumonia that occurred in 254 patients. Of the 257 isolates, 22 (9%) were intermediate and 14 (6%) were resistant to penicillin; 7 (3%) were intermediate to ceftriaxone and 5 (2%) were resistant to ceftriaxone. There were no differences noted in the clinical presentation of the patients with susceptible versus nonsusceptible isolates. Twenty-nine percent of the patients had a pleural effusion. The 189 (74%) hospitalized patients were more likely to have an underlying illness, multiple lung lobe involvement, and the presence of a pleural effusion than nonhospitalized patients. Fifty-two of 72 hospitalized patients with pleural effusions had a chest tube placed, and 27 subsequently underwent a decortication drainage procedure. Eighty percent of the patients treated as outpatients and 48% of the inpatients received a parenteral second or third generation cephalosporin followed by a course of an oral antimicrobial agent. Two hundred forty-eight of the patients (97.6%) had a good response to therapy. Six patients died; however, only 1 of the deaths was related to the pneumococcal infection. CONCLUSION The clinical presentation and outcome of therapy did not differ significantly between patients with penicillin-susceptible versus those with nonsusceptible isolates of S pneumoniae. Hospitalized patients were more likely to have underlying illnesses, multiple lobe involvement, and the presence of pleural effusions than patients who did not require hospitalization. In otherwise normal patients with pneumonia attributable to penicillin-resistant pneumococcal isolates, therapy with standard beta-lactam agents is effective.
Analysis of factors associated with failure to return for an HIV-test result in The Gambia

Knowing one's HIV status is fundamental to the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS. However, HIV prevention is defeated if individuals who opt to be tested fail to return for their test result. Despite the burden of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, regional studies on failure to return (FTR) for an HIV-test result are lacking. We investigated the factors associated with FTR in The Gambia, West Africa. FTR was analysed for 1 755 persons who attended an outpatient clinic during 2000 to 2009. Overall, the proportion of FTR was 30%. Logistic regression showed that FTR was significantly higher among males, individuals whose nationality was not Gambian, individuals with a history of condom use, and individuals who resided in an urban area. Persons who were younger than age 18 years and persons who had received some formal education were more likely to not return for the HIV-test result than were persons aged 40 years or older and persons without formal schooling. The results provide evidence for the need for appropriate strategies to increase the receipt of HIV-test results among people in the general population and among certain group profiles.
Modeling of capillary forces and binding sites for fluidic self-assembly

Massively parallel self-assembly is emerging as an efficient, low-cost alternative to conventional pick-and-place assembly of microfabricated components. The fluidic self-assembly technique we have developed exploits hydrophobic-hydrophilic surface patterning and capillary forces of an adhesive liquid between binding sites to drive the assembly process. To achieve high alignment yield, the desired assembly configuration must be a (global) energy minimum, while other (local) energy minima corresponding to undesired configurations should be avoided. Thus, the design of an effective fluidic self-assembly system using this technique requires an understanding of the interfacial phenomena involved in capillary forces; improvement of its performance involves the global optimization of design parameters such as binding site shapes and surface chemistry. This paper presents a model and computational tools for the efficient analysis and simulation of fluidic self-assembly. The strong, close range attractive forces that govern our fluidic self-assembly technique are approximated by a purely geometric model, which allows the application of efficient algorithms to predict system behavior. Various binding site designs are analyzed, and the results are compared with experimental observations. For a given binding site design, the model predicts the outcome of the self assembly process by determining minimum energy configurations and detecting unwanted local minima, thus estimating expected yield. These results can be employed toward the design of more efficient self-assembly systems.
Repeater design to reduce delay and power in resistive interconnect

In large chips, the propagation delay of the data and clock signals is limited due to long resistive interconnect. The insertion of repeaters alleviates the quadratic increase in propagation delay with interconnect length while decreasing power dissipation by reducing short-circuit current. Design equations for determining the optimum number of repeaters to be inserted along a resistive interconnect line for reduced delay are presented. Power dissipation in repeater chains is also analyzed. The analytical model used in these design equations is based on the /spl alpha/-power law I-V equations for modeling short-channel devices and exhibits a maximum error of 16% for typical RC loads as compared to SPICE.
Global Carleman Inequalities for Parabolic Systems and Applications to Controllability

This paper has been conceived as an overview on the controllability properties of some relevant (linear and nonlinear) parabolic systems. Specifically, we deal with the null controllability and the exact controllability to the trajectories. We try to explain the role played by the observability inequalities in this context and the need of global Carleman estimates. We also recall the main ideas used to overcome the difficulties motivated by nonlinearities. First, we considered the classical heat equation with Dirichlet conditions and distributed controls. Then we analyze recent extensions to other linear and semilinear parabolic systems and/or boundary controls. Finally, we review the controllability properties for the Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations that are known to date. In this context, we have paid special attention to obtaining the necessary Carleman estimates. Some open questions are mentioned throughout the paper. We hope that this unified presentation will be useful for those researchers interested in the field.
Inhibition of Osteoarthritis in Rats by Electroporation with Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist

Gene therapy constitutes a promising strategy for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). We assessed the use of electroporation (EP) of non-viral gene vectors, and compared its efficacy with that of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. EP- and AAV-mediated delivery of human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (hIL-1Ra) was localized performed in the joints of rats following induction of OA. mRNA levels for hIL-1Ra, IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-13 and ADAMTS-4 in the cartilage and synovial tissues were analyzed. Structural analyses of the subchondral bone at the medial femoral condyle were performed by Micro-CT after treatment. Knee joint specimens were staining with hematoxylin and eosin and Saffron O. Induction of hIL-1Ra by both EP and AAV inhibited inflammatory-induced sub-chondral bone reconstruction, and effectively suppressed IL-1β activity, as evidenced by decreased expression of MMP-13 and ADAMTS-4. Histological analyses revealed significant protection of cartilage, proteoglycan by EP and AAV. hIL-1Ra expression was similar in both the EP and AAV groups. Notably, this gene is not easier degraded transduced by EP compared with AAV. Taken together, these results show that EP offers transfection efficiency comparable to that of AAV, with the potential for longer gene expression, making EP a promising candidate for efficient non-viral delivery of OA gene therapy.
Differential Impact of Family History on Age-Associated Increase in the Prevalence of Hypertension and Diabetes in Male Japanese Workers

Family history and aging are independent risk factors for the development of hypertension as well as for the development of diabetes. However, it is unclear how the family histories influence the rate of age-associated increase in these diseases. Moreover, despite the fact that hypertension and diabetes often occur concomitantly, it is not known whether family history of hypertension increases the risk of diabetes or vice versa. To gain an insight into these questions, we investigated the cross-sectional prevalence and family history of hypertension and diabetes in 1,123 male subjects (mean age, 42.1±12 years; range, 20–60 years) who participated in annual medical check-ups. The data were analyzed by 10-year age groups (20s, 30s, 40s and 50s). The prevalence of hypertension increased with age group either in the absence (12% in the 20s and 39% in the 50s) or in the presence (21% in the 20s and 59% in the 50s) of family history of hypertension, and thus the increasing rate of prevalence with age was not affected by family history. The prevalence of diabetes in the absence of family history of diabetes was low until the 40s (<1.2%) but it jumped in the 50s (4.3%). On the other hand, in the presence of family history, the prevalence was 4% in the 20s and progressively increased to 20% in the 50s. The impact of family history on the risk of diabetes was strong and appeared to increase with age. Family history of hypertension did not increase the risk of diabetes, and family history of diabetes did not increase the risk of hypertension. These results suggest that family history of hypertension has an additive impact on the age-associated increase in the risk of hypertension, whereas family history of diabetes has an exponential impact on aging-associated increase in the risk of diabetes.
Active Disks: Remote Execution for Network-Attached Storage (CMU-CS-97-198)

The principal trend in the design of computer systems is the expectation of much greater computational power in future generations of microprocessors. This trend applies to embedded systems as well as host processors. As a result, devices such as storage controllers have excess capacity and growing computational capabilities. Storage system designers are exploiting this trend with higher-level interfaces to storage and increased intelligence inside storage devices. One development in this direction is Network-Attached Secure Disks (NASD) which attaches storage devices directly to the network and raises the storage interface above the simple (fixed-size block) memory abstraction of SCSI. This allows devices more freedom to provide efficient operations; promises more scalable subsystems by offloading file system and storage management functionality from dedicated servers; and reduces latency by executing common case requests directly at storage devices. In this paper, we push this increasing computation trend one step further. We argue that application-specific code can be executed at storage devices to make more effective use of device, host and interconnect resources and significantly improve application I/O performance. Remote execution of code directly at storage devices allows filter operations to be performed close to the data; enables support of timing-sensitive transfers and application-aware scheduling of access and transfer; allows management functions to be customized without requiring firmware changes; and makes possible more complex or specialized operations than a general-purpose storage interface would normally support. This research is sponsored by DARPA/ITO through ARPA Order D306, and issued by Indian Head Division, NSWC under contract N00174-96-0002. The project team is indebted to generous contributions from the member companies of the Parallel Data Consortium. At the time of this writing, these companies include Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Symbios Logic Inc., Compaq Corporation, Data General, Quantum Corporation, Seagate Technology, and Storage Technology Corporation. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of any supporting organization or the U. S. Government. 1 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Analytical reasoning task reveals limits of social learning in networks

Social learning—by observing and copying others—is a highly successful cultural mechanism for adaptation, outperforming individual information acquisition and experience. Here, we investigate social learning in the context of the uniquely human capacity for reflective, analytical reasoning. A hallmark of the human mind is its ability to engage analytical reasoning, and suppress false associative intuitions. Through a set of laboratory-based network experiments, we find that social learning fails to propagate this cognitive strategy. When people make false intuitive conclusions and are exposed to the analytic output of their peers, they recognize and adopt this correct output. But they fail to engage analytical reasoning in similar subsequent tasks. Thus, humans exhibit an ‘unreflective copying bias’, which limits their social learning to the output, rather than the process, of their peers’ reasoning—even when doing so requires minimal effort and no technical skill. In contrast to much recent work on observation-based social learning, which emphasizes the propagation of successful behaviour through copying, our findings identify a limit on the power of social networks in situations that require analytical reasoning.
Effect of Intravertebral Angiotensin II on Cardiac Output and Its Distribution in Conscious Dogs

Intravertebral infusion of angtotensin II (Ang II) increases mean arterial pressure (MAP), but the contribution of cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) to this increase is unclear. In the present study, the effects of Ang II infusion on CO and regional blood flow was determined by the microsphere technique in eight conscious, chronically catheterized dogs. Ang II was infused into both vertebral arteries at 0.33 and 1.0 ng/kg/min, and intravenously at 0.66, 2.0 and 5.0 ng/kg/min. Intravertebral infusion of Ang II at 0.33 ng/kg/min increased MAP by increasing CO without changing TPR or peripheral plasma Ang II concentration. MAP also was increased with intravertebral infusion of Ang II at 1.0 ng/kg/min, but this resulted from small increases in both CO and TPR. In contrast, intravenous infusion of Ang II at 2.0 and 5.0 ng/kg/min increased MAP by increasing TPR in association with a decrease in CO. The increase in CO with intravertebral infusion of Ang II at 0.33 ng/kg/min was distributed primarily to the muscles, kidneys, heart, and brain. Intravenous infusion of Ang II at 5.0 ng/kg/min and, to a lesser extent, 2.0 ng/kg/min decreased blood flow to the skin, splanchnic region, and kidneys. These data indicate that the increase in MAP produced by a low intravertebral dose of Ang II results from an increase in CO, which is distributed primarily to the muscle, kidney, heart, and brain. In contrast, the increase in MAP produced by a higher intravertebral dose of Ang II results from increases in CO and TPR. This latter action is apparently due to a peripheral action of Ang II to increase resistance in the skin, splanchnic, and renal circulations.
Imaging , Diagnosis , Prognosis A 20 , ABIN-1 / 2 , and CARD 11 Mutations and Their Prognostic Value in Gastrointestinal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Purpose: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous group of aggressive lymphomas with the activated B-cell–like subtype characterized by constitutive NF-kB activation. Activating mutations of CARD11 and inactivating mutations of A20 are frequent events in DLBCL. However, the full extent of genetic alterations in the NF-kB pathway regulators and their potential prognostic value in DLBCL remain to be investigated. We investigated the genetic abnormalities of CARD11, A20, and ABIN-1/2/3 (the A20 binding inhibitor of NF-kB) and their clinicopathologic correlation in gastrointestinal DLBCL. Experimental Design: The somatic mutation and copy number changes of CARD11, A20, and ABIN-1/ 2/3 were investigated in 71 gastrointestinal DLBCLs by PCR/sequencing, and interphase FISH/array comparative genomic hybridization, respectively. The mutations identified were functionally characterized by NF-kB reporter assays and immunoprecipitation experiments. Results: Recurrent somatic mutations were found in CARD11 (10%), A20 (17%), ABIN-1 (4%), and ABIN-2 (3%), but not in ABIN-3. In comparison with the wild-type, all CARD11 mutants were potent NF-kB activators in vitro. On the basis of the destructive nature of the observed mutations, and the findings by reporter assays and immunoprecipitation studies, most if not all of the somatic mutations that were seen in A20, ABIN-1, and ABIN-2 could impair their normal functions. Among these genetic abnormalities, A20 somatic mutation was significantly associated with both poor overall survival and event-free survival. Conclusions: We show further evidence of NF-kB pathway genetic abnormalities in DLBCL, which are potentially valuable in the prognosis and design of future therapeutic strategies. Clin Cancer Res; 17(6);
Structured Semi-supervised Forest for Facial Landmarks Localization with Face Mask Reasoning

Despite the great success of recent facial landmarks localization approaches, the presence of occlusions significantly degrades the performance of the systems. However, very few works have addressed this problem explicitly due to the high diversity of occlusion in real world. In this paper, we address the face mask reasoning and facial landmarks localization in an unified Structured Decision Forests framework. We first assign a portion of the face dataset with face masks, i.e., for each face image we give each pixel a label to indicate whether it belongs to the face or not. Then we incorporate such additional information of dense pixel labelling into training the Structured Classification-Regression Decision Forest. The classification nodes aim at decreasing the variance of the pixel labels of the patches by using our proposed structured criterion while the regression nodes aim at decreasing the variance of the displacements between the patches and the facial landmarks. The proposed framework allows us to predict the face mask and facial landmarks locations jointly. We test the model on face images from several datasets with significant occlusion. The proposed method 1) yields promising results in face mask reasoning; 2) improves the existing Decision Forests approaches in facial landmark localization, aided by the face mask reasoning.
The path of carbon in photosynthesis.

EVERYONE is familiar with what the term photosynthesis means. It is used commonly to describe that process by which green plants convert the energy of sunlight (electromagnetic energy) into the potential energy of reduced carbon compounds, simultaneously evolving molecular oxygen. In 1946, the long-lived radioisotope of carbon, carbon-14, became available and we set out to pursue the work on the path of carbon itself from carbon dioxide to the reduced carbon compounds, using labeled carbon as the means of tracing that path. The process of photosynthesis can be divided, both theoretically and physically, into two rather distinct parts and Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically that sort of division. The three elements that we are primarily concerned with—carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen—come into the plant as carbon dioxide and water; through the agency of light, oxygen is evolved and reduced carbon is generated. The action of the light can be separated fairly distinctly, both physically and theoretically, .
Effector and Central Memory Poly-Functional CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells are Boosted upon ZOSTAVAX® Vaccination

ZOSTAVAX® is a live attenuated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine that is licensed for the protection of individuals ≥50 years against shingles and its most common complication, postherpetic neuralgia. While IFNγ responses increase upon vaccination, the quality of the T cell response has not been elucidated. By using polychromatic flow cytometry, we characterized the breadth, magnitude, and quality of ex vivo CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses induced 3–4 weeks after ZOSTAVAX vaccination of healthy adults. We show, for the first time that the highest frequencies of VZV-specific CD4+ T cells were poly-functional CD154+IFNγ+IL-2+TNFα+ cells, which were boosted upon vaccination. The CD4+ T cells were broadly reactive to several VZV proteins, with immediate early (IE) 63 ranking the highest among them in the fold rise of poly-functional cells, followed by IE62, gB, open reading frame (ORF) 9, and gE. We identified a novel poly-functional ORF9-specific CD8+ T cell population in 62% of the subjects, and these were boosted upon vaccination. Poly-functional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells produced significantly higher levels of IFNγ, IL-2, and TNFα compared to mono-functional cells. After vaccination, a boost in the expression of IFNγ by poly-functional IE63- and ORF9-specific CD4+ T cells and IFNγ, IL-2, and TNFα by ORF9-specific poly-functional CD8+ T cells was observed. Responding poly-functional T cells exhibited both effector (CCR7−CD45RA−CD45RO+), and central (CCR7+CD45RA−CD45RO+) memory phenotypes, which expressed comparable levels of cytokines. Altogether, our studies demonstrate that a boost in memory poly-functional CD4+ T cells and ORF9-specific CD8+ T cells may contribute toward ZOSTAVAX efficacy.
Consistently Incorporating Changes to Evolve Transition-based Systems

Evolving software-intensive systems from one consistent state to another is a challenging activity due to the intricate inter-dependencies among the components. In this paper, we propose a novel, semantic approach to incorporate software changes while automatically preserving system consistency. Systems are modeled as a network of reactive components whose behaviors are specified by communicating finite state machines extended with finite domain variables. Changes perform addition/ deletion/ replacement of one or more transitions in one or more components. Consistency of a system is modeled in terms of application-independent reachability properties over system global states. The proposed approach takes a change and a consistent system as inputs and automatically synthesizes a set of changes that can be consistently incorporated into the system. Each synthesized change represents a different, alternative evolved system that can be produced from the given system with the input change while minimally modifying the existing behaviors. The proposed approach has been implemented in a prototype semantic change impact analysis system and has been applied to several examples including SDL programs from a commercial telecom switch