Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surveillance of Hemodialysis-Associated Primary Bloodstream Infections: The Experience of Ten Hospital-Based Centers

Objective: To determine baseline rates of primary bloodstream infection (BSI) among a large pool of patients receiving hemodialysis using standardized surveillance tools and methodology. Design: Prospective, descriptive analysis of primary BSI rates. Setting: Ten hospital-based hemodialysis centers in Connecticut. Patients: All patients receiving long-term hemodialysis in the participating facilities. Results: A total of 158 BSIs occurred during 142,525 dialysis sessions within a 12-month study period. Of the BSIs, 15.2% occurred in patients with fistula or graft access and 84.8% in patients with central venous catheter access (P < .001). Rates per 100 patient-years in centers ranged from 0 to 30.8, with a mean of 16.6. Rates per 1,000 dialysis sessions ranged from 0 to 2.1, with a mean of 1.1. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant S. aureus) accounted for 61% and Klebsiella or Enterobacter species for 14.6% of infections. Of the patients, 63.3% received vancomycin, 24.7% received cefazolin, and 41.7% received aminoglycosides. Rates declined in the second 6 months of the study from 1.4 to 0.8 infections per 1,000 dialysis sessions (P < .001). Conclusions: Primary BSI rates varied widely among participating centers and declined during the study period. BSIs were strongly associated with central venous catheter access. Further studies are needed to determine the reasons for variance in rates between centers and among various types of hemodialysis access.
Threats to Avifauna on Oceanic Islands

Abstract: Results of the study by Blackburn et al. (2004a) of avifauna on oceanic islands suggest that distance from the mainland and time since European colonization have major influences on species extinctions and that island area is a significant but secondary contributing factor. After augmenting the data of the study on geographical properties for some of the islands they examined, we used a causal analysis approach with structural equation modeling to reexamine their conclusions. In our model geographical properties of islands, such as island area and isolation, were considered constraints on biological factors, such as the number of introduced mammalian predators and existing number of avifauna, that can directly or indirectly influence extinction. Of the variables we tested, island area had the greatest total influence on the threat of extinction due to its direct and indirect effects on the size of island avifauna. Larger islands had both a greater number of threatened bird species and more avifauna, increasing the number of species that could become threatened with extinction. Island isolation also had a significant, positive, and direct effect on threats to island avifauna because islands farther from the mainland had fewer current extant avifauna. Time since European colonization had a significant negative, but relatively weaker, influence on threats compared with the traditional biogeographic factors of island area and distance to the mainland. We also tested the hypothesis that the amount of threat is proportionally lower on islands that have had more extinctions (i.e., there is a “filter effect”). Because the proportion of bird extinctions potentially explained only 2.3% of the variation in the proportion of threatened species on islands, our results did not support this hypothesis. Causal modeling provided a powerful tool for examining threat of extinction patterns of known and hypothesized pathways of influence.
Expanding the clinical spectrum of the ‘HDAC8‐phenotype’ – implications for molecular diagnostics, counseling and risk prediction

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder characterized by typical facial dysmorphism, cognitive impairment and multiple congenital anomalies. Approximately 75% of patients carry a variant in one of the five cohesin‐related genes NIPBL, SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21 and HDAC8. Herein we report on the clinical and molecular characterization of 11 patients carrying 10 distinct variants in HDAC8. Given the high number of variants identified so far, we advise sequencing of HDAC8 as an indispensable part of the routine molecular diagnostic for patients with CdLS or CdLS‐overlapping features. The phenotype of our patients is very broad, whereas males tend to be more severely affected than females, who instead often present with less canonical CdLS features. The extensive clinical variability observed in the heterozygous females might be at least partially associated with a completely skewed X‐inactivation, observed in seven out of eight female patients. Our cohort also includes two affected siblings whose unaffected mother was found to be mosaic for the causative mutation inherited to both affected children. This further supports the urgent need for an integration of highly sensitive sequencing technology to allow an appropriate molecular diagnostic, genetic counseling and risk prediction.
ROBUST CONTROLLER DESIGN : POLYNOMIALLY PARAMETER DEPENDENT LYAPUNOV FUNCTION APPROACH Vojtech

The robust stability analysis and robust controller design for linear systems subject to time-invariant uncertainties have attracted considerable attention in robust control theory. Undoubtedly, the Lyapunov theory is one of the main approaches to deal with this problem. Description of uncertain linear time-invariant systems using convex polytope-type uncertainty has found its natural framework in the linear matrix inequality (LMI) Boyd et al [3]. The first LMI stability analysis and robust controller design has been based upon the notion of quadratic stability. To reduce quadratic stability conservatism in the robust controller design procedure the parameter dependent Lyapunov function (PDLF) has been introduced (Apkarian et al [1], de Oliveira et al [11, 12], Henrion et al [9], Peaucelle et al [14] and others). In the existing studies, however, the PDLFs mostly employed are restricted to those affine in the uncertain parameters. To get around the conservatism arising from affine PDLFs, more recently, promising LMI based conditions using Polynomially Parameter-Dependent Lyapunov Function (PPDLF) have been proposed in [4, 10, 13]. In this paper we pursue the idea of Ebihara et al [4], where robust sufficient stability condition for the existence of such PPDLFs in terms of finitely many LMIs evaluated on the vertex of the polytope of continuous LTI system has been developed. The results in the present paper have been obtained by modifying the results of [4], to linear time-invariant discrete-time systems and adding to them the conditions which in the robust controller design ensure guaranteed cost in the D–LMI region . We use the following notations in this paper. Matrix P = P > 0 (< 0) is positive (negative) definite. For a matrix A ∈ R with rank(A) = r < n, A ∈ R is a matrix such that AA = 0 and (A)A > 0. R+ denotes the set of nonnegative integers. C denotes the complex plain. He{AB} = AB + BA . 2 PROBLEM FORMULATION AND PRELIMINARIES
Analyzing the Impact of Subsectors and Population Growth on Agricultural Sector in Pakistan

The agriculture sector in Pakistan plays its vital role for providing food security and economic stability. Pakistan's agriculture sector comprises various subsectors i.e. crops, livestock, fisheries, and forestry. Agriculture growth is threatened by the growth of these subsectors and the impact of population growth on it. No significant research has been conducted in Pakistan to study the statistical significance of these subsectors and their relationship with population growth. This study analyzes data from 2005 to 2023. Regression analysis is used to identify and to compare the statistical significance of all sub sectors of agriculture growth with population growth rate. Average growth rates found positive for agriculture, major crops, livestock, fisheries, and population, while negative for forestry. Model found good fit with R2 0.936. Major crops, livestock, and fisheries have positive and statistically significant impacts on Pakistan's agricultural growth, with coefficients of 0.316, 0.426, and 0.015, while forestry and population reported negative and statistically insignificant results with coefficients of -0.019 and -0.273. This research laid out good policy decisions aimed at boosting agricultural growth in Pakistan.
Lack of control of T cell apoptosis under HAART. Influence of therapy regimen in vivo and in vitro

Background Increased and premature T cell apoptosis is recognized as a feature of HIV infection, and its normalization during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is thought to contribute to quantitative CD4 T cell restoration. Design Cross-sectional study of spontaneous, CD3- and CD95-mediated apoptosis in lymphocytes from 53 HIV-infected individuals taking HAART. Methods Overnight stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with coated anti-CD3 or anti-CD95 monoclonal antibodies or incubation overnight in medium. Apoptosis in CD4 and CD8 T cells was measured by flow cytometry. For in vitro assay of antiretroviral drugs, normal PBMC were prestimulated with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies and apoptosis was induced by ligation of CD95. The expression of active caspase-8 and caspase-3 was examined by flow cytometry. Results We report for the first time that important levels of T cell apoptosis may persist under HAART, in spite of a rise in CD4 T cells from baseline and a sustained suppression of plasmatic viral load. Spontaneous CD3- or CD95-induced apoptosis levels were inversely correlated with the in vivo number of CD4 T cells and the CD4/CD8 ratio, but not with the viral load or duration of antiretroviral therapy. Regimens including lamivudine are associated with persistent T cell apoptosis, particularly following CD95 ligation. Lamivudine was also found to stimulate in vitro CD95-induced apoptosis and caspase activation in pre-activated T lymphocytes from healthy donors. Conclusion The immunomodulatory effect of lamivudine may be one of the contributing factor to increased levels of T cell apoptosis under HAART. The data suggest that there is a requirement for physiological apoptosis during HAART.
Epidemiologic and Surveillance Studies on Avian Influenza in Live-Bird Markets in New York and New Jersey, 2001

Abstract In 2001, all 109 retail live-bird markets (LBMs) in New York and New Jersey were surveyed for the presence of avian influenza virus (AIV) by a real time reverse transcriptase/polymer chain reaction assay (RRT/PCR) and results compared to virus isolation (VI) in embryonating chicken eggs. The RRT/PCR had a 91.9% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity in detecting presence of AIV at the market level. However, the sensitivity at the sample level is 65.87%. The RRT/PCR is a reliable method to identify AIV at the market level. In addition, a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of the LBMs showed that, during the past 12 months, markets that were open 7 days per week and those that also sold rabbits had the highest risk for being positive for AIV. Markets that were closed one or more days per week and those that performed daily cleaning and disinfecting had the lowest risk for being AIV positive.
The outer membrane of Pasteurella multocida 3:A protects rabbits against homologous challenge

The protective efficacy of a vaccine purified from the Pasteurella multocida 3:A outer membrane (OM) was evaluated in rabbits by homologous challenge. Twenty-seven rabbits were divided into four groups: 1, vaccinated with OM and challenged; 2, nonvaccinated and challenged; 3, vaccinated with OM only; and 4, nonvaccinated and not challenged. Rabbits were immunized intranasally with 1 mg of OM protein on days 0, 7, 14, and 35, challenged intranasally on day 49, and killed on day 63. Mortality rates were 0, 67, 0, and 0% for groups 1 through 4, respectively. The prevalence of pneumonia was reduced from 73 (group 2) to 20% (group 1). The severity of pneumonia was reduced from 0.62 (group 2) to 0.07 (group 1), as measured by the group lesion index. The number of P. multocida in nasal cavities was reduced from 3.89 x 10(5) (group 2) to 6.19 x 10(2) (group 1). The geometric mean number of P. multocida in lungs was 8,360,000-fold less in group 1 than in group 2. Similarly, the prevalence of P. multocida colonization in nonrespiratory organs was reduced from 47 (group 2) to 4% (group 1). Furthermore, group 1 and 3 rabbits developed significantly elevated immunoglobulin A antibodies in nasal secretions and lung lavages and significantly elevated immunoglobulin G antibodies in lung lavages and sera. In addition, rabbit immune sera contained antibodies against P. multocida OM proteins and lipopolysaccharides and inhibited P. multocida proliferation in mouse lungs. These results indicate that a vaccine prepared from the OM of P. multocida provides a significant protection in rabbits against homologous challenge.
Superior and Efficient Fully Unsupervised Pattern-based Concept Acquisition Using an Unsupervised Parser

Sets of lexical items sharing a significant aspect of their meaning (concepts) are fundamental for linguistics and NLP. Unsupervised concept acquisition algorithms have been shown to produce good results, and are preferable over manual preparation of concept resources, which is labor intensive, error prone and somewhat arbitrary. Some existing concept mining methods utilize supervised language-specific modules such as POS taggers and computationally intensive parsers. In this paper we present an efficient fully unsupervised concept acquisition algorithm that uses syntactic information obtained from a fully unsupervised parser. Our algorithm incorporates the bracketings induced by the parser into the meta-patterns used by a symmetric patterns and graph-based concept discovery algorithm. We evaluate our algorithm on very large corpora in English and Russian, using both human judgments and WordNet-based evaluation. Using similar settings as the leading fully unsupervised previous work, we show a significant improvement in concept quality and in the extraction of multiword expressions. Our method is the first to use fully unsupervised parsing for unsupervised concept discovery, and requires no language-specific tools or pattern/word seeds.
Potential Conservation of Circadian Clock Proteins in the phylum Nematoda as Revealed by Bioinformatic Searches

Although several circadian rhythms have been described in C. elegans, its molecular clock remains elusive. In this work we employed a novel bioinformatic approach, applying probabilistic methodologies, to search for circadian clock proteins of several of the best studied circadian model organisms of different taxa (Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, Neurospora crassa, Arabidopsis thaliana and Synechoccocus elongatus) in the proteomes of C. elegans and other members of the phylum Nematoda. With this approach we found that the Nematoda contain proteins most related to the core and accessory proteins of the insect and mammalian clocks, which provide new insights into the nematode clock and the evolution of the circadian system.
Host Modulators of H1N1 Cytopathogenicity

Influenza A virus infects 5–20% of the population annually, resulting in ∼35,000 deaths and significant morbidity. Current treatments include vaccines and drugs that target viral proteins. However, both of these approaches have limitations, as vaccines require yearly development and the rapid evolution of viral proteins gives rise to drug resistance. In consequence additional intervention strategies, that target host factors required for the viral life cycle, are under investigation. Here we employed arrayed whole-genome siRNA screening strategies to identify cell-autonomous molecular components that are subverted to support H1N1 influenza A virus infection of human bronchial epithelial cells. Integration across relevant public data sets exposed druggable gene products required for epithelial cell infection or required for viral proteins to deflect host cell suicide checkpoint activation. Pharmacological inhibition of representative targets, RGGT and CHEK1, resulted in significant protection against infection of human epithelial cells by the A/WS/33 virus. In addition, chemical inhibition of RGGT partially protected against H5N1 and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic strain. The observations reported here thus contribute to an expanding body of studies directed at decoding vulnerabilities in the command and control networks specified by influenza virulence factors.
Cerebrovascular Disease

CT head perfusion with IV contrast 5 ☢☢☢ MRI head perfusion with IV contrast 5 O MRI head without IV contrast 5 O MRI head without and with IV contrast 5 O CT head without IV contrast 5 ☢☢☢ CT head with IV contrast 3 ☢☢☢ CT head without and with IV contrast 3 ☢☢☢ MRA head without IV contrast 3 O MRA head without and with IV contrast 3 O CTA head with IV contrast 3 ☢☢☢ Arteriography cervicocerebral 2 ☢☢☢
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute a Monetary Model of the Exchange Rate with Informational Frictions

Data for the U.S. and the Euro-area during the post-Bretton Woods period shows that nominal and real exchange rates are more volatile than consumption, very persistent, and highly correlated with each other. Standard models with nominal rigidities match reasonably well the volatility and persistence of the nominal exchange rate, but require an average contract duration above 4 quarters to approximate the real exchange rate counterparts. I propose a two-country model with financial intermediaries and argue that: First, sticky and asymmetric information introduces a lag in the consumption response to currently unobservable shocks, mostly foreign. Accordingly, the real exchange rate becomes more volatile to induce enough expenditure-switching across countries for all markets to clear. Second, differences in the degree of price stickiness across markets and firms weaken the correlation between the nominal exchange rate and the relative CPI price. This correlation is important to match the moments of the real exchange rate. The model suggests that asymmetric information and differences in price stickiness account better for the stylized facts without relying on an average contract duration for the U.S. larger than the current empirical estimates. and many seminar and conference participants for helpful discussions. I also acknowledge the excellent research assistance provided by Nicole Cote and the support of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. All remaining errors are mine alone. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.
Synoptic Scale Influences on Increasing Summertime Extreme Precipitation Events in the Northeastern United States

BACKGROUND SUMMARY Over the past 15 years, the northeastern United States has seen a statistically significant increase in the frequency of extreme precipitation events that is larger and more widespread than anywhere else in the country. This increase in events is more likely to be associated with frontal and low-pressure systems, rather than being caused by more tropical cyclones impacting the region.
Collaborative Radio: Towards Sustainable Business in the Evolution of 4G

Deployment of newer generation cellular systems backed by new application usage trend, innovative device and operator’s business model increase the mobile broadband traffic exponentially. It is found that most of the mobile data traffic is generated from the indoor. Increase of indoor traffic reduces the overall capacity of the cell and degrades the user’s experience all over the network. This paper analyzes these aspects for LTE systems. The conventional operator-owned femtocell model to offload indoor traffic is not sustainable due to the mismatch between its limited deployment scenario and the significant growth of indoor traffic. This paper proposes an approach where user owns the indoor equipment who collaborates with the outdoor operators based on a-priori trust agreement. The paper elaborates the technical and business implications of the new proposal.
THE REMOULDED UNDRAINED SHEAR STRENGTH OF COHESIVE SOILS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE STABILITY OF EMBANKMENT FILL

This paper investigates some aspects of the use of cohesive materials as embankment fill. The restrictions imposed on the acceptable strength of fill by trafficability requirements of the plant employed during construction are examined. Field observations show that the depth of rut caused by trafficking plant can be related to the remoulded undrained shear strength of the soil. Equivalent strengths can therefore be obtained for the observed practical limits of plant operation. Tyre pressures and vehicle size are found to influence these limits. From a study of the remoulded undrained shear strength behaviour of cohesive soils it is shown that there is a general relationship with moisture content for different soils. The principal influence on this behaviour is found to be that of liquid limit whilst the plastic limit is shown to be an inaccurate guide. A relationship is found to exist, at any remoulded undrained shear strength, between the liquid limit and the moisture content required to produce this strength. Universal limits in terms of a multiplicand of plastic limit are found to be inappropriate. A direct undrained shear strength criterion is advocated as it relates to the functional limitations of plant and the immediate stability of embankments. It is thus easily adaptable to the conditions of usage, and has the benefit of being directly related to liquid limit which can therefore be used as an indirect control parameter. (a) (TRRL)
Stabilization of discordant helices in amyloid fibril‐forming proteins

Several proteins and peptides that can convert from α‐helical to β‐sheet conformation and form amyloid fibrils, including the amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ) and the prion protein, contain a discordant α‐helix that is composed of residues that strongly favor β‐strand formation. In their native states, 37 of 38 discordant helices are now found to interact with other protein segments or with lipid membranes, but Aβ apparently lacks such interactions. The helical propensity of the Aβ discordant region (K16LVFFAED23) is increased by introducing V18A/F19A/F20A replacements, and this is associated with reduced fibril formation. Addition of the tripeptide KAD or phospho‐L‐serine likewise increases the α‐helical content of Aβ(12–28) and reduces aggregation and fibril formation of Aβ(1–40), Aβ(12–28), Aβ(12–24), and Aβ(14–23). In contrast, tripeptides with all‐neutral, all‐acidic or all‐basic side chains, as well as phosphoethanolamine, phosphocholine, and phosphoglycerol have no significant effects on Aβ secondary structure or fibril formation. These data suggest that in free Aβ, the discordant α‐helix lacks stabilizing interactions (likely as a consequence of proteolytic removal from a membrane‐associated precursor protein) and that stabilization of this helix can reduce fibril formation.