Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Serum Coagulation Factors in the Differential Diagnosis of Patients with Pneumonia and Parapneumonic Effusion

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the participations of the serum coagulations and fibrinolysis factors that contribute to the differential diagnosis of the patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) without effusion, uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion (UCPPE) and complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE). The coagulations system is fundamental for the maintenance of homeostasis, and contributes to the inflammatory process responsible for CAP and the parapneumonic effusion. The factors of coagulations and fibrinolysis participate in the cellular proliferation and migration as in the synthesis of the inflammatory mediators. We evaluated the laboratory profile of coagulations and fibrinolysis in the serum of 148 patients with CAP without effusion, 50 with UCPPE and 44 with CPPE. We determined the test of the coagulation cascade which measures the time elapsed from the activation of the coagulation cascade at different points to the fibrin generation. As a consequence, there is an activation of the fibrinolytic system with the increased D-dimer levels measured in the plasma in the three groups. The patients were with mean age ± SD (53,82 ± 17,5) min – max 18–93 years. A significantly higher number of thrombocytes was in the group with CPPE with median 412 × 109/L (rank 323–513 × 109/L). The extended activation of the prothrombin time (aPTT) was significantly higher in the same group of patients with median of 32 sec. (rank 30–35 sec). The mean D-dimer plasma level was 3266,5 ± 1292,3 ng/ml in patients with CPPE, in CAP without effusion 1646,6 ± 1204 ng/ml and in UCPPE 1422,9 ± 970 ng/ml. The coagulations system and the fibrinolysis play important role in the development and pathophysiology of CAP and the parapneumonic effusions.
Plant Nutrient Testing and Analysis in Forest and Conservation Nurseries

Supplying mineral nutrients at the proper rate and in the proper balance has a major effect on seedling growth rate but, more importantly, on seedling quality. In addition, mounting concerns about fertilizer pollution are increasing awareness of the benefits of precision fertilization. Because they reflect actual mineral nutrient uptake, plant tissue tests are the best way to monitor a fertilization program. Analytical laboratories are able to accurately and precisely measure the levels of all 13 mineral nutrients in a small sample of plant tissue, and nursery managers can obtain results in as little as a week. While tentative guidelines for analyzing mineral nutrient levels exist, they are for general classes such as “conifer seedlings” and are of limited usefulness for precision monitoring of fertilizer programs. Most published test results are for commercial tree species, and almost nothing is known about other native plant species. Government nurseries can provide a real service by sharing their test results with other nurseries, and nursery cooperatives can serve as clearing houses for plant nutrient test results.Individual papers from this publication
California fault lines: understanding the causes and impact of network failures

Of the major factors affecting end-to-end service availability, network component failure is perhaps the least well understood. How often do failures occur, how long do they last, what are their causes, and how do they impact customers? Traditionally, answering questions such as these has required dedicated (and often expensive) instrumentation broadly deployed across a network. We propose an alternative approach: opportunistically mining "low-quality" data sources that are already available in modern network environments. We describe a methodology for recreating a succinct history of failure events in an IP network using a combination of structured data (router configurations and syslogs) and semi-structured data (email logs). Using this technique we analyze over five years of failure events in a large regional network consisting of over 200 routers; to our knowledge, this is the largest study of its kind.
Settlement and nursery habitats for demersal fishes on the continental shelf of the New York Bight

Although juvenile fish are studied extensively in estuarine and nearshore environments, surprisingly little is known about the basic habitat requirements of juveniles for offshore settlement and nursery areas. Between June 1996 and July 1997, settlement and nursery habitats of age-0 (early juvenile) demersal fish on the conti- nental shelf of the New York Bight were investigated by using a two-meter beam trawl. Replicate tows at 21 sta- tions along three cross-shelf transects (20-95 m depth), were sampled on a near monthly basis to determine gen- eral ecology (21,309 fish collected in 659 tows). Of the 47 species collected, 33 included age-0 juveniles, and 25 included near-settlement size individuals. The two dominant species, Pleuronectes fer- rugineus and Merluccius bilinearis, con- stituted 88.9% of the total catch of age-0 fish. Of all age-0 fish, 94% were collected during summer and fall. Comparisons of weighted means and the use of canoni- cal correspondence analysis determined that settlement and nursery habitats across the shelf are primarily delin- eated by depth, temperature, and time of year. Three zones across the shelf (inner, middle, and outer) each had dis- tinct juvenile fish assemblages. Knowl- edge gained about the distribution and quality of juvenile habitat for commer- cially important offshore species should facilitate their improved management. With the decrease in fish abun- dance in the latter half of the twen- tieth century, particularly in the Northwest Atlantic (McHugh, 1972; NEFSC, 1992), fisheries managers
Technology Mergers and Acquisitions in the Presence of an Installed Base: A Strategic Analysis

We study the strategic benefits of mergers and acquisitions M&As when competing information technology vendors sell different generations of the same product with different quality. We assume the new product arrives unexpectedly when an installed base of the old product exists. We show that the combination of consumers' purchase history and heterogeneity leads to new demand complexity that gives rise to innovative product strategies. We find that shelving the old product is an important motivation for M&A. The acquirer may exercise static or intertemporal price discrimination depending on whether it can exercise upgrade pricing. M&A may speed up or slow down new product consumption, and it can lead to delayed new product introduction in some markets. However, it always increases the acquirer's profit and can sometimes help maximize social welfare. We discuss relevant managerial and policy implications. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2016. 0659 .
Non-invasive biomarkers FibroTest-ActiTest for replacing invasive liver biopsy: the need for change and action.

J Gastrointestin Liver Dis June 2007 Vol.16 No 2, 173-174 Address for correspondence: 1 Bedossa et al. found the best diagnostic value for discriminating between F0-F1 and F2-F4 METAVIR that can be obtained for the liver biopsy versus the entire liver is 0.90 AUROC for a 20mm nonfragmented liver biopsy. 2 Regev et al. suggested that an adequate non fragmented liver biopsy sample contain more than five portal tracts and be at least 15mm in length. 3 DANA= Differences between Advanced and Non-Advanced fibrosis stages. Non-invasive Biomarkers FibroTest-ActiTest for Replacing Invasive Liver Biopsy: The need for Change and Action
Tacit knowledge elicitation and measurement in research organisations: A methodological approach

Contextual complexities as a result of the nature of knowledge based resources of organisations are increasingly the bases of competitive advantage. In the third generation of KM theories and techniques, intra-organisational flows of knowledge resources have become as important as the resources themselves. Management of such flows is an imperative rather than an alternative for most organisations. When attempting to implement effective KM strategies, most organisations assume complete awareness of what knowledge-based resources they own and which elements of these need to be shared. However, such an assumption may not always be valid. While many scholars have conducted research into measurement and management of explicit knowledge, limited progress has been made in applying similar processes to tacit knowledge resources. The KM research and practice communities agree on the importance of identifying and measuring tacit knowledge-based resources, while absence of suitable instruments designed to apply to it continues to be a problem. This paper outlines a method to identify and measure organisational tacit knowledge-based resources based on the concepts of tacit knowledge stocks, their intra-organisational flows, and enablers and inhibitors of such flows. The research paper describes the method, and the process of its validation, performed within a research and development organisation.
Sensitivity of solar off-limb line profiles to electron density stratification and the velocity distribution anisotropy

The interpretation of observations aiming at the determination of the solar wind velocity vector and the velocity distribution in solar polar coronal holes is reviewed. In particular we investigate the effect of the electron density stratification on the profiles of the H I Ly- line and the O VI and Mg X doublets formed in the solar corona. We employ an analytical 2-D model of the large scale coronal magnetic field and solar wind. We concentrate on the polar coronal holes and take into account the integration along the line of sight (LOS). We find that at distances greater than 1 R from the solar surface the widths of the emitted lines of O VI and Mg X are significantly affected by the details of the adopted electron density profiles. However, H I Ly- which is a pure radiative line is less affected by this effect. In particular, the densities deduced from SoHO data (Doyle et al. 1999a,b: SUMER; Kohl et al. 1998: UVCS and Lamy et al. 1997: LASCO, hereafter referred to together as DKL) result in O VI profiles whose widths and intensity ratio are relatively close to the values observed by UVCS/SoHO, although only isotropic velocity distributions are employed. Hence we expect the magnitude of the anisotropy of the velocity distribution to depend strongly on the assumed density stratification.
Reconstructing the Primordial Spectrum from WMAP Data by the Cosmic Inversion Method

We reconstruct the primordial spectrum of the curvature perturbation, P(k), from the observational data of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) by the cosmic inversion method developed recently. In contrast to conventional parameter-fitting methods, our method can potentially reproduce small features in P(k) with good accuracy. As a result, we obtain a complicated oscillatory P(k). We confirm that this reconstructed P(k) recovers the WMAP angular power spectrum with resolution up to Δl ≃ 5. Similar oscillatory features are found, however, in simulations using artificial cosmic microwave background data generated from a scale-invariant P(k) with random errors that mimic observation. In order to examine the statistical significance of the nontrivial features, including the oscillatory behaviors, therefore, we consider a method to quantify the deviation from scale invariance and apply it to the P(k) reconstructed from the WMAP data. We find that there are possible deviations from scale invariance around k ≃ 1.5 × 10-2 and 2.6 × 10-2 Mpc-1.
Is periodontitis a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia? A case-control study.

BACKGROUND Dementia is a multi-etiologic syndrome characterized by multiple cognitive deficits but not always by the presence of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is associated with multiple non-modifiable risk factors but few modifiable factors. Epidemiologic studies have shown an association between periodontitis, a potentially modifiable risk factor, and cognitive impairment. The objective of this study is to determine whether clinical periodontitis is associated with the diagnosis of cognitive impairment/dementia after controlling for known risk factors, including age, sex, and education level. METHODS A case-control study was conducted in Granada, Spain, in two groups of dentate individuals aged >50 years: 1) cases with a firm diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia of any type or severity and 2) controls with no subjective memory loss complaints and a score >30 in the Phototest cognitive test (screening test for cognitive impairment). Periodontitis was evaluated by measuring tooth loss, plaque and bleeding indexes, probing depths, and clinical attachment loss (AL). RESULTS The study included 409 dentate adults, 180 with cognitive impairment and 229 without. A moderate and statistically significant association was observed between AL and cognitive impairment after controlling for age, sex, education level, oral hygiene habits, and hyperlipidemia (P = 0.049). No significant association was found between tooth loss and cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION Periodontitis appears to be associated with cognitive impairment after controlling for confounders such as age, sex, and education level.
Stability analysis of dynamical systems randomized by multi-dimensional Wiener processes

In this paper, we show that stochastic asymptotic stability supplied by “stabilization by noise” is an extended version of deterministic asymptotic stability. To solve the problem, we first revisit the randomization problem of nonlinear dynamical systems by adding multi-dimensional Wiener processes. We also summarize uniform almost sure asymptotic stability (UASAS) is almost the same as asymptotic stability for deterministic systems. Then, we clarify necessary and sufficient conditions for the origins of randomized systems to be UASAS. Furthermore, we also discuss the possibility of the stabilization by noise with considering the randomization problem and UASAS property.
Deciphering Proteomic Signatures of Early Diapause in Nasonia

Insect diapause is an alternative life-history strategy used to increase longevity and survival in harsh environmental conditions. Even though some aspects of diapause are well investigated, broader scale studies that elucidate the global metabolic adjustments required for this remarkable trait, are rare. In order to better understand the metabolic changes during early insect diapause, we used a shotgun proteomics approach on early diapausing and non-diapausing larvae of the recently sequenced hymenopteran model organism Nasonia vitripennis. Our results deliver insights into the molecular underpinnings of diapause in Nasonia and corroborate previously reported diapause-associated features for invertebrates, such as a diapause-dependent abundance change for heat shock and storage proteins. Furthermore, we observed a diapause-dependent switch in enzymes involved in glycerol synthesis and a vastly changed capacity for protein synthesis and degradation. The abundance of structural proteins and proteins involved in protein synthesis decreased with increasing diapause duration, while the abundance of proteins likely involved in diapause maintenance (e.g. ferritins) increased. Only few potentially diapause-specific proteins were identified suggesting that diapause in Nasonia relies to a large extent on a modulation of pre-existing pathways. Studying a diapause syndrome on a proteomic level rather than isolated pathways or physiological networks, has proven to be an efficient and successful avenue to understand molecular mechanisms involved in diapause.
Modelling HIV-1 2-LTR dynamics following raltegravir intensification

A model of reservoir activation and viral replication is introduced accounting for the production of 2-LTR HIV-1 DNA circles following antiviral intensification with the HIV integrase inhibitor raltegravir, considering contributions of de novo infection events and exogenous sources of infected cells, including quiescent infected cell activation. The model shows that a monotonic increase in measured 2-LTR concentration post intensification is consistent with limited de novo infection primarily maintained by sources of infected cells unaffected by raltegravir, such as quiescent cell activation, while a transient increase in measured 2-LTR concentration is consistent with significant levels of efficient (R0 > 1) de novo infection. The model is validated against patient data from the INTEGRAL study and is shown to have a statistically significant fit relative to the null hypothesis of random measurement variation about a mean. We obtain estimates and confidence intervals for the model parameters, including 2-LTR half-life. Seven of the 13 patients with detectable 2-LTR concentrations from the INTEGRAL study have measured 2-LTR dynamics consistent with significant levels of efficient replication of the virus prior to treatment intensification.
Cyclophosphamide, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx), vincristine and prednisone (CCOP) in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results from a prospective phase II study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy regimens are the standard therapy for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but such regimens may be poorly tolerated in elderly patients. DESIGN AND METHODS In a prospective phase II study we analyzed the feasibility of a regimen (CCOP) that includes pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx ) plus vincristine, cyclophosphamide and prednisone in patients with DLBCL above the age of 60 years. RESULTS Thirty-three patients, with a median age of 74 years, were enrolled in the study. The overall response rate was 64% (49% complete remissions and 15% partial remissions). The estimated one-year overall and event-free survivals were 55% (95% CI, 38-72) and 45% (95%CI, 28-62), respectively. The only relevant toxicity was neutropenia, which reached grades 3-4 in 21 cases (64%). INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that CCOP appears to be an acceptable alternative for elderly patients with DLBCL, and randomized trials against a conventional doxorubicin-containing regimen are justified.
The effect of neurodegenerative disease on representations of self in discourse

Four incontrovertible ‘facts’ are assumed for human emergence, survival and notion of a self: (1) the existence of neurobiological structures and mechanisms, (2) employment of cognitive problem solving mechanisms, (3) adoption of physiologically based emotional displays, and (4) aquisition of communal socio-culture knowledge through caregiver ‘scaffolding’ activities and situated practices. The ‘self’, therefore, is only viable with the simultaneous evolution of neurobiological, cognitive, emotional, and socio-cultural structures and processes. An emergent self presupposes an integration and continual interaction of a developing memory system, continual acquisition and reproduction of cognitive problem solving mechanisms and emotional displays, and acquisition and loss of distributed socio-cultural knowledge. The inability to reproduce coherent local displays of self becomes acutely evident in patients diagnosed with fairly advanced Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and related insults to the brain. Ten minutes of discourse between spouses with diagnoses unknown to the author are used to illustrate linguistic scaffolding provided by caregivers to simulate appropriate socio-cultural interaction; the value of such exchanges for diagnosing human brain dysfunction and loss of self is discussed.
Synthesis of Catalytically Active Form III Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase in Archaea

ABSTRACT Ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) catalyzes the biological reduction and assimilation of carbon dioxide gas to organic carbon; it is the key enzyme responsible for the bulk of organic matter found on earth. Until recently it was believed that there are only two forms of RubisCO, form I and form II. However, the recent completion of several genome-sequencing projects uncovered open reading frames resembling RubisCO in the third domain of life, the archaea. Previous work and homology comparisons suggest that these enzymes represent a third form of RubisCO, form III. While earlier work indicated that two structurally distinct recombinant archaeal RubisCO proteins catalyzed bona fide RubisCO reactions, it was not established that the rbcL genes of anaerobic archaea can be transcribed and translated to an active enzyme in the native organisms. In this report, it is shown not only that Methanococcus jannaschii, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, Methanosarcina acetivorans, and Methanosarcina barkeri possess open reading frames with the residues required for catalysis but also that the RubisCO protein from these archaea accumulates in an active form under normal growth conditions. In addition, the form III RubisCO gene (rbcL) from M. acetivorans was shown to complement RubisCO deletion strains of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides under both photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic growth conditions. These studies thus indicate for the first time that archaeal form III RubisCO functions in a physiologically significant fashion to fix CO2. Furthermore, recombinant M. jannaschii, M. acetivorans, and A. fulgidus RubisCO possess unique properties with respect to quaternary structure, temperature optima, and activity in the presence of molecular oxygen compared to the previously described Thermococcus kodakaraensis and halophile proteins.
Semisupervised Multitask Learning With Gaussian Processes

We present a probabilistic framework for transferring learning across tasks and between labeled and unlabeled data. The approach is based on Gaussian process (GP) prediction and incorporates both the geometry of the data and the similarity between tasks within a GP covariance, allowing Bayesian prediction in a natural way. We discuss the transfer of learning in a multitask scenario in the two cases where the underlying geometry is assumed to be the same across tasks and where different tasks are assumed to have independent geometric structures. We demonstrate the method on a number of real datasets, indicating that the semisupervised multitask approach can result in very significant improvements in performance when very few labeled training examples are available.
Influenza B Virus NS1-Truncated Mutants: Live-Attenuated Vaccine Approach

ABSTRACT Type B influenza viruses can cause substantial morbidity and mortality in the population, and vaccination remains by far the best means of protection against infections with these viruses. Here, we report the construction of mutant influenza B viruses for potential use as improved live-virus vaccine candidates. Employing reverse genetics, we altered the NS1 gene, which encodes a type I interferon (IFN) antagonist. The resulting NS1 mutant viruses induced IFN and, as a consequence, were found to be attenuated in vitro and in vivo. The absence of pathogenicity of the NS1 mutants in both BALB/c and C57BL/6 PKR−/− mice was confirmed. We also provide evidence that influenza B virus NS1 mutants induce a self-adjuvanted immune response and confer effective protection against challenge with both homologous and heterologous B virus strains in mice.