Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Whole blood manganese concentrations in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts.

BACKGROUND Manganese (Mn) is an essential mineral that is a cofactor for many enzymes required in the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Because hepatic clearance is essential in Mn homeostasis, conditions in humans resulting in hepatic insufficiency including cirrhosis and both acquired and congenital portosystemic shunting have been reported to result in increased blood Mn concentrations and increased Mn content in the central nervous system. Because Mn toxicity causes neurologic disturbances, increased Mn concentrations have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. HYPOTHESES Dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts (cPSS) have significantly higher whole blood Mn concentrations than do healthy dogs or those with nonhepatic illnesses. ANIMALS Eighteen dogs with cPSS, 26 dogs with nonhepatic illnesses, and 14 healthy dogs. METHODS Whole blood Mn was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The diagnosis of cPSS was made by ultrasonography or during celiotomy either by visual inspection of a shunting vessel or portovenography. RESULTS Dogs with a cPSS had significantly higher whole blood Mn concentrations than did healthy dogs and dogs with nonhepatic illnesses. Whole blood Mn concentrations were not significantly different between healthy dogs and dogs with non-hepatic illnesses. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Dogs with a cPSS have significantly increased whole blood Mn concentrations. Additional studies are warranted to investigate the role of Mn in cPSS-associated hepatic encephalopathy.
USA300 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (USA300 MRSA) colonization and the risk of MRSA infection in residents of extended-care facilities

SUMMARY To examine the pathogenesis of USA300 MRSA infection in long-term care residents, we performed a retrospective cohort study of 1691 adult residents of two extended-care facilities from 2003 to 2007 to assess whether the risk of subsequent MRSA infection is higher in USA300 MRSA-colonized residents compared to non-colonized residents or non-USA300 MRSA colonized residents. Six per cent of residents were colonized with USA300 MRSA; 12% of residents were colonized with non-USA300 MRSA; and 101 residents developed MRSA infection. The risk of infection was twofold higher in residents colonized with USA300 MRSA compared to residents not colonized with MRSA [adjusted hazard ratio 2·3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·1–4·5]. The risk of infection in USA300 MRSA-colonized residents was similar to USA300 MRSA non-colonized residents (relative risk 1·1, 95% CI 0·5–2·3). Our findings show that colonization with USA300 MRSA increases the risk of MRSA infection suggesting a similar pathogenesis.
Complementary Roles of the Classical and Lectin Complement Pathways in the Defense against Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus infections are associated with a high mortality rate for immunocompromised patients. The complement system is considered to be important in protection against this fungus, yet the course of activation is unclear. The aim of this study was to unravel the role of the classical, lectin, and alternative pathways under both immunocompetent and immunocompromised conditions to provide a relevant dual-perspective on the response against A. fumigatus. Conidia (spores) from a clinical isolate of A. fumigatus were combined with various human serum types (including serum deficient of various complement components and serum from umbilical cord blood). We also combined this with inhibitors against C1q, mannose-binding lectin (MBL), and ficolin-2 before complement activation products and phagocytosis were detected by flow cytometry. Our results showed that alternative pathway amplified complement on A. fumigatus, but required classical and/or lectin pathway for initiation. In normal human serum, this initiation came primarily from the classical pathway. However, with a dysfunctional classical pathway (C1q-deficient serum), lectin pathway activated complement and mediated opsonophagocytosis through MBL. To model the antibody-decline in a compromised immune system, we used serum from normal umbilical cords and found MBL to be the key complement initiator. In another set of experiments, serum from patients with different kinds of immunoglobulin insufficiencies showed that the MBL lectin pathway contribution was highest in the samples with the lowest IgG/IgM binding. In conclusion, lectin pathway appears to be the primary route of complement activation in the absence of anti-A. fumigatus antibodies, whereas in a balanced immune state classical pathway is the main activator. This suggests a crucial role for the lectin pathway in innate immune protection against A. fumigatus in immunocompromised patients.
An experimental investigation of set intersection algorithms for text searching

The intersection of large ordered sets is a common problem in the context of the evaluation of boolean queries to a search engine. In this article, we propose several improved algorithms for computing the intersection of sorted arrays, and in particular for searching sorted arrays in the intersection context. We perform an experimental comparison with the algorithms from the previous studies from Demaine, López-Ortiz, and Munro [ALENEX 2001] and from Baeza-Yates and Salinger [SPIRE 2005]; in addition, we implement and test the intersection algorithm from Barbay and Kenyon [SODA 2002] and its randomized variant [SAGA 2003]. We consider both the random data set from Baeza-Yates and Salinger, the Google queries used by Demaine et al., a corpus provided by Google, and a larger corpus from the TREC Terabyte 2006 efficiency query stream, along with its own query log. We measure the performance both in terms of the number of comparisons and searches performed, and in terms of the CPU time on two different architectures. Our results confirm or improve the results from both previous studies in their respective context (comparison model on real data, and CPU measures on random data) and extend them to new contexts. In particular, we show that value-based search algorithms perform well in posting lists in terms of the number of comparisons performed.
Direct classification of all American English phonemes using signals from functional speech motor cortex

Objective. Although brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) can be used in several different ways to restore communication, communicative BCI has not approached the rate or efficiency of natural human speech. Electrocorticography (ECoG) has precise spatiotemporal resolution that enables recording of brain activity distributed over a wide area of cortex, such as during speech production. In this study, we sought to decode elements of speech production using ECoG. Approach. We investigated words that contain the entire set of phonemes in the general American accent using ECoG with four subjects. Using a linear classifier, we evaluated the degree to which individual phonemes within each word could be correctly identified from cortical signal. Main results. We classified phonemes with up to 36% accuracy when classifying all phonemes and up to 63% accuracy for a single phoneme. Further, misclassified phonemes follow articulation organization described in phonology literature, aiding classification of whole words. Precise temporal alignment to phoneme onset was crucial for classification success. Significance. We identified specific spatiotemporal features that aid classification, which could guide future applications. Word identification was equivalent to information transfer rates as high as 3.0 bits s−1 (33.6 words min−1), supporting pursuit of speech articulation for BCI control.
Racial disparities in preterm birth: an overview of the potential role of nutrient deficiencies

Objective. To give an overview of the literature for evidence of nutrient deficiencies as contributors to the disparity in preterm birth (PTB) between African‐American and Caucasian women. Design. Structured literature survey. Methods. We searched MEDLINE to identify observational and experimental studies that evaluated the relation between nutrient intake and/or supplementation and PTB. For nutrients for which studies supported an association, we searched MEDLINE for studies of the prevalence of deficiency in the USA by race. Main Outcome Measures. Summarized findings on nutrients for which there is both evidence of a role in PTB and variability in the prevalence of deficiency by race. Results. Nutrient deficiencies for which there are varying levels of evidence for an association with PTB and a greater burden among African‐American compared with Caucasian women include deficiencies of iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin D, calcium and magnesium, and imbalance of ω‐3 and ω‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. There are inadequate high‐quality studies that investigate the role of nutrient deficiencies in PTB, their potential interaction with other risks, the proportion of excess risk for which they account, and whether supplementation can reduce the risk of, and racial disparities in, PTB in US populations. Conclusion. Deficiencies of several nutrients have varying levels of evidence of association with PTB and are of greater burden among African‐American compared with Caucasian women. Although further research is needed, strategies that improve the nutritional status of African‐American women may be a means of addressing a portion of the racial disparity in PTB.
Distance-Based Configurational Entropy of Proteins from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Estimation of configurational entropy from molecular dynamics trajectories is a difficult task which is often performed using quasi-harmonic or histogram analysis. An entirely different approach, proposed recently, estimates local density distribution around each conformational sample by measuring the distance from its nearest neighbors. In this work we show this theoretically well grounded the method can be easily applied to estimate the entropy from conformational sampling. We consider a set of systems that are representative of important biomolecular processes. In particular: reference entropies for amino acids in unfolded proteins are obtained from a database of residues not participating in secondary structure elements; the conformational entropy of folding of β2-microglobulin is computed from molecular dynamics simulations using reference entropies for the unfolded state; backbone conformational entropy is computed from molecular dynamics simulations of four different states of the EPAC protein and compared with order parameters (often used as a measure of entropy); the conformational and rototranslational entropy of binding is computed from simulations of 20 tripeptides bound to the peptide binding protein OppA and of β2-microglobulin bound to a citrate coated gold surface. This work shows the potential of the method in the most representative biological processes involving proteins, and provides a valuable alternative, principally in the shown cases, where other approaches are problematic.
Analysis of learners’ behaviors and learning outcomes in a massive open online course

This paper introduces a massive open online course (MOOC) on educational technology, and studies the factors that may influence learners’ participation and performance in the MOOC. Students’ learning records captured in the course management system and students’ feedback collected from a questionnaire survey are explored. Regression analysis is adopted to examine the correlation among perceived learning experience, learning activities and learning outcomes; data mining is applied to optimize the correlation models. The findings suggest that learners’ perceived usefulness rather than perceived ease of use of the MOOC, positively influences learners’ use of the system, and consequentially, the learning outcome. In addition, learners’ previous MOOC experience is not found to have a significant impact on their learning behavior and learning outcome in general. However, the performance of less active learners is found to be influenced by their prior MOOC experience. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel. 2014.06. 019
An analytical method for MMSE MIMO turbo equalizer EXIT chart computation

A frequency domain soft-interference canceling minimum mean-square error (MMSE) turbo equalizer is studied. A computationally efficient method for computing extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) function of the equalizer is proposed. The method is based on the Gaussian approximation for the equalizer output and it produces an approximate EXIT chart in a fraction of computational load compared to previous numerical methods. The accuracy of the method is verified for both single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) channels
Serum chemerin levels are associated with the presence and extent of coronary artery disease

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine whether serum chemerin levels are associated with the presence and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and methodsA total of 132 patients with CAD and 56 patients without CAD who underwent coronary angiography for the evaluation of CAD were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of chemerin were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ResultsSerum chemerin levels were significantly elevated in CAD patients compared with those without CAD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum chemerin levels were significantly associated with the presence of CAD. In CAD patients, chemerin was positively correlated with BMI (r=0.274, P=0.001) and triglycerides (r=0.190, P=0.029), and yet correlated with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r=0.228, P=0.008); the association of chemerin with triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol remained significant after adjusting for BMI (P<0.05 and P<0.01). At multiple stepwise regression analysis, serum chemerin levels were an independent predictor of the stenosis score (&bgr;=0.193, P=0.034). ConclusionOur data suggest that increased chemerin levels are associated with the presence of CAD and that serum chemerin levels may reflect the extent of coronary atherosclerosis.
Early versus Deferred Treatment for Smoldering Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials

Purpose Whether patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) needed to receive early interventional treatment remains controversial. Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of early treatment over deferred treatment for patients with SMM. Methods MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched to May 2014 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effect of early treatment over deferred treatment. Primary outcome measure was mortality, and secondary outcome measures were progression, response rate, and adverse events. Results Overall, 5 trials including 449 patients were identified. There was a markedly reduced risk of disease progression with early treatment (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.07 to 0.24). There were no significant differences in mortality and response rate (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.45 to 1.60, and OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.32 to 1.23, respectively). More patients in the early treatment arm experienced gastrointestinal toxicities (OR = 10.02, 95%CI = 4.32 to 23.23), constipation (OR = 8.58, 95%CI = 3.20 to 23.00) and fatigue or asthenia (OR = 2.72, 95%CI = 1.30 to 5.67). No significant differences were seen with the development of acute leukemia (OR = 2.80, 95%CI = 0.42 to 18.81), hematologic cancer (OR = 2.07, 95%CI = 0.43 to 10.01), second primary tumors (OR = 3.45, 95%CI = 0.81 to 14.68), nor vertebral compression (OR = 0.18, 95%CI = 0.02 to 1.59). Conclusions Early treatment delayed disease progression but increased the risk of gastrointestinal toxicities, constipation and fatigue or asthenia. The differences on vertebral compression, acute leukemia, hematological cancer and second primary tumors were not statistically significant. Based on the current evidence, early treatment didn’t significantly affect mortality and response rate. However, further much larger trials were needed to provide more evidence.
Neural Mechanisms of Age-Related Slowing: The ΔCBF/ΔCMRO2 Ratio Mediates Age-Differences in BOLD Signal and Human Performance

The precise mechanisms that give rise to the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activation differences that accompany age-related cognitive slowing remain fundamentally unknown. We sought to isolate the origin of age-related BOLD changes by comparing blood-flow and oxygen-metabolic constituents of the BOLD response using dual-echo arterial spin labeling during visual stimulation and CO2 ingestion. We hypothesized, and our results confirmed, that age-related changes in the ratio of fractional cerebral blood flow to fractional cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (ΔCBF/ΔCMRO2) lead to the BOLD changes that are observed in older adults. ΔCBF/ΔCMRO2 was also significantly related to performance, suggesting that age-related cognitive slowing results from neural cell assemblies that operate less efficiently, requiring greater oxygen metabolism that is not matched by blood-flow changes relative to younger adults. Age-related changes in ΔCBF/ΔCMRO2 are sufficient to explain variations in BOLD responding and performance cited throughout the literature, assuming no bias based on physiological baseline CMRO2.
Some factors in the decline of AIDS in Uganda

The fight against AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is in its second decade and has not been won because of the regions low levels of social and economic development. Since no vaccine or cure for AIDS seems likely in the near future change in sexual behaviour remains the only control mechanism. Studies of six districts of Uganda conducted between 1992 and 1995 investigated the situation and found that despite the lack of a cure the epidemic is steadily declining in Uganda. The observed decline is due to a combination of factors including AIDS awareness and fear favourable change in sexual behaviour and marriage patterns and positive attitudes towards HIV testing. More intensive AIDS awareness programs should be conducted to sustain the observed trend. (authors)
Selective immunoreactivities of kidney basement membranes to monoclonal antibodies against laminin: localization of the end of the long arm and the short arms to discrete microdomains

To examine the ultrastructural distribution of laminin within kidney basement membranes, we prepared rat anti-mouse laminin mAbs to use in immunolocalization experiments. Epitope domains for these mAbs were established by immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, affinity chromatography, and rotary shadow EM. One mAb bound to the laminin A and B chains on blots and was located to a site approximately 15 nm from the long arm-terminal globular domain as shown by rotary shadowing. Conjugates of this long arm-specific mAb were coupled to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and intravenously injected into mice. Kidney cortices were fixed for microscopy 3 h after injection. HRP reaction product was localized irregularly within the renal glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and throughout mesangial matrices. In addition, this mAb bound in linear patterns specifically to the laminae rarae of basement membranes of Bowman's capsule and proximal tubule. This indicates the presence of the long arm immediately beneath epithelial cells in these sites. The laminae densae of these basement membranes were negative by this protocol. In contrast, the lamina rara and densa of distal tubular basement membranes (TBM) were both heavily labeled with this mAb. A different ultrastructural binding pattern was seen with eight other mAbs, including two that mapped to different sites on the short arms by rotary shadowing and five that blotted to a large pepsin-resistant laminin fragment (P1). These latter mAbs bound weakly or not at all to GBM but all bound throughout mesangial matrices. In contrast, discrete spots of HRP reaction product were seen across all layers of Bowman's capsule BM and proximal TBM. These same mAbs, however, bound densely across the full width of distal TBM. Our findings therefore show that separate strata of different basement membranes are variably immunoreactive to these laminin mAbs. The molecular orientation or integration of laminin into the three dimensional BM meshwork therefore varies with location. Alternatively, there may be a family of distinct laminin-like molecules distributed within basement membranes.
Diferencias de género en los factores asociados al ahorro de los hogares en México

Unlike studies that analyze savings assuming a single type of household, this paper focuses on differences in the savings decisions of households with female and male headship in Mexico. The results of the Tobit model show that the factors affecting savings are different between the two. Educational attainment (primary and secondary school) and government supports affect the savings rates of female-headed but not male–headed households. The study confirms the negative link between hours spent on domestic work and the savings rates of women-headed households.
Exact method for the error probability calculation of three-dimensional signal constellations

The contribution of this letter is the computation of exact symbol error probability (SEP) of three-dimensional (3-D) signal constellations over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. The originality of the proposed method is that it can be applied to any arbitrary 3-D constellation whose decision regions may not meet at right angles. We express the SEP in a triple integral form which is further simplified. The simplified form requires a single integral evaluation of standard "erf" function. Using the derived exact SEP formula, we plot SEP for a number of selected 3-D constellations. The SEP obtained using the proposed formula is validated by simulation results. It is also compared with the union bound approximation, an upper bound for SEP.
Exploring the Syntactic Abilities of RNNs with Multi-task Learning

Recent work has explored the syntactic abilities of RNNs using the subject-verb agreement task, which diagnoses sensitivity to sentence structure. RNNs performed this task well in common cases, but faltered in complex sentences (Linzen et al., 2016). We test whether these errors are due to inherent limitations of the architecture or to the relatively indirect supervision provided by most agreement dependencies in a corpus. We trained a single RNN to perform both the agreement task and an additional task, either CCG supertagging or language modeling. Multi-task training led to significantly lower error rates, in particular on complex sentences, suggesting that RNNs have the ability to evolve more sophisticated syntactic representations than shown before. We also show that easily available agreement training data can improve performance on other syntactic tasks, in particular when only a limited amount of training data is available for those tasks. The multi-task paradigm can also be leveraged to inject grammatical knowledge into language models.