Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bigger, Better, Faster: Principles and Models of AKAP Anchoring Protein Signaling

Abstract A kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) bind multiple signaling proteins and have subcellular targeting domains that allow them to greatly impact cellular signaling. AKAPs localize, specify, amplify, and accelerate signal transduction within the cell by bringing signaling proteins together in space and time. AKAPs also organize higher-order network motifs such as feed forward and feedback loops that may create complex network responses, including adaptation, oscillation, and ultrasensitivity. Computational models have begun to provide an insight into how AKAPs regulate signaling dynamics and cardiovascular pathophysiology. Models of mitogen-activated protein kinase and epidermal growth factor receptor scaffolds have revealed additional design principles and new methods for representing signaling scaffolds mathematically. Coupling computational modeling with quantitative experimental approaches will be increasingly necessary for dissecting the diverse information processing functions performed by AKAP signaling complexes.
An evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practices about prescribing fixed dose combinations among resident doctors

Background: Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) improve patient compliance and decrease pill burden. However, irrational prescribing of FDCs is a major health concern. As resident doctors are primarily involved in patient management at tertiary care hospitals, knowledge about prescribing FDCs is of paramount importance. Objective: To evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice, regarding use of FDCs by resident doctors at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out among resident doctors working at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, a tertiary care teaching hospital. One hundred resident doctors from the departments of medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, paediatrics, skin and psychiatry, who gave their informed consent, were enrolled. A prevalidated questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude and prescribing practice of fixed dose combinations was filled up. Data was analyzed with suitable statistical tests. Results: Out of the 100 residents recruited for the study, 34, 33 and 33 residents were selected from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year respectively. The resident doctors were not aware about all of the advantages and disadvantages of FDCs. On an average, only 31% of the residents (lowest 16% among 1st year residents) had knowledge about the Essential Medicine List (EML). Knowledge about rationality of given FDCs was lacking in 81% of the residents. Only 47% could name a single banned FDC in India. Common sources of information about FDCs were medical representatives, colleagues/peers, the Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS) and Continuous Medical Education (CMEs). A majority of residents (96%) agreed that FDCs should be allowed to be marketed. The residents opined that most commonly prescribed FDCs were of antimicrobial drugs, amongst which amoxicillin + clavulanic acid was the most frequent. Conclusion: There is need to improve knowledge about rationality, EML, usage and banned FDCs in post graduate medical students to promote the rational use of drugs.
Tribological behaviors of amino functionalized graphene reinforced PTFE composite

Graphene was successfully modified by amino-functionalization process. The Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometer were used to characterize the amino-functionalization result. The transmission electron microscopy was used to visualize the morphology of graphene and fractured surface of its resulting composite. The tribological behaviors of amino functionalized graphene reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene composite were evaluated by using a face-to-face contact mode under dry sliding/water lubricated condition. The worn surface was characterized by using a scanning electronic microscope equipped with an energy dispersive spectroscopy in order to find the reasons for the better tribological behaviors. The anti-friction and anti-wear mechanisms of amino functionalized graphene reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene composite were elucidated based on the experimental results. In all, this work is hoped to be helpful in designing and researching a new industrial material which can be used for water lubricated conditions in new-energy-vehicle fields.
Prevalence of Gastro Intestinal Nematode Parasitic Infections of Horses and Donkeys in and Around Kombolcha Town

A cross sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in and around Kombolcha town to know the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GIT) nematode parasites in donkeys and horses. A total of 384 donkeys and horses (253 donkeys and 131 horses) were randomly selected and examined during the study period. During the examination, floatation technique was used and the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites was 76.04% (292 from 384) with 86.5% in donkeys and 55.7% in horses. The prevalence of Strongyle, Parascaris equorum and Oxyuris equi was 47.4%, 4.7%, 2.8% in donkeys and 36.6%, 6.9% and 3.1% in horses respectively. There were also mixed infestations like Strongyle and Parascaris equarum, strongyle and Oxyuris equi, strongyle, Parascaris equi and Oxyuris equi with total prevalence of 12.5%, 5.5% and 6% respectively. The risk factors, species, sex, age, body conditions and origins having respective p-values of 0.000, 0.037, 0.028, 0.009 and 0.000 were significantly associated with the occurrence of GIT Nematode parasites. Donkeys were found more likely at risk of developing GIT nematode parasites than horses (OR = 5.1, 95% CI = 3.1-8.4). The age related prevalence was 85.1%, 71.77%, 80% respectively for young, adult and old ages while 70.2%, 81.3% and 64.4% prevalence was for poor, medium and good body mass conditions respectively. In conclusion, the current study revealed higher prevalence of GIT nematode parasites of horses and donkeys in the area. Therefore, regular deworming, improvement of housing and feeding management systems and awareness creation to animal owners were recommended.
DNA extraction protocols may influence biodiversity detected in the intestinal microbiome: a case study from wild Prussian carp, Carassius gibelio

&NA; In this investigation, we examined the influence of different DNA extraction protocols on results obtained for intestinal microbiota of Prussian carp. We showed that significant differences were observed in numbers of reads, OTUs, Shannon index and taxonomic composition between two different DNA extraction protocols for intestine of Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), and differences were also evident between microbial communities in the intestinal mucosa and intestinal content. Statistical analyses of 25 published articles also revealed a significant relationship between methods of DNA extraction and bacterial diversity in fish intestine of freshwater species. Microbial diversity, community structure, proportions of read numbers derived from each OTU and the total number of OTU's obtained by different DNA extraction protocols could lead to a bias in results obtained in some cases, and therefore researchers should be conservative in conclusions about community structures.
Detecting Adversarial Samples from Artifacts

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are powerful nonlinear architectures that are known to be robust to random perturbations of the input. However, these models are vulnerable to adversarial perturbations--small input changes crafted explicitly to fool the model. In this paper, we ask whether a DNN can distinguish adversarial samples from their normal and noisy counterparts. We investigate model confidence on adversarial samples by looking at Bayesian uncertainty estimates, available in dropout neural networks, and by performing density estimation in the subspace of deep features learned by the model. The result is a method for implicit adversarial detection that is oblivious to the attack algorithm. We evaluate this method on a variety of standard datasets including MNIST and CIFAR-10 and show that it generalizes well across different architectures and attacks. Our findings report that 85-93% ROC-AUC can be achieved on a number of standard classification tasks with a negative class that consists of both normal and noisy samples.
Myeloid leukemia cells with a B7‐2+ subpopulation provoke Th‐cell responses and become immuno‐suppressive through the modulation of B7 ligands

Expression of the B7 family molecules in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been demonstrated by independent clinical studies. Intriguingly, the expression of the most potent costimulatory molecules B7‐2 (CD86) and B7‐H2 (ICOS Ligand) on AML cells has been associated with poor prognosis and disease severity. Here, this phenomenon was modeled in vitro with the myeloid leukemia cell line HL‐60, which is capable of differentiating through the FAB M2/M3 and M4/M5 immunophenotypes. These derivatives of HL‐60 harbored a B7‐2+ subpopulation and recapitulated the distribution of B7 ligands previously reported in primary AML cases. B7‐2+ AML cells significantly contributed to T‐cell responses. This costimulatory activity enabled helper (Th)‐cell activation, proliferation, and production of Th1‐associated cytokines. Conversely, even a short‐term incubation with stimulated T cells resulted in upregulation of inhibitory B7‐H1 (PD‐L1) and B7‐DC (PD‐L2), and downregulation of stimulatory B7‐H2 molecules on leukemia cells. Purified from iHL‐60‐T‐cell co‐cultures, these myeloid leukemia cells severely suppressed Th‐cell responses specifically through the PD‐1 pathway. In conclusion, Th‐cell responses can be directly supported by B7‐2+ leukemia subpopulations. However, this interaction can facilitate the acquisition of a suppressive character that may contribute to immune evasion in myeloid leukemia.
Acute anterior uveitis is associated with depression and reduction of general health

Aims This study explored the association of active acute anterior uveitis (AAU) with depressive feelings and patients’ general health. Methods This case-control study comprised 80 participants: 35 patients with an active case of AAU and 45 healthy peers were analysed to compare their depressive moods (Beck depression inventory (BDI), Zerssen Mood Scale (ZMS)) and general health (Short form-8 health survey (SF8)). Furthermore, patients were questioned regarding the presence of distress, occupational satisfaction and impairment in performing daily life tasks. Results During an acute attack, AAU patients were shown to suffer from depressive moods more often than their healthy peers (BDI 54% vs 9%, respectively; ZMS 2.7-fold shift in mood levels towards depression) and experienced a reduction in mental and physical scores (SF8). Patients felt impaired reading (94%), driving (69%) and working (69%). In all, 74% of the patients believed that distress was a probable trigger. Lack of occupational satisfaction was associated with a persistence of depressive feelings and a reduction in physical health. Conclusions AAU patients exhibited a significant psychopathology towards depression, a reduction of general health and impairment of performing daily life tasks. Patients who were unsatisfied at work seemed to suffer even more. The results underline the importance of offering psychological support to the patients and providing information to patients and close social contacts.
A Novel Bayesian Classifier using Copula Functions

A useful method for representing Bayesian classifiers is through \emph{discriminant functions}. Here, using copula functions, we propose a new model for discriminants. This model provides a rich and generalized class of decision boundaries. These decision boundaries significantly boost the classification accuracy especially for high dimensional feature spaces. We strengthen our analysis through simulation results.
Psychiatry and human rights

Background: Malaria control measures were initiated from in October 2005 to August 2006 in the Lower Moshi irrigation schemes, Tanzania. This manuscript reports on the entomological evaluation of the impact of pyrethroid-treated cattle in reducing the population of the Anopheles arabiensis for selected houses in the Lower Moshi irrigation scheme. Methods: Cattle were sprayed with the pyrethroid (deltamethrin) acaricide. Grazing and nongrazing cattles were compared and assessed for difference in knockdown resistance (kdr) time using cone or contact bioassay and residual effect (mortality). In experimental huts, mortality was compared between the huts with treated and untreated cattle. Results: Results from contact bioassays of cattle treated with deltamethrin showed a knockdown effect of 50% within 21 days for grazing cattle and 29 days for non-grazing cattle. Residual effect at 50% was achieved within 17 days for grazing cattle compared to 24 days for inshed cattle. In discussing the results, reference has been made to the exophilic and zoophilic tendencies of An. arabiensis, which are conducive for zooprophylaxis. Experimental studies in Verandah huts at Mabogini compared An. arabiensis and Culex spp collected from huts with different baits, i e. human, untreated cow and treated cow. Results indicate higher mortality rates in mosquitoes collected from the hut containing the treated cow (mean = 2) compared to huts with untreated cow (mean = 0.3) and human (mean = 0.8). A significantly higher number of Culex spp. was recorded in huts with treated cows compared to the rest. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the role of cattle treated with pyrethroid in the control of malaria and reduction of vector density. It showed that, in areas with a predominant An. arabiensis population, cattle should be placed close to dwelling houses in order to maximize the effects of zooprophylaxis. Protective effects of cattle can further be enhanced by regular treatment with pyrethroids at least every three weeks. This paper demonstrates that cattle can be considered as Insecticide-Treated Material (ITM) as long as acaricide treatment is conducted regularly. Published: 8 August 2007 Malaria Journal 2007, 6:109 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-6-109 Received: 8 May 2007 Accepted: 8 August 2007 This article is available from: http://www.malariajournal. com/content/6/1/109 © 2007 Mahande et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
In Silico Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles with Applications in Drug Delivery

The use of nanoparticles for drug delivery applications has known an increasing success during the last years, together with the computational methods that are particularly useful for modeling the self-assembly process. The granularity at which particles are represented, force field parameters, initial setup and system composition are important factors influencing the outcome of simulations that have been the subject of intense research. In this chapter, the applications of these in silico approaches in drug delivery will be discussed, highlighting the importance of nanoparticle’s composition: peptides, copolymers, lipids, or a mixture of them. combination of T-shaped aromatic stacking, interpeptide head-to-tail hydrogen-bonding, and peptide water hydrogen-bonding interactions.
A randomized intervention trial to reduce the lending of used injection equipment among injection drug users infected with hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the efficacy of a peer-mentoring behavioral intervention designed to reduce risky distributive injection practices (e.g., syringe lending, unsafe drug preparation) among injection drug users with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS A randomized trial with a time-equivalent attention-control group was conducted among 418 HCV-positive injection drug users aged 18 to 35 years in 3 US cities. Participants reported their injection-related behaviors at baseline and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. RESULTS Compared with the control group, intervention-group participants were less likely to report distributive risk behaviors at 3 months (odds ratio [OR]=0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.27, 0.79) and 6 months (OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.31, 0.83), a 26% relative risk reduction, but were no more likely to cite their HCV-positive status as a reason for refraining from syringe lending. Effects were strongest among intervention-group participants who had known their HCV-positive status for at least 6 months. Peer mentoring and self-efficacy were significantly increased among intervention-group participants, and intervention effects were mediated through improved self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS This behavioral intervention reduced unsafe injection practices that may propagate HCV among injection drug users.
Benchmarking of FFT algorithms

A large number of fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms have been developed over the years. Among these, the most promising are the radix-2, radix-4, split-radix, fast Hartley transform (FHT), quick Fourier transform (QFT), and the decimation-in-time-frequency (DITF) algorithms. We present a rigorous analysis of these algorithms that includes the number of mathematical operations, computational time, memory requirements, and object code size. The results of this work will serve as a framework for creating an object-oriented, poly-functional FFT implementation which will automatically choose the most efficient algorithm given user-specified constraints.
Bayesian model of the social effects of emotion in decision-making in multiagent systems

Research in the behavioral sciences suggests that emotion can serve important social functions and that, more than a simple manifestation of internal experience, emotion displays communicate one's beliefs, desires and intentions. In a recent study we have shown that, when engaged in the iterated prisoner's dilemma with agents that display emotion, people infer, from the emotion displays, how the agent is appraising the ongoing interaction (e.g., is the situation favorable to the agent? Does it blame me for the current state-of-affairs? ). From these appraisals people, then, infer whether the agent is likely to cooperate in the future. In this paper we propose a Bayesian model that captures this social function of emotion. The model supports probabilistic predictions, from emotion displays, about how the counterpart is appraising the interaction which, in turn, lead to predictions about the counterpart's intentions. The model's parameters were learnt using data from the empirical study. Our evaluation indicated that considering emotion displays improved the model's ability to predict the counterpart's intentions, in particular, how likely it was to cooperate in a social dilemma. Using data from another empirical study where people made inferences about the counterpart's likelihood of cooperation in the absence of emotion displays, we also showed that the model could, from information about appraisals alone, make appropriate inferences about the counterpart's intentions. Overall, the paper suggests that appraisals are valuable for computational models of emotion interpretation. The relevance of these results for the design of multiagent systems where agents, human or not, can convey or recognize emotion is discussed.
The use of therapeutic ultrasound in venous leg ulcers: a randomized, controlled clinical trial

Objectives To estimate the usefulness of therapeutic ultrasound for healing of venous leg ulcers. Methods Eighty-one patients were included in this study. Patients in groups 1 and 2 were treated surgically. Patients in groups 3 and 4 were treated conservatively. Patients in groups 1 and 3 were additionally treated with the ultrasound (1 MHz, 0.5 W/cm2) once daily, six times a week for seven weeks. Results Comparison of the number of complete healed wounds indicated statistically significant differences between groups 1 and 4 (P = 0.03), 2 and 4 (P = 0.03), 3 and 4 (P = 0.03) in favour of groups 1, 2 and 3. Comparison of the other parameters also demonstrated more efficient therapy effects in groups 1, 2 and 3 than in group 4. There were no statistical differences in all examined parameters between groups 1, 2 and 3 (P > 0.05). Conclusions The ultrasound is an efficient and useful method only in conservatively treated venous leg ulcers. There are no special reasons for application of the ultrasound in surgically treated patients. A well-conducted surgical operation is much more effective for a healing process than conservative pharmacological procedures.
Diagnosis of Amebic Liver Abscess and Intestinal Infection with the TechLab Entamoeba histolytica II Antigen Detection and Antibody Tests

ABSTRACT A noninvasive diagnostic test for amebic liver abscess is needed, because amebic and bacterial abscesses appear identical on ultrasound or computer tomography and because it is rarely possible to identifyEntamoeba histolytica in stool specimens from patients with amebic liver abscess. Here we report a method of detection in serum of circulating E. histolytica Gal/GalNAc lectin to diagnose amebic liver abscess, which was used in patients from Dhaka, Bangladesh. The TechLab E. histolytica II test (which differentiates the true pathogen E. histolytica fromEntamoeba dispar) detected Gal/GalNAc lectin in the sera of 22 of 23 (96%) amebic liver abscess patients tested prior to treatment with the antiamebic drug metronidazole and 0 of 70 (0%) controls. After 1 week of treatment with metronidazole, 9 of 11 (82%) patients became serum lectin antigen negative. The sensitivity of the E. histolytica II antigen detection test for intestinal infection was also evaluated. Antigen detection identified E. histolytica infection in 50 samples from 1,164 asymptomatic preschool children aged 2 to 5 years, including 16 of 16 (100%) culture-positive specimens. PCR analysis of stool specimens was used to confirm that most antigen-positive but culture-negative specimens were true-positive: PCR identified parasite DNA in 27 of 34 (79%) of the antigen-positive, culture-negative stool specimens. Antigen detection was a more sensitive test for infection than antilectin antibodies, which were detected in only 76 of 98 (78%) amebic liver abscess patients and in 26 of 50 (52%) patients with intestinal infection. We conclude that the TechLab E. histolytica II kit is a sensitive means to diagnose hepatic and intestinal amebiasis prior to the institution of metronidazole treatment.
GENESIS: An Extensible Database Management System

A novel yet simple technology is presented that enables customized database management systems (DBMSs) to be developed rapidly. The authors are designing an extensible DBMS, called GENESIS, which is based on this theory. They give a detailed description of their first operational prototype. DBMS software components in GENESIS can be written in a few months. When all components for a target DBMS are present, writing the architecture specification of the DBMS and reconfiguring GENESIS takes a few hours and can be accomplished with negligible cost. >
Mechanisms and prevention of UV‐induced melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and its incidence is rising, creating a costly and significant clinical problem. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, namely UVA (315‐400 nm) and UVB (280‐315 nm), is a major risk factor for melanoma development. Cumulative UV radiation exposure from sunlight or tanning beds contributes to UV‐induced DNA damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation in the skin. A number of factors, including hair color, skin type, genetic background, location, and history of tanning, determine the skin's response to UV radiation. In melanocytes, dysregulation of this UV radiation response can lead to melanoma. Given the complex origins of melanoma, it is difficult to develop curative therapies and universally effective preventative strategies. Here, we describe and discuss the mechanisms of UV‐induced skin damage responsible for inducing melanomagenesis, and explore options for therapeutic and preventative interventions.