Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Models to Predict Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Patients With Cancer Undergoing Systemic Anticancer Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose Most patients with cancer are not screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection before undergoing anticancer therapy, and optimal screening strategies are unknown. We sought to develop selective HBV screening strategies for patients who require systemic anticancer therapy. Methods This prospective cohort study included adults age ≥ 18 years with solid or hematologic malignancies who received systemic anticancer therapy at a comprehensive cancer center during 2013 and 2014. Patients underwent hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody, and hepatitis B surface antibody testing, and completed a 19-question modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HBV survey. Multivariable models that predict chronic or past HBV infection were developed and validated using bootstrapping. Results A total of 2,124 patients (mean age, 58 ± 13 years) completed the risk survey and HBV testing. Of these, 54% were women; 77% were non-Hispanic white, 11% Hispanic, 8% black, and 4% Asian; and 20% had a hematologic malignancy and 80% a solid tumor. Almost 12% were born outside the United States. The prevalence was 0.3% for chronic HBV infection and 6% for past HBV infection. Significant predictors of positive hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis B core antibody tests were as follows: men who had sex with men, black or Asian race, birthplace outside the United States, parent's birthplace outside the United States, household exposure to HBV, age ≥ 50 years, and history of injection drug use. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model on the basis of these seven predictors was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73 to 0.82). The modified CDC survey and brief tools with fewer than seven questions yielded similar false-negative rates (0% and 0% to 0.7%, respectively). Conclusion An internally validated risk tool performed as well as the modified CDC survey; however, more than 90% of patients who completed the tool would still require HBV testing. Universal HBV testing is more efficient than risk-based screening.
Electrical defects of the transverse‐axial tubular system in cardiac diseases

Electrical excitability is an essential feature of cardiomyocytes and the homogenous propagation of the action potential is guaranteed by a complex network of membrane invaginations called the transverse‐axial tubular system (TATS). TATS structural remodelling is a hallmark of cardiac diseases and we demonstrated that this can be accompanied by electrical defects at single T‐tubular level. Using a random‐access multi‐photon (RAMP) microscope, we found that pathological T‐tubules can fail to conduct action potentials, which delays local Ca2+ release. Although the underlying causes for T‐tubular electrical failure are still unknown, our findings suggest that they are likely to be related to local ultrastructural alterations. Here, we first review the experimental approach that allowed us to observe and dissect the consequences of TATS electrical dysfunction and then propose two different strategies to unveil the reasons for T‐tubular electrical failures. The first strategy consists in a correlative approach, in which the failing T‐tubule identified with the RAMP microscope is then imaged with electron microscopy. The second approach exploits the diffusion of molecules within TATS to gain insights into the local TATS structure, even without a thorough reconstruction of the tubular network. Although challenging, the local electrical failure occurring at single T‐tubules is a fundamental question that needs to be addressed and could provide novel insights in cardiac pathophysiology.
Compressive strength of normal and high strength concrete with polypropylene fibers at elevated temperature

Experimental investigations were carried out for assessing the influence of thermal loading on the cube and cylinder compressive strength of normal and high strength concrete with and without polypropylene fibers. The tests were carried out under two phases of heating and cooling. In the first phase of heating, the specimens were subjected to single heating- cooling cycle with a hold period of 3 hours at 200 0 C and were cooled in the furnace before testing the specimens for the residual compressive strength. Similar treatment was carried out on the specimens at 400 0 C, 600 0 C and 800 0 C and their residual strength's were determined. In the second phase of heating and cooling, the specimens were subjected to successive cyclic heating-cooling regime from 200 0 C to 800 0 C, with an increment of 200 0 C and a hold period of 3hrs. After subjecting the specimens to successive cycles of heating-cooling, the specimens were cooled in the furnace and tested for compressive strength. Specimens were also prepared for assessing the strengths at room temperature. It has been observed that with the increase in the thermal loading or temperature, the compressive strength experienced significant losses. The experimental results show that the strength loss is controlled by the composite action of both fiber and concrete. The polypropylene fibers show an increase in the ductility, fire resistance and enhancement of the composite material properties. The results of the present study are useful in understanding the behavior of fibrous concrete properties at elevated temperatures.
Simplified Morton Effect Analysis for Synchronous Spiral Instability

A simplified analytical approach for modeling the synchronous instability phenomenon known as Morton effect is presented. The analysis is straight forward and easily applied to any rotor supported on fluid film bearings. The analysis clarifies the interaction of three distinct machine characteristics which combine to create a case of Morton effect. Some example calculations are shown illustrating the possible types of spiral vibration. In addition, an analytical approach is described for estimating the magnitude of the shaft temperature difference in a journal bearing as a direct function of the shaft orbit. It is significant that this method can readily be applied to any type of journal bearing, from plain sleeve bearings to tilting pad bearings. Example calculations using the method are shown.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Clinical Characteristics of Korean Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve Who Underwent Aortic Valve Surgery

Background and Objectives Clinical data for Korean patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) that underwent aortic valve (AV) surgery are currently limited. Methods Data for 1,160 consecutive adult BAV patients who underwent AV surgery from 2000 to 2014 in 4 tertiary referral centers were retrospectively analyzed. A standard case report form was used for clinical and echocardiographic parameters. Results Mean age at the time of AV surgery was 59±13 years. The most common cause of AV surgery was aortic stenosis (AS, 892 [77%]), followed by aortic regurgitation (AR, 199 [17%]), and infective endocarditis (69 [6%]). AS showed a skewed peak in the aged population and was the predominant cause of AV surgery (87%) in patients ≥50 years of age, whereas AR (46%) and active infective endocarditis (19%) were more common in younger patients (p<0.001). Echocardiographic determination of the BAV phenotype revealed that fusion of the right coronary cusp (RCC) and left coronary cusp (LCC) was most common (622 [53%]), followed by fusion of RCC and non-coronary cusp (NCC) (313 [27%]), and fusion of LCC and NCC (42 [4%]); the BAV phenotype could not be determined in the remaining 183 patients (16%). Fusion of RCC and LCC was more commonly observed in patients with AR than in those with AS (74% vs. 49%; p<0.001). Conclusion BAV patients were characterized by distinct surgical indications according to their age. Possible associations between BAV phenotypes and surgical indications with potential impacts of ethnicity need to be tested in further studies.
Genomic data reveal cryptic lineage diversification and introgression in Californian golden cup oaks (section Protobalanus).

Here we study hybridization, introgression and lineage diversification in the widely distributed canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis) and the relict island oak (Q. tomentella), two Californian golden cup oaks with an intriguing biogeographical history. We employed restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing and integrated phylogenomic and population genomic analyses to study hybridization and reconstruct the evolutionary past of these taxa. Our analyses revealed the presence of two cryptic lineages within Q. chrysolepis. One of these lineages shares its most recent common ancestor with Q. tomentella, supporting the paraphyly of Q. chrysolepis. The split of these lineages was estimated to take place during the late Pliocene or the early Pleistocene, a time corresponding well with the common presence of Q. tomentella in the fossil records of continental California. Analyses also revealed historical hybridization among lineages, high introgression from Q. tomentella into Q. chrysolepis in their current area of sympatry, and widespread admixture between the two lineages of Q. chrysolepis in contact zones. Our results support that the two lineages of Q. chrysolepis behave as a single functional species phenotypically and ecologically well differentiated from Q. tomentella, a situation that can be only accommodated considering hybridization and speciation as a continuum with diffuse limits.
The PredictProtein server

PredictProtein (PP, http://cubic.bioc.columbia.edu/pp/) is an internet service for sequence analysis and the prediction of aspects of protein structure and function. Users submit protein sequence or alignments; the server returns a multiple sequence alignment, PROSITE sequence motifs, low-complexity regions (SEG), ProDom domain assignments, nuclear localisation signals, regions lacking regular structure and predictions of secondary structure, solvent accessibility, globular regions, transmembrane helices, coiled-coil regions, structural switch regions and disulfide-bonds. Upon request, fold recognition by prediction-based threading is available. For all services, users can submit their query either by electronic mail or interactively from World Wide Web.
GROSS ANATOMICAL STUDIES ON THE LUNGS OF WILD SOW ( Sus scrofa cristatus )

A study was conducted on the lungs of an adult wild sow collected soon after its death. The lungs were bluish pink in colour with distinct lobulations. Each lung was covered by pulmonary pleura and presented an apex, base, two surfaces and three borders. The right lung was larger than the left lung. It contained four lobes namelycranial, middle, caudal and accessory lobes. The left lung presented a divided cranial lobe and a caudal lobe. A small tracheal bronchus originated from the trachea and entered the undivided cranial lobe of the right lung. Apart from the apical bronchus, the right lung presented middle, accessory and caudal lobar bronchi, ventilating corresponding lobes. The cranial and caudal lobar bronchi entered the cranial and caudal lobes of the left lung respectively. It was concluded that the gross anatomical features of the lungs of wild sow were similar to those of domestic pig.
Effect of High-Strength Concrete Slab on the Behavior of Slab-Column Connections

Slab-column connections were tested under combinations of gravity and lateral loads to investigate the effect of using high-strength concrete slab on the structural behavior of the slab-column connections. The variables selected for this study are the strength of concrete slab, the flexural steel reinforcement ratio, and the moment to shear ratio. As the concrete slab strength increases from 35 MPa to 75 MPa, the shear strength increases by 7% and 15% for loading cases of zero and high moment-shear ratio, respectively. However, the current design codes provisions for interior connections have greatly reduced the factor of safety regarding the punching shear strength of high-strength concrete slabs. The use of high-strength slab has a significant effect on the load-deflection characteristics for specimens subjected to high-moment. The ultimate deflection increases and the failure mode becomes less sudden and more gradual, if high-strength concrete slab is used. The first yielding for specimens constructed with high-strength concrete slab occurs at loads considerably lower than those for specimens constructed with normal-strength concrete. The radius of yielding significantly increases for specimens constructed with high-strength concrete slab; therefore, the steel reinforcement is utilized better and a much more desirable steel stress distribution is produced in the area around the column by the use of high-strength slab. In the meantime, connection displacement and rotation ductility increases by 75% for specimens with high-strength concrete slabs under high moment. Therefore, the use of high-strength concrete slabs can be justified economically when good ductility and higher levels of absorbed energy of slab-column connections are required under high moment-shear ratios. On the other hand, the use of high-strength concrete slabs for slab-column connection subjected to gravity loads only is not recommended because of the small increase of the punching shear capacity of the connection compared with the high cost of using high-strength concrete.
The Impact of Testing on the Formation of Children's and Adults' False Memories

Summary Witnesses are frequently questioned immediately following a crime. The effects of such testing on false recall are inconclusive: Testing may inoculate against subsequent misinformation or enhance false memory formation. We examined whether different types of processing can account for these discrepancies. Drawing from Fuzzy‐trace and Associative‐activation theories, immediate questions that trigger the processing of the global understanding of the event can heighten false memory rates. However, questions that trigger the processing of specific details can inoculate memories against subsequent misinformation. These effects were hypothesized to be more pronounced in children than in adults. Seven/eight‐, 11/12‐, 14/15‐year‐olds, and adults (N = 220) saw a mock‐theft film and were tested immediately with meaning or item‐specific questions. Test results on the succeeding day replicated classic misinformation and testing effects, although our processing hypothesis was not supported. Only adults who received meaning questions benefited from immediate testing and, across all ages, testing led to retrieval‐enhanced suggestibility. © 2016 The Authors. Applied Cognitive Psychology Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of groundnut flour substitution on yield, quality and storage stability of kilishi i – a Nigerian indigenous dried meat product

Kilishi, a traditionally sun-dried roasted meat product usually produced using raw meat, Tunkusa (a locally defatted groundnut cake paste), in combination with spices and condiments in the mix was produced after substitution with conventional defatted groundnut flour. This study was undertaken to establish the potential use of conventional defatted groundnut flour in place of Tunkusa in making a better quality and shelf - stable Kilishi. The yield, quality and storage stability of the product were evaluated using standard assay techniques. Yield was estimated as the ratio of weight of Kilishi over the fresh beef. Quality was measured in terms of proximate composition which included protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre and ash contents, and the amount of calorie obtained from the Kilishi was calculated based on these constituents. Sensory quality attributes were also measured in terms of colour/appearance, flavour, crispiness, texture and overall acceptability. Microbial counts such as total plate, yeast and mould and coliform were measured. Storage stability was evaluated in terms of thiobarbituric acid (TBA), free fatty acid (FFA) and Peroxide value (PV) values prior and following storage in ambient (25-32°C) or refrigerator (7±1°C) for 12 weeks. Yield of the Kilishi (GFK) produced from conventional defatted groundnut flour ingredients was 87.3% compared to 83.7% of traditionally defatted groundnut cake (Tunkusa) Kilishi (TK) (control). The GFK had 12.1% moisture, 51.8% protein, 13.4% fat, 5.1% ash, 2.8% crude fibre and 14.8% carbohydrate compared to TK 11.6%, 49.8%, 11.4%, 5.2%, 3.1%, and 18.9% for these constituents, respectively. GFK also had 387.0 Kcal/100g energy value compared to 377.4 for TK. Both GFK and TK were highly rated in sensory attributes, however, TK had lesser acceptability. Microbial counts were non detectable in the fresh Kilishi products until week 12 and were within standard safe limits (106 CFU/g aerobic and 107 anaerobic counts) thereafter. At week 12, microbial counts were 2.1x101 CFU/g bacteria and 3.0x100 moulds for GFK stored at ambient (25-32°C) condition and 4.5x101 CFU/g bacteria for GFK stored at refrigerator (7±1°C) conditions, whereas TK had 1.6x101 CFU/g bacteria, 1.0x101 moulds and 1.1x101 CFU/g bacteria. Storage for 12 weeks slightly decreased sensory scores, protein and fat contents and also TBA, FFA, PV but moisture increased slightly. It is possible to produce high quality and yield as well as acceptable and shelf stable Kilishi using conventional defatted groundnut flour. Also GFK Kilishi had better quality attributes when compared with TK, Tunkusa Kilishi.
On Lunar and Solar Periodicities of Earthquakes

THE investigation of small periodical changes is rendered difficult chiefly by the doubt which so often exists, whether the results obtained by the ordinary methods are due to accident, or prove some real periodically acting cause. Attention need only be drawn to the many calculations which have been made to trace the sunspot period in terrestrial phenomena, such as rainfall or temperature, to show that widely different conclusions may be drawn from the same evidence according as greater or smaller value is attached to the element of chance.
The Alternative NF-κB Pathway in Regulatory T Cell Homeostasis and Suppressive Function

CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential regulators of immune responses. Perturbation of Treg homeostasis or function can lead to uncontrolled inflammation and autoimmunity. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in Treg biology remains an active area of investigation. It has been shown previously that the NF-κB family of transcription factors, in particular, the canonical pathway subunits, c-Rel and p65, are crucial for the development, maintenance, and function of Tregs. However, the role of the alternative NF-κB pathway components, p100 and RelB, in Treg biology remains unclear. In this article, we show that conditional deletion of the p100 gene, nfkb2, in Tregs, resulted in massive inflammation because of impaired suppressive function of nfkb2-deficient Tregs. Surprisingly, mice lacking RelB in Tregs did not exhibit the same phenotype. Instead, deletion of both relb and nfkb2 rescued the inflammatory phenotype, demonstrating an essential role for p100 as an inhibitor of RelB in Tregs. Our data therefore illustrate a new role for the alternative NF-κB signaling pathway in Tregs that has implications for the understanding of molecular pathways driving tolerance and immunity.
Adverse Drug Events in Older Hospitalized Patients: Results and Reliability of a Comprehensive and Structured Identification Strategy

Background Older patients are at high risk for experiencing Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) during hospitalization. To be able to reduce ADEs in these vulnerable patients, hospitals first need to measure the occurrence of ADEs, especially those that are preventable. However, data on preventable ADEs (pADEs) occurring during hospitalization in older patients are scarce, and no ‘gold standard’ for the identification of ADEs exists. Methodology The study was conducted in three hospitals in the Netherlands in 2007. ADEs were retrospectively identified by a team of experts using a comprehensive and structured patient chart review (PCR) combined with a trigger-tool as an aid. This ADE identification strategy was applied to a cohort of 250 older hospitalized patients. To estimate the intra- and inter-rater reliabilities, Cohen’s kappa values were calculated. Principal Findings In total, 118 ADEs were detected which occurred in 62 patients. This ADE yield was 1.1 to 2.7 times higher in comparison to other ADE studies in older hospitalized patients. Of the 118 ADEs, 83 (70.3%) were pADEs; 51 pADEs (43.2% of all ADEs identified) caused serious patient harm. Patient harm caused by ADEs resulted in various events. The overall intra-rater agreement of the developed strategy was substantial (κ = 0.74); the overall inter-rater agreement was only fair (κ = 0.24). Conclusions/Significance The ADE identification strategy provided a detailed insight into the scope of ADEs occurring in older hospitalized patients, and showed that the majority of (serious) ADEs can be prevented. Several strategy related aspects, as well as setting/study specific aspects, may have contributed to the results gained. These aspects should be considered whenever ADE measurements need to be conducted. The results regarding pADEs can be used to design tailored interventions to effectively reduce harm caused by medication errors. Improvement of the inter-rater reliability of a PCR remains challenging.
Comparison of Feature Learning Methods for Human Activity Recognition Using Wearable Sensors

Getting a good feature representation of data is paramount for Human Activity Recognition (HAR) using wearable sensors. An increasing number of feature learning approaches—in particular deep-learning based—have been proposed to extract an effective feature representation by analyzing large amounts of data. However, getting an objective interpretation of their performances faces two problems: the lack of a baseline evaluation setup, which makes a strict comparison between them impossible, and the insufficiency of implementation details, which can hinder their use. In this paper, we attempt to address both issues: we firstly propose an evaluation framework allowing a rigorous comparison of features extracted by different methods, and use it to carry out extensive experiments with state-of-the-art feature learning approaches. We then provide all the codes and implementation details to make both the reproduction of the results reported in this paper and the re-use of our framework easier for other researchers. Our studies carried out on the OPPORTUNITY and UniMiB-SHAR datasets highlight the effectiveness of hybrid deep-learning architectures involving convolutional and Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) to obtain features characterising both short- and long-term time dependencies in the data.