Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in LPA account for most of the increase in lipoprotein(a) level elevation in African Americans compared with European Americans

Background: The extent which universally common or population-specific alleles can explain between-population variations in phenotypes is unknown. The heritable coronary heart disease risk factor lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) level provides a useful case study of between-population variation, as the aetiology of twofold higher Lp(a) levels in African populations compared with non-African populations is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the association between LPA sequence variations and Lp(a) in European Americans and African Americans and to determine the extent to which LPA sequence variations can account for between-population variations in Lp(a). Methods: Serum Lp(a) and isoform measurements were examined in 534 European Americans and 249 African Americans from the Choices for Healthy Outcomes in Caring for End-Stage Renal Disease Study. In addition, 12 LPA variants were genotyped, including 8 previously reported LPA variants with a frequency of >2% in European Americans or African Americans, and four new variants. Results: Isoform-adjusted Lp(a) level was 2.23-fold higher among African Americans. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were independently associated with Lp(a) level (p<0.02 in both populations). The Lp(a)-increasing SNP (G-21A, which increases promoter activity) was more common in African Americans, whereas the Lp(a)-lowering SNPs (T3888P and G+1/inKIV-8A, which inhibit Lp(a) assembly) were more common in European Americans, but all had a frequency of <20% in one or both populations. Together, they reduced the isoform-adjusted African American Lp(a) increase from 2.23 to 1.37-fold(a 60% reduction) and the between-population Lp(a) variance from 5.5% to 0.5%. Conclusions: Multiple low-prevalence alleles in LPA can account for the large between-population difference in serum Lp(a) levels between European Americans and African Americans.
Tight Estimates for Eigenvalues of Regular Graphs

It is shown that if a $d$-regular graph contains $s$ vertices so that the distance between any pair is at least $4k$, then its adjacency matrix has at least $s$ eigenvalues which are at least $2 \sqrt {d-1} \cos \big({\pi\over 2 k}\big)$. A similar result has been proved by Friedman using more sophisticated tools.
Wavelets and Natural Image Statistics

It is well-known that wavelets provide a transformation of image data that has excellent properties with respect to image compression. The reasons for the compression ability of wavelets however have not been fully understood. In this paper we show that there is an interesting connection between wavelets and statistical properties of real-world images. This might lead to new theoretical and practical results in the domain of image processing. We show how wavelet-like filters emerge automatically as a result of applying a statistical technique, called independent component analysis, on natural images.
Combustion issues and approaches for chemical microthrusters

In the present paper, results from the development of a meso/micro scale liquid-propellant thruster are reported along with a discussion of the usage of microthrusters in small spacecraft and the effects of downsizing on combustion performance. In particular, combustion of liquid nitromethane in a thruster combustion chamber with a volume of 108 mm and diameter of 5 mm was experimentally investigated. The meso-scale combustor utilized a vortex combustion concept, in which monopropellants were injected tangentially from the frontend of the cylindrical combustor and combustion products exited the chamber tangentially at the other end. Although combustion was achievable at pressures as low as 120 psi, pressures as high as 350 psi were required for complete combustion. Combustion at 14.7 psi was achieved only with the addition of small quantities of oxygen. To complement the experiments, a comprehensive numerical analysis was developed to study the combustion of liquid monopropellant in a small-volume vortex chamber based on a two-phase flow analysis using the level-set approach. The model allows for a detailed investigation of the liquid-film motion and gas-phase flow development. Combustion chambers and nozzles were fabricated from ceramics (alumina) because of the high flame temperatures required to sustain gas-phase reactions. Operation of thrusters on hydrogen-air-oxygen mixtures at combustion chamber pressures as high as 8 atm was demonstrated to produce characteristic velocity efficiencies of approximately 90%.
Condom use errors and problems: a global view.

BACKGROUND Significantly more research attention has been devoted to the consistency of condom use, with far fewer studies investigating condom use errors and problems. The purpose of this review was to present the frequency of various condom use errors and problems reported worldwide. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted for peer-reviewed articles, published in English-language journals between 1995 and 2011. RESULTS Fifty articles representing 14 countries met criteria for inclusion. The most common errors included not using condoms throughout sex, not leaving space at the tip, not squeezing air from the tip, putting the condom on upside down, not using water-based lubricants and incorrect withdrawal. Frequent problems included breakage, slippage, leakage, condom-associated erection problems, and difficulties with fit and feel. Prevalence estimates showed great variation across studies. Prevalence varied as a function of the population studied and the period assessed. CONCLUSION Condom use errors and problems are common worldwide, occurring across a wide spectrum of populations. Although breakage and slippage were most commonly investigated, the prevalence of other condom use errors and problems found in this review were substantially higher. As a framework for understanding the role of condom errors and problems in inadequate protection, we put forward a new model: the Condom Use Experience model. This model can be used to generate testable hypotheses for future research. Addressing condom use errors and problems in research and interventions is crucial to closing the gap between the perfect use and typical use of condoms.
7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination in England and Wales: Is It Still Beneficial Despite High Levels of Serotype Replacement?

Background The UK introduced the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) into the national vaccination program in September 2006. Previous modelling assumed that the likely impact of PCV7 on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) would be similar to the US experience with PCV7. However, recent surveillance data show a more rapid replacement of PCV7 IPD cases by non-PCV7 IPD cases than was seen in the US. Methods and Findings A previous model of pneumococcal vaccination was re-parameterised using data on vaccine coverage and IPD from England and Wales between 2006 and 2009. Disease incidence was adjusted for the increasing trend in reported IPD cases prior to vaccination. Using this data we estimated that individuals carrying PCV7 serotypes have much higher protection (96%;95% CI 72%-100%) against acquisition of NVT carriage than the 15% previously estimated from US data, which leads to greater replacement. However, even with this level of replacement, the annual number of IPD cases may be 560 (95% CI, -100 to 1230) lower ten years after vaccine introduction compared to what it may have been without vaccination. A particularly marked fall of 39% in children under 15 years by 2015/6 is predicted. Conclusion Our model suggests that PCV7 vaccination could result in a decrease in overall invasive pneumococcal disease, particularly in children, even in an environment of rapid replacement with non-PCV7 serotypes within 5 years of vaccine introduction at high coverage.
C-DIST: efficient distance computation for rigid and articulated models in configuration space

The problem of distance computation arises in many applications including motion planning, CAD/CAM, dynamic simulation and virtual environments. Most prior work in this area has been restricted to separation or penetration distance computation between two objects. In this paper, we address the problem of computing a measure of distance between two configurations of a rigid or articulated model. The underlying distance metric is defined as the length of the longest displacement vector over the corresponding vertices of the model between two configurations. Our algorithm is based on Chasles theorem in Screw theory, and we show that the maximum distance can be realized only by a vertex of the convex hull of a rigid object. We use this formulation to compute the distance, and present two acceleration techniques to speed up the computation: incremental walking on the dual space of the convex hull and culling vertices on the convex hull using a bounding volume hierarchy (BVH). Our algorithm can be easily extended to articulated models by maximizing the distance over its each link and we also present culling techniques to accelerate the computation. We highlight the performance of our algorithm on many complex models and describe its application to proximity queries and motion planning.
Control of Temperature on Microbial Community Structure in Hot Springs of the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau in Northwest China hosts a number of hot springs that represent a biodiversity hotspot for thermophiles, yet their diversity and relationship to environmental conditions are poorly explored in these habitats. In this study we investigated microbial diversity and community composition in 13 Tibetan hot springs with a wide range of temperatures (22.1–75°C) and other geochemical conditions by using the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing approach. Bacteria (108–1011 copy/g; 42 bacterial phyla) in Tibetan hot springs were more abundant and far more diverse than Archaea (107–1010 copy/g; 5 archaeal phyla). The dominant bacterial phyla systematically varied with temperature. Moderate temperatures (75–66°C) favored Aquificae, GAL35, and novel Bacteria, whereas low temperatures (60–22.1°C) selected for Deinococcus-Thermus, Cyanobacteria, and Chloroflexi. The relative abundance of Aquificae was correlated positively with temperature, but the abundances of Deinococcus-Thermus, Cyanobacteria, and Chloroflexi were negatively correlated with temperature. Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi were abundant in Tibetan hot springs and their abundances were positively correlated at low temperatures (55–43°C) but negatively correlated at moderate temperatures (75–55°C). These correlation patterns suggest a complex physiological relationship between these two phyla. Most archaeal sequences were related to Crenarchaeota with only a few related to Euryarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota. Despite the fact that microbial composition in Tibetan hot springs was strongly shaped by temperature, microbial diversity (richness, evenness and Shannon diversity) was not significantly correlated with temperature change. The results of this study expand our current understanding of microbial ecology in Tibetan hot springs and provide a basis for a global comparison.
Fractal Analysis and Hurst Parameter for Intrapartum Fetal Heart Rate Variability Analysis: A Versatile Alternative to Frequency Bands and LF/HF Ratio

Background The fetal heart rate (FHR) is commonly monitored during labor to detect early fetal acidosis. FHR variability is traditionally investigated using Fourier transform, often with adult predefined frequency band powers and the corresponding LF/HF ratio. However, fetal conditions differ from adults and modify spectrum repartition along frequencies. Aims This study questions the arbitrariness definition and relevance of the frequency band splitting procedure, and thus of the calculation of the underlying LF/HF ratio, as efficient tools for characterizing intrapartum FHR variability. Study Design The last 30 minutes before delivery of the intrapartum FHR were analyzed. Subjects Case-control study. A total of 45 singletons divided into two groups based on umbilical cord arterial pH: the Index group with pH ≤ 7.05 (n = 15) and Control group with pH > 7.05 (n = 30). Outcome Measures Frequency band-based LF/HF ratio and Hurst parameter. Results This study shows that the intrapartum FHR is characterized by fractal temporal dynamics and promotes the Hurst parameter as a potential marker of fetal acidosis. This parameter preserves the intuition of a power frequency balance, while avoiding the frequency band splitting procedure and thus the arbitrary choice of a frequency separating bands. The study also shows that extending the frequency range covered by the adult-based bands to higher and lower frequencies permits the Hurst parameter to achieve better performance for identifying fetal acidosis. Conclusions The Hurst parameter provides a robust and versatile tool for quantifying FHR variability, yields better acidosis detection performance compared to the LF/HF ratio, and avoids arbitrariness in spectral band splitting and definitions.
Amelioration of Nephropathy in Mice Expressing Hiv-1 Genes by the Cyclin-dependent Kinase Inhibitor Flavopiridol

Cumulative evidence suggests that human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy (HIVAN), the third leading cause of end-stage renal disease in African-Americans, may respond to therapeutic strategies that interrupt HIV-1 expression in infected renal epithelium. We recently demonstrated that suppression of HIV-1 transcription in infected glomerular visceral epithelial cells by flavopiridol, a small-molecule inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinases required for HIV-1 promoter activity, reversed HIV-induced proliferation and dedifferentiation in vitro. To address whether flavopiridol could ameliorate HIV-induced renal disease, we utilized a well-established HIV-1 NL4-3 transgenic mouse model of HIVAN. HIV-1 proviral transgene expression in whole kidney was markedly suppressed by a 20 day treatment with flavopiridol. Following treatment, histopathological, serological and urinary indices of nephrosis were normalized in flavopiridol-treated but not in vehicle-treated transgenics. Microarray analysis showed that 82% of the dysregulated genes in HIVAN kidney were normalized to control levels by flavopiridol, whereas continued dysregulation of most of the remaining 18% was attributable to an effect from flavopiridol alone. These results demonstrate for the first time that targeting the cyclin-dependent kinases that support HIV-1 expression can ameliorate HIV-induced disease in an animal model.
Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Responses to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an In Vitro Wound Infection Model

Treatment of patients with burn wound infections may become complicated by the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and biofilms. Herein, we demonstrate an in vitro thermal wound infection model using human skin equivalents (HSE) and biofilm-forming methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for the testing of agents to combat such infections. Application of a liquid nitrogen-cooled metal device on HSE produced reproducible wounds characterized by keratinocyte death, detachment of the epidermal layer from the dermis, and re-epithelialization. Thermal wounding was accompanied by up-regulation of markers for keratinocyte activation, inflammation, and antimicrobial responses. Exposure of thermal wounded HSEs to MRSA resulted in significant numbers of adherent MRSA/HSE after 1 hour, and multiplication of these bacteria over 24-48 hours. Exposure to MRSA enhanced expression of inflammatory mediators such as TLR2 (but not TLR3), IL-6 and IL-8, and antimicrobial proteins human β-defensin-2, -3 and RNAse7 by thermal wounded as compared to control HSEs. Moreover, locally applied mupirocin effectively reduced MRSA counts on (thermal wounded) HSEs by more than 99.9% within 24 hours. Together, these data indicate that this thermal wound infection model is a promising tool to study the initial phase of wound colonization and infection, and to assess local effects of candidate antimicrobial agents.
Varieties of user‐centredness: an analysis of four systems development methods

Based on an extensive literature analysis, this paper examines user‐centredness in the context of systems development as a multidimensional concept composed of four aspects: user focus, work‐centredness, user involvement and system personalization. Each dimension loads user‐centredness with different meanings. The four dimensions can be used for evaluating systems development methods and approaches as to what extent and in what sense they adhere to the ideals of user‐centredness. To illustrate this, the dimensions are applied to the analysis of four allegedly user‐centred systems development methods: Goal Directed Interaction Design, Contextual Design, Scenario‐Based Design and Human‐Centred Systems Development Life Cycle. The analysis shows considerable variation in how these methods address the four dimensions of user‐centredness.
A Stereo Photogrammetric Technique Applied to Orographic Convection

Abstract This paper describes a technique for photogrammetric analysis of stereo pairs of images that is applied to the study of orographic convection. The technique is designed for use with digital images and assumes detailed knowledge of the camera properties (focal length and imaging chip) and that the position and orientation are known as a first guess. An iterative scheme using known landmarks on the frame is used to determine the camera orientation. The scheme is accurate to 10–100 m at a distance of 15 km from the camera pair. The transition from shallow to deep convection over the Santa Catalina Mountains in southern Arizona on 26 July 2005 is presented. The three-dimensional structure of the visible portion of the cloud is determined and compared with the composite reflectivity from the National Weather Service Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler radar and the tropopause height from the 1200 UTC sounding in Tucson, Arizona, providing additional validation of the scheme. The shallow to deep tr.
Look Up for Healing: Embodiment of the Heal Concept in Looking Upward

Objective Conceptual processing may not be restricted to the mind. The heal concept has been metaphorically associated with an “up” bodily posture. Perceptual Symbol Systems (PSS) theory suggests that this association is underpinned by bodily states which occur during learning and become instantiated as the concept. Thus the aim of this study was to examine whether processing related to the heal concept is promoted by priming the bodily state of looking upwards. Method We used a mixed 2x2 priming paradigm in which 58 participants were asked to evaluate words as either related to the heal concept or not after being primed to trigger the concept of looking up versus down (Direction – within subjects). A possible dose-response effect of priming was investigated via allocating participants to two ‘strengths’ of prime, observing an image of someone whose gaze was upward/downward (low strength) and observing an image of someone whose gaze was upward/downward while physically tilting their head upwards or downwards in accord with the image (high strength) (Strength – between subjects). Results Participants responded to words related to heal faster than words unrelated to heal across both “Strength” conditions. There was no evidence that priming was stronger in the high strength condition. Conclusion The present study found that, consistent with a PSS view of cognition, the heal concept is embodied in looking upward, which has important implications for cognition, general health, health psychology, health promotion and therapy.
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ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN

Approach This paper explores a new idea presenting the possible relationship between organizational learning and organizational design. The establishment of this relation is based upon extensive literature review. Findings Organizational learning theory has been used to understand several organizational phenomena, like resources and competencies, tacit knowledge or the role of memory in the organization; however, it is difficult to identify fits and consequent misfits between organizational learning and the organizational design. Research limitations This one is a theoretical paper, so there is a possible limitation, regarding the lack of empirical support. Practical implications At the end of the paper a number of recommendations regarding the organizational design are suggested, in order to promote organizational learning in the firms. Value of the paper This paper identifies some links between organizational learning and organizational design, providing the grounds for a subsequent development and empirically testing of those relations.
An evaluation of asymptomatic Dengue infections among blood donors during the 2014 Dengue outbreak in Guangzhou, China

In 2014, an outbreak of dengue virus (DENV) infection led to 45 171 clinical cases diagnosed in Guangdong province, Southern China. However, the potential risk of blood donors asymptomatically infected with DENV has not been evaluated . In the current study we detected anti‐DENV IgG antibody and RNA in volunteer Chinese blood donors. We found that anti‐DENV IgG antibody was positively detected in 3.4% (51/1500) and two donors were detected as being DENV RNA positive out of 3000 blood samples. We concluded that the presence of potential DENV in blood donors might be potential risk for blood safety. Therefore, screening for DENV infection should be considered in blood donations during a period of dengue outbreak in high epidemic area of China.