Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Personalized News Recommendation Using Twitter

Online news reading has become a popular way to read news articles from a huge collection of news sources around the globe. News recommender systems help users manage this flood by suggesting articles based on user interests rather than presenting articles in order of their occurrence. We present our research on developing personalized news recommendation system with the help of a popular micro-blogging service, "Twitter. " News articles are ranked based on the popularity of the article identified with the help of the tweets from Twitter's public timeline. In addition, users construct profiles based on their interests and news articles are also ranked based on their match to the user profile. By combining these two approaches, we present a hybrid news recommendation model that recommends interesting news stories to the user based on their popularity as well as their relevance to the user profile.
Inpatient antipsychotic drug use in 1998, 1993, and 1989.

OBJECTIVE Patterns of clinical use of antipsychotic agents have changed greatly in the past decade. The authors' goal was to examine these patterns. METHOD They evaluated medication use in all McLean Hospital inpatients treated with antipsychotic drugs during 3 months in 1998 (N=349) and compared the results with McLean Hospital inpatients treated with antipsychotics in 1993 (N=299) and Boston area inpatients in 1989 (N=50). RESULTS The most commonly prescribed antipsychotics in 1998 were atypical agents; olanzapine was prescribed more often than risperidone or quetiapine, which were prescribed more often than other antipsychotics. Two or more antipsychotics were prescribed at some time during their hospitalization for 150 (43%) of the patients in 1998. The total discharge dose in chlorpromazine equivalents for the 349 patients for whom antipsychotics were prescribed at discharge was 371 mg/day, 29% higher than the total discharge dose for patients in 1993 and 46% greater than the dose in 1989. The dose of antipsychotics was greater for patients with psychotic illnesses than for those with affective illnesses. Higher doses were associated with greater clinical improvement, polypharmacotherapy, and younger patient age. CONCLUSIONS Emerging trends toward higher total antipsychotic doses and polypharmacotherapy require critical assessments of cost-benefit relationships.
Genome Wide DNA Methylation Profiles Provide Clues to the Origin and Pathogenesis of Germ Cell Tumors

The cell of origin of the five subtypes (I-V) of germ cell tumors (GCTs) are assumed to be germ cells from different maturation stages. This is (potentially) reflected in their methylation status as fetal maturing primordial germ cells are globally demethylated during migration from the yolk sac to the gonad. Imprinted regions are erased in the gonad and later become uniparentally imprinted according to fetal sex. Here, 91 GCTs (type I-IV) and four cell lines were profiled (Illumina’s HumanMethylation450BeadChip). Data was pre-processed controlling for cross hybridization, SNPs, detection rate, probe-type bias and batch effects. The annotation was extended, covering snRNAs/microRNAs, repeat elements and imprinted regions. A Hidden Markov Model-based genome segmentation was devised to identify differentially methylated genomic regions. Methylation profiles allowed for separation of clusters of non-seminomas (type II), seminomas/dysgerminomas (type II), spermatocytic seminomas (type III) and teratomas/dermoid cysts (type I/IV). The seminomas, dysgerminomas and spermatocytic seminomas were globally hypomethylated, in line with previous reports and their demethylated precursor. Differential methylation and imprinting status between subtypes reflected their presumed cell of origin. Ovarian type I teratomas and dermoid cysts showed (partial) sex specific uniparental maternal imprinting. The spermatocytic seminomas showed uniparental paternal imprinting while testicular teratomas exhibited partial imprinting erasure. Somatic imprinting in type II GCTs might indicate a cell of origin after global demethylation but before imprinting erasure. This is earlier than previously described, but agrees with the totipotent/embryonic stem cell like potential of type II GCTs and their rare extra-gonadal localization. The results support the common origin of the type I teratomas and show strong similarity between ovarian type I teratomas and dermoid cysts. In conclusion, we identified specific and global methylation differences between GCT subtypes, providing insight into their developmental timing and underlying developmental biology. Data and extended annotation are deposited at GEO (GSE58538 and GPL18809).
Arctic mutant Aβ40 aggregates on α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and inhibits their functions

Amyloid β protein (Aβ) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Point mutations within the Aβ sequence associated with familial AD (FAD) are clustered around the central hydrophobic core of Aβ. Several types of mutations within the Aβ sequence have been identified, and the ‘Arctic’ mutation (E22G) has a purely cognitive phenotype typical of AD. Previous studies have shown that the primary result of the ‘Arctic’ mutation is increased formation of Aβ protofibrils. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. Aβ42 binds to a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit, neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha‐7 (CHRNA7), with high affinity and, thus, may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD. Therefore, to clarify the molecular mechanism of Arctic mutation‐mediated FAD, we focused on CHRNA7 as a target molecule of Arctic Aβ. We performed an in vitro binding assay using purified CHRNA7 and synthetic Arctic Aβ40, and demonstrated that Arctic Aβ40 specifically bound to CHRNA7. The aggregation of Arctic Aβ40 was enhanced with the addition of CHRNA7. Furthermore, the function of CHRNA7 was detected by measuring Ca2+ flux and phospho‐p44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) activation. Our results indicated that Arctic Aβ40 aggregation was enhanced by the addition of CHRNA7, which destabilized the function of CHRNA7 via inhibition of Ca2+ responses and activation of ERK1/2. These findings indicate that Arctic Aβ mutation may be involved in the mechanism underlying FAD. This mechanism may involve binding and aggregation, leading to the inhibition of CHRNA7 functions.
Effects of Aprotinin Dosage on Renal Function: An Analysis of 8,548 Cardiac Surgical Patients Treated with Different Dosages of Aprotinin

Background:The nonspecific serine protease inhibitor aprotinin is widely used in cardiac surgery to limit bleeding. Recently, concerns about the safety of this drug were raised, especially regarding impaired renal outcome. This event rate was supposed to be dose dependent. Methods:In this observational study, the authors analyzed prospectively collected data of a single-center cardiac-anesthetic database. Adult patients treated with various dosages of aprotinin were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis identified independent predictors of renal outcome. The primary endpoint was a composite of novel postoperative renal failure requiring hemodialysis, an increased postoperative creatinine plasma concentration of 2 mg/dl or greater, or a difference between maximal postoperative and preoperative plasma creatinine of 0.7 mg/dl or greater. Results:The study analyzed 8,548 patients. Multiple logistic regression (c index = 0.861) did not show a significant association between aprotinin dosage and renal outcome, as did the bootstrap procedure (odds ratio, 0.98; confidence interval, 0.90–1.07). The most relevant predictor was a preoperatively elevated creatinine concentration (odds ratio, 11.4; confidence interval, 9.05–14.3). Patients with postoperative renal impairment or failure were at higher preoperative risk and/or underwent more complex procedures. In subgroups of patients with preoperatively impaired renal function (creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dl) (n = 1,075), complex procedures (n = 1,920), or insulin-dependent diabetes (n = 650) or patients undergoing isolated myocardial revascularization (n = 4,901), no association between aprotinin dosage and adverse renal outcome was observed. Conclusion:In the current analysis, aprotinin dosage was not associated with increased adverse renal outcome. In regard to renal outcome, this analysis did not demonstrate an essential detrimental influence of aprotinin dosage on renal function.
Chlamydia trachomatis uses host cell dynein to traffic to the microtubule-organizing center in a p50 dynamitin-independent process

Chlamydiae are pathogenic obligate intracellular bacteria with a biphasic developmental cycle that involves cell types adapted for extracellular survival (elementary bodies, EBs) and intracellular multiplication (reticulate bodies, RBs). The intracellular development of chlamydiae occurs entirely within a membrane-bound vacuole termed an inclusion. Within 2 hours after entry into host cells, Chlamydia trachomatis EBs are trafficked to the perinuclear region of the host cell and remain in close proximity to the Golgi apparatus, where they begin to fuse with a subset of host vesicles containing sphingomyelin. Here, we provide evidence that chlamydial migration from the cell periphery to the peri-Golgi region resembles host cell vesicular trafficking. Chlamydiae move towards the minus end of microtubules and aggregate at the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC). In mammalian cells the most important minus-end-directed microtubule motor is cytoplasmic dynein. Microinjection of antibodies to a subunit of cytoplasmic dynein inhibited movement of chlamydiae to the MTOC, whereas microinjection of antibodies to the plus-directed microtubule motor, kinesin, had no effect. Surprisingly, overexpression of the protein p50 dynamitin, a subunit of the dynactin complex that links vesicular cargo to the dynein motor in minus directed vesicle trafficking, did not abrogate chlamydial migration even though host vesicle transport was inhibited. Nascent chlamydial inclusions did, however, colocalize with the p150(Glued) dynactin subunit, which suggests that p150(Glued) may be required for dynein activation or processivity but that the cargo-binding activity of dynactin, supplied by p50 dynamitin subunits and possibly other subunits, is not. Because chlamydial transcription and translation were required for this intracellular trafficking, chlamydial proteins modifying the cytoplasmic face of the inclusion membrane are probable candidates for proteins fulfilling this function.
Beyond Detection: Investing in Practical and Theoretical Applications of Emotion + Vis

Emotion is a dynamic variable that modulates how we perceive, reason about, and interact with our environment. Recent studies have established that emotion's influence carries to data analysis and visualization, impacting performance in ways both positive and negative. While we are still in the infancy of understanding the role emotion plays in analytical contexts, advances in physiological sensing and emotion research have raised the possibility of creating emotion-aware systems. In this position paper, we argue that it is critical to consider the potential advances that can be made even in the face of imperfect sensing, while we continue to address the practical challenges of monitoring emotion in the wild. To underscore the importance of this line of inquiry, we highlight several key challenges related to detection, adaptation, and impact of emotional states for users of data visualization systems, and motivate promising avenues for future research in these areas.
Genome-wide identification and characterisation of human DNA replication origins by initiation site sequencing (ini-seq)

Next-generation sequencing has enabled the genome-wide identification of human DNA replication origins. However, different approaches to mapping replication origins, namely (i) sequencing isolated small nascent DNA strands (SNS-seq); (ii) sequencing replication bubbles (bubble-seq) and (iii) sequencing Okazaki fragments (OK-seq), show only limited concordance. To address this controversy, we describe here an independent high-resolution origin mapping technique that we call initiation site sequencing (ini-seq). In this approach, newly replicated DNA is directly labelled with digoxigenin-dUTP near the sites of its initiation in a cell-free system. The labelled DNA is then immunoprecipitated and genomic locations are determined by DNA sequencing. Using this technique we identify >25,000 discrete origin sites at sub-kilobase resolution on the human genome, with high concordance between biological replicates. Most activated origins identified by ini-seq are found at transcriptional start sites and contain G-quadruplex (G4) motifs. They tend to cluster in early-replicating domains, providing a correlation between early replication timing and local density of activated origins. Origins identified by ini-seq show highest concordance with sites identified by SNS-seq, followed by OK-seq and bubble-seq. Furthermore, germline origins identified by positive nucleotide distribution skew jumps overlap with origins identified by ini-seq and OK-seq more frequently and more specifically than do sites identified by either SNS-seq or bubble-seq.
Self-adjusting constrained random stimulus generation using splitting evenness evaluation and XOR constraints

Constrained random stimulus generation plays significant roles in hardware verification nowadays, and the quality of the generated stimuli is key to the efficiency of the test process. In this work, we present a linear dynamic method to guide random stimulus generation by SAT solvers. A splitting simplified Min-Distance-Sum evaluation method and an XOR sampling strategy are integrated in the self-adjusting random stimulus generation framework. The evenness of the split groups is evaluated to find out some uneven parts. Then, random partial solutions for the uneven parts and random XOR constraints for the other inputs are added into constraints to get better distributed stimuli. Experimental results show that our method can evaluate the evenness as well as more complex formulae for stimulus generation, and also confirm that the self-adjusting method can improve the fault coverage ratio by more than 17% averagely with the same number of stimuli.
Effect of exercise on serum markers of muscle inflammation in Spanish Greyhounds.

OBJECTIVE To investigate effects of exercise on hematologic and biochemical values (especially markers of inflammation and muscle damage) in Spanish Greyhounds used for hunting without previous training. ANIMALS 32 Spanish Greyhounds and 31 dogs of other breeds. PROCEDURES Hematologic variables and concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other biochemical markers were compared in samples obtained from Spanish Greyhounds 24 hours after exercise (eg, a hunting race) and 2 months after exercise (ie, at rest) and from non-Spanish Greyhounds at rest. All dogs were healthy. Hematologic and biochemical analyses were performed within 24 hours after samples were obtained, and results were compared by means of a Student t test. RESULTS CRP concentration and muscle enzyme (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase) activities were significantly higher and serum iron concentration was significantly lower for Spanish Greyhounds after exercise than at rest. The WBC and neutrophil counts were significantly higher after exercise then at rest. Plasma alanine transaminase activity and total protein, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations were significantly higher after exercise than at rest. Spanish Greyhounds at rest had higher RBC counts, PCVs, and hemoglobin concentrations and lower WBC, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, compared with values for non-Spanish Greyhounds at rest. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Exercise of Spanish Greyhounds without prior training activated an acute-phase response represented by an increase in serum CRP concentration and decrease in serum albumin and iron concentrations. These changes, along with leukocytosis and neutrophilia, were indicative of a subclinical inflammatory state in Spanish Greyhounds.
Other Perspectives

Self-projection, the capacity to re-experience the personal past and to mentally infer another person’s perspective, has been linked to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In particular, ventral mPFC is associated with inferences about one’s own self, whereas dorsal mPFC is associated with inferences about another individual. In the present functional MRI study we examined selfprojection using a novel camera technology, which employs a sensor and timer to automatically take hundreds of photographs when worn, in order to create dynamic visuospatial cues taken from a first-person perspective. This allowed us to ask participants to self-project into the personal past or into the life of another person. We predicted that self-projection to the personal past would elicit greater activity in the ventral mPFC, whereas self-projection of another perspective would rely on dorsal mPFC. There were three main findings supporting this prediction. First, we found that self-projection to the personal past recruited greater ventral mPFC, whereas observing another person’s perspective recruited dorsal mPFC. Second, activity in ventral vs. dorsal mPFC was sensitive to parametric modulation on each trial by the ability to relive the personal past or to understand another’s perspective, respectively. Third, task-related functional connectivity analysis revealed that ventral mPFC contributed to the medial temporal lobe network linked to memory processes, whereas dorsal mPFC contributed to the frontoparietal network linked to controlled processes. In sum, these results suggest that ventral-dorsal subregions of the anterior midline are functionally dissociable and may differentially contribute to self-projection of self vs. other. Self-projection is the capacity that allows us to shift our perspective from the present moment to alternative temporal and mental locations (Buckner & Carroll, 2007; Mitchell, 2009; Suddendorf & Corballis, 2007). The neural correlates supporting temporal simulations of the personal past during autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval overlap with those supporting mental simulations of another person’s perspective during Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks (for metaanalysis see Spreng, Mar, & Kim, 2009). However, few functional neuroimaging studies have manipulated self-projection within the same individual (although see Rabin, Gilboa, Stuss, Mar, & Rosenbaum, 2009; Spreng & Grady, 2009) while also using naturalistic stimuli. In the present functional MRI (fMRI) study we examined temporal and mental forms of self-projection using a novel camera technology to create dynamic visuospatial cues which provided the opportunity to step into the personal past or another individual’s perspective. Corresponding Author: Peggy L. St. Jacques, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Box 90999, Durham, NC 27708, USA, Phone: (919) 668-2299, Fax: (919) 681-0815, peggy.st.jacques@duke.edu. NIH Public Access
Cognitive Function and Its Relationship with Macular Pigment Optical Density and Serum Concentrations of its Constituent Carotenoids

Abstract Background: Macular pigment (MP) levels correlate with brain concentrations of lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z), and have also been shown to correlate with cognitive performance in the young and elderly. Objective: To investigate the relationship between MP, serum concentrations of L and Z, and cognitive function in subjects free of retinal disease with low MP (Group 1, n = 105) and in subjects with AMD (Group 2, n = 121). Methods: MP was measured using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry and dual-wavelength autofluorescence; cognitive function was assessed using a battery of validated cognition tests; serum L and Z concentrations were determined by HPLC. Results: Significant correlations were evident between MP and various measures of cognitive function in both groups (r = –0.273 to 0.261, p≤0.05, for all). Both serum L and Z concentrations correlated significantly (r = 0.187, p≤0.05 and r = 0.197, p≤0.05, respectively) with semantic (animal) fluency cognitive scores in Group 2 (the AMD study group), while serum L concentrations also correlated significantly with Verbal Recognition Memory learning slope scores in the AMD study group (r = 0.200, p = 0.031). Most of the correlations with MP, but not serum L or Z, remained significant after controlling for age, gender, diet, and education level. Conclusion: MP offers potential as a non-invasive clinical biomarker of cognitive health, and appears more successful in this role than serum concentrations of L or Z.
A Kinematic Analysis of a Strongman-Type Event: The Heavy Sprint-Style Sled Pull

Keogh, JWL, Newlands, C, Blewett, S, Payne, A, and Chun-Er, L. A kinematic analysis of a strongman-type event: the heavy sprint-style sled pull. J Strength Cond Res 24(11): 3088-3097, 2010-This study sought to (a) characterize the kinematics aspects of a popular strongman-type event, the heavy sprint-style sled pull, and (b) gain some insight into the kinematic factors that could distinguish the within- and between-subjects' fastest and slowest trials. Six resistance-trained subjects with experience in the heavy sled pull gave informed consent to participate in this study. Subjects performed three 25-m sets of sled pulls with a load of 171.2 kg with 3 minutes of rest between sets. Kinematic variables were obtained from 2 video cameras positioned perpendicularly 11 m from the intended direction of the sled pull. Camera 1 recorded the first 5 m (acceleration phase) and Camera 2 recorded the last 5 m (maximum velocity phase). Effect sizes and paired and independent t-tests were used to determine the within- and between-subject effects, respectively, with significance set at p < 0.01. Heavy sled pulls shared many kinematic similarities to acceleration phase sprinting, although the sled pull had somewhat smaller step lengths and step rates, longer ground contact times, and a more horizontal trunk. Within- and between-subject analyses of the fastest and slowest trials typically revealed more significant differences in the maximum velocity than the acceleration phase. Although the fastest trials were often characterized by significantly greater step lengths, step rates, and shorter ground contact times, differences in the segment/joint angles were less consistent. Based on the impulse-momentum relationship, our results imply that greater anteroposterior forces/impulses were produced in the fastest sled pulls. Accordingly, the heavy sled pull may improve acceleration sprinting performance in many athlete types and the ability to break and make tackles in contact sports such as American football and the rugby codes.