Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical Employment Standards for UK Firefighters

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess sensitivity and specificity of surrogate physical ability tests as predictors of criterion firefighting task performance and to identify corresponding minimum muscular strength and endurance standards. Methods: Fifty-one (26 male; 25 female) participants completed three criterion tasks (ladder lift, ladder lower, ladder extension) and three corresponding surrogate tests [one-repetition maximum (1RM) seated shoulder press; 1RM seated rope pull-down; repeated 28 kg seated rope pull-down]. Surrogate test standards were calculated that best identified individuals who passed (sensitivity; true positives) and failed (specificity; true negatives) criterion tasks. Results: Best sensitivity/specificity achieved were 1.00/1.00 for a 35 kg seated shoulder press, 0.79/0.92 for a 60 kg rope pull-down, and 0.83/0.93 for 23 repetitions of the 28 kg rope pull-down. Conclusions: These standards represent performance on surrogate tests commensurate with minimum acceptable performance of essential strength-based occupational tasks in UK firefighters.
Identification and Manipulation of the Molecular Determinants Influencing Poliovirus Recombination

The control and prevention of communicable disease is directly impacted by the genetic mutability of the underlying etiological agents. In the case of RNA viruses, genetic recombination may impact public health by facilitating the generation of new viral strains with altered phenotypes and by compromising the genetic stability of live attenuated vaccines. The landscape of homologous recombination within a given RNA viral genome is thought to be influenced by several factors; however, a complete understanding of the genetic determinants of recombination is lacking. Here, we utilize gene synthesis and deep sequencing to create a detailed recombination map of the poliovirus 1 coding region. We identified over 50 thousand breakpoints throughout the genome, and we show the majority of breakpoints to be concentrated in a small number of specific “hotspots,” including those associated with known or predicted RNA secondary structures. Nucleotide base composition was also found to be associated with recombination frequency, suggesting that recombination is modulated across the genome by predictable and alterable motifs. We tested the predictive utility of the nucleotide base composition association by generating an artificial hotspot in the poliovirus genome. Our results imply that modification of these motifs could be extended to whole genome re-designs for the development of recombination-deficient, genetically stable live vaccine strains.
Frequency response of lift control in Drosophila

The flight control responses of the fruitfly represent a powerful model system to explore neuromotor control mechanisms, whose system level control properties can be suitably characterized with a frequency response analysis. We characterized the lift response dynamics of tethered flying Drosophila in presence of vertically oscillating visual patterns, whose oscillation frequency we varied between 0.1 and 13 Hz. We justified these measurements by showing that the amplitude gain and phase response is invariant to the pattern oscillation amplitude and spatial frequency within a broad dynamic range. We also showed that lift responses are largely linear and time invariant (LTI), a necessary condition for a meaningful analysis of frequency responses and a remarkable characteristic given its nonlinear constituents. The flies responded to increasing oscillation frequencies with a roughly linear decrease in response gain, which dropped to background noise levels at about 6 Hz. The phase lag decreased linearly, consistent with a constant reaction delay of 75 ms. Next, we estimated the free-flight response of the fly to generate a Bode diagram of the lift response. The limitation of lift control to frequencies below 6 Hz is explained with inertial body damping, which becomes dominant at higher frequencies. Our work provides the detailed background and techniques that allow optomotor lift responses of Drosophila to be measured with comparatively simple, affordable and commercially available techniques. The identification of an LTI, pattern velocity dependent, lift control strategy is relevant to the underlying motion computation mechanisms and serves a broader understanding of insects' flight control strategies. The relevance and potential pitfalls of applying system identification techniques in tethered preparations is discussed.
Donor mannose‐binding lectin gene polymorphisms influence the outcome of liver transplantation

Mannose‐binding lectin (MBL) is a C‐type lectin produced mainly by the liver that binds to a wide range of pathogens. Polymorphisms at the promoter and exon 1 of the MBL2 gene are responsible for low serum levels of MBL and have been associated with an increased risk of infections. We prospectively analyzed 95 liver transplant recipients. Well‐known functionally relevant polymorphisms of the MBL2 gene of the liver donor were examined by gene sequencing. Infectious events were collected prospectively. No differences in the incidence of infections were found according to the donor MBL2 genotypes. Survival was lower in patients receiving a liver graft from a donor with an exon 1 MBL2 variant genotype, and they had higher infection‐related mortality (50% versus 14%, P = 0.040). No differences were found according to other polymorphisms involving the promoter and 5′‐untranslated region. When we analyzed bacterial infection episodes, we found that patients receiving a liver from a donor with an exon 1 variant genotype had a higher incidence of septic shock (46% versus 11%, P = 0.004). Independent variables associated with graft or patient survival were as follows: receiving a graft from a donor with an exon 1 MBL2 variant genotype [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 9.64; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.59‐36.0], the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease score (aHR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05‐1.23), and bacterial infections (aHR, 11.1; 95% CI, 2.73‐44.9). Liver transplantation from a donor with a variant MBL2 exon 1 genotype was associated with a worse prognosis, mainly because of infections of higher severity. Liver Transpl 15:1217–1224, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Sudden distortion of turbulence at a forest edge

Dellwik et al. (2013) presented data from a forest edge experiment based on two meteorological towers instrumented with sonic anemometers. The experiment was performed at a dense edge of the Tromnæs Forest, which is a 24 m tall mature beech stand on the island Falster, Denmark. The topography at the site is flat. The towers were placed approximately 1.5 canopy heights upwind and downwind of the edge, respectively, and were two canopy heights tall. For near-neutral, near-perpendicular flow towards the edge, one finding concerned that although the wind speed gradients were similar before and after the edge, the momentum flux was strongly reduced above the canopy. This is contrary to the results by standard Reynolds' averaged Navier-Stokes models that predict an overshoot of the momentum flux. Further, a reduction of the vertical variance of the flow was largely compensated by an increase in the lateral variance, whereas the streamwise variance remained approximately constant. This result is in contrast to the predictions by homogeneous rapid distortion theory. We apply and develop an alternative framework based on inhomogeneous rapid distortion theory, also called blocking, in combination with the turbulence model by Mann (1994), and investigate whether this model can predict the observed changes of the flow. The presented results are relevant for understanding the rapid changes of turbulence in the heterogeneous landscape.
Weight Uncertainty in Neural Networks

We introduce a new, efficient, principled and backpropagation-compatible algorithm for learning a probability distribution on the weights of a neural network, called Bayes by Backprop. It regularises the weights by minimising a compression cost, known as the variational free energy or the expected lower bound on the marginal likelihood. We show that this principled kind of regularisation yields comparable performance to dropout on MNIST classification. We then demonstrate how the learnt uncertainty in the weights can be used to improve generalisation in non-linear regression problems, and how this weight uncertainty can be used to drive the exploration-exploitation trade-off in reinforcement learning.
Learning distance metric regression for facial age estimation

This paper proposes a novel regression method based on distance metric learning for human age estimation. We take age estimation as a problem of distance-based ordinal regression, in which the facial aging trend can be discovered by a learned distance metric. Through the learned distance metric, we hope that both the ordinal information of different age groups and the local geometry structure of the target neighborhoods can be well preserved simultaneously. Then, the facial aging trend can be truly discovered by the learned metric. Experimental results on the publicly available FG-NET database are very competitive against the state-of-the-art methods.
Evaluation of the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) and MS neuropsychological screening questionnaire (MSNQ) in natalizumab-treated MS patients over 48 weeks

Background and Objectives: Brief cognitive tests to monitor cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are needed. Methods: Performance on monthly administrations of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the MS Neuropsychological Questionnaire (MSNQ) was assessed in 660 patients with MS in 21 countries (109 sites) for 48 weeks in an open-label, safety-extension study of natalizumab. Results: At baseline, the cohort’s mean age was 40.1 years, 67.6% were female and the median Expanded Disability Status Scale score was 2.5. Test—retest correlations were high for both SDMT (range 0.89 for weeks 0—4 to 0.96 for weeks 44—48) and MSNQ (0.82 for weeks 0—4 to 0.93 for weeks 44—48). There were no statistically significant effects of geographic region. While SDMT scores improved by 15 points over 48 weeks (p < 0.0001), incremental monthly changes were small (effect size d < 0.3). Similar results were obtained on the MSNQ except that scores moved downward, suggesting fewer cognitive complaints over 48 weeks (p < 0.0001), but again the incremental monthly changes were small (d <-0.2). Conclusions: These results replicate earlier work in a smaller cohort treated with conventional disease-modifying therapy, and support the reliability of the SDMT and MSNQ as potential screening for monitoring tools for cognition over time.
Cesarean section without medical indication and risk of childhood asthma, and attenuation by breastfeeding

Background Previous studies suggest that caesarean section (CS) may increase the risk of asthma in children, but none of them could preclude potential confounding effects of underlying medical indications for CS. We aim to assess the association between CS itself (without medical indications) and risk of childhood asthma. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study on childhood asthma with 573 cases and 812 controls in Shanghai. Unconditional logistic regression models in SAS were employed to control for potential confounders. Results Our study found that CS without medical indication was significantly associated with elevated asthma risk (adjusted OR = 1.58 [95% CI 1.17–2.13]). However, this risk was attenuated in children fed by exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months after birth (adjusted OR = 1.39 [95% CI 0.92–2.10]). In contrast, the risk was more prominent in children with non-exclusive breastfeeding or bottle feeding (adjusted OR = 1.91 [95% CI 1.22–2.99]). Conclusions CS without medical indication was associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma. Exclusive breastfeeding in infancy may attenuate this risk.
Reliability-based Selection of Wind Turbines for Large-Scale Wind Farms

This paper presents a reliability-based approach to select appropriate wind turbine types for a wind farm considering site-specific wind speed patterns. An actual wind farm in the northern region of Iran with the wind speed registration of one year is studied in this paper. An analytic approach based on total probability theorem is utilized in this paper to model the probabilistic behavior of both turbines' availability and wind speed. Well-known probabilistic reliability indices such as loss of load expectation (LOLE), expected energy not supplied (EENS) and incremental peak load carrying capability (IPLCC) for wind power integration in the Roy Billinton Test System (RBTS) are examined. The most appropriate turbine type achieving the highest reliability level is chosen for the studied wind farm.
Influence of the Interferon–Gamma (IFN–γ) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF–α) Gene Polymorphisms in TB Occurrence and Clinical Spectrum

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public concern and is the most important single infectious cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. According the World Health Organization (WHO) records, in 2009, there were an estimated 9.4 million new cases, 14 million prevalent cases, and approximately 1.7 million deaths by TB [1]. Additionally, approximately one third of the world’s population is infected with the causative bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and is at risk for developing active tuberculosis. Interestingly, while approximately 9 million people develop active TB each year, the majority remain asymptomatically (latently) infected with the pathogen presumably due to a protective immune response. Without intervention, approximately five to ten percent of those latently infected will develop overt disease and the potential to transmit Mtb to others [2].
New multivariate tests for phylogenetic signal and trait correlations applied to ecophysiological phenotypes of nine Manglietia species

Summary 1. Phylogenetic signal – the similarity in trait values among phylogenetically related species – is pervasive for most types of traits in most organisms. Traits can often be categorized a priori into groups based on the level of biological organization, functional relations, developmental origins, or genetic underpinnings. Traits within such groups are often expected to be correlated and hence show similar levels of phylogenetic signal. 2. We developed multivariate statistical methods to test for phylogenetic signal in groups of traits while also incorporating estimates of trait measurement error (including within-species variation) that can obscure phylogenetic signal. Simultaneously, these methods produce estimates of correlations between traits that are corrected for phylogenetic relationships among species. 3. We applied these methods to data for 13 morphological and physiological traits gathered in a common-garden study of nine species of Manglietia (Magnoliaceae). The 13 traits fell into four groups: three traits involved photosynthesis [maximum net photosynthesis (Amax), light saturation point (LSP), light compensation point]; three described leaf morphology (thickness of leaves, palisade tissue, sponge tissue); four related to plant growth (basal stem diameter, crown volume, leaf area, relative growth rate); and three measured thermal tolerance [critical temperature (Tch), peak temperature (Tmax), temperature of half-inactivation (T50)]. We also constructed a molecular phylogeny for these species from 219 AFLP markers via maximum likelihood estimation under the assumption of sequential binary changes in DNA sequences. 4. Of the 13 traits, only two photosynthesis traits (Amax and LSP) exhibited statistically detectable phylogenetic signal (P <0 AE05) when analysed separately, whether using previously published univariate tests or our new univariate tests that incorporate measurement error. In contrast, multivariate analyses of the four trait groups, estimating simultaneously the phylogenetic signal for all traits and the correlations between traits, revealed a statistically significant phylogenetic signal for two of the four groups (photosynthesis and plant growth), comprising seven traits in total. 5. Our results demonstrate that even when the number of species in a comparative study is small, resulting in low power for univariate tests, phylogenetic signal can nonetheless be detected with multivariate tests that incorporate measurement error. Furthermore, our simulations show that the joint estimation of phylogenetic signal and trait correlations can lead to better (less biased and more precise) estimates of both.
Lipid specificity in the interaction of cytochrome c with anionic phospholipid bilayers revealed by solid-state 31P NMR.

Phosphorus-31 NMR has been used to investigate the interaction of cytochrome c with bilayers of the anionic lipids dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS), and diacylphosphatidylinositol (diacylPI). All 31P NMR spectra revealed the typical line shapes characteristics of phospholipids in liquid-crystalline bilayers. The effects on the 31P chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) for each system reflect particular modes of phospholipid headgroup interaction with cytochrome c. A distinct increase in the CSA for DOPS bilayers was observed upon binding of cytochrome c, which is likely to arise from a partial restriction of the amplitude of motion on this phospholipid headgroup. 31P NMR spin-lattice (T1) relaxation times of the various phospholipid-cytochrome c complexes show that conformational changes occur in the protein on binding to anionic phospholipids. These protein conformational changes are observed through paramagnetic enhancement of the measured 31P spin-lattice relaxation times for lipid phosphates. However, the 31P T1 values for the various complexes with cytochrome c show a different temperature dependence for each lipid, revealing different modes of protein interaction for each of the different lipid headgroups. The phosphate of DOPS was most efficiently relaxed by cytochrome c, while the relaxation of the phosphate in the PI headgroup was not affected. The relaxation profile for DOPG-bound cytochrome c shows a more complex behavior, where the lipid phosphorus relaxation is strongly enhanced above 15 degrees C, but not significantly affected at lower temperatures. It was found that the enhancement of lipid phosphorus relaxation is a result of the conformational changes in the protein, in which the heme becomes accessible to lipid phosphate upon binding to charged bilayer surfaces. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Value of serial platelet indices measurements for the prediction of pulmonary embolism in patients with deep venous thrombosis

Background To date, no validated biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity have been established for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT). There is a need to develop simple and reliable noninvasive tests that can accurately identify patients with PE, even in small hospitals or clinics. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) for predicting occurrence of PE in patients with DVT. Methods Records of acute DVT patients were reviewed retrospectively. Group 1 consisted of 50 patients with acute DVT and group 2 consisted of 50 patients with acute DVT who developed PE during follow-up. The control group consisted of patients with uncomplicated primary varicose veins of the lower limbs. Venous peripheral blood samples for measurement of MPV, PDW, and platelet count were drawn on admission, before the treatment, and at the time of PE diagnosis. Results MPV and PDW levels at the time of PE diagnosis were higher in group 2 than group 1 (P<0.001 and P=0.026, respectively). Receiver operating characteristics analysis revealed that a 5.2% increase in admission PDW during follow-up provided 70% sensitivity and 82% specificity (area under the curve, 0.80), and a 6.6% increase in admission MPV during follow-up provided 74% sensitivity and 83% specificity (area under the curve, 0.84) for prediction of PE occurrence in patients with DVT. PDW and MPV levels at the time of PE diagnosis were found to be independent risk factors for the occurrence of PE in patients with DVT. Conclusion Serial measurements of MPV and PDW, and percent change in MPV and PDW appears to be a useful marker for predicting occurrence of acute PE in patients with a first episode of acute proximal DVT.
Genome-wide association studies in lung disease

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms of lung function and lung diseases. GWAS, and studies that build upon their findings, will continue to provide evidence aimed at advancing understanding of lung disease. This paper summarises the key features of a GWAS, references some recent findings and discusses how the chest physician can interpret the validity and utility of future GWAS and related studies.
Prognostic Value of Plasma &bgr;-Amyloid Levels in Patients With Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose— It has been proposed that the deposition of the &bgr;-amyloid peptide (A&bgr;) in the brain parenchyma and brain blood vessels has deleterious effects. We tested the hypothesis that the levels of plasma A&bgr; are related to the outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods— In a multicenter study, we prospectively included patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage within the first 24 hours after onset. At admission, we measured plasma A&bgr;40 and A&bgr;42 levels using ELISA techniques. Also, we recorded age, sex, vascular risk factors, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, localization, cause, and volume of the hematoma. We obtained the modified Rankin scale and defined a unfavorable outcome as modified Rankin scale >2 at 3 months. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Results— We studied 160 patients (mean age, 73.8±11.3 years; 59.4% of them were men). A favorable outcome was observed in 64 (40%) of the patients. In the bivariate analyses, unfavorable outcome was associated with high age, female sex, diabetes mellitus, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, high blood glucose, high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, high volume, and high plasma levels of A&bgr;42 and A&bgr;40. The multivariate analysis showed that increased age (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.035–1.21; P<0.0001), high admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (odds ratio, 1.29, 95% confidence interval, 1.17–1.42; P<0.0001), presence of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 4.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–14.1; P=0.02), and A&bgr;42 levels >9.7 pg/mL (odds ratio, 4.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.65–10.1; P=0.02) were independently associated with an increased likelihood of an unfavorable outcome. Conclusions— High levels of plasma A&bgr;42 in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage are associated with a poor functional prognosis.