Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phylogeny and geography predict pathogen community similarity in wild primates and humans

In natural systems, host species are often co-infected by multiple pathogen species, and recent work has suggested that many pathogens can infect a wide range of host species. An important question therefore is what determines the host range of a pathogen and the community of pathogens found within a given host species. Using primates as a model, we show that infectious diseases are more often shared between species that are closely related and inhabit the same geographical region. We find that host relatedness is the best overall predictor of whether two host species share the same pathogens. A higher frequency of pathogen host shifts between close relatives or inheritance of pathogens from a common ancestor may explain this result. For viruses, geographical overlap among neighbouring primate hosts is more important in determining host range. We suggest this is because rapid evolution within viral lineages allows host jumps across larger evolutionary distances. We also show that the phylogenetic pattern of pathogen sharing with humans is the same as that between wild primates. For humans, this means we share a higher proportion of pathogens with the great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas, because these species are our closest relatives.
Risk Factors for Radiographic Tibiofemoral Knee Osteoarthritis: The Wuchuan Osteoarthritis Study

Objective. To investigate the risk factors of radiographic tibiafemoral knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods. A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Wuchuan County. A questionnaire and bilateral weight-bearing posterior-anterior semi-flexed knee radiographs were completed and read for Kellgren and Lawrence (K/L) grade and joint space narrowing (JSN; 0–3 scale) in each compartment. An logistic regression analysis was performed for radiographic tibiafemoral, lateral compartment, and medial compartment knee OA, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results. Age, sex, and knee injury were strongly associated with tibiafemoral, lateral and medial compartment knee OA. BMI also had a dose-response relationship with them. Physical activity level, and physical activity exposure at work, not significantly though, were associated with an elevated risk for this three kinds of knee OA. Conclusions. Physical activity exposure increased the risk of knee OA. It was likely to be the heavier physical activity in Wuchuan osteoarthritis study that counteracted the BMI gap compared with the Beijing and the Framingham OA study. We verified that Chinese had a more valgus alignment of the knee compared with Caucasian population, and this provide a possible explanation why Chinese have a higher prevalence of lateral compartment OA.
Cognitive Impairment among Persons of Rural Background Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection on Antiretroviral Therapy: A Study from a Tertiary Care Centre of North India

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice ¦ Volume 7 ¦ Supplement 1 ¦ December 2016 NF1 is a common, genetically transmitted neurodevelopmental disorder with a high potential cause of subcortical focal brain lesions. Neurologic problems in NF1 vary and include malignant brain tumors, cognitive and attention deficits, headaches, and seizures. [1] Previous reports have estimated that seizures occur in approximately 4%–7% of individuals with NF1. [3] AHC is a rare clinical picture that can manifest before the age of 4 years and presents dystonic movements and nystagmus as well as progressive intellectual and motor impairment. These episodes can last from a few minutes to some days. Most cases are sporadic. Its incidence is reported to be around one in 1 million children. [4] In addition, half of the children with AHC may have epilepsy, and these seizures are usually quite distinct from AHC attacks in their manifestations although they may occur simultaneously. [4] If an EEG is recorded during the seizure, it usually shows an appropriate abnormality, but between seizures the EEG is normal. We detected normal ictal EEG during her attack. In addition, her former repeat EEG was also normal.
re there income differences in the impact of a national eimbursement policy for smoking cessation treatment and ccompanying media attention ? Findings from the International obacco Control ( ITC ) Netherlands Survey era

Background: This study examined possible income differences in the impact of a national reimbursement policy for smoking cessation treatment and accompanying media attention in the Netherlands in 2011. Methods: We used three waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey, a nationally representative longitudinal sample of smokers aged 15 years and older (n = 1912). The main analyses tested trends and income differences in outcome measures (smokers’ quit attempt rates, use of behavioral counseling, use of cessation medications, and quit success) and awareness variables (awareness of reimbursement possibilities, the media campaign, medications advertisements and other media attention) with generalized estimating equations analyses. Results: In the first half of 2011, there was a significant increase in quit attempts (odds ratio (OR) = 2.02, p < 0.001) and quit success (OR = 1.47, p < 0.001). Use of counseling and medications remained stable at 3% of all smokers in this period. Awareness of reimbursement possibilities increased from 11% to 42% (OR = 6.38, p < 0.001). Only awareness of the media campaign was associated with more quit attempts at the follow-up survey (OR = 1.95, p < 0.001). Results were not different according to smokers’ income level. Conclusions: The Dutch reimbursement policy with accompanying media attention was followed by an increase in quit attempts and quit success, but use of cessation treatment remained stable. The impact of the policy and media attention did not seem to have decreased or increased socioeconomic inequalities in quit attempts, use of cessation treatment, or quit success. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Suppression of the boron penetration induced Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface degradation by using a stacked-amorphous-silicon film as the gate structure for pMOSFET

The authors report that the boron penetration through the thin gate oxide into the Si substrate does not only cause a large threshold voltage shift but also induces a large degradation in the Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface. An atomically flat Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface can be easily obtained by using a stacked-amorphous-silicon (SAS) film as the gate structure for p/sup +/ poly-Si gate MOS devices even with the annealing temperature as high as 1000/spl deg/C. <<ETX>>
Hybrid Monitoring of Attacker Knowledge

Enforcement of noninterference requires proving that an attacker's knowledge about the initial state remains the same after observing a program's public output. We propose a hybrid monitoring mechanism which dynamically evaluates the knowledge that is contained in program variables. To get a precise estimate of the knowledge, the monitor statically analyses non-executed branches. We show that our knowledge-based monitor can be combined with existing dynamic monitors for non-interference. A distinguishing feature of such a combination is that the combined monitor is provably more permissive than each mechanism taken separately. We demonstrate this by proposing a knowledge-enhanced version of a no-sensitive-upgrade (NSU) monitor. The monitor and its static analysis have been formalized and proved correct within the Coq proof assistant.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for weight management using text messaging.

BACKGROUND Obesity prevalence continues to increase worldwide, with significant associated chronic disease and health cost implications. Among more recent innovations in health service provision is the use of text messaging for health behaviour change interventions including weight management. This review investigates the efficacy of weight management programmes incorporating text messaging. METHODS Medical and scientific databases were searched from January 1993 to October 2013. Eligibility criteria included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), pseudoRCTs and before and after studies of weight management, among healthy children and adults, that used text messaging and included a nutrition component. Data extraction and quality assessment followed guidelines from PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) and the Evidence Analysis Manual of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. RESULTS From 512 manuscripts retrieved, 14 met the inclusion criteria (five manuscripts in children and nine in adults). Duration of interventions ranged from 1 to 24 months. Frequency of text messaging was from daily to fortnightly. Six studies in adults were included in a meta-analysis with mean body weight change as the primary outcome. The weighted mean change in body weight in intervention participants was -2.56 kg (95% confidence interval = -3.46 to -1.65) and in controls -0.37 kg (95% confidence interval = -1.22 to 0.48). CONCLUSIONS The small body of evidence indicates that text messaging interventions can promote weight loss. However, lack of long-term results indicate that further efficacy studies are required. Future investigations should elucidate the determinants, such as intervention duration, text message frequency and level of interactivity that maximise the success and cost effectiveness of the delivery medium.
Sensor Data Acquisition and Processing Parameters for Human Activity Classification

It is known that parameter selection for data sampling frequency and segmentation techniques (including different methods and window sizes) has an impact on the classification accuracy. For Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), no clear information to select these parameters exists, hence a wide variety and inconsistency across today's literature is observed. This paper presents the empirical investigation of different data sampling rates, segmentation techniques and segmentation window sizes and their effect on the accuracy of Activity of Daily Living (ADL) event classification and computational load for two different accelerometer sensor datasets. The study is conducted using an ANalysis Of VAriance (ANOVA) based on 32 different window sizes, three different segmentation algorithm (with and without overlap, totaling in six different parameters) and six sampling frequencies for nine common classification algorithms. The classification accuracy is based on a feature vector consisting of Root Mean Square (RMS), Mean, Signal Magnitude Area (SMA), Signal Vector Magnitude (here SMV), Energy, Entropy, FFTPeak, Standard Deviation (STD). The results are presented alongside recommendations for the parameter selection on the basis of the best performing parameter combinations that are identified by means of the corresponding Pareto curve.
Lead finding from medicinal plants with hepatoprotective potentials

Background: Several lead compounds have been developed from natural resources as hepatoprotective. The hepatotoxic nature of the drugs, industrial toxins and drug-induced hepatotoxicity has been recognized as the major problem associated with liver diseases. Natural products including herbs have great potential in treating liver disorders. Objective: Botanicals have been used traditionally by herbalists and indigenous healers worldwide for several years for the prevention and treatment of liver disease and clinical research in this century has confirmed the efficacy of several plants in the treatment of liver disease. Many herbs used in several systems of alternative medicines have a long history of traditional use in revitalizing the liver and treating liver dysfunction and disease. Many of these herbs have been evaluated in clinical studies and are now being investigated phytochemically to understand their actions in a better way. Conclusion: An attempt has been made through this article to review the most potential medicinal plants with pharmacologically established hepatoprotective activity. Further, this article highlights their phytochemical profile and finds the effective leads from natural resources for the desired therapeutic benefit.
Fluid-Fluid Displacement for Primary Cementing in Deviated Washout Sections

One of the most critical operations during well construction is the cementing procedure, where drilling fluid is displaced by cement, normally with one or more spacer fluids in between. Due to the curing nature of the cement slurry there will be only one opportunity to cement the well properly. Although one for top hole cases can fill cement in from the top in a remedial operation, this possibility cannot fully compensate for a non-optimal initial cement job. Furthermore, it cannot be applied to other well sections. In those sections, complex squeeze cementing operations may be necessary. Consequences of improper annular cement can be leakage during production phase and extensive costs when the well is to be plugged for abandonment after the production phase. To ensure that the risk of poor cement is minimised it is important to use the best procedures to place the cement properly. Most models in use assume that the annulus is homogeneous. This is not always the case since washout sections appear during drilling. The effects of these on cementing are not sufficiently studied and considered in models and procedures. Here we present and discuss results from fluid displacement experiments in a laboratory flow loop, illustrating annular displacement of drilling fluid by spacer (or spacer by cement). Model fluids with realistic densities and rheological properties have been used in a test setup with a transparent annular section. The wellbore is represented by a 10 m long test section, where the annulus has a 6,5” outer diameter and an inner string of 5” that can rotate. A washout section is represented by a 2 m long section of the outer pipe with a larger diameter of 11”. These diameters are representative for the lower parts of a well were high wellbore inclinations are common. In these sections the inner pipe cannot be assumed concentric at all times, so both concentric and eccentric positions have been tested. Experiments reported here were conducted at 60 degrees inclination. The test section was instrumented with conductivity probes in an array around the perimeter at 4 separate positions along the pipe, including the inlet and outlet of the washout section. Together with a camera along the test section, this provided information about the motion and shape of the liquid-liquid interface through the test section. Results show that the displacement front changes significantly when entering the washout zone compared to the regular annular section. Due to the larger flow area the density differences between displaced and displacing fluids become more important in the washout section, while momentum effects dominate in the regular section.
Proteomics analysis of rough endoplasmic reticulum in pancreatic beta cells

Pancreatic beta cells have well‐developed ER to accommodate for the massive production and secretion of insulin. ER homeostasis is vital for normal beta cell function. Perturbation of ER homeostasis contributes to beta cell dysfunction in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. To systematically identify the molecular machinery responsible for proinsulin biogenesis and maintenance of beta cell ER homeostasis, a widely used mouse pancreatic beta cell line, MIN6 cell was used to purify rough ER. Two different purification schemes were utilized. In each experiment, the ER pellets were solubilized and analyzed by 1D SDS‐PAGE coupled with HPLC‐MS/MS. A total of 1467 proteins were identified in three experiments with ≥95% confidence, among which 1117 proteins were found in at least two separate experiments and 737 proteins found in all three experiments. GO analysis revealed a comprehensive profile of known and novel players responsible for proinsulin biogenesis and ER homeostasis. Further bioinformatics analysis also identified potential beta cell specific ER proteins as well as ER proteins present in the risk genetic loci of type 2 diabetes. This dataset defines a molecular environment in the ER for proinsulin synthesis, folding and export and laid a solid foundation for further characterizations of altered ER homeostasis under diabetes‐causing conditions. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001081 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001081).
Microglial phagocytosis of living photoreceptors contributes to inherited retinal degeneration

Retinitis pigmentosa, caused predominantly by mutations in photoreceptor genes, currently lacks comprehensive treatment. We discover that retinal microglia contribute non‐cell autonomously to rod photoreceptor degeneration by primary phagocytosis of living rods. Using rd10 mice, we found that the initiation of rod degeneration is accompanied by early infiltration of microglia, upregulation of phagocytic molecules in microglia, and presentation of “eat‐me” signals on mutated rods. On live‐cell imaging, infiltrating microglia interact dynamically with photoreceptors via motile processes and engage in rapid phagocytic engulfment of non‐apoptotic rods. Microglial contribution to rod demise is evidenced by morphological and functional amelioration of photoreceptor degeneration following genetic ablation of retinal microglia. Molecular inhibition of microglial phagocytosis using the vitronectin receptor antagonist cRGD also improved morphological and functional parameters of degeneration. Our findings highlight primary microglial phagocytosis as a contributing mechanism underlying cell death in retinitis pigmentosa and implicate microglia as a potential cellular target for therapy.
Renal Hemodynamics and Renal Function After Catheter-Based Renal Sympathetic Denervation in Patients With Resistant Hypertension

Increased renal resistive index and urinary albumin excretion are markers of hypertensive end-organ damage and renal vasoconstriction involving increased sympathetic activity. Catheter-based sympathetic renal denervation (RD) offers a new approach to reduce renal sympathetic activity and blood pressure in resistant hypertension. The influence of RD on renal hemodynamics, renal function, and urinary albumin excretion has not been studied. One hundred consecutive patients with resistant hypertension were included in the study; 88 underwent interventional RD and 12 served as controls. Systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure, as well renal resistive index in interlobar arteries, renal function, and urinary albumin excretion, were measured before and at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. RD reduced systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure at 3 and 6 months by 22.7/26.6 mm Hg, 7.7/9.7 mm Hg, and 15.1/17.5 mm Hg (P for all <0.001), respectively, without significant changes in the control group. SBP reduction after 6 months correlated with SBP baseline values (r=−0.46; P<0.001). There were no renal artery stenoses, dissections, or aneurysms during 6 months of follow-up. Renal resistive index decreased from 0.691±0.01 at baseline to 0.674±0.01 and 0.670±0.01 (P=0.037/0.017) at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Mean cystatin C glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion remained unchanged after RD; however, the number of patients with microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria decreased. RD reduced blood pressure, renal resistive index, and incidence of albuminuria without adversely affecting glomerular filtration rate or renal artery structure within 6 months and appears to be a safe and effective therapeutic approach to lower blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension.
The Triton X-100-insoluble residue ("cytoskeleton") of aggregated platelets contains increased lipid phosphorus as well as 125I-labeled glycoproteins.

When ‘25l-labeled blood platelets were lysed with an equal volume of 2% Triton X-100, 10 mM EGTA, and 100 mM Tris, pH 7.4. the Triton-insoluble residue (“cytoskeleton”) contained about 1 1 % of the platelet protein. predominantly actin and actin-binding protein, 3.5% of the platelet radioactivity, and less than 2% of the platelet lipid phosphorus. Radioautographs of polyacrylamide gels of this residue (reduced samples) differed markedly from those of whole platelets. Glycoprotein lIb (mol wt 1 21 .000) was not detected and GP Ill (mol wt 107.000) was seen in trace amounts if at all. The amounts of the other labeled glycoproteins in the Triton-insoluble residue were estimated by scanning the radioautographs and comparing the area for each band with that of the similar band in whole platelet samples. In 1 1 experiments. 38% of GP IV (mol wt 89.000). 8% of the GP at mol wt 132,000 and 56% of the GP at mol wt 1 58.000 were insoluble in Triton. Since no glycoproteins were evident between about mol wt 90,000 and 1 70,000 in unreduced samples of these residues, the identity of the most abundant Triton-insoluble glycoprotein was unclear. In platelets stimulated with thrombin. Tritoninsoluble protein increased to 1 6.7%, due at least in part to the formation of fibrin from platelet fibrinogen; it did not increase in platelets stimulated with ADP. The amount of Triton-insoluble radioactivity and lipid phosphorus, and the gel pattern of Triton-insoluble radioactive proteins was
An Experimental Study on Wi-Fi Ad-Hoc Mode for Mobile Device-to-Device Video Delivery

The demand for video content is continuously increasing as video sharing on the Internet is becoming enormously popular recently. This demand, with its high bandwidth requirements, has a considerable impact on the load of the network infrastructure. As more users access videos from their mobile devices, the load on the current wireless infrastructure (which has limited capacity) will be even more significant. Based on observations from many local video sharing scenarios, in this paper, we study the tradeoffs of using Wi-Fi ad-hoc mode versus infrastructure mode for video streaming between adjacent devices. We thus show the potential of direct device-to-device communication as a way to reduce the load on the wireless infrastructure and to improve user experiences. Setting up experiments for Wi-Fi devices connected in ad-hoc mode, we collect measurements for various video streaming scenarios and compare them to the case where the devices are connected through access points. The results show the improvements in latency, jitter and loss rate. More importantly, the results show that the performance in direct device-to-device streaming is much more stable in contrast to the access point case, where different factors affect the performance causing widely unpredictable qualities.
Exploring wind energy potential off the California coast

Wind energy represents the nearest term cost‐effective renewable energy source. While efforts have been made to assess wind energy potential over land around the world, offshore wind energy resources are largely unexplored, in part because these regions have relatively sparse wind observations. In this study, the wind energy potential offshore of the California coast is evaluated using a well‐tested high‐resolution numerical model dataset. We found that along the coastline, the low‐level winds exhibit strong spatial variation and are characterized by alternating windspeed maxima and minima near coastal promontories associated with the interaction between the marine boundary layer and coastal topography. Further analysis highlights the enormous and reliable wind energy development potential in these persistent offshore windspeed maxima.