Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma complement components and activation fragments: associations with age-related macular degeneration genotypes and phenotypes.

PURPOSE Several genes encoding complement system components and fragments are associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study was conducted to determine whether alterations in circulating levels of these markers of complement activation and regulation are also independently associated with advanced AMD and whether they are related to AMD genotypes. METHODS Plasma and DNA samples were selected from individuals in our AMD registry who had progressed to or developed the advanced stages of AMD, including 58 with geographic atrophy and 62 with neovascular disease. Subjects of similar age and sex, but without AMD, and who did not progress were included as controls (n = 60). Plasma complement components (C3, CFB, CFI, CFH, and factor D) and activation fragments (Bb, C3a, C5a, iC3b, and SC5b-9) were analyzed. DNA samples were genotyped for seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms in six genes previously shown to be associated with AMD: CFB, CFH, C2, C3, and CFI and the LOC387715/ARMS2 gene region. The association between AMD and each complement biomarker was assessed by using logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, and proinflammatory risk factors: smoking and body mass index (BMI). Functional genomic analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the complement markers and genotypes. Concordance, or C, statistics were calculated to assess the effect of complement components and activation fragments in an AMD gene-environment prediction model. RESULTS The highest quartiles of Bb and C5a were significantly associated with advanced AMD, when compared with the lowest quartiles. In multivariate models without genetic variants, the odds ratio (OR) for Bb was 3.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-8.6), and the OR for C5a was 3.6 (95% CI = 1.2-10.3). With adjustment for genetic variants, these ORs were substantially higher. The alternative pathway regulator CFH was inversely associated with AMD in the model without genotypes (OR = 0.3; P = 0.01). Positive associations were found between BMI and plasma C3, CFB, CFH, iC3b, and C3a. There were also significant associations between C5a fragment and LOC387715/ARMS2 and C3 genotypes (P for trend = 0.02, 0.04), respectively. C statistics for models with behavioral and genetic factors increased to 0.94 +/- 0.20 with the addition of C3a, Bb, and C5a. CONCLUSIONS Increased levels of activation fragments Bb and C5a are independently associated with AMD. Higher BMI is related to increased levels of complement components. C5a is associated with AMD genotypes. C statistics are stronger with the addition of C3a, Bb, and C5a in predictive models. Results implicate ongoing activation of the alternative complement pathway in AMD pathogenesis.
Evidence of a cumulative effect of cardiometabolic disorders at midlife and subsequent cognitive function.

BACKGROUND longitudinal data as regards the link between the cumulative effect of cardiometabolic disorders and cognition are relatively scant and heterogeneous. OBJECTIVE we examined the cross-time associations of MetS status with cognitive performance in ageing adults. DESIGN AND METHODS using data from the French SU.VI. MAX cohort, we studied 2,788 adults. The presence of abdominal obesity, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia and elevated blood pressure was clinically evaluated in 1994-96. Cognitive performance was assessed after a mean of 13 years via a battery of six validated instruments. The standardised individual test scores were summed up to provide a composite cognitive performance measure; principal component analysis was performed to define performance scores on verbal memory and executive functioning. Associations between MetS and subsequent cognitive performance were examined via ANCOVA, providing estimates of mean difference and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS MetS status at midlife was not associated with subsequent cognitive function. However, a 1-unit increase in the number of cardiometabolic disorders present was associated with a decrease in the composite cognitive score (mean difference = -0.36; 95% CI: -0.68, -0.05). Significant associations were also found with several cardiometabolic disorders (hyperglycaemia, central obesity and dyslipidaemia) and specific cognitive domains. CONCLUSION this study supports the existence of a cross-time, cumulative effect of cardiometabolic disorders present at midlife and subsequent cognitive performance. Given the worldwide population ageing and the increase in MetS prevalence, there is an urgent need for recommendations as regards cognitive ageing.
Cochlear Implant Programming: A Global Survey on the State of the Art

The programming of CIs is essential for good performance. However, no Good Clinical Practice guidelines exist. This paper reports on the results of an inventory of the current practice worldwide. A questionnaire was distributed to 47 CI centers. They follow 47600 recipients in 17 countries and 5 continents. The results were discussed during a debate. Sixty-two percent of the results were verified through individual interviews during the following months. Most centers (72%) participated in a cross-sectional study logging 5 consecutive fitting sessions in 5 different recipients. Data indicate that general practice starts with a single switch-on session, followed by three monthly sessions, three quarterly sessions, and then annual sessions, all containing one hour of programming and testing. The main focus lies on setting maximum and, to a lesser extent, minimum current levels per electrode. These levels are often determined on a few electrodes and then extrapolated. They are mainly based on subjective loudness perception by the CI user and, to a lesser extent, on pure tone and speech audiometry. Objective measures play a small role as indication of the global MAP profile. Other MAP parameters are rarely modified. Measurable targets are only defined for pure tone audiometry. Huge variation exists between centers on all aspects of the fitting practice.
C(-260)-->T polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 monocyte receptor gene as a risk factor for myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND The CD14 receptor of monocytes is an important mediator for the activation of monocytes/macrophages by endotoxins from the envelope of Gram-negative bacteria (lipopolysaccharides). We identified a polymorphism in the CD14 receptor and examined whether this genetic marker influenced the expression of the CD14 receptor on monocytes and affected the predisposition to myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS We identified a C(-260)-->T nucleotide change, creating a HaeIII polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 gene. The polymorphism was determined in 178 male patients <65 years old (cases; average age, 55.9+/-6.3 years) at the time of their first myocardial infarction and in 135 representative selected male control subjects (controls; average age, 55.2+/-11.5 years). The frequency of the T allele (absence of the cutting site) was 0.49 in cases and 0.35 in controls (P=0.0005; OR, 1.781; 95% CI, 1.286 to 2.465). Subsequently, we measured the expression of monocyte CD14 by flow cytometry in 18 volunteers with different CD14 genotypes. A significantly higher density of the CD14 receptor was shown in the T/T homozygotes than in the others (P=0.0028). CONCLUSIONS A higher frequency of allele T(-260) in the promoter of the CD14 receptor gene was found in myocardial infarction survivors than in controls. At the same time, this variation was associated with a higher density of CD14 receptors in healthy volunteers. Therefore, we can conclude that in addition to the well-established risk factors, a genetically determined reaction of monocytes/macrophages to infectious stimuli could play an important role in the process of atherosclerosis.
Signal Sequence Recognition in Cotranslational Translocation by Protein Components of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane

We have investigated the role of membrane proteins and lipids during early phases of the cotranslational insertion of secretory proteins into the translocation channel of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. We demonstrate that all steps, including the one during which signal sequence recognition occurs, can be reproduced with purified translocation components in detergent solution, in the absence of bulk lipids or a bilayer. Photocross-linking experiments with native membranes show that upon complete insertion into the channel signal sequences are both precisely positioned with respect to the protein components of the channel and contact lipids. Together, these results indicate that signal sequences are bound to a specific binding site at the interface between the channel and the surrounding lipids, and are recognized ultimately by protein–protein interactions. Our data also suggest that at least some signal sequences reach the binding site by transfer through the interior of the channel.
The Utility of Hybrid SPECT/CT Lung Perfusion Scintigraphy in Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is diagnosed either by ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy or pulmonary CT angiography. One of the imaging methods used in nuclear medicine is hybrid SPECT/CT scintigraphy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of SPECT/CT(Q) scintigraphy in the diagnosis of PE and to compare SPECT/CT(Q) with planar(Q) and SPECT(Q) methods. Methods: The study group consisted of 109 consecutive patients suspected of having PE referred for performing lung scintigraphy. The inclusion criteria were: performance of perfusion planar, SPECT and SPECT/CT scans; availability of clinical data covering a 6-month follow-up period, and D-dimer level testing. The number of eligible patients was 84. PE was reported in patients with at least 1 segmental or 2 subsegmental perfusion defects without parenchymal abnormalities on CT scans. PE was excluded when there was a normal perfusion pattern or perfusion defects were caused by lung parenchymal abnormalities or were not arranged in accordance with the pulmonary vasculature. Results: Twenty-six patients (31%) had a final diagnosis of PE. The sensitivity and specificity values of each method were as follows: planar(Q) 73 and 43%, SPECT(Q) 88 and 47% and SPECT/CT(Q) 100 and 83%. SPECT/CT(Q) yielded a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than planar(Q) (p < 0.001) and SPECT(Q) (p < 0.001) scans. Conclusions: We conclude that hybrid SPECT/CT(Q) imaging has a high diagnostic efficacy in the diagnosis of PE. Lung perfusion scintigraphy performed with a hybrid SPECT/CT device has a significantly higher sensitivity and specificity than scanning performed with the planar or SPECT technique.
Linear equations in variables which Lie in a multiplicative group

Let K be a field of characteristic 0 and let n be a natural number. Let r be a subgroup of the multiplicative group (K*) n of finite rank r. Given a 1 ,. ,a n E K* write A(a 1 ,.,a n , Γ) for the number of solutions x = (x 1 ,., x n ) ∈ Γ of the equation a 1 x 1 +. + a n x n = 1, such that no proper subsum of a 1 x 1 + . + a n x n vanishes. We derive an explicit upper bound for A(a 1 ,., a n , r) which depends only on the dimension n and on the rank r.
Context-Aware Video Summarization

We present a method that is able to find the most informative video portions, leading to a summarization of video sequences. In contrast to the existing works, our method is able to capture the important video portions through information about individual local motion regions, as well as the interactions between these motion regions. Specifically, our proposed Context-Aware Video Summarization (CAVS) framework adopts the methodology of sparse coding with generalized sparse group lasso to learn a dictionary of video features and a dictionary of spatio-temporal feature correlation graphs. Sparsity ensures that the most informative features and relationships are retained. The feature correlations, represented by a dictionary of graphs, indicate how motion regions correlate to each other globally. When a new video segment is processed by CAVS, both dictionaries are updated in an online fashion. Specifically, CAVS scans through every video segment to determine if the new features along with the feature correlations, can be sparsely represented by the learned dictionaries. If not, the dictionaries are updated, and the corresponding video segments are incorporated into the summarized video. The results on four public datasets, mostly composed of surveillance videos and a small amount of other online videos, show the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Your Money or Your Life: Changing Job Quality in OECD Countries

Job quality may usefully be thought of as depending on both job values (how much workers care about different job outcomes) and the job outcomes themselves. Here, both cross-section and panel data are used to examine changes in job quality in OECD countries during the 1990s. Despite rising wages and falling hours of work, overall job satisfaction is either stable or declining. These movements are neither due to changes in the type of workers nor because of changes in their job values. Some pieces of evidence point to stress and hard work as being strong candidates for what has gone wrong with employees' jobs. We find evidence of increasing inequality in a number of job outcomes. Some groups of workers have done better than others: the young and the highly educated have been insulated against downward movements in job quality, and there is tentative evidence that trade unions may have protected their members against adverse job outcomes.
Physics of breakdown in InAlAs/n/sup +/-InGaAs heterostructure field-effect transistors

InAlAs/InGaAs heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) have demonstrated a high breakdown voltage in spite of their narrow channel bandgap. To understand this unique feature, the authors have carried out a systematic study in a range of temperatures around room-temperature. They found that for HFETs with gate length L/sub G/=1.9 /spl mu/m, breakdown is drain-gate limited and is a two-step process. First, electrons are emitted from the gate to the insulator. Second, as a consequence of the large /spl Delta/E/sub C/, they enter the channel hot, into the high-field drain-gate region, and immediately relax their energy, causing impact-ionization. This combined mechanism explains all the observations to date regarding off-state breakdown phenomena in InAlAs/n/sup +/-InGaAs HFETs. <<ETX>>
A Developer's Guide to Silhouette Algorithms for Polygonal Models

Silhouettes play an important role in shape recognition because they provide one of the main cues for figure-to-ground distinction. However, since silhouettes are view dependent, they need to be determined for every frame of an animation. Finding an efficient way to accomplish this is nontrivial. Indeed, a variety of different algorithms exist that compute silhouettes for geometric objects. This article provides a guideline for developers who need to choose between one of these algorithms for his or her application. We restrict ourselves to discussing only those algorithms that apply to polygonal models, because these are the most commonly used object representations in modern computer graphics. Thus, we can use all algorithms discussed to take a polygonal mesh as input and compute the visible part of the silhouette as output. Some algorithms, however, can also help compute the silhouette only, without additional visibility culling. The silhouette's representation might vary depending on the algorithm class - that is, the silhouette might take the form of a pixel matrix or a set of analytic stroke descriptions.
Adverse obstetric outcomes in pregnant women with uterine fibroids in China: A multicenter survey involving 112,403 deliveries

Objective To estimate the association between uterine fibroids and adverse obstetric outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 112,403 deliveries from 14 provinces and 39 different hospitals in 2011 in mainland China. We compared pregnancy outcomes in women with and without uterine fibroids who underwent detailed second trimester obstetric ultrasonography during 18 to 22 weeks. Obstetric outcomes include cesarean delivery, breech presentation, preterm delivery, placenta previa, placental abruption, premature rupture of membranes and neonatal birthweight. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Of 112,403 women who underwent routine obstetric survey, 3,012 (2.68%) women were identified with at least 1 fibroid. By univariate and multivariate analyses, the presence of uterine fibroids was significantly associated with cesarean delivery (Adjusted odds radio [AOR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7–2.0), breech presentation (AOR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.5) and postpartum hemorrhage (AOR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.4). The size of uterine fibroids and location in uterus had important effect on the mode of delivery. The rates of PPH were significantly higher with increasing size of the uterine fibroid (P<0.001). And the location of fibroid (intramural, submucosal or subserosal) also have a statistically significant impact on the risk of PPH (5.6% [subserosal] vs 4.7% [submucosal] vs 8.6% [intramural]). Conclusion Pregnant women with uterine fibroids are at increased risk for cesarean delivery, breech presentation and postpartum hemorrhage. And different characteristics of uterine fibroids affect obstetric outcomes through different ways. Such detailed information may be useful in risk-stratifying pregnant women with fibroids.
Development of a One-Step Immunocapture Real-Time RT-PCR Assay for Detection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Soil

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) causes significant losses in many economically important crops. Contaminated soils may play roles as reservoirs and sources of transmission for TMV. In this study we report the development of an immunocapture real-time RT-PCR (IC-real-time RT-PCR) assay for direct detection of TMV in soils without RNA isolation. A series of TMV infected leaf sap dilutions of 1:101, 1:102, 1:103, 1:104, 1:105 and 1:106 (w/v, g/mL) were added to one gram of soil. The reactivity of DAS-ELISA and conventional RT-PCR was in the range of 1:102 and 1:103 dilution in TMV-infested soils, respectively. Meanwhile, the detection limit of IC-real-time RT-PCR sensitivity was up to 1:106 dilution. However, in plant sap infected by TMV, both IC-real-time RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR were up to 1:106 dilution, DAS-ELISA could detect at least 1:103 dilution. IC-real-time RT-PCR method can use either plant sample extracts or cultivated soils, and show higher sensitivity than RT-PCR and DAS-ELISA for detection of TMV in soils. Therefore, the proposed IC-real-time RT-PCR assay provides an alternative for quick and very sensitive detection of TMV in soils, with the advantage of not requiring a concentration or RNA purification steps while still allowing detection of TMV for disease control.
Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of MB12066, a beta-lapachone derivative targeting NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1: two independent, double-blind, placebo-controlled, combined single and multiple ascending dose first-in-human clinical trials

MB12066 is a molecule derived from β-lapachone that shown effects on obesity in previous studies. The present studies were conducted to evaluate the tolerability and pharmacokinetics (PK) of MB12066 after the oral administration of single and multiple doses to healthy volunteers. The study comprised 2 independent, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, combined single and multiple ascending dose first-in-human clinical trials to evaluate the safety, tolerability and PK of MB12066 in healthy Korean volunteers. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive a single 10, 30, 100, 150, 200, 300 or 400 mg of MB12066 and multiple 100 or 200 mg of MB12066. The subjects’ vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiograms, clinical laboratory tests, adverse event statuses, and physical examinations were assessed during the study. Blood and urine samples were collected to determine the concentration of MB12066 from predose to 72 hours after the single administration and from predose to 96 hours postdose of day 7 after the multiple administration. NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 genotyping was performed to analyze the association between genetic polymorphisms and PK. MB12066 was well tolerated after oral administration of single and multiple doses. The systemic exposure to MB12066 after a single administration tended to increase in a dose-dependent manner in the dose range of 30–200 mg. The overall fraction of MB12066 excreted unchanged in urine was <1% of the administered dose. A significant relationship was observed between NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 polymorphisms and exposure to MB12066 after multiple administrations, but the result was not conclusive because of the small number of subjects. A single dose of MB12066 within the dose range of 10–400 mg and multiple doses of 100 and 200 mg of MB12066 were safe and tolerated in healthy subjects. Additionally, MB12066 was mainly eliminated through metabolism in humans.
Variability of Narrow, Associated Absorption Lines in Moderate- and Low-Redshift Quasars

We present the results of a search for variability in the equivalent widths (EWs) of narrow, associated (|Δv| ≤ 5000 km s-1) absorption lines found in the UV spectra of z ≤ 1.5 quasars. The goal of this search was to use variability as a means of identifying absorption lines arising in gas that is intrinsic to the quasar central engine. We have compared archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) spectra of quasars with recent spectra obtained as part of our own snapshot survey of the same objects with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). The intervals between observations are 4-10 yr. We primarily focused on the C IV absorption lines, although we also studied other lines available in the same spectra (e.g., Lyα, N V, O VI). Our main result is that 4 out of 15 quasars, or 4 out of 19 associated absorption systems, contained variable narrow absorption lines, which are indicative of intrinsic absorption. We conclude that a minimum of 21% of the associated absorption-line systems are variable. Because not all systems will have necessarily varied, this is a lower limit on this fraction and is consistent with previous estimates based on variability, partial coverage analysis, or statistical arguments. If we interpret the upper limits on the variability timescale as upper limits on the recombination time of the absorber, we constrain the density of the absorber to be ne > 3000 cm-3 and its distance from the ionizing source to be R ≲ 100 pc. Moreover, we are now able to pick out specific intrinsic absorption-line systems to be followed up with high-dispersion spectroscopy in order to constrain the geometry, location, and physical conditions of the absorber. We briefly illustrate how follow-up studies can yield such constraints by means of a simulation.
Safe-Keeping Digital Evidence with Secure Logging Protocols: State of the Art and Challenges

While log data are being increasingly used as digital evidence in court, the extent to which existing secure logging protocols used to collect log data fulfill the legal requirements for admissible evidence remain largely unclear. This paper elucidates a subset of the necessary secure requirements for digital evidence and extensively surveys the state of the art secure logging protocols, thereby demonstrating that none of the current protocols completely fulfills the elucidated requirements for admissible evidence. In analyzing the shortcoming of logging protocols, the paper also elaborates on the related research challenges.