Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute Mastoiditis in Children: A 10-year Retrospective and Validated Multicenter Study

Background: Conservative treatment of acute otitis media may lead to more complications. This study evaluates changes in incidence, the clinical and microbiological findings, the complications and the outcome of acute mastoiditis in children in a country employing conservative guidelines in treating acute otitis media. Methods: All admitted children (0–15 years) diagnosed with acute mastoiditis during the period from 1998 to 2007 in eastern Denmark (population 2.2 million) were identified. Patient files were retrieved and reviewed; the data were entered into a database. Results: The average incidence of admitted children with acute mastoiditis was 4.8/100,000 children per year (95% CI were ± 0.03 -0.04), and there was no change in the incidence during the 10-year period. Of the 214 children included (mean age 2.1 years, range 0.3–13.1, median 1.3 years), 100% presented with protrusion of the pinna and 95% with retroauricular swelling and redness, whereas 32% had a retroauricular abscess. Mastoidectomy had been performed in children with a retroauricular abscess. Thirty-one percent had a ventilation tube inserted. The remaining group was treated with antibiotics and analgesics, and 86% also had a myringotomy performed. Streptococcus pneumoniae and group A streptococci were the bacteria most commonly cultured, 94% being susceptible to penicillin. The complication rate was low at 1.9%. All children included were initially admitted; no patients were outpatients. Conclusions: The incidence of acute mastoiditis is stable in eastern Denmark where conservative management guidelines for treating acute otitis media are used. Bacterial resistance toward penicillin is low (6%), complications are rare and the treatment outcome is good. Furthermore, no severe complications after treatment were observed.
Bounds for Dispersers, Extractors, and Depth-Two Superconcentrators

We show that the size of the smallest depth-two $N$-superconcentrator is $$ \Theta(N\log^2 N/\log\log N). $$ Before this work, optimal bounds were known for all depths except two. For the upper bound, we build superconcentrators by putting together a small number of disperser graphs; these disperser graphs are obtained using a probabilistic argument. For obtaining lower bounds, we present two different methods. First, we show that superconcentrators contain several disjoint disperser graphs. When combined with the lower bound for disperser graphs of Kovari, Sos, and Turan, this gives an almost optimal lower bound of $\Omega( N (\log N/\log \log N)^2)$ on the size of $N$-superconcentrators. The second method, based on the work of Hansel, gives the optimal lower bound. The method of Kovari, Sos, and Turan can be extended to give tight lower bounds for extractors, in terms of both the number of truly random bits needed to extract one additional bit and the unavoidable entropy loss in the system. If the input is an $n$-bit source with min-entropy $k$ and the output is required to be within a distance of $\epsilon$ from uniform distribution, then to extract even one additional bit, one must invest at least $\log(n-k) + 2\log(1/\epsilon) - O(1)$ truly random bits; to obtain $m$ output bits one must invest at least $m-k+2\log(1/\epsilon)-O(1)$. Thus, there is a loss of $2\log(1/\epsilon)$ bits during the extraction. Interestingly, in the case of dispersers this loss in entropy is only about $\log\log (1/\epsilon)$.
Three‐Dimensional Crustal Architecture Beneath the Sikkim Himalaya and Its Relationship to Active Deformation

We study the 3‐D variation of the crustal structure of the Sikkim Himalaya using broadband seismological data acquired from a focused network of seven stations spanning the Lesser, Higher, and Tethyan Himalaya. Common conversion point stacking of receiver functions recorded along an across‐strike profile of the Himalaya reveals first‐order northward dip on the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), a midcrustal discontinuity and the Moho, along with higher‐order lateral variations. Three‐dimensional images generated from joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersions show that the MHT has a ramp‐flat‐ramp geometry. The ramps are located beneath the Lesser Himalaya and the Tethyan Himalaya with dips of ∼7∘ and ∼15∘, respectively, connected by flat segments. The ramp beneath the Lesser Himalaya forms a dome structure, upwarping the thrust sheets associated with the Peling and Main Central Thrust. The erosional surface of this dome forms the arcuate geometry of thrusts observed in the Lesser Himalaya. The thickness of the underthrust Indian crust is 35–42 km and has an average VS of 3.63 km/s, similar to that of the Indian Shield crust. The Moho also has dome‐like structures separated by elongated, deeper sections trending NW‐SE. These are intersected by steeply dipping transverse low‐velocity zones, oblique to the strike of the Himalaya. We conjecture that these low‐velocity zones are the dextral‐strike slip faults known to be active beneath the Sikkim Himalaya. The observed alternate shallow and deep segments of the Moho must be a consequence of several cycles of strike‐slip displacement on these transverse faults.
Socioecology of the Vicuna

Socioecology of the Vicuna by William L. Franklin, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 1976 Major Professor: Dr. Allen W. Stokes Department: Wildlife Science The social organization of the vicuna (Vicugna vicugna) and its relationship to the environment were studied at the Pampa Galeras National Vicuna Reserve in southern Peru from May 1968 to April 1971. 2 Behavioral data were collected on groups within a grid of 12.4 km during 3,800 hours of observation. The vicuna's alpine grassland environment was characterized by greatly fluctuating and freezing temperatures, light precipitation, high evaporation, wind, short growing seasons, shallow and infertile soils and low plant production. Vicuna habitat quality was dependent upon high producing, preferred vegetation types and close access to permanent water and a sleeping area. Only one-third of the Reserve was good habitat and less than 20 percent of the Cupitay Valley study area was preferred by feeding vicuna. Territorial behavior has evolved in this environment where food resources are generally in short supply, annually renewed on locally abundan~ patchy sites, but predictable in time and space and xvi defendable. Nearly 90 ercent of females 2 years and older were pregnant at the beginning of the birth season and 90 percent of all births occurred between 22 February and 7 April. Ten to 30 percent of the
Deletion Polymorphism of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 and Risk of Prostate Cancer in African American and Caucasian Men

Purpose: UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) are a family of enzymes that glucuronidate many endogenous chemicals, including androgens. This makes them more hydrophilic, alters biological activity, and facilitates their excretion. A deletion polymorphism in the UGT2B17 gene was recently described that was associated with a reduced rate of glucuronidation in vivo. The purpose of this study was to determine if the deletion polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: UGT2B17 expression was determined by reverse transcription-PCR of pathologically normal prostate tissues (n = 5). In a case-control study with 420 patients with incident primary prostate cancer (127 African Americans and 293 Caucasians) and 487 controls (120 African Americans and 367 Caucasians), the frequency of UGT2B17 deletion polymorphism in genomic DNA was compared between cases and controls with PCR analysis. Results: UGT2B17 mRNA was detected only in individuals with at least one UGT2B17 allele. The frequency of the null genotype was present in 0.11 and 0.12 of Caucasian and African American controls, respectively. When all subjects were considered, a significant association was found between the UGT2B17 deletion polymorphism and prostate cancer risk [odds ratio (OR), 1.7; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.2-2.6]. There was an increase in prostate cancer risk among individuals with UGT2B17 deletion polymorphism in Caucasians (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.0) but not in African Americans (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.7). Conclusions: These results suggest that the UGT2B17 enzyme may play a role in the metabolism of androgens in prostate tissue and that the UGT2B17 deletion polymorphism is associated with prostate cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(8):1473–8)
Production and Scavenging of Reactive Oxygen Species in Chloroplasts and Their Functions1

The reaction centers of PSI and PSII in chloroplast thylakoids are the major generation site of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Photoreduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in PSI was discovered over 50 years ago by [Mehler (1951)][1]. Subsequently, the primary reduced product was identified
Influence of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Its Interaction with Gonadotropins, Estradiol, and Fetal Calf Serum on In Vitro Maturation and Parthenogenic Development in Equine Oocytes1

Abstract The effects of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its interaction with gonadotropins, estradiol, and fetal calf serum (FCS) on in vitro maturation (IVM) of equine oocytes were investigated in this study. We also examined the role of IGF-I in the presence or absence of gonadotropins, estradiol, and FCS in parthenogenic cleavage after oocyte activation with calcium ionophore combined with 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP), using cleavage rate as a measure of cytoplasmic maturation. Only equine cumulus-oocyte complexes with compact cumulus and homogenous ooplasm (n = 817) were used. In experiment 1, oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 supplemented with BSA, antibiotics, and IGF-I at 0 (control), 50, 100, 200 ng/ml, at 39°C in air with 5% CO2, 95% humidity for 36 or 48 h. In experiment 2, oocytes were cultured with FSH, LH, estradiol, and FCS with IGF-I at the concentration that promoted the highest nuclear maturation rate in experiment 1. In experiment 3, oocytes from the three experimental groups (IGF-I; hormones; and IGF-I + hormones) were chemically activated by exposure to calcium ionophore followed by culture in 6-DMAP. In experiment 1, IGF-I stimulated equine oocyte maturation in a dose-dependent manner with the highest nuclear maturation rate at a concentration of 200 ng/ml. No significant effect of IGF-I on nuclear maturation was observed in experiment 2. In experiment 3, a significant difference in cleavage rate was observed between the hormone + IGF-I group (15 of 33; 45.4%) compared with IGF-I (10 of 36; 27.8%) and hormone (4 of 31; 12.9%) alone (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that IGF-I has a positive effect on nuclear maturation rate of equine oocytes in vitro. The addition of IGF-I to an IVM medium containing hormones and FCS did not increase nuclear maturation, but resulted in a positive effect on cytoplasmic maturation of equine oocytes measured by parthenogenic cleavage.
Sensing of viral and endogenous RNA by ZBP1/DAI induces necroptosis

Nucleic acids are potent triggers for innate immunity. Double‐stranded DNA and RNA adopt different helical conformations, including the unusual Z‐conformation. Z‐DNA/RNA is recognised by Z‐binding domains (ZBDs), which are present in proteins implicated in antiviral immunity. These include ZBP1 (also known as DAI or DLM‐1), which induces necroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death. Using reconstitution and knock‐in models, we report that mutation of key amino acids involved in Z‐DNA/RNA binding in ZBP1's ZBDs prevented necroptosis upon infection with mouse cytomegalovirus. Induction of cell death was cell autonomous and required RNA synthesis but not viral DNA replication. Accordingly, ZBP1 directly bound to RNA via its ZBDs. Intact ZBP1‐ZBDs were also required for necroptosis triggered by ectopic expression of ZBP1 and caspase blockade, and ZBP1 cross‐linked to endogenous RNA. These observations show that Z‐RNA may constitute a molecular pattern that induces inflammatory cell death upon sensing by ZBP1.
Solving Covering Problems Using LPR-based Lower Bounds

Unate and binate covering problems are a special class ofgeneral integer linear programming problems with which several problemsin logic synthesis, such as two-level logic minimization and technologymapping, are formulated. Previous branch-and-bound methodsfor exactly solving these problems use lower-bounding techniques basedon finding maximal independent sets. In this paper we examine lower-boundingtechniques based on linear programming relaxation (LPR) forthe binate covering problem. We show that a combination of traditionalreductions (essentiality and dominance) and incremental computation ofLPR-based lower bounds can exactly solve difficult covering problemsorders of magnitude faster than traditional methods.
The Osun drainage basin in the Western Lithoral Hydrological Zone of Nigeria: a morphometric study

The importance of drainage basin as a planning unit for water resources development and management cannot be overemphasized and this requires accurate characterization of the drainage basin. This study takes a closer look at the Osun drainage basin with a view to updating the existing records, estimate the morphometric features and make hydrological inferences. The data used in this study include a 30m resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) acquired from the United State Geological Survey (USGS), geology map of Nigeria acquired from Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) prepared by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the 1991 locality population data of Nigeria acquired from National Population Commission (NPC). Remote sensing and GIS techniques were adopted in the analysis of the data using ArcGIS 10.2. The acquired DEM was used to delineate Osun drainage basin and 21 morphometric parameters were estimated. The results revealed that Osun drainage basin is a 4th order drainage basin, with an area of 9926.22km 2 , and a length of 213.08km. The area covered by the two geology types and the four soil types were quantified and it revealed that 93.28% of the basin is underlain by the Basement Complex rocks, while 50.89% of the basin is covered by sandy clay loam soil. All these will influence the basin discharge rate, chances of flood occurrence, peak flow, infiltration rate and recharging of the Osun basin groundwater system among others. Based on these results, this study serves as a scientific database for further detailed hydrological investigation of Osun drainage basin while benefiting the sustainable drainage basin management and development programmes of the Ogun-Osun Rivers Basins Development Authority. Keywords : drainage basin, GIS, hydrological zones, morphometric features, Nigeria, Osun River, water resources management
Gamma rays from the annihilation of singlet scalar dark matter.

We consider an extension of the Standard Model by a singlet scalar that accounts for the dark matter of the Universe. Within this model we compute the expected gamma ray flux from the annihilation of dark matter particles in a consistent way. To do so, an updated analysis of the parameter space of the model is first presented. By enforcing the relic density constraint from the very beginning, the viable parameter space gets reduced to just two variables: the singlet mass and the higgs mass. Current direct detection constraints are then found to require a singlet mass larger than 50 GeV. Finally, we compute the gamma ray flux and annihilation cross section and show that a large fraction of the viable parameter space lies within the sensitivity of Fermi-GLAST.
Regret Bounds and Regimes of Optimality for User-User and Item-Item Collaborative Filtering

We consider an online model for recommendation systems, with each user being recommended an item at each time-step and providing ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ feedback. A latent variable model specifies the user preferences: both users and items are clustered into types. All users of a given type have identical preferences for the items, and similarly, items of a given type are either all liked or all disliked by a given user. The model captures structure in both the item and user spaces, and in this paper we assume that the type preference matrix is randomly generated. We describe two algorithms inspired by user-user and item-item collaborative filtering (CF), modified to explicitly make exploratory recommendations, and prove performance guarantees in terms of their expected regret. For two regimes of model parameters, with structure only in item space or only in user space, we prove information-theoretic lower bounds on regret that match our upper bounds up to logarithmic factors. Our analysis elucidates system operating regimes in which existing CF algorithms are nearly optimal.
A Lightweight Tool for Detecting Web Server Attacks

We present an intrusion-detection tool aimed at protecting web servers, and justify why such a tool is needed. We describe several interesting features, such as the ability to run in real time and to keep track of suspicious hosts. The design is flexible and the signatures used to detect malicious behavior are not limited to simple pattern matching of dangerous cgi scripts. The tool includes mechanisms to reduce the number of false alarms. We conclude with a discussion of the information gained from deploying the tool
Three-Dimensional Structure of Herpes Simplex Virus from Cryo-Electron Tomography

Herpes simplex virus, a DNA virus of high complexity, consists of a nucleocapsid surrounded by the tegument—a protein compartment—and the envelope. The latter components, essential for infectivity, are pleiomorphic. Visualized in cryo–electron tomograms of isolated virions, the tegument was seen to form an asymmetric cap: On one side, the capsid closely approached the envelope; on the other side, they were separated by ∼35 nanometers of tegument. The tegument substructure was particulate, with some short actin-like filaments. The envelope contained 600 to 750 glycoprotein spikes that varied in length, spacing, and in the angles at which they emerge from the membrane. Their distribution was nonrandom, suggesting functional clustering.
The ecology of microscopic life in household dust

We spend the majority of our lives indoors; yet, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of how the microbial communities found in homes vary across broad geographical regions and what factors are most important in shaping the types of microorganisms found inside homes. Here, we investigated the fungal and bacterial communities found in settled dust collected from inside and outside approximately 1200 homes located across the continental US, homes that represent a broad range of home designs and span many climatic zones. Indoor and outdoor dust samples harboured distinct microbial communities, but these differences were larger for bacteria than for fungi with most indoor fungi originating outside the home. Indoor fungal communities and the distribution of potential allergens varied predictably across climate and geographical regions; where you live determines what fungi live with you inside your home. By contrast, bacterial communities in indoor dust were more strongly influenced by the number and types of occupants living in the homes. In particular, the female : male ratio and whether a house had pets had a significant influence on the types of bacteria found inside our homes highlighting that who you live with determines what bacteria are found inside your home.
New criteria for the existence of stable equilibrium points in nonsymmetric cellular neural networks

This paper presents new criteria for the existence of stable equilibrium points in the total saturation region for cellular neural networks (CNNs). It is shown that the results obtained can be used to derive some complete stability conditions for some special classes of CNNs such as positive cell-linking CNNs, opposite-sign CNNs and dominant-template CNNs.
Capecitabine: Fixed Daily Dose and Continuous (Noncyclic) Dosing Schedule

Background: Oral fluoropyrimidines are presumed to emulate a parenteral continuous low-dose infusion delivery of the drug and the commonly used schedule is a 14 day on, 7 day off cycle at a total daily dose of 2500 mg/m2 dose. There is a substantial incidence of diarrhea and hand/foot syndrome with this dose schedule. Objective: To retrospectively analyze a clinical experience with a fixed-unit daily dose of capecitabine employed continuously (open ended without cycling) as a single agent, in combination with other agents, or combined with radiation to determine the drug tolerability with regard to stomatitis, diarrhea, and hand/foot syndrome, compared with the “standard” dose schedule. Method: Fifty patients received 58 courses of continuous fixed daily dose capecitabine as a single agent (19 courses), combination with weekly irinotecan (15 courses); combined with 24-hour 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion weekly (5 courses), combined with radiation (3 courses), or with other chemotherapy (16 courses). A fixed divided daily dose of 1500 or 2000 mg was administered for an open-ended period of time designed to deliver 10 weeks of continuous administration. Incidence and time to adverse event (toxicity) was determined for each course. Results: Capecitabine was administered continuously for 4 weeks to 8 months with a median of 3 months. Seven of 50 patients (14%) experienced grade 2 or 3 toxicity; hand/foot syndrome, 4 (8%); stomatitis plus diarrhea (grade 2), 1%; and diarrhea alone, 3 (6%). Four of the 7 patients developing toxicity received concomitant weekly 24-hour 5-FU and 3 patients received concomitant CPT 11 (1), doxil (1), or taxane (1). None of the patients on single-agent capecitabine (19) developed toxicity of any grade. The total daily dose of capecitabine was 830 to 1250 mg/m2. The maximum dose intensity of the continuous fixed-dose schedule is 8750 mg/m2/week compared with 11,666 mg/m2/week for the standard dose and schedule (2500 mg/m2/day for 14 days every 21 days). Conclusion: Capecitabine administered as a continuous daily fixed dose has a low toxicity profile and can be administered in conjunction with other therapies relatively easily. This schedule provides for convenience and simplicity, and therapeutic effects are demonstrated even at low doses. The dose intensity of the noncycling continuous regimen is approximately 20% less than the standard cycling 2 weeks on every 21-day schedule.
Blind estimation of the QP parameter in H.264/AVC decoded video

No-reference video quality monitoring algorithms rely on data collected at the receiver side. Typically, these methods assume the availability of the bitstream, so that motion vectors, coding modes and prediction residuals can be readily extracted. In this paper we show that, even without the availability of the bitstream, the decoded video sequence can be reverse engineered in order to reveal part of its coding history. Specifically, we illustrate a method for blindly estimating the quantization parameter (QP) in H.264/AVC decoded video on a frame-by-frame basis. We demonstrate by means of extensive simulations the robustness of the proposed algorithm. We discuss its usefulness in the field of video quality assessment (e.g. to perform blind PSNR estimation) and we provide an outlook on video forensics tools enabled by the proposed method (e.g. to detect temporal cropping/merging).