Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
State-Level Progress in Reducing the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, United States, 1999-2013

Objectives To assess state-level progress on eliminating racial disparities in infant mortality. Methods Using linked infant birth-death files from 1999 to 2013, we calculated state-level 3-year rolling average infant mortality rates (IMRs) and Black-White IMR ratios. We also calculated percentage improvement and a projected year for achieving equality if current trend lines are sustained. Results We found substantial state-level variation in Black IMRs (range = 6.6-13.8) and Black-White rate ratios (1.5-2.7), and also in percentage relative improvement in IMR (range = 2.7% to 36.5% improvement) and in Black-White rate ratios (from 11.7% relative worsening to 24.0% improvement). Thirteen states achieved statistically significant reductions in Black-White IMR disparities. Eliminating the Black-White IMR gap would have saved 64 876 babies during these 15 years. Eighteen states would achieve IMR racial equality by the year 2050 if current trends are sustained. Conclusions States are achieving varying levels of progress in reducing Black infant mortality and Black-White IMR disparities. Public Health Implications Racial equality in infant survival is achievable, but will require shifting our focus to determinants of progress and strategies for success.
Non-attendance at general practices and outpatient clinics

“Non-attendance at NHS outpatient clinics and at general practices is more common in deprived populations. It results from the organisation of these services, which currently puts the needs of staff before those of patients. Discuss. ” Proposing this debate at your next management away day should enliven proceedings. What evidence exists for the various parts of the statement? The national figure of 12% for non-attendance at outpatient clinics in the United Kingdom hides large variations between specialties and between regions. Studies report figures that range from 5% to 34%. 1 2 Much less research has been done on non-attendance in general practices, though figures of 3% and 6.5% have been reported. The first figure comes from an unpublished doctor-patient partnership survey in 1998 and an unpublished survey (by WH) of 500 non-attenders in Exeter. The higher figure is from a study of 221 000 appointments in practices in Sheffield.3 Different methods have been used to assess deprivation, such as extrapolation from postcode data, information from interviews or postal questionnaires, and validated indices of deprivation.4– …
Comparative toxicity of eight oil dispersants, Louisiana sweet crude oil (LSC), and chemically dispersed LSC to two aquatic test species

The present study describes the acute toxicity of eight commercial oil dispersants, South Louisiana sweet crude oil (LSC), and chemically dispersed LSC. The approach used consistent test methodologies within a single laboratory in assessing the relative acute toxicity of the eight dispersants, including Corexit 9500A, the predominant dispersant applied during the DeepWater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Static acute toxicity tests were performed using two Gulf of Mexico estuarine test species, the mysid shrimp (Americamysis bahia) and the inland silversides (Menidia beryllina). Dispersant‐only test solutions were prepared with high‐energy mixing, whereas water‐accommodated fractions of LSC and chemically dispersed LSC were prepared with moderate energy followed by settling and testing of the aqueous phase. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values for the dispersant‐only tests were calculated using nominal concentrations, whereas tests conducted with LSC alone and dispersed LSC were based on measured total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations. For all eight dispersants in both test species, the dispersants alone were less toxic (LC50s: 2.9 to >5,600 µl/L) than the dispersant–LSC mixtures (0.4–13 mg TPH/L). Louisiana sweet crude oil alone had generally similar toxicity to A. bahia (LC50: 2.7 mg TPH/L) and M. beryllina (LC50: 3.5 mg TPH/L) as the dispersant–LSC mixtures. The results of the present study indicate that Corexit 9500A had generally similar toxicity to other available dispersants when tested alone but was generally less toxic as a mixture with LSC. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2244–2252. © 2011 SETAC
Two Transporters Essential for Reassimilation of Novel Cholate Metabolites by Rhodococcus jostii RHA1

ABSTRACT The bacterial uptake of steroids and their metabolites remains poorly understood. We investigated two transporters associated with cholate catabolism in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Reverse transcriptase quantitative-PCR indicated that an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter and a major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter were upregulated 16.7- and 174-fold, respectively, during the exponential phase of growth on cholate compared to growth on pyruvate. Gene knockout analysis established that these transporters are required for the reassimilation of distinct metabolites that accumulate during growth on cholate. The ABC transporter, encoded by camABCD, was essential for uptake of 1β(2′-propanoate)-3aα-H-4α(3″(R)-hydroxy-3″-propanoate)-7aβ-methylhexahydro-5-indanone and a desaturated analog. The MFS transporter, encoded by camM, was essential for uptake of 3,7(R),12(S)-trihydroxy-9-oxo-9,10-seco-23,24-bisnorchola-1,3,5(10)-trien-22-oate. These metabolites differ from cholate metabolites reported to be excreted by proteobacteria in that they retain an isopropanoyl side chain at C-17. The uptake of these metabolites was necessary for maximal growth on cholate: a ΔcamB mutant lacking the permease component of the ABC transporter and a ΔcamM mutant lacking the MFS transporter grew to 74% and 77%, respectively, of the yield of the wild type. This study demonstrates for the first time the requirement for specific transporters for uptake of cholate metabolites and highlights the importance and complexity of transport processes associated with bacterial steroid catabolism.
Factors affecting aggregated search coherence and search behavior

Aggregated search is the task of incorporating results from different search services, or verticals, into the web search results. Aggregated search coherence refers to the extent to which results from different sources focus on similar senses of a given query. Prior research investigated aggregated search coherence between images and web results. A user study showed that users are more likely to interact with the web results when the images are more consistent with the intended query-sense. We build upon this work and address three outstanding research questions about aggregated search coherence: (1) Does the same "spill-over" effect generalize to other verticals besides images? (2) Is the effect stronger when the vertical results include image thumbnails? and (3) What factors influence if and when a spill-over occurs from a user's perspective? We investigate these questions using a large-scale crowdsourcing study and a smaller-scale laboratory study. Results suggest that the spill-over effect occurs for some verticals (images, shopping, video), but not others (news), and that including thumbnails in the vertical results has little effect. Qualitative data from our laboratory study provides insights about participants' actions and thought-processes when faced with (in)coherent results.
System xc‐ cystine/glutamate antiporter: an update on molecular pharmacology and roles within the CNS

System xc‐ is an amino acid antiporter that typically mediates the exchange of extracellular l‐cystine and intracellular l‐glutamate across the cellular plasma membrane. Studied in a variety of cell types, the import of l‐cystine through this transporter is critical to glutathione production and oxidative protection. The exchange‐mediated export of l‐glutamate takes on added significance within the CNS, as it represents a non‐vesicular route of release through which this excitatory neurotransmitter can participate in either neuronal signalling or excitotoxic pathology. When both the import of l‐cystine and the export of l‐glutamate are taken into consideration, system xc‐ has now been linked to a wide range of CNS functions, including oxidative protection, the operation of the blood–brain barrier, neurotransmitter release, synaptic organization, viral pathology, drug addiction, chemosensitivity and chemoresistance, and brain tumour growth. The ability to selectively manipulate system xc‐, delineate its function, probe its structure and evaluate it as a therapeutic target is closely linked to understanding its pharmacology and the subsequent development of selective inhibitors and substrates. Towards that goal, this review will examine the current status of our understanding of system xc‐ pharmacology and the structure–activity relationships that have guided the development of an initial pharmacophore model, including the presence of lipophilic domains adjacent to the substrate binding site. A special emphasis is placed on the roles of system xc‐ within the CNS, as it is these actions that are among the most exciting as potential long‐range therapeutic targets.
Dengue virus antibodies in blood donors from an endemic area

We evaluated the incidence of anti‐Dengue virus (DENV) antibodies and dengue viremia in a region of Mexico with a high prevalence of dengue. DENV is the most important arthropod‐borne virus in terms of human morbidity and mortality in America We tested 800 blood donors from a tertiary care teaching hospital that provides care in Northeast Mexico, to identify anti‐DENV IgM and IgG antibodies by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and DENV genome by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In addition, routine tests for donors including Brucella, Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL), HIV‐1 and HBsAg identification were performed. We found that 59% of donors were reactive for anti‐DENV IgG and none of them had reported recent DENV infection; however, 16 (2%) were reactive for anti‐DENV IgM antibodies. None of them were viremic at the time of donation. Routine tests showed that the prevalence of anti‐Brucella was 0.71%, anti‐HCV 0.71%, anti‐HIV‐1‐2 0.14%, HBsAg 0.14% and VDRL test 0.57%. Although DENV transmission by blood transfusion had not been confirmed in Mexico, the finding of a high prevalence of anti‐DENV IgM‐positive donors with asymptomatic manifestations and the recent viremia reported in blood donors suggests that this route of transmission might be possible.
Cytosinium hydrogen selenite

In the crystal structure of the title salt, C4H6N3O+·HSeO3 −, systematic name 6-amino-2-methylidene-2,3-dihydropyrimidin-1-ium hydrogen selenite, the hydrogenselenite anions and the cytosinium cations are linked via N—H⋯O, N—H⋯Se, O—H⋯O, O—H··Se and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional framework.
A quantitative model to predict the Egyptian ERP implementation success index

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a quantitative model which helps enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementers in Egypt to predict their implementation success as a function of achieved critical success factors and the organizational culture.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework is formulated and operationalized based on existing literature and a series of interviews with key persons involved in ERP implementation in Egypt. A cross‐sectional survey involving 45 ERP implementers is conducted to collect data used to fit the developed model.Findings – Half the surveyed ERP implementations are considered failures according to the research success metrics. While the critical success factors positively contribute to the success of an ERP implementation, the Egyptian organizational culture hinders its progress. The concept of integration provided by ERP systems is considered relatively new to the Egyptian organizations.Research limitations/implications – The surveyed sample siz.
Epigenetic regulation of microRNAs in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PURPOSE To identify microRNAs (miRNAs) epigenetically regulated in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS We first examined ALL-derived cell lines for the presence of abnormal levels of two different histone modifications (trimethylation of H3 lysine 4 [K4H3me3] and dimethylation of H3 lysine 9 [K9H3me2]) in the 5'UTR regions around CpG islands of 78 miRNAs by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-on-ChIP analysis. Methylation status (methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) and expression (quantitative PCR) of miRNAs showing a pattern of histone modifications linked to a closed chromatin structure were analyzed in a panel of six ALL cell lines and in 353 ALL patients. RESULTS CpG islands around 13 miRNAs disclosed high levels of K9H3me2 and/or low levels of K4H3me3, a pattern of histone modifications underlying a closed chromatin structure associated with repressive gene expression. Complete consistency in the correlation between both histone marks, the presence of DNA methylation around these miRNAs, and their expression patterns was confirmed in the six ALL cell lines. Treatment with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine upregulated the expression levels of these genes, suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms deregulate the expression of these miRNAs. A total of 65% of the ALL samples had at least one miRNA methylated (methylated group). Estimated disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) at 14 years were 78% and 71% for nonmethylated patients and 24% and 28% for methylated patients (P = .00001 for both). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that methylation profile was an independent prognostic factor for predicting DFS (P = .0001) and OS (P = .0001). CONCLUSION Aberrant miRNA methylation is a common phenomenon in ALL that affects the clinical outcome of these patients.
Depression is More Than Just Sadness: A Case of Excessive Anger and Its Management in Depression

People with depressive illness often have symptoms of overt or suppressed anger. Those with anger traits face exaggerated problem during symptomatic period of depression. Pharmacological management helps in control of depressive and anxiety symptoms, but rarely address anger symptoms. Non-pharmacological management like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in depression as well as in anger management, but is not used frequently in anger associated or exacerbated by depression. We present the case of a 27-year-old male suffering from moderate depressive episode with associated anger outburst. He underwent CBT, which resulted in a significant decrease in anger symptoms as well as in severity of depression.
Evaluating abdominal core muscle fatigue: Assessment of the validity and reliability of the prone bridging test

The aims of this study were to research the amplitude and median frequency characteristics of selected abdominal, back, and hip muscles of healthy subjects during a prone bridging endurance test, based on surface electromyography (sEMG), (a) to determine if the prone bridging test is a valid field test to measure abdominal muscle fatigue, and (b) to evaluate if the current method of administrating the prone bridging test is reliable. Thirty healthy subjects participated in this experiment. The sEMG activity of seven abdominal, back, and hip muscles was bilaterally measured. Normalized median frequencies were computed from the EMG power spectra. The prone bridging tests were repeated on separate days to evaluate inter and intratester reliability. Significant differences in normalized median frequency slope (NMFslope) values between several abdominal, back, and hip muscles could be demonstrated. Moderate‐to‐high correlation coefficients were shown between NMFslope values and endurance time. Multiple backward linear regression revealed that the test endurance time could only be significantly predicted by the NMFslope of the rectus abdominis. Statistical analysis showed excellent reliability (ICC=0.87‐0.89). The findings of this study support the validity and reliability of the prone bridging test for evaluating abdominal muscle fatigue.
Genetic variation of CYP3A5 influences paclitaxel/carboplatin‐induced toxicity in Chinese epithelial ovarian cancer patients

Combination chemotherapy with platinum and taxane is the first‐line treatment for ovarian cancer. The dose‐limiting toxicities of these drugs include neuropathy, leukopenia, and neutropenia, but they exhibit substantial interindividual variability. This study investigated the relationship between CYP3A5 polymorphisms and paclitaxel/carboplatin‐induced toxicity in Chinese epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Seventy‐five patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were recruited. After combination chemotherapy, genotype analysis was conducted, and toxic effects were evaluated according to the Common Toxicity Criteria. A significant association was found between myelosuppression and the CYP3A5*3 genotype. CYP3A5*3/*1 patients showed a significantly higher risk of developing leukopenia (P < .001; Pearson's χ2 test) and neutropenia (P < .001; Pearson's χ2 test) than CYP3A5*3*3 patients. CYP3A5*3/*3 patients had significantly higher median leukocyte and neutrophil nadir counts than CYP3A5*3*1 patients (P < .001, Mann–Whitney U test). However, we did not observe an association between neuropathy and CYP3A5*3 in this study (P =.64; Pearson's χ2 test). This is the first study to verify the influence of CYP3A5 polymorphisms on paclitaxel/carboplatin‐induced toxicity in Chinese epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Our findings suggest that interindividual variability in paclitaxel/carboplatin‐induced myelosuppression can be predicted by CYP3A5*3 genotyping and that incorporation of CYP3A5*3 genetic data in treatment selection could help to reduce myelosuppression events, thereby individualizing paclitaxel/carboplatin pharmacotherapy.
Phenological, Nutritional and Molecular Diversity Assessment among 35 Introduced Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Genotypes Grown in Saudi Arabia

Morphological, nutritional and molecular analyses were carried out to assess genetic diversity among 35 introduced lentil genotypes (Lens culinaris Medik.). The genotypes exhibited significant differences for their field parameters and some of them showed noticeable superiority. The nutritional and proximate analysis showed that some genotypes were excellent sources of proteins, essential amino acids, minerals, anti-oxidants, total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) and hence, highlights lentil nutritional and medicinal potential. Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and amplified fragments length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to estimate the genetic variability at the molecular level. The existence of a considerable amount of genetic diversity among the tested lentil genotypes was also proven at the molecular level. A total of 2894 polymorphic SRAP and 1625 AFLP loci were successfully amplified using six SRAP and four AFLP primer pair combinations. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values for SRAP and AFLP markers were higher than 0.8, indicating the power and higher resolution of those marker systems in detecting molecular diversity. UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average) cluster analysis based on molecular data revealed large number of sub clusters among genotypes, indicating high diversity levels. The data presented here showed that FLIP2009-64L and FLIP2009-69L could be used as a significant source of yield, total protein, essential amino acids, and antioxidant properties. The results suggest potential lentil cultivation in the central region of Saudi Arabia for its nutritional and medicinal properties, as well as sustainable soil fertility crop.
Improved Survival in Rhesus Macaques Immunized with Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Recombinants Expressing Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Envelope Correlates with Reduction in Memory CD4+ T-Cell Loss and Higher Titers of Neutralizing Antibody

ABSTRACT Previous studies demonstrated that immunization of macaques with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag-Pol and Env recombinants of the attenuated poxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) provided protection from high viremia and AIDS following challenge with a pathogenic strain of SIV. Although all animals became infected, plasma viremia was significantly reduced in animals that received the MVA-SIV recombinant vaccines compared with animals that received nonrecombinant MVA. Most importantly, the reduction in viremia resulted in a significant increase in median and cumulative survival. Continued analysis of these animals over the subsequent 9 years has shown that they maintain a survival advantage, although all but two of the macaques have progressed to AIDS. Importantly, improved survival correlated with preservation of memory CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood. The greatest survival advantage was observed in macaques immunized with regimens containing SIV Env, and the titer of neutralizing antibodies to the challenge virus prior to or shortly following challenge correlated with preservation of CD4+ T cells. These data are consistent with a role for neutralizing antibodies in nonsterilizing protection from high viremia and associated memory CD4+ T-cell loss.
High Frequency Trading

High Frequency Trading (HFT) became prominent after the ”Flash Crash“ in the U.S. on the 6th of May, 2010. During the “Flash Crash” the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged about 9% within 20 minutes, drawing attention of the public, regulators, and academia towards HFT (SEC, 2010). Furthermore, the recent financial crisis leads to the fundamental question of whether financial markets in general, and HFT in specific, are serving the real economy. Unfortunately, much of the public discussion referred more to generalizations instead of profound academic results, drawing a blurred image onto HFT. This also resulted in the undistinguished usage of key terminologies commonly used in the field of electronic trading. In our article, we help to lessen these deficits by drawing a distinct picture of how HFT is designed both from a trading strategy perspective and a technological perspective and how it operates in today’s financial markets. In the first section we will give an overview of the terms Algorithmic Trading and HFT and the business model behind HFT by outlining strategies employed by High Frequency Traders (HFTs) on financial markets. By presenting recent research findings, the third section discusses whether HFT is beneficial to market quality and the section gives an overview on recent regulatory initiatives concerning this concept. Thereafter, technological aspects of this highly demanding business model will be elaborated by discussing three important technological factors in the HFT context: latency, protocols and text mining. Concluding remarks are given in the last section. 2. BACKGROUND