Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide association studies of intracranial aneurysms: an update.

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) affect 2% to 5% of the population and can have catastrophic results on rupture, accounting for 80% all of subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAHs). 1–4 This medical and surgical emergency carries a 40% to 50% mortality rate, with 12% of individuals expiring before receiving any medical attention.5 Survivorship is fraught with socioeconomic challenges because two thirds of patients are left with some form of permanent neurological deficit.4 Although most IAs do not cause clinical symptoms during life,6,7 the substantial mortality rate with initial presentation underscores the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in high-risk groups. Advances in neuroimaging, microsurgical clipping, and minimally invasive endovascular modalities have helped reduce the burden of these morbid events; however, patient selection remains controversial given the unpredictable nature of aneurysm progression. Likewise, appropriate management is confounded by complex influences from environmental and genetic factors. Individuals aged 40 to 60 years are at highest risk for IAs, with women affected more than men by a 3:2 ratio.7,8 Other modifiable risk factors are hypertension, atherosclerosis, smoking, and alcohol consumption.9,10 In addition to aneurysm size and location within the cerebrovasculature, these factors are used clinically to assess rupture risk.7 Certain inherited syndromes predispose individuals to the formation of IAs, including Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.11–13 Although individuals with these syndromes should be screened with computed tomography or magnetic resonance angiography when there is family history of stroke or SAH, they account for only 10% of all cases.14 In the absence of known predisposing genetic mutations, individuals with first-degree relatives with IAs are 4× more likely to develop IAs themselves.15 Moreover, evidence shows that these aneurysms present earlier in life and rupture at smaller sizes compared …
Bayesian segmental models with multiple sequence alignment profiles for protein secondary structure and contact map prediction

In this paper, we develop a segmental semi-Markov model (SSMM) for protein secondary structure prediction which incorporates multiple sequence alignment profiles with the purpose of improving the predictive performance. The segmental model is a generalization of the hidden Markov model where a hidden state generates segments of various length and secondary structure type. A novel parameterized model is proposed for the likelihood function that explicitly represents multiple sequence alignment profiles to capture the segmental conformation. Numerical results on benchmark data sets show that incorporating the profiles results in substantial improvements and the generalization performance is promising. By incorporating the information from long range interactions in beta-sheets, this model is also capable of carrying out inference on contact maps. This is an important advantage of probabilistic generative models over the traditional discriminative approach to protein secondary structure prediction. The Web server of our algorithm and supplementary materials are available at http://public.kgi. edu/-wild/bsm.html
Compensatory changes in cellular excitability, not synaptic scaling, contribute to homeostatic recovery of embryonic network activity

When neuronal activity is reduced over a period of days, compensatory changes in synaptic strength and/or cellular excitability are triggered, which are thought to act in a manner to homeostatically recover normal activity levels. The time course over which changes in homeostatic synaptic strength and cellular excitability occur are not clear. Although many studies show that 1–2 days of activity block are necessary to trigger increases in excitatory quantal strength, few studies have been able to examine whether these mechanisms actually underlie recovery of network activity. Here, we examine the mechanisms underlying recovery of embryonic motor activity following block of either excitatory GABAergic or glutamatergic inputs in vivo. We find that GABAA receptor blockade triggers fast changes in cellular excitability that occur during the recovery of activity but before changes in synaptic scaling. This increase in cellular excitability is mediated in part by an increase in sodium currents and a reduction in the fast-inactivating and calcium-activated potassium currents. These findings suggest that compensatory changes in cellular excitability, rather than synaptic scaling, contribute to activity recovery. Further, we find a special role for the GABAA receptor in triggering several homeostatic mechanisms after activity perturbations, including changes in cellular excitability and GABAergic and AMPAergic synaptic strength. The temporal difference in expression of homeostatic changes in cellular excitability and synaptic strength suggests that there are multiple mechanisms and pathways engaged to regulate network activity, and that each may have temporally distinct functions.
Photon absorption in regimented quantum dot arrays

A study of the intraband absorption coefficient in cuboid InAs quantum dot periodic nanostructures embedded in GaAs is presented. The miniband structure of electron states in the conduction band is related to the shape of the quantum dots. The effect of strain is also taken into account in the simulations through a previous 8×8 k·p calculation. We analyze the influence on the absorption coefficient on the miniband structure of the systems.
Flexible dv/dt and di/dt control method for insulated gate power switches

Active gate control techniques are introduced in this paper for flexibly and independently controlling the dv/dt and di/dt of insulated-gate power devices during hard-switching events. In the case of dv/dt control, the output voltage dv/dt can be controlled over a wide range by electronically adjusting the effective gate-to-drain (-collector) capacitance (i.e., Miller capacitance). For di/dt control, similar techniques are applied for electronically adjusting the output current di/dt over a wide range using voltage feedback from a small inductor connected in series with the switch's source (emitter) terminal. Both techniques are designed to maximize their compatibility with power module implementations that combine the power switch and its gate drive, including integrated circuit gate drives. Simulation and experimental results are included to verify the desirable performance characteristics of the presented dv/dt and di/dt control techniques.
A summary of the new GINA strategy: a roadmap to asthma control

Over the past 20 years, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has regularly published and annually updated a global strategy for asthma management and prevention that has formed the basis for many national guidelines. However, uptake of existing guidelines is poor. A major revision of the GINA report was published in 2014, and updated in 2015, reflecting an evolving understanding of heterogeneous airways disease, a broader evidence base, increasing interest in targeted treatment, and evidence about effective implementation approaches. During development of the report, the clinical utility of recommendations and strategies for their practical implementation were considered in parallel with the scientific evidence. This article provides a summary of key changes in the GINA report, and their rationale. The changes include a revised asthma definition; tools for assessing symptom control and risk factors for adverse outcomes; expanded indications for inhaled corticosteroid therapy; a framework for targeted treatment based on phenotype, modifiable risk factors, patient preference, and practical issues; optimisation of medication effectiveness by addressing inhaler technique and adherence; revised recommendations about written asthma action plans; diagnosis and initial treatment of the asthma−chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome; diagnosis in wheezing pre-school children; and updated strategies for adaptation and implementation of GINA recommendations. This paper summarises key changes in the GINA global strategy report, a practical new resource for asthma care http://ow.ly/ObvYi
Occupational and leisure time physical activity: risk of all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. A prospective cohort study

Objectives Men with low physical fitness and high occupational physical activity are recently shown to have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. The association between occupational physical activity with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality may also depend on leisure time physical activity. Design A prospective cohort study. Setting The Copenhagen City Heart Study. Participants 7819 men and women aged 25–66 years without a history of cardiovascular disease who attended an initial examination in the Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1976–1978. Outcome measures Myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality. Occupational physical activity was defined by combining information from baseline (1976–1978) with reassessment in 1981–1983. Conventional risk factors were controlled for in Cox analyses. Results During the follow-up from 1976 to 1978 until 2010, 2888 subjects died of all-cause mortality and 787 had a first event of myocardial infarction. Overall, occupational physical activity predicted all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction in men but not in women (test for interaction p=0.02). High occupational physical activity was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among men with low (HR 1.56; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.18) and moderate (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.63) leisure time physical activity but not among men with high leisure time physical activity (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.26) (test for interaction p=0.04). Similar but weaker tendencies were found for myocardial infarction. Among women, occupational physical activity was not associated with subsequent all-cause mortality or myocardial infarction. Conclusions The findings suggest that high occupational physical activity imposes harmful effects particularly among men with low levels of leisure time physical activity.
Growth Inhibition of Candida albicans in the Presence of Antiserum Elicited in Rabbits by Mannan-Protein Conjugate

Abstract Antifungal properties of rabbit antiserum prepared by immunization are reported. The immunization was done by a chemically prepared conjugate consisting of Candida albicans (serotype A) surface mannan and human serum albumin. Addition of rabbit antiserum to d-glucose medium inoculated with C. albicans effectively inhibited its growth. Moreover, C. albicans cells treated with rabbit antiserum revealed the entire loss of viability (expressed as decreased mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity). No growth of treated cells on an agar plate was observed. The results confirmed that the mannan-protein conjugate could be considered as an effective component of perspective vaccine.
Contrasting Roles of the Apoplastic Aspartyl Protease APOPLASTIC, ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1-DEPENDENT1 and LEGUME LECTIN-LIKE PROTEIN1 in Arabidopsis Systemic Acquired Resistance1,2[W]

Proteins accumulating in the apoplast of Arabidopsis during the emission of systemic immune signals include an aspartyl protease that dampens systemic acquired resistance and a legume lectin-like protein that promotes it. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is an inducible immune response that depends on ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1). Here, we show that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) EDS1 is required for both SAR signal generation in primary infected leaves and SAR signal perception in systemic uninfected tissues. In contrast to SAR signal generation, local resistance remains intact in eds1 mutant plants in response to Pseudomonas syringae delivering the effector protein AvrRpm1. We utilized the SAR-specific phenotype of the eds1 mutant to identify new SAR regulatory proteins in plants conditionally expressing AvrRpm1. Comparative proteomic analysis of apoplast-enriched extracts from AvrRpm1-expressing wild-type and eds1 mutant plants led to the identification of 12 APOPLASTIC, EDS1-DEPENDENT (AED) proteins. The genes encoding AED1, a predicted aspartyl protease, and another AED, LEGUME LECTIN-LIKE PROTEIN1 (LLP1), were induced locally and systemically during SAR signaling and locally by salicylic acid (SA) or its functional analog, benzo 1,2,3-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester. Because conditional overaccumulation of AED1-hemagglutinin inhibited SA-induced resistance and SAR but not local resistance, the data suggest that AED1 is part of a homeostatic feedback mechanism regulating systemic immunity. In llp1 mutant plants, SAR was compromised, whereas the local resistance that is normally associated with EDS1 and SA as well as responses to exogenous SA appeared largely unaffected. Together, these data indicate that LLP1 promotes systemic rather than local immunity, possibly in parallel with SA. Our analysis reveals new positive and negative components of SAR and reinforces the notion that SAR represents a distinct phase of plant immunity beyond local resistance.
Performance Analysis of Hospital Managers Using Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS: Iranian Experience

Background and Objectives: Hospitals are complex organizations that require strong and effective management. The success of such organizations depends on the performance of managers. This study provides a comprehensive set of indicators to assess the performance of hospital managers in Iranian Ministry of Health owned hospitals. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study. First, reviewing the literature and using experts’ viewpoints and convening a panel of experts, the dimensions of performance have been selected and came in the form of a performance model. Then, using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), the chosen dimensions were weighted. Finally, based on the weighted performance dimensions, a questionnaire was designed and after confirming the reliability and validity, through a census, 407 senior and middle managers from 10 hospitals in Yazd, Iran completed it and performance of CEOs in these hospitals was evaluated using the Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS). Results: To measure the performance of hospital managers, a performance assessment model consisted of 19 sub-dimensions in 5 main dimensions (Functional, Professional, Organizational, Individual and Human) was developed. The functional area had the most weight and the individual area had the least weight, as well. The hospital managers had different performance levels in each category and sub-dimensions. In terms of overall performance, the hospital managers C and H had the best and the worst performance, respectively. Conclusions: The use of appropriate dimensions for performance, prioritizing them and evaluating the performance of hospital managers using appropriate techniques, can play an effective role in the selection of qualified managers, identifying strengths and weaknesses in performance and continuous improvement of them.
Paradigma Baru Penyuluhan Pembangunan dalam Pemberdayaan Masyarakat

Peran penyuluhan pembangunan mengalami gelombang pasang sesuai dengan kebutuhan dan tuntutannya. Hal itu dipengaruhi oleh paradigma pembangunan yang dianut oleh negara dan komunitas di dalamnya. Kuatnya tuntutan peranserta masyarakat sipil dan pilihan pembangunan yang memihak rakyat, menuntut penyuluhan pembangunan menyesuaikan paradigma keilmuannya yang berorientasi pada sasaran penyuluhan atau pemberdayaan masyarakat sasaran. Pemberdayaan masyarakat tidak lain adalah usaha memotivasi dan memberi dorongan kepada masyarakat agar mampu menggali potensi dirinya dan berani bertindak memperbaiki kualitas hidupnya, melalui cara, antara lain, pendidikan untuk penyadaran dan pemampuan diri mereka. Penyuluhan pembangunan sebagai bidang ilmu terapan, secara metodologis harus menyesuaikan dan mengembangkan prinsip-prinsip dan langkah-langkah teknis-metodologis bagi pengembangan program penyuluhan tersebut.
Adaptation without parameter change: Dynamic gain control in motion detection

Many sensory systems adapt their input-output relationship to changes in the statistics of the ambient stimulus. Such adaptive behavior has been measured in a motion detection sensitive neuron of the fly visual system, H1. The rapid adaptation of the velocity response gain has been interpreted as evidence of optimal matching of the H1 response to the dynamic range of the stimulus, thereby maximizing its information transmission. Here, we show that correlation-type motion detectors, which are commonly thought to underlie fly motion vision, intrinsically possess adaptive properties. Increasing the amplitude of the velocity fluctuations leads to a decrease of the effective gain and the time constant of the velocity response without any change in the parameters of these detectors. The seemingly complex property of this adaptation turns out to be a straightforward consequence of the multidimensionality of the stimulus and the nonlinear nature of the system.
Biophysical model for gamma rhythms in the olfactory bulb via subthreshold oscillations

Gamma oscillations in the olfactory bulb can be produced as an interaction of subthreshold oscillations (STOs) in the mitral cells (MCs) with inhibitory granule cells (GCs). The mechanism does not require that the GCs spike, and we work in a regime in which the MCs fire at rates lower than the fast gamma rhythm they create. The frequency of the network is that of the STOs, allowing the gamma to be modulated in amplitude with only small changes in frequency. Gamma oscillations could also be obtained with spiking GCs, but only for GCs firing close to population rate. Our mechanism differs from the more standard description of the gamma oscillation, in which the the decay time of the inhibitory cells is critical to the frequency of the network.
Granulocytes mediate the increase in pulmonary vascular permeability after thrombin embolism.

We examined the effect of pulmonary embolization with microthrombi on the lung vascular permeability to proteins and the role of platelets and granulocytes as putative cellular factors in mediating the alterations in permeability. Anesthetized artificially ventilated sheep were prepared with lung lymph fistulas. Pulmonary embolization was induced using thrombin. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was increased approximately threefold from baseline. Pulmonary lymph flow (Qlym) increased 2 h after thrombin, but the lymph-to-plasma protein ratio (L/P) did not change significantly from base line. Raising the pulmonary capillary pressure (Pc) by inflating a left atrial balloon produced a large increase in Qlym but no change in L/P, indicating a permeability-increasing effect of thrombin. Reduction of platelet count with antiplatelet serum before thrombin also produced an increase in Qlym without a change in L/P. Raising Pc in this group resulted in changes comparable with those in the control group, i.e., increased Qlym without a change in L/P. In contrast to both control and platelet-depleted groups, reduction of the granulocyte count with hydroxyurea did not affect Qlym or L/P after thrombin. Raising Pc in this group increased Qlym but decreased L/P, indicating normal capillary sieving of proteins. Therefore embolization of pulmonary vessels with microthrombi increases pulmonary vascular permeability, and the increase is mediated by granulocytes.
Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind

Although our physical abilities clearly decline as we age, cognitive decline in healthy old age is neither universal nor inevitable. In Nurturing the Older Brain, Pamela Greenwood and Raja Parasuraman show that scientific research does not support the popular notion of the inexorable and progressive effects of cognitive aging in all older adults. They report that many adults maintain a high level of cognitive function into old age and that certain experiential and lifestyle factors--including education, exercise, diet, and opportunities for new learning--contribute to the preservation of cognitive abilities. Many popular accounts draw similar conclusions and give similar lifestyle advice but lack supporting scientific evidence. Greenwood and Parasuraman offer a comprehensive review of research on cognitive and brain aging. They show that even the aged brain remains capable of plasticity -- the ability to adapt to and benefit from experience -- and they summarize evidence that brain plasticity is heightened by certain types of cognitive training, by aerobic exercise, and by certain diets. They also report on the somewhat controversial use of estrogen and cognition-enhancing drugs, on environmental adaptations (including "virtual assistants") that help older adults "age in place," and on genetic factors in cognitive aging. The past twenty years of research points to ways that older adults can lead rich and cognitively vital lives. As millions of baby boomers head toward old age, Greenwood and Parasuraman's accessible book could not be more timely.
Understanding consumers’ continuance intention towards mobile advertising: a theoretical framework and empirical study

While issues regarding mobile advertising have captured the interest and attention of both practitioners and academics, in practice success stories are rare. An understanding of the continuance intention to use such services can provide insights into failed mobile marketing campaigns, and help to improve the implementation of future ones. Therefore, it is important to examine the underlying drivers of loyalty with regard to mobile advertising. This study uses the expectation–confirmation model in conjunction with the perspectives of value and trust to derive an integrated model to better understand the motivations behind consumers’ continued use of mobile advertising. We conducted an empirical study consisting of an online survey of 508 consumers who had experience with mobile advertising. The results show that perceived value, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction all directly influence continuance intention. Furthermore, consumer satisfaction has a crucial intervening role in the relationships that perceived value, perceived usefulness, and confirmation have with continuance intention. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. One key limitation of this research is that the majority of respondents were students, although this group is the chief user of mobile advertising. Future research could be extended to consider other drivers of loyalty in this context, such as cultural differences and personal behavioural characteristics.
Investigation of Sex Differences In sIgA Response to the Trier Social Stress Test

Acute stressors can activate the immune system. While many immune system diseases disproportionally affect women, sex differences in adaptive immune response to acute, psychosocial stressors remain to be investigated. The present study tested the hypothesis that female participants experience increased immune response to acute psychosocial stress relative to male participants. Salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) was assessed before and after the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and at two time points during a recovery period in healthy male (n = 25) and female (n = 24) participants. Exposure to the TSST resulted in significantly increased sIgA that returned to baseline during a subsequent recovery period. Baseline sIgA was higher among women, however, no differences between men and women in response to or recovery from the stressor were observed in the present study. This research describes an initial investigation of sex differences in immune response to acute psychosocial stressors and demonstrates similarity in sIgA response among male and female participants. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.