Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence and predictive factors of lower respiratory tract infections among the very elderly in the general population. The Leiden 85-plus Study

Objectives: To target preventive strategies in old age, which of the very elderly are predisposed to developing lower respiratory tract infections was investigated. Design: Prospective observational follow-up study. Setting: General population. Participants: Unselected cohort of 587 participants aged 85 years in Leiden, The Netherlands. Measurements: As reported in the literature, predictive factors were selected and assessed at baseline. During a 5 year follow-up period, information on the development of lower respiratory tract infections was obtained from general practitioners or nursing home physicians. Associations between predictive factors were analysed with Cox regression, and population attributable risks were calculated. Results: The incidence of lower respiratory tract infections among persons aged 85–90 years was 94 (95% CI 80–108) per 1000 person years. After multivariate analysis, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), smoking, oral glucocorticosteroid use, severe cognitive impairment, history of stroke and declined functional status remained independently associated with the occurrence of lower respiratory tract infections. Smoking was the greatest contributor with a population attributable risk of 32%. Conclusion: In the very old, smoking, COPD, stroke and declined functional status were associated with the occurrence of lower respiratory tract infections and provide a means of targeting patients at risk of severe health complications.
Cardiac septic pulmonary embolism

AbstractBased on the source of the embolus, septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) can be classified as cardiac, peripheral endogenous, or exogenous. Cardiac SPEs are the most common.We conducted a retrospective analysis of 20 patients with cardiac SPE hospitalized between 1991 and 2013 at a Chinese tertiary referral hospital.The study included 14 males and 6 females with a median age of 38.1 years. Fever (100%), cough (95%), hemoptysis (80%), pleuritic chest pain (80%), heart murmur (80%), and moist rales (75%) were common clinical manifestations. Most patients had a predisposing condition: congenital heart disease (8 patients) and an immunocompromised state (5 patients) were the most common. Staphylococcal (8 patients) and Streptococcal species (4 patients) were the most common causative pathogens. Parenchymal opacities, nodules, cavitations, and pleural effusions were the most common manifestations observed via computed tomography (CT). All patients exhibited significant abnormalities by echocardiography, including 15 patients with right-sided vegetations and 4 with double-sided vegetations. All patients received parenteral antimicrobial therapy as an initial treatment. Fourteen patients received cardiac surgery, and all survived.Among the 6 patients who did not undergo surgery, only 1 survived. Most patients in our cardiac SPE cohort had predisposing conditions. Although most exhibited typical clinical manifestations and radiography, they were nonspecific. For suspected cases of SPE, blood culture, echocardiography, and CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) are important measures to confirm an early diagnosis. Vigorous early therapy, including appropriate antibiotic treatment and timely cardiac surgery to eradicate the infective source, is critical.
Control of NMDA Receptor Function by the NR2 Subunit Amino-Terminal Domain

NMDA receptors comprised of different NR2 subunits exhibit strikingly unique biophysical and pharmacological properties. Here, we report that the extracellular amino-terminal domain (ATD) of the NR2 subunit controls pharmacological and kinetic properties of recombinant NMDA receptors, such as agonist potency, deactivation time course, open probability (POPEN), and mean open/shut duration. Using ATD deletion mutants of NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, NR2D, and chimeras of NR2A and NR2D with interchanged ATD [NR2A-(2D-ATD) and NR2D-(2A-ATD)], we show that the ATD contributes to the low glutamate potency of NR2A-containing NMDA receptors and the high glutamate potency of NR2D-containing receptors. The ATD influences the deactivation time courses of NMDA receptors, as removal of the ATD from NR2A slows the deactivation rate, while removal of the ATD from NR2B, NR2C and NR2D accelerates the deactivation rate. Open probability also is influenced by the ATD. Removal of the ATD from NR2A or replacement of the NR2A-ATD with that of NR2D decreases POPEN in single-channel recordings from outside-out patches of HEK 293 cells. In contrast, deletion of the ATD from NR2D or replacement of the NR2D ATD with that of NR2A increases POPEN and mean open duration. These data demonstrate the modular nature of NMDA receptors, and show that the ATD of the different NR2 subunits plays an important role in fine-tuning the functional properties of the individual NMDA receptor subtypes.
Relationships between characterization of asphalt cements by differential scanning calorimetry and their physical properties

Asphalt cements (AC) are highly complex mixtures, and many research projects have been devoted to elucidating the relationships between asphalt structure and properties. In this work the authors present how Differential Scanning Calorimetry can be used to determine quantitatively the thermal behavior of AC. The purpose is to develop a thermoanalytical method that is able to determine the glass transition temperature of AC; to quantify the microcrystallization of aliphatic molecules; and to correlate the results with other physical and rheological properties of the asphalts.
Effect of the holding setup on the measurement of the crystalline lens aberrations

The main purpose of this work is to study the influence of the holding setups commonly used to measure the aberrations of crystalline lenses. Measurements for bovine lenses were performed with a point diffraction interferometer when the crystalline lens leans in the bottom of a glass cell filled with some preserving solution and when the lens leans over a ring placed in the glass cell in order to avoid the contact of the lens with the cell. Significant changes were found not only for symmetric aberrations but also for non symmetric ones.
ORR Activity and Stability of Pt-Based Electrocatalysts in PEM Fuel Cell

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are currently recognized as the most competitive candidate to replace the traditional form of power conversion devices due to their various advantages including that they have zero emissions, a high efficiency and a relatively simple design and operation. They are able to meet the transportation and stationary power requirements owing to their low operating temperature, quick start, light weight and high power density. However, the commercialization and utilization of PEM fuel cells is still not currently widespread because of two major technical gaps: their high cost and low reliability and durability. There are three strategies to reduce Pt catalyst consumption and maintain the fuel cell performance: (i) develop new Pt-based catalysts that have a higher mass activity; (ii) improve the catalyst layer structure/microporous layer/diffusion media/flow field design and (iii) improve the durability of the catalyst and support. In this work, the Pt-M catalysts (M = Co and Pd) were prepared by the combined process of impregnation and seeding at low temperature. Activity and stability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of such electrocatalysts were explored.
Sex-specific early survival drives adult sex ratio bias in snowy plovers and impacts mating system and population growth

Significance Sex biases are widespread in nature and represent a fundamental component of sexual selection and population biology—but at which point in life history do these biases emerge? We report a detailed individual-based demographic analysis of an intensively studied wild bird population to evaluate origins of sex biases and their consequences on mating strategies and population dynamics. We document a strongly male-biased adult sex ratio, which is consistent with behavioral observations of female-biased polygamy. Notably, sex-biased juvenile rather than adult survival contributed most to the adult sex ratio. Sex biases also strongly influenced population viability, which was significantly overestimated when sex ratio and mating system were ignored. Our study, therefore, has implications for both sexual selection theory and biodiversity conservation. Adult sex ratio (ASR) is a central concept in population biology and a key factor in sexual selection, but why do most demographic models ignore sex biases? Vital rates often vary between the sexes and across life history, but their relative contributions to ASR variation remain poorly understood—an essential step to evaluate sex ratio theories in the wild and inform conservation. Here, we combine structured two-sex population models with individual-based mark–recapture data from an intensively monitored polygamous population of snowy plovers. We show that a strongly male-biased ASR (0.63) is primarily driven by sex-specific survival of juveniles rather than adults or dependent offspring. This finding provides empirical support for theories of unbiased sex allocation when sex differences in survival arise after the period of parental investment. Importantly, a conventional model ignoring sex biases significantly overestimated population viability. We suggest that sex-specific population models are essential to understand the population dynamics of sexual organisms: reproduction and population growth are most sensitive to perturbations in survival of the limiting sex. Overall, our study suggests that sex-biased early survival may contribute toward mating system evolution and population persistence, with implications for both sexual selection theory and biodiversity conservation.
Scanning and deep processing of information in hypertext: an eye tracking and cued retrospective think-aloud study

When students solve problems on the Internet, they have to find a balance between quickly scanning large sections of information in web pages and deeply processing those that are relevant for the task. We studied how high school students articulate scanning and deeper processing of information while answering questions using a Wikipedia document, and how their reading comprehension skills and the question type interact with these processes. By analyzing retrospective think-aloud protocols and eye-tracking measures, we found that scanning of information led to poor hypertext comprehension, while deep processing of information produced better performance, especially in location questions. This relationship between scanning, deep processing, and performance was qualified by reading comprehension skills in an unexpected way: Scanning led to lower performance especially for good comprehenders, while the positive effect of deep processing was independent of reading comprehension skills. We discussed the results in light of our current knowledge of Internet problem solving.
Grading of Ovarian Carcinomas

Grading of ovarian carcinomas can have important implications for therapeutic decisions, in particular in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I. However, there are no universally accepted grading guidelines for this type of cancer. We applied the grading system suggested by Shimizu et al. (1) to a series of ovarian carcinomas from a single institution to evaluate its prognostic significance in relation to other predictive factors. One hundred ninety-two cases of ovarian carcinomas were studied, including all major histologic types. The histologic slides were evaluated with regard to architecture (glandular = 1 point, papillary = 2 points, solid = 3 points), nuclear pleomorphism (nuclear variability ≤ 2:1 = 1 point, intermediate nuclei = 2 points, nuclear variability ≥ 4:1 = 3 points), and mitotic activity per 10 high-power fields using objective 40 ×, ocular 10 ×/20 (0–7 mitoses = 1 point, 8–18 mitoses = 2 points, ≥ 9 mitoses = 3 points). Carcinomas with a total score of 3–5 points were designated as grade I, 6–7 points were designated as grade II, and 8–9 points were designated as grade III. Kaplan-Meier curves showed the following 5-year survival rates: grade I (n = 42) 88%, grade II (n = 98) 60%, grade III (n = 52) 38% (p < 0.0001); stage I 90%, stage II 60%, stage III 38%, stage IV 10% (p < 0.0001); residual disease ≤ 2 cm 67% and ≥ 2 cm 27% (p < 0.0001). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that grade (p < 0.0002), as well as nuclear pleomorphism alone (p < 0.0001), both provided statistically significant independent prognostic information. Our observations showed that the grading system used can be easily applied to all histologic types of ovarian carcinomas yielding prognostically relevant information and can be incorporated into routine diagnostic practice.
Explicit Convergence Rate of a Distributed Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers

Consider a set of N agents seeking to solve distributively the minimization problem inf<sub>∞</sub> Σ<sub>n=1</sub><sup>N</sup> f<sub>n</sub>(x) where the convex functions f<sub>n</sub> are local to the agents. The popular Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers has the potential to handle distributed optimization problems of this kind. We provide a general reformulation of the problem and obtain a class of distributed algorithms which encompass various network architectures. The rate of convergence of our method is considered. It is assumed that the infimum of the problem is reached at a point x<sub>*</sub>, the functions f<sub>n</sub> are twice differentiable at this point and Σ ∇<sup>2</sup>f<sub>n</sub>(x<sub>*</sub>) > 0 in the positive definite ordering of symmetric matrices. With these assumptions, it is shown that the convergence to the consensus x<sub>*</sub> is linear and the exact rate is provided. Application examples where this rate can be optimized with respect to the ADMM free parameter ρ are also given.
Combinatorial promoter design for engineering noisy gene expression

Understanding the behavior of basic biomolecular components as parts of larger systems is one of the goals of the developing field of synthetic biology. A multidisciplinary approach, involving mathematical and computational modeling in parallel with experimentation, is often crucial for gaining such insights and improving the efficiency of artificial gene network design. Here we used such an approach and developed a combinatorial promoter design strategy to characterize how the position and multiplicity of tetO2 operator sites within the GAL1 promoter affect gene expression levels and gene expression noise in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observed stronger transcriptional repression and higher gene expression noise as a single operator site was moved closer to the TATA box, whereas for multiple operator-containing promoters, we found that the position and number of operator sites together determined the dose–response curve and gene expression noise. We developed a generic computational model that captured the experimentally observed differences for each of the promoters, and more detailed models to successively predict the behavior of multiple operator-containing promoters from single operator-containing promoters. Our results suggest that the independent binding of single repressors is not sufficient to explain the more complex behavior of the multiple operator-containing promoters. Taken together, our findings highlight the importance of joint experimental–computational efforts and some of the challenges of using a bottom-up approach based on well characterized, isolated biomolecular components for predicting the behavior of complex, synthetic gene networks, e.g., the whole can be different from the sum of its parts.
Neopterin measurement in clinical diagnosis

Neopterin is a marker associated with cell‐mediated immunity. It is produced in monocytes/macrophages primarily upon stimulation with interferon‐γ. Due to its chemical structure, neopterin belongs to the class of pteridines. It is excreted in an unchanged form via the kidneys. Serum levels above 10 nmol/L are regarded as elevated. The levels of neopterin in body fluids are elevated in infections, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, allograft rejection, cardiac and renal failure, coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. Neopterin measurements not only provide an insight into the present state of cell‐mediated immune response but also allow monitoring and prognosis of disease progression.
Whole-Body Leucine Kinetics and the Acute Phase Response during Acute Infection in Marasmic Malawian Children

This study compared leucine kinetics and acute-phase protein and cytokine concentrations in three groups of Malawian children who were fed an isoenergetic, isonitrogenous diet: children with marasmus with (n = 25) and without (n = 17) infection and well-nourished children with infection (n = 13). The hypotheses tested were that whole-body leucine kinetics will be less in marasmic acutely infected children than in well-nourished acutely infected children but greater than in marasmic uninfected children. Children were studied after 24 h of therapy using standard 13C-leucine stable isotope tracer techniques. Well-nourished children with acute infection had greater leucine kinetic rates than did marasmic children with acute infection; nonoxidative leucine disposal was 153 ± 31 versus 118 ± 43 μmol leucine kg−1 h−1, leucine derived from whole-body proteolysis was 196 ± 34 versus 121 ± 47, and leucine oxidation was 85 ± 31 versus 45 ± 13 (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Leucine kinetic rates were similar in marasmic children with and without acute infection. Well-nourished children with acute infection increased their serum concentration of five of six acute-phase proteins during the first 24 h, whereas marasmic children with infection did not have any increases. The serum concentrations of IL-6 were elevated in well-nourished and marasmic children with infection. These data suggest that the cytokine stimulus for the acute-phase protein kinetic response to acute infection is present in marasmic children but that the acute-phase protein metabolic response is blunted by malnutrition.
Perceptions of two therapeutic approaches for palliative care patients experiencing death anxiety

Abstract Objective: Evidenced-based psychotherapies are not well researched for palliative care patients experiencing unrelenting anxiety about dying, even less research is focused on young adult palliative care patients with death anxiety. The aim of this study is to provide preliminary data regarding potential clients' perceptions of using evidenced based treatments with dying populations who are experiencing death anxiety. Methods: 104 college students were used as potential clients and randomly assigned to watch either a short video of a cognitive therapy (CT) session or of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) session focused on treating a young adult diagnosed with an acute lymphoid leukemia expressing death anxiety. After watching the video, potential clients rated the session impact of the therapy approach using the Session Evaluation Questionnaire. Results: No differences in ratings of session impact were found between potential clients who viewed the CT session and the ACT session. In regards to potential clients' views of session impact variables, their view of session smoothness was positively related to their post-session positivity, but inversely related to their view of session depth. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between potential clients' views of the therapist and session depth. Significance of results: This preliminary study suggests that palliative care patients expressing death anxiety may benefit from either ACT or CT for death anxiety, however, future research is needed to explore the usefulness of each approach. Findings of this study support the theory that ACT and CT are viewed to have a similar session impact in the palliative care population.
Measurement and Classification of Out-of-Sequence Packets in a Tier-1 IP Backbone

We present a classification methodology and a measurement study for out-of-sequence packets in TCP connections going over the Sprint IP backbone. Out-of-sequence packets can result from many events including loss, looping, reordering, or duplication in the network. It is important to quantify and understand the causes of such out-of-sequence packets since it is an indicator of the performance of a TCP connection, and the quality of its end-end path. Our study is based on passively observed packets from a point inside a large backbone network-as opposed to actively sending and measuring end-end probe traffic at the sender or receiver. A new methodology is thus required to infer the causes of a connection's out-of-sequence packets using only measurements taken in the "middle" of the connection's end-end path. We describe techniques that classify observed out-of-sequence behavior based only on the previously and subsequently-observed packets within a connection and knowledge of how TCP behaves. We analyze numerous several-hour packet-level traces from a set of OC-12 and OC-48 links for tens of millions connections generated in nearly 7600 unique ASes. We show that using our techniques, it is possible to classify almost all out-of-sequence packets in our traces and that we can quantify the uncertainty in our classification. Our measurements show a relatively consistent rate of out-of-sequence packets of approximately 4%. We observe that a majority of out-of-sequence packets are retransmissions, with a smaller percentage resulting from in-network reordering
Suicidal behaviours: Prevalence estimates from the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Objective: To (1) estimate the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of suicidal behaviours in Australian young people aged 12–17 years, (2) describe their co-morbidity with mental illness and (3) describe the co-variation of these estimates with social and demographic variables. Method: A national random sample of children aged 4–17 years was recruited in 2013–2014. The response rate to the survey was 55% with 6310 parents and carers of eligible households participating. In addition, of the 2967 young people aged 11–17 years in these households, 89% (2653) of the 12- to 17-year-olds completed a self-report questionnaire that included questions about suicidal behaviour. Results: In any 12-month period, about 2.4% or 41,400 young people would have made a suicide attempt. About 7.5% of 12- to 17-year-olds report having suicidal ideation, 5.2% making a plan and less than 1% (0.6%) receiving medical treatment for an attempt. The presence of a mental disorder shows the largest significant association with lifetime and 12-month suicidal behaviour, along with age, gender, sole parent family status and poor family functioning. Of young people with a major depressive disorder, 19.7% reported making a suicide attempt within the previous 12 months. There are also significant elevations in the proportions of young people reporting suicidal behaviour who have anxiety and conduct disorders. Conclusion: Mental disorders should be a leading intervention point for suicide prevention both in the primary health sector and in the mental health sector specifically. The associations examined here also suggest that efforts to assist sole parent and/or dysfunctional families would be worthy areas in which to target these efforts.