Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intracranial Administration of P Gene siRNA Protects Mice from Lethal Chandipura Virus Encephalitis

Background In parts of India, Chandipura Virus (CHPV) has emerged as an encephalitis causing pathogen in both epidemic and sporadic forms. This pediatric disease follows rapid course leading to 55–75% mortality. In the absence of specific treatment, effectiveness of RNA interference (RNAi) was evaluated. Methods and Findings Efficacy of synthetic short interfering RNA (siRNA) or short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in protecting mice from CHPV infection was assessed. The target genes were P and M genes primarily because important role of the former in viral replication and lethal nature of the latter. Real time one step RT-PCR and plaque assay were used for the assessment of gene silencing. Using pAcGFP1N1-CHPV-P, we showed that P-2 siRNA was most efficient in reducing the expression of P gene in-vitro. Both quantitative assays documented 2logs reduction in the virus titer when P-2, M-5 or M-6 siRNAs were transfected 2hr post infection (PI). Use of these siRNAs in combination did not result in enhanced efficiency. P-2 siRNA was found to tolerate four mismatches in the center. As compared to five different shRNAs, P-2 siRNA was most effective in inhibiting CHPV replication. An extended survival was noted when mice infected intracranially with 100 LD50 CHPV were treated with cationic lipid complexed 5 µg P-2 siRNA simultaneously. Infection with 10LD50 and treatment with two doses of siRNA first, simultaneously and second 24 hr PI, resulted in 70% survival. Surviving mice showed 4logs less CHPV titers in brain without histopathological changes or antibody response. Gene expression profiles of P-2 siRNA treated mice showed no interferon response. First dose of siRNA at 2hr or 4hr PI with second dose at 24hr resulted in 40% and 20% survival respectively suggesting potential application in therapy. Conclusions The results highlight therapeutic potential of siRNA in treating rapid and fatal Chandipura encephalitis.
Optimal Control Policies for Power Demand Scheduling in the Smart Grid

We study the problem of minimizing the long-term average power grid operational cost through power demand scheduling. A controller at the operator side receives consumer power demand requests with different power requirements, durations and time flexibilities for their satisfaction. Flexibility is modeled as a deadline by which a demand is to be activated. The cost is a convex function of total power consumption, which reflects the fact that each additional unit of power needed to serve demands is more expensive to provision, as demand load increases. We develop a stochastic model and introduce two online demand scheduling policies. In the first one, the Threshold Postponement (TP), the controller serves a new demand request immediately or postpones it to the end of its deadline, depending on current power consumption. In the second one, the Controlled Release (CR), a new request is activated immediately if power consumption is lower than a threshold, else it is queued. Queued demands are activated when deadlines expire or when consumption drops below the threshold. These policies admit an optimal control with switching curve threshold structure, which involves active and postponed demand. The CR policy is asymptotically optimal as deadlines increase, namely it achieves a lower bound on average cost, and the threshold depends only on active demand. Numerical results validate the benefit of our policies compared to the default one of serving demands upon arrival.
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials Open Access Central Venous Catheter Related Infections: Risk Factors and the Effect of Glycopeptide Antibiotics

Backround: We undertook a prospective study of all new central venous catheters inserted into patients in the intensive care units, in order to identify the risk factors and to determine the effect of glycopeptide antibiotics on catheter – related infections. Methods: During the study period 300 patients with central venous catheters were prospectively studied. The catheters used were nontunneled, noncuffed, triple lumen and made of polyurethane material. Catheters were cultured by semiquantitative method and blood cultures done when indicated. Data were obtained on patient age, gender, unit, primary diagnosis on admission, catheter insertion site, duration of catheterization, whether it was the first or a subsequent catheter and glycopeptide antibiotic usage. Results: Ninety-one (30.3%) of the catheters were colonized and infection was found with 50 (16.7%) catheters. Infection was diagnosed with higher rate in catheters inserted via jugular vein in comparison with subclavian vein (95% CI: 1.32–4.81, p = 0.005). The incidence of infection was higher in catheters which were kept in place for more than seven days (95% CI 1.05–3.87, p = 0.03). The incidence of infection was lower in patients who were using glycopeptide antibiotic during catheterization (95% CI: 1.49–5.51, p = 0.005). The rate of infection with Gram positive cocci was significantly lower in glycopeptide antibiotic using patients (p = 0.01). The most commonly isolated organism was Staphylococcus aureus (n = 52, 37.1%). Conclusion: Duration of catheterization and catheter insertion site were independent risk factors for catheter related infection. Use of glycopeptide antibiotic during catheterization seems to have protective effect against catheter related infection.
Short-term decisions of small-scale fishers selecting alternative target species: a choice model

The complexity of small-scale fisheries makes it difficult to predict the allocation of fishing effort among alternative target species in mixed fisheries, resulting in limitation for fisheries management. One reason for the diffi- culty is that fishing effort has been assumed as an aggregate of different components, without consideration of fishers' decisions. In this paper, we use discrete choice models to identify factors involved in fishers' decisions about selecting target species on a daily basis. We analyze catch data, by species and fisher, from three fishing communities of Yucatan, Mexico, to contrast the following models: (i) random selection, (ii) economic motivation, and (iii) changes in resource availability. Our results show that fishers do not operate at random but consider information on resource avail- ability and revenues generated from previous trips before selecting or shifting a target. We compare the results among communities and also use the proposed models to predict changes in fishing effort levels given changes in species price and catch per unit effort. We stress the importance of understanding fishers' behavior when it comes to developing ap- propriate management policies. Resume : La complexite des pecheries artisans rend difficile la determination de la distribution de l'effort de peche entre les especes cibles alternatives dans les pecheries multispecifiques et en consequence, les propositions d'amenage- ment des pecheries sont souvent limitees. Un des problemes est que l'effort de peche a ete considere comme un en- semble de differents composants mais sans prendre en compte la decision des pecheurs. Dans le present article nous utilizons modeles de choix discret afin d' identifier les facteurs involucres dan les decisions des pecheurs pour la selec- tion journaliere des especes cibles. Nous analysons des donnees de captures journalieres provenant de trois communau- tes de pecheurs du Yucatan, Mexique, pour tester les modeles suivants : (i) comportement aleatoire, (ii) motivation economique et (iii) changement dans la disponibilite des ressources. Nos resultats montrent que les pecheurs n'agissent pas de maniere fortuite. Ils prennent en compte l'information sur la disponibilite des ressource et sur les revenus obte- nus durant les campagnes de peche anterieures realisees avant la selection ou le changement d'espece cible. Nous no- tons aussi des differences de comportement entre les pecheurs des trois communautes et nouns utilizons aussi les modeles pour predire le niveau d'effort conjoint produisant des changements dans le prix des especes et dans les captu- res par unite d'effort. Nous mettons l'accent sur l'importance de bien analyser le comportement des pecheurs afin de mieux comprendre la dynamique des flottilles qui doit servir de support pour le developpement de mesures d'amenagement appropriees.
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Equilibrium

Abstract A simple channel-flow model is used to examine the equilibrium upper-ocean dynamics and thermodynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). The model consists of two zonally averaged, variable-temperature layers—a surface boundary layer and a thermocline layer—separated by a turbulent interface. Weak air–sea heat flux, determined by relaxation to a prescribed atmospheric temperature, determines the leading-order temperature structure in the oceanic surface layer. The equilibrium thermal structure in the interior is mostly determined by a dominant balance between the meridional transport due to the wind-driven Eulerian mean circulation and the heat flux due to the baroclinic eddies. The resulting latitudinal temperature gradient depends on both the wind and the atmospheric temperature forcing and sustains the geostrophic zonal flow. Consideration of the next-order balance for the oceanic surface temperature results in an air–sea heat flux proportional to the magnitude of the residual flow.
Identifying failure inducing developer pairs within developer networks

Software systems have not only become larger over time, but the amount of technical contributors and dependencies have also increased. With these expansions also comes the increasing risk of introducing a software failure into a pre-existing system. Software failures are a multi-billion dollar problem in the industry today and while integration and other forms of testing are helping to ensure a minimal number of failures, research to understand full impacts of code changes and their social implications is still a major concern. This paper describes how analysis of code changes and the technical relationships they infer can be used to detect pairs of developers whose technical dependencies may induce software failures. These developer pairs may also be used to predict future software failures as well as provide recommendations to contributors to solve these failures caused by source code changes.
Force requirements of observed object lifting are encoded by the observer’s motor system: a TMS study

Several transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have reported facilitation of the primary motor cortex (M1) during the mere observation of actions. This facilitation was shown to be highly congruent, in terms of somatotopy, with the observed action, even at the level of single muscles. With the present study, we investigated whether this muscle‐specific facilitation of the observer’s motor system reflects the degree of muscular force that is exerted in an observed action. Two separate TMS experiments are reported in which corticospinal excitability was measured in the hand area of M1 while subjects observed the lifting of objects of different weights. The type of action ‘grasping‐and‐lifting‐the‐object’ was always identical, but the grip force varied according to the object’s weight. In accordance to previous findings, excitability of M1 was shown to modulate in a muscle‐specific way, such that only the cortical representation areas in M1 that control the specific muscles used in the observed lifting action became increasingly facilitated. Moreover, muscle‐specific M1 facilitation was shown to modulate to the force requirements of the observed actions, such that M1 excitability was considerably higher when observing heavy object lifting compared with light object lifting. Overall, these results indicate that different levels of observed grip force are mirrored onto the observer’s motor system in a highly muscle‐specific manner. The measured force‐dependent modulations of corticospinal excitability in M1 are hypothesized to be functionally relevant for scaling the observed grip force in the observer’s own motor system. In turn, this mechanism may contribute, at least partly, to the observer’s ability to infer the weight of the lifted object.
Spatiotemporal Variations of Reference Crop Evapotranspiration in Northern Xinjiang, China

To set up a reasonable crop irrigation system in the context of global climate change in Northern Xinjiang, China, reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) was analyzed by means of spatiotemporal variations. The ET0 values from 1962 to 2010 were calculated by Penman-Monteith formula, based on meteorological data of 22 meteorological observation stations in the study area. The spatiotemporal variations of ET0 were analyzed by Mann-Kendall test, Morlet wavelet analysis, and ArcGIS spatial analysis. The results showed that regional average ET0 had a decreasing trend and there was an abrupt change around 1983. The trend of regional average ET0 had a primary period about 28 years, in which there were five alternating stages (high-low-high-low-high). From the standpoint of spatial scale, ET0 gradually increased from the northeast and southwest toward the middle; the southeast and west had slightly greater variation, with significant regional differences. From April to October, the ET0 distribution significantly influenced the distribution characteristic of annual ET0. Among them sunshine hours and wind speed were two of principal climate factors affecting ET0.
Sodium abundances in nearby disk stars

We present sodium abundances for a sample of nearby stars. All results have been derived from NLTE statistical equilibrium calculations. The influence of collisional interactions with electrons and hydrogen atoms is evaluated by comparison of the solar spectrum with very precise fits to the Na I line cores. The NLTE effects are more pronounced in metal-poor stars since the statistical equilibrium is dominated by collisions of which at least the electronic component is substantially reduced. The resulting influence on the determination of sodium abundances is in a direction opposite to that found previously for Mg and Al. The NLTE corrections are about −0.1 in thick-disk stars with (Fe/H) ∼− 0.6. Our (Na/Fe) abundance ratios are about solar for thick- and thin-disk stars. The increase in (Na/ Fe) as af unction of (Fe/H) for metal-rich stars found by Edvardsson et al. (1993) is confirmed. Our results suggest that sodium yields increase with the metallicity, and quite large amounts of sodium may be produced by AGB stars. We find that (Na/Fe) ratios, together with either (Mg/Fe) ratio, kinematic data or stellar evolutionary ages, make possible the individual discrimination between thin- and thick-disk membership.
Diversity may help the uninterested: Evidence that exposure to counter-stereotypes promotes cognitive reflection for people low (but not high) in need for cognition

Previous theorizing and research has linked exposure to counter-stereotypical diversity (e.g., an Oxford-educated bricklayer) to enhanced cognitive performance and creativity. However, it is unclear whether people’s motivation to cognitively engage with the counter-stereotypical information (i.e., need for cognition [NFC]) influences this effect. Across three experiments (N = 887) we found consistent support for the idea that exposure to counter-stereotypes (CSTs) promotes cognitive reflection for people low in NFC (d+ = .34). In contrast, people high in NFC showed decreased cognitive reflection after being exposed to CSTs (d+ = −.18), although the evidence for the latter effect was weak. These findings suggest that exposure to CSTs can promote cognitive reflection unless people have a strong desire to understand and predict outcomes and events, in which case exposure to CSTs may backfire. Taken together, we conclude that motivation to engage in cognitive activity may be an important consideration for research and interventions involving social and cultural diversity.
The nature of the dwarf starforming galaxy associated with GRB 060218/SN 2006aj

Context: We present high resolution VLT UVES and low resolution FORS optical spectroscopy of supernova 2006aj and its host galaxy, associated with the nearby (z = 0.03342) gamma-ray burst GRB 060218. This host galaxy is a unique case, as it is one of the few nearby GRB host galaxies known, and it is only the second time high resolution spectra have been taken of a nearby GRB host galaxy (after GRB 980425). Aims: The resolution, wavelength range and S/N of the UVES spectrum combined with low resolution FORS spectra allow a detailed analysis of the circumburst and host galaxy environments. Methods: We analyse the emission and absorption lines in the spectrum, combining the high resolution UVES spectrum with low resolution FORS spectra and find the metallicity and chemical abundances in the host. We probe the geometry of the host by studying the emission line profiles. Results: Our spectral analysis shows that the star forming region in the host is metal poor with 12 + log(O/H) = 7.54+0.17-0.10 (~0.07 Zo), placing it among the most metal deficient subset of emission-line galaxies. It is also the lowest metallicity found so far for a GRB host from an emission-line analysis. Given the stellar mass of the galaxy of ~107 Mo and the SFRHalpha = 0.065 ± 0.005 Mo yr-1, the high specific star formation rate indicates an age for the galaxy of less than ~200 Myr. The brightest emission lines are clearly asymmetric and are well fit by two Gaussian components separated by Eœ 22 km s-1. We detect two discrete Na I and Ca II absorption components at the same redshifts as the emission components. We tentatively interpret the two components as arising from two different starforming regions in the host, but high resolution imaging is necessary to confirm this. Based on observations obtained at the ESO VLT under ESO programme 076.A-0737(A).
Maps of random walks on complex networks reveal community structure

To comprehend the multipartite organization of large-scale biological and social systems, we introduce an information theoretic approach that reveals community structure in weighted and directed networks. We use the probability flow of random walks on a network as a proxy for information flows in the real system and decompose the network into modules by compressing a description of the probability flow. The result is a map that both simplifies and highlights the regularities in the structure and their relationships. We illustrate the method by making a map of scientific communication as captured in the citation patterns of >6,000 journals. We discover a multicentric organization with fields that vary dramatically in size and degree of integration into the network of science. Along the backbone of the network—including physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and medicine—information flows bidirectionally, but the map reveals a directional pattern of citation from the applied fields to the basic sciences.
Antepartal insulin-like growth factor concentrations indicating differences in the metabolic adaptive capacity of dairy cows

Cows with different Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations showed comparable expression levels of hepatic growth hormone receptor (GHR). Suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2), could be responsible for additional inhibition of the GHR signal cascade. The aims were to monitor cows with high or low antepartal IGF-I concentrations (IGF-Ihigh or IGF-Ilow), evaluate the interrelationships of endocrine endpoints, and measure hepatic SOCS2 expression. Dairy cows (n = 20) were selected (240 to 254 days after artificial insemination (AI)). Blood samples were drawn daily (day -17 until calving) and IGF-I, GH, insulin, thyroid hormones, estradiol, and progesterone concentrations were measured. Liver biopsies were taken (day 264 ± 1 after AI and postpartum) to measure mRNA expression (IGF-I, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, acid labile subunit (ALS), SOCS2, deiodinase1, GHR1A). IGF-I concentrations in the two groups were different (p < 0.0001). However, GH concentrations and GHR1A mRNA expression were comparable (p > 0.05). Thyroxine levels and ALS expression were higher in the IGF-Ihigh cows compared to IGF-Ilow cows. Estradiol concentration tended to be greater in the IGF-Ilow group (p = 0.06). It was hypothesized that low IGF-I levels are associated with enhanced SOCS2 expression although this could not be decisively confirmed by the present study.
Data-Dependent Regularization

Information regularization is a principle for assigning labels to unlabeled data points in a semi-supervised setting. The broader principle is based on finding labels that minimize the information induced between examples and labels relative to a topology over the examples; any label variation within a small local region of examples ties together the identities of examples and their labels. Such variation should be minimized unless supported directly or indirectly by the available labeled examples. The principle can be cast in terms of Tikhonov style regularization for maximizing likelihood of labeled examples with an information theoretic regularization penalty. We consider two ways of representing the topology over examples, either based on complete knowledge of the marginal density, or by grouping together examples whose labels should be related. We discuss the learning algorithms and sample complexity issues that result from each representation.
Evaluation of a mHealth Data Quality Intervention to Improve Documentation of Pregnancy Outcomes by Health Surveillance Assistants in Malawi: A Cluster Randomized Trial

Background While community health workers are being recognized as an integral work force with growing responsibilities, increased demands can potentially affect motivation and performance. The ubiquity of mobile phones, even in hard-to-reach communities, has facilitated the pursuit of novel approaches to support community health workers beyond traditional modes of supervision, job aids, in-service training, and material compensation. We tested whether supportive short message services (SMS) could improve reporting of pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes among community health workers (Health Surveillance Assistants, or HSAs) in Malawi. Methods and Findings We designed a set of one-way SMS that were sent to HSAs on a regular basis during a 12-month period. We tested the effectiveness of the cluster-randomized intervention in improving the complete documentation of a pregnancy. We defined complete documentation as a pregnancy for which a specific outcome was recorded. HSAs in the treatment group received motivational and data quality SMS. HSAs in the control group received only motivational SMS. During baseline and intervention periods, we matched reported pregnancies to reported outcomes to determine if reporting of matched pregnancies differed between groups and by period. The trial is registered as ISCTRN24785657. Conclusions Study results show that the mHealth intervention improved the documentation of matched pregnancies in both the treatment (OR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.10–1.55, p<0.01) and control (OR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.11–1.91, p = 0.01) groups relative to the baseline period, despite differences in SMS content between groups. The results should be interpreted with caution given that the study was underpowered. We did not find a statistically significant difference in matched pregnancy documentation between groups during the intervention period (OR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.63–1.38, p = 0.74). mHealth applications have the potential to improve the tracking and data quality of pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings.