Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Splenic Abscess: An Uncommon Entity with Potentially Life-Threatening Evolution

Background/Purpose Splenic abscess is rare with potentially life-threatening evolution. The aim of this study is to review the clinical features, microbiological etiologies, treatment, and outcomes of patients with splenic abscess. Methods We reviewed the admitted patients with suspected splenic abscess and made the diagnosis of splenic abscess. The clinical characteristics, underlying diseases, treatment course, organism spectra, abscess number and size, therapeutic methods, and clinical outcome at a tertiary medical center in Taiwan over a period of 5 years were analyzed. Results Of 16 patients with splenic abscess, the male to female ratio was 1 : 1. Common presentations were fever (11 patients, 68.7%), diffuse abdominal pain (6 patients, 37.5%), left upper quadrant pain or tenderness (6 patients, 37.5%), and left-sided pleural effusions (8 patients, 50%). Antimicrobial therapy was administered in all patients. Fourteen (87.5%) patients recovered under medical treatment. One (6.2%) patient underwent splenectomy, four (25%) patients performed percutaneous drainage of their splenic abscess, and 11 (68.7%) patients received antimicrobial therapy alone. Conclusion We noted that mortality may be more related to patients with underlying immunodeficiency. Patients with splenic abscesses receiving antimicrobial therapy alone were in a relatively high proportion and got a good prognosis especially in patients with small and multiple abscesses.
Testing One Hypothesis Multiple Times: The Multidimensional Case

Abstract The identification of new rare signals in data, the detection of a sudden change in a trend, and the selection of competing models are among the most challenging problems in statistical practice. These challenges can be tackled using a test of hypothesis where a nuisance parameter is present only under the alternative, and a computationally efficient solution can be obtained by the “testing one hypothesis multiple times” (TOHM) method. In the one-dimensional setting, a fine discretization of the space of the non identifiable parameter is specified, and a global p-value is obtained by approximating the distribution of the supremum of the resulting stochastic process. In this article, we propose a computationally efficient inferential tool to perform TOHM in the multidimensional setting. Here, the approximations of interest typically involve the expected Euler characteristics (EC) of the excursion set of the underlying random field. We introduce a simple algorithm to compute the EC in multiple dimensions and for arbitrarily large significance levels. This leads to an highly generalizable computational tool to perform hypothesis testing under nonstandard regularity conditions. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Gravity model explained by the radiation model on a population landscape

Understanding the mechanisms behind human mobility patterns is crucial to improve our ability to optimize and predict traffic flows. Two representative mobility models, i.e., radiation and gravity models, have been extensively compared to each other against various empirical data sets, while their fundamental relation is far from being fully understood. In order to study such a relation, we first model the heterogeneous population landscape by generating a fractal geometry of sites and then by assigning to each site a population independently drawn from a power-law distribution. Then the radiation model on this population landscape, which we call the radiation-on-landscape (RoL) model, is compared to the gravity model to derive the distance exponent in the gravity model in terms of the properties of the population landscape, which is confirmed by the numerical simulations. Consequently, we provide a possible explanation for the origin of the distance exponent in terms of the properties of the heterogeneous population landscape, enabling us to better understand mobility patterns constrained by the travel distance.
Plakoglobin restores tumor suppressor activity of p53R175H mutant by sequestering the oncogenic potential of β‐catenin

Tumor suppressor/transcription factor p53 is mutated in over 50% of all cancers. Some mutant p53 proteins have not only lost tumor suppressor activities but they also gain oncogenic functions (GOF). One of the most frequently expressed GOF p53 mutants is Arg175His (p53R175H) with well‐documented roles in cancer development and progression. Plakoglobin is a cell adhesion and signaling protein and a paralog of β‐catenin. Unlike β‐catenin that has oncogenic function through its role in the Wnt pathway, plakoglobin generally acts as a tumor/metastasis suppressor. We have shown that plakoglobin interacted with wild type and a number of p53 mutants in various carcinoma cell lines. Plakoglobin and mutant p53 interacted with the promoter and regulated the expression of several p53 target genes. Furthermore, plakoglobin interactions with p53 mutants restored their tumor suppressor/metastasis activities in vitro. GOF p53 mutants induce accumulation and oncogenic activation of β‐catenin. Previously, we showed that one mechanism by which plakoglobin may suppress tumorigenesis is by sequestering β‐catenin's oncogenic activity. Here, we examined the effects of p53R175H expression on β‐catenin accumulation and transcriptional activation and their modifications by plakoglobin coexpression. We showed that p53R175H expression in plakoglobin null cells increased total and nuclear levels of β‐catenin and its transcriptional activity. Coexpression of plakoglobin in these cells promoted β‐catenin's proteasomal degradation, and decreased its nuclear levels and transactivation. Wnt/β‐catenin targets, c‐MYC and S100A4 were upregulated in p53R175H cells and were downregulated when plakoglobin was coexpressed. Plakoglobin‐p53R175H cells also showed significant reduction in their migration and invasion in vitro.
Safety of anticoagulation therapy in well-informed older patients.

BACKGROUND In older populations, oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) is underused by physicians, mainly because of fear of bleeding complications. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of bleeding complications and associated risk factors in a large heterogeneous group of older patients. METHODS Combined retrospective and prospective cohort study conducted in geriatric and internal medicine departments. All patients 80 years or older discharged with the recommendation of OAT were followed up for a mean +/- SD of 28.8 +/- 36.3 months. The rate of bleeding events and the quality of anticoagulation were compared across a wide range of demographic and clinical variables and cognitive and functional status. In addition, we assessed the quality of education given to the patient or caregiver on the use of OAT. RESULTS Among 15 387 patients 80 years or older, 323 (2.1%) were discharged with the recommendation of OAT. The rate of major bleedings was 2.4 events per 1000 patient-months. Socioeconomic and cognitive variables and functional impairments were not associated with an increased rate of bleeding. In multivariate analysis, insufficient education on OAT as perceived by the patient or caregiver (odds ratio [OR], 8.83), polypharmacy (OR, 6.14), and international normalized ratio values above the therapeutic range (OR, 1.08) were the only significant predictive factors for bleeding complications. CONCLUSIONS The rate of bleeding complications, especially major bleedings, was low in this large group of older patients, many with comorbidities and cognitive and functional impairments. Insufficient OAT education was the major factor that predicted bleeding. Therefore, improving and fostering better methods of OAT education may further reduce bleeding complications.
Distribution and diversity of reptiles in Albania: a novel database from a Mediterranean hotspot

Although Albania has a rich reptile fauna, efforts to reveal its diversity have so far been limited. To fill this gap, we collected available published and unpublished (museum collections, online sources) records of reptile occurrences and conducted several expeditions to search for reptiles in areas with few or no previous records. Our georeferenced database contains 3731 records of 40 species from between 1918 and 2015. Based on this comprehensive dataset, we prepared distribution maps for each reptile species of the country. Applying spatial statistics, we revealed that overall sampling effort was clustered, with hotspots associated with easily accessible areas and natural heritage sites. The maximum number of species per cell was 26 with an average of seven. Cells harbouring large reptile diversity were located along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, on the western slopes of south Albanian mountains, i.e. in areas generally considered as Balkans biodiversity hotspots or potential historical refugia. We found that species presence and diversity is strongly influenced by landscape features. Diversity of land cover, altitudinal variation, temperature and precipitation variation explained the observed pattern in our models. Our study presents the largest database of reptile occurrences to date and is the first to analyse reptile diversity patterns in Albania. The database and the diversity patterns can provide a basis for future macroecological studies and conservation planning.
Nutrient profiles discriminate between foods according to their contribution to nutritionally adequate diets: a validation study using linear programming and the SAIN,LIM system.

BACKGROUND The nutrient profile concept implies that it is possible to discriminate between foods according to their contribution to a healthy diet on the basis of their nutrient contents only. OBJECTIVE The objective was to test the compatibility between nutrient profiling and nutrient-based recommendations by using diet modeling with linear programming. DESIGN Food consumption data from the French "Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires" dietary survey and its associated food-composition database were used as input data. Each food was allocated to 1 of 4 classes, according to the SAIN,LIM system -- a nutrient profiling system based on 2 independent scores, including a total of 8 basic plus 4 optional nutrients. The possibility to model diets fulfilling a set of 40 nutrient recommendations (healthy models) was tested by using foods from a given nutrient profile class only or from a combination of classes. The possibility to fulfill a set of nutrient constraints in contradiction with the recommendations (unhealthy models) was also tested. For each model, the feasible energy range was assessed by minimizing and maximizing total energy content. RESULTS With foods from the most favorable nutrient profile class, healthy diets could be modeled, but it was impossible to design unhealthy diets within a realistic range of energy intake with these foods. With foods from the least favorable class, unhealthy, but not healthy, diets could be designed. Both healthy and unhealthy diets could be designed with foods from intermediate classes. CONCLUSION On the basis of a few key nutrients, it is possible to predict the ability of a given food to facilitate -- or to impair -- the fulfillment of a large number of nutrient recommendations.
A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis on Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Iranian women (1986–2015)

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the cause of genital tract infections in women. Some evidence has shown the role of this infection with CT in spontaneous abortions. The purpose of this study is to study the frequency of CT infection in Iranian women. Methods: This study was performed based on PRISMA guidelines. A total of 75 articles published in Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Biological abs, Iranmedex, SID, and Scopus databases were found (1986–2015) using the following keywords: CT in women, CT and Iranian women, CT and infection in Iran, CT and pregnancy in Iran, CT and preterm delivery in Iran, CT and preterm labor in Iran, CT and fertility in Iran, CT and infertility in Iran, and CT and abortion in Iran. Finally, 40 studies from different regions of Iran were included. Statistical analyses were performed using R3 and STATA 12. Results: From 1986 to 2015, the lowest rate of prevalence was from 2010 to 2011 (3.9%) and the highest prevalence rate was in 2009 (69.39%) in northern Iran. Fixed effects for different parts of Iran (North, South, East, and West) were Pooled proportion: 0.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12–0.14) and for samples (cervical, vaginal, urine, and blood) the pooled proportion was = 0.14 (95% CI = 0.12–0.14). Conclusion: CT infection in this study was prevalent in urine samples and the rate of CT was observed from culture methods in comparison to other methods. Because women with CT play an important role because of sexual activity for transmission and untreated women are at risk of developing sequels. Also, most studies in Iran use sensitive polymerase chain reaction tests for the detection of genital CT infections.
New type of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm experiment using pairs of light quanta produced by optical parametric down conversion.

A pair of correlated light quanta of 532-nm wavelength with the same linear polarization but divergent directions of propagation was produced by nonlinear optical parametric down conversion. Each light quantum was converted to a definite polarization eigenstate and was reflected by a turning mirror to superpose with the other at a beam splitter. For coincident detection at separated detectors, polarization correlations of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm type were observed. We also observed a violation of Bell's inequality by 3 standard deviations.
The Effect of Rectus Sheath Block as a Supplement of General Anesthesia on Postoperative Analgesia in Adult Patient Undergoing Umbilical Hernia Repair

Abstract Background: Ultrasound guided rectus sheath block can block the ventral rami of the 7th to 12th thoracolumbar nerves by injection of local anesthetic into the space between the rectus muscle and posterior rectus sheath. The aim of this randomized double-blind study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of the bilateral ultrasound guided rectus sheath block as supplement of general anesthesia on patents undergoing elective umbilical hernia repair. Methods: After the hospital ethics committee approval, 60 (ASA I–II) adult patients scheduled for umbilical hernia repair were included in this study. The group I (n=30) patents received only general anesthesia. In the group II (n = 30) patents after induction of general anesthesia received a bilateral ultrasound guided rectus sheath block with 40 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. In this study we assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, pain score - VAS at rest at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours after operation and total analgesic consumption of morphine dose over 24-hours. Results: There were statistically significant differences in VAS scores between the groups I and II at all postoperative time points - 2hr, 4 hr, 6 hr, 12 hr and 24 hr. (P < 0.00001). The cumulative 24 hours morphine consumption after the operation was significantly lower in the group II (mean = 3.73 ± 1. 41) than the group I (mean = 8.76 ± 2.41). This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.00076). Conclusion: The ultrasound guided rectus sheath block used for umbilical hernia repair could reduce postoperative pain scores and the amount of morphine consumption in 24 hours postoperative period.
SeerNet at SemEval-2018 Task 1: Domain Adaptation for Affect in Tweets

The paper describes the best performing system for the SemEval-2018 Affect in Tweets(English) sub-tasks. The system focuses on the ordinal classification and regression sub-tasks for valence and emotion. For ordinal classification valence is classified into 7 different classes ranging from -3 to 3 whereas emotion is classified into 4 different classes 0 to 3 separately for each emotion namely anger, fear, joy and sadness. The regression sub-tasks estimate the intensity of valence and each emotion. The system performs domain adaptation of 4 different models and creates an ensemble to give the final prediction. The proposed system achieved 1stposition out of 75 teams which participated in the fore-mentioned sub-tasks. We outperform the baseline model by margins ranging from 49.2% to 76.4 %, thus, pushing the state-of-the-art significantly.
Electrical properties of InAs1-xSbx and InSb nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Results of electrical characterization of Au nucleated InAs 1 (cid:2) x Sb x nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy are reported. An almost doubling of the extracted ﬁeld effect mobility compared to reference InAs nanowires is observed for a Sb content of x ¼ 0.13. Pure InSb nanowires on the other hand show considerably lower, and strongly diameter dependent, mobility values. Finally, InAs of wurtzite crystal phase overgrown with an InAs 1 (cid:2) x Sb x shell is found to have a substantial positive shift in threshold voltage compared to reference nanowires. V C 2012 American Institute of Physics . [http://dx.doi. org/10.1063/1.4726037]
Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces Cerevisae) Supplementation: Effect on the Performance and Gut Morphology of Broiler Birds

A total of ninety six day-old broiler chicks were used for this study. The birds were allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Each treatment had 3 replicates and there were eight birds per replicate. All birds were kept under the same managerial, environmental and hygienic conditions. The diets were formulated on isocaloric (3000.00kcal/kgME) and isonitrogenous (23.00% Crude Protein) levels. T1 (control), T2 (1g/kg yeast supplementation), T3 (1.25g/kg yeast supplementation), T4 (1.5g/kg yeast supplementation) were fed to the birds on each treatment. Data on performance (feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio) and gut morphology were collected. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure of SAS, 2010. No significant differences were observed in the weight gain of the birds in the treatments. However, birds fed T2 had the least significant feed conversion ratio (2.10kg) when compared with their counterparts on the T1
Chronic occupational exposure endured by tobacco farmers from Brazil and association with DNA damage

Tobacco farming is an important economic income in Brazil, although it has been challenged as regard the occupational exposure to both pesticides and nicotine endured by farmers. Chronic occupational exposure to complex mixtures can lead to health hazardous. We examined genomic instability and epigenetic changes in tobacco farmers occupationally exposed to pesticide mixtures and nicotine at tobacco fields. DNA damage was assessed by alkaline comet assay in blood cells. Genomic DNA was isolated, and telomere length was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. We measured 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine, a marker of global DNA methylation, and p16 promoter methylation. The oxidative profile was evaluated by trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) in serum. Exposure parameters, plasma cotinine and inorganic element levels, were also measured. DNA damage was significantly elevated for farmers in relation to unexposed group (P < 0.001; Mann-Whitney test) and positively associated with years of exposure. Inverse relationship between DNA damage and total equivalent antioxidant activity was demonstrated for exposed and unexposed groups. Exposed group showed significantly shorter telomeres (P < 0.001; unpaired t-test) and DNA hypomethylation (P < 0.001; unpaired t-test), as well as p16 hypermethylation (P = 0.003; Mann-Whitney test). Lipid peroxidation was increased for exposed group in relation to unexposed one (P = 0.02; Mann-Whitney test) and presented a positive correlation with global DNA methylation (P = 0.0264). Farmers have increased plasma cotinine levels (P < 0.001) and inorganic elements (phosphorus, sulphur and chlorine) in relation to unexposed group. Elevated oxidative stress levels due to chronic occupational pesticide mixtures and nicotine exposure in tobacco farmers were associated with higher DNA damage, shorter telomeres and altered DNA methylation. Telomere-accelerated attrition due to exposure may be potential intermediate step before a disease state.
Coccolith arrangement follows Eulerian mathematics in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

Background The globally abundant coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi, plays an important ecological role in oceanic carbon biogeochemistry by forming a cellular covering of plate-like CaCO3 crystals (coccoliths) and fixing CO2. It is unknown how the cells arrange different-sized coccoliths to maintain full coverage, as the cell surface area of the cell changes during daily cycle. Methods We used Euler’s polyhedron formula and CaGe simulation software, validated with the geometries of coccoliths, to analyze and simulate the coccolith topology of the coccosphere and to explore the arrangement mechanisms. Results There were only small variations in the geometries of coccoliths, even when the cells were cultured under variable light conditions. Because of geometric limits, small coccoliths tended to interlock with fewer and larger coccoliths, and vice versa. Consequently, to sustain a full coverage on the surface of cell, each coccolith was arranged to interlock with four to six others, which in turn led to each coccosphere contains at least six coccoliths. Conclusion The number of coccoliths per coccosphere must keep pace with changes on the cell surface area as a result of photosynthesis, respiration and cell division. This study is an example of natural selection following Euler’s polyhedral formula, in response to the challenge of maintaining a CaCO3 covering on coccolithophore cells as cell size changes.
Effects of temperature and strain rate on mechanical behaviors of Stone-Wales defective monolayer black phosphorene

The mechanical behaviors of monolayer black phosphorene (MBP) are explored by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a reactive force field. It is revealed that the temperature and strain rate have a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of MBP, and they are further weakened by SW (Stone–Wales) defects. In general, the tensile strength for both the pristine and SW defective MBP decreases with the increase of temperature or decrease of strain rate. Surprisingly, for relatively high temperature (>300 K) and low strain rate (<5.0 × 10–8 fs–1), a phase transition from the black phosphorene to a mixture of β-phase (β-P) and γ-phase (γ-P) is observed for the SW-2 defective MBP under armchair tension, while self-healing of the SW-2 defect is observed under zigzag tension. A deformation map of SW-2 defective MBP under armchair tension at different temperature and strain rate is established, which is useful for the design of phosphorene allotropes by strain. The results presented herein yield useful .