Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Swine influenza surveillance in East and Southeast Asia: a systematic review

Abstract East and Southeast Asia are important pig- and poultry-producing areas, where the majority of production takes place on small-scale farms with low biosecurity levels. This systematic review synthesizes data on swine influenza virology, serology and epidemiology in East and Southeast Asia. A total of 77 research articles, literature reviews and conference papers were selected and analyzed from 510 references retrieved from PubMed and ISI Web of KnowledgeSM. The number of published articles increased in the last 3 years, which may be attributed to improvement in monitoring and/or a better promotion of surveillance data. Nevertheless, large inequalities in surveillance and research among countries are underlined. Virological results represent the largest part of published data, while the serological and epidemiological features of swine influenza in East and Southeast Asia remain poorly described. The literature shows that there have been several emergences of swine influenza in the region, and also considerable evidence of multiple introductions of North American and avian-like European strains. Furthermore, several avian-origin strains are isolated from pigs, including H5 and H9 subtypes. However, their low seroprevalence in swine also shows that pigs remain poorly infected by these subtypes. We conclude that sero-epidemioligical investigations have been neglected, and that they may help to improve virological surveillance. Inter- and intra-continental surveillance of gene flows will benefit the region. Greater investment is needed in swine influenza surveillance, to improve our knowledge of circulating strains as well as the epidemiology and disease burden in the region.
Online Music Community System based on SNM

Currently, the community structure algorithms proposed by most scholars are contraposing un-weighted network, while there still lacks research on the discovery of weighted network community. In un-weighted networks, the relation between the nodes is simplified as two states, which will neglect too much valuable information. To construct more actual structure of mined community, a novel discovery algorithm for weighted network community is put forward. The social network technology is implemented to a music forum. It can find out the social relation and interactive behavior of users in the music forum, to help the music resource to find suitable consumers. The music community system using social network mining is based on extracted replying and quoting information of users. For the user social network and topic social network of forum, two social network mining methods are proposed: One is applied to the user social network mining, which can find out the use groups who have similar interest in network; The other is applied to the topic social network mining, based on merging idea of weighted network community, and it can find out the similar groups of hot topics. Finally the mining process of network relationship in a certain music forum is described in detail as an example and it has verified the effectiveness of mining results.
Probe-response attacks on collaborative intrusion detection systems: Effectiveness and countermeasures

Over the last years the number of cyber-attacks has been constantly increasing. Since isolated Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) cannot cope with the number and sophistication of attacks, collaboration among the defenders is required. Collaborative IDSs (CIDSs) work by exchanging alert traffic to construct a holistic view of the monitored network. However, an adversary can utilize probe-response attacks to successfully detect CIDS's monitoring sensors. We discuss the practicability of such attacks, suggest improvements, and also propose novel techniques to reduce the effects of such attacks. Moreover, we present preliminary results in the applicability of the attacks and hints on performing such attacks in a well known CIDS.
Prevention of colonic preneoplastic lesions by the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFMTM in F344 rats.

The experiments described here were aimed at developing novel probiotic strains that may aid in the reduction of colon cancer risk. We assessed the potential anticancer properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFMTM in male F344 rats using inhibition of the formation of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon as the measure of preventive efficacy. At 6 weeks of age, groups of rats were fed the experimental diets containing 0, 2% or 4% lyophilized cultures of L. acidophilus NCFMTM. At 7 weeks of age, all animals in each dietary group, except the vehicle-treated rats, were s.c. injected with AOM (15 mg/kg body weight) once weekly for two weeks. The vehicle-treated groups were given s.c. injections of normal saline. All rats were necropsied 10 weeks after the last AOM injection and ACF in formalin-fixed, methylene blue-stained colonic tissues were counted under the light microscope. The contents of the cecum were analyzed for bacterial beta-glucuronidase activity. Diet supplementation with the probiotic strain NCFMTM significantly suppressed AOM-induction of colonic ACF, in terms of total number, as well as crypt multiplicity and number of ACF/cm2 colon (P<0.01 - 0.001). NCFMTM inhibited AOM-induced colonic ACF formation in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). A significant dose-dependent reduction of cecal beta-glucuronidase activities was observed in the rats fed 2% (P<0.04) and 4% (P<0.0001) NCFMTM. These results suggest that Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFMTM may potentially prevent colon cancer development. Further studies are warranted to determine the full potential of this probiotic strain in preclinical efficacy studies.
Anti–JC virus antibody levels in serum or plasma further define risk of natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

The increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) with natalizumab treatment is associated with the presence of anti–JC virus (JCV) antibodies. We analyzed whether anti‐JCV antibody levels, measured as index, may further define PML risk in seropositive patients.
In vivo brain macromolecule signals in healthy and glioblastoma mouse models: 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy, post‐processing and metabolite quantification at 14.1 T

In 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy, macromolecule signals underlay metabolite signals, and knowing their contribution is necessary for reliable metabolite quantification. When macromolecule signals are measured using an inversion‐recovery pulse sequence, special care needs to be taken to correctly remove residual metabolite signals to obtain a pure macromolecule spectrum. Furthermore, since a single spectrum is commonly used for quantification in multiple experiments, the impact of potential macromolecule signal variability, because of regional differences or pathologies, on metabolite quantification has to be assessed. In this study, we introduced a novel method to post‐process measured macromolecule signals that offers a flexible and robust way of removing residual metabolite signals. This method was applied to investigate regional differences in the mouse brain macromolecule signals that may affect metabolite quantification when not taken into account. However, since no significant differences in metabolite quantification were detected, it was concluded that a single macromolecule spectrum can be generally used for the quantification of healthy mouse brain spectra. Alternatively, the study of a mouse model of human glioma showed several alterations of the macromolecule spectrum, including, but not limited to, increased mobile lipid signals, which had to be taken into account to avoid significant metabolite quantification errors.
Potential of multipath communications to improve communications reliability for internet-based cyberphysical systems

For cyber-physical systems (CPSs), communications system reliability is an indispensable requirement to realize them in critical infrastructures. One of the important attributes of system reliability is availability. System availability is broadly defined as the proportion of time that the system will provide service. In some CPSs, such as smart grids, the units are distributed over large geographical areas. For such systems, the use of Internet to connect their units is highly desirable. However, the reliability of today's Internet was considered to be inadequate to support many CPSs. In this paper, we propose the utilization of multipath (MP) communications using different end-to-end (e2e) paths to improve communications reliability of Internet for CPSs. With this regard, we first formulate the problem of multipath selection to provide the required communications reliability as an optimization problem. After that, we conduct first real world measurements to investigate the diversity of different e2e paths and the reduction in communications service unavailability when 2 and 3 paths between the source and destination are considered simultaneously. Our results indicate the existence of e2e paths that traverse completely different networks and, consequently, are likely to be disjoint. In addition, the concurrent unavailability of different 2 and 3 paths combinations was 0. The results show that MP communications using different e2e Internet paths can achieve the required reliability by many CPSs such as smart grids.
Retrospective Derivation and Validation of an Automated Electronic Search Algorithm to Identify Post operative Cardiovascular and Thromboembolic Complications

Summary Background: With increasing numbers of hospitals adopting electronic medical records, electronic search algorithms for identifying postoperative complications can be invaluable tools to expedite data abstraction and clinical research to improve patient outcomes. Objectives: To derive and validate an electronic search algorithm to identify postoperative thromboembolic and cardiovascular complications such as deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or myocardial infarction within 30 days of total hip or knee arthroplasty. Methods: A total of 34 517 patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2013 were identified. Using a derivation cohort of 418 patients, several iterations of a free-text electronic search were developed and refined for each complication. Subsequently, the automated search algorithm was validated on an independent cohort of 2 857 patients, and the sensitivity and specificities were compared to the results of manual chart review. Results: In the final derivation subset, the automated search algorithm achieved a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 85% for deep vein thrombosis, a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 100% for pulmonary embolism, and a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95% for myocardial infarction. When applied to the validation cohort, the search algorithm achieved a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 99% for deep vein thrombosis, a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 100% for pulmonary embolism, and a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 99% for myocardial infarction. Conclusions: The derivation and validation of an electronic search strategy can accelerate the data abstraction process for research, quality improvement, and enhancement of patient care, while maintaining superb reliability compared to manual review. Citation: Tien M, Kashyap R, Wilson GA, Hernandez-Torres V, Jacob AK, Schroeder DR, Mantilla CB. Retrospective Derivation and Validation of an Automated Electronic Search Algorithm to Identify Postoperative Thromboembolic and Cardiovascular Complications. Appl Clin Inform 2015; 6: 565–576 http://dx.doi. org/10.4338/ACI-2015-03-RA-0026
Estimating Absolute and Relative Case Fatality Ratios from Infectious Disease Surveillance Data

Summary Knowing which populations are most at risk for severe outcomes from an emerging infectious disease is crucial in deciding the optimal allocation of resources during an outbreak response. The case fatality ratio (CFR) is the fraction of cases that die after contracting a disease. The relative CFR is the factor by which the case fatality in one group is greater or less than that in a second group. Incomplete reporting of the number of infected individuals, both recovered and dead, can lead to biased estimates of the CFR. We define conditions under which the CFR and the relative CFR are identifiable. Furthermore, we propose an estimator for the relative CFR that controls for time‐varying reporting rates. We generalize our methods to account for elapsed time between infection and death. To demonstrate the new methodology, we use data from the 1918 influenza pandemic to estimate relative CFRs between counties in Maryland. A simulation study evaluates the performance of the methods in outbreak scenarios. An R software package makes the methods and data presented here freely available. Our work highlights the limitations and challenges associated with estimating absolute and relative CFRs in practice. However, in certain situations, the methods presented here can help identify vulnerable subpopulations early in an outbreak of an emerging pathogen such as pandemic influenza.
Procalcitonin in the Early Course Post Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Objective: Procalcitonin has emerged as a promising infection marker, but previous reports from small-sized studies suggest nonspecific elevation of procalcitonin after pediatric heart surgery. As procalcitonin is increasingly used as a marker for infection in the PICU, the aim of this study was to identify factors associated with postoperative procalcitonin elevation and to investigate the role of procalcitonin as an early marker of outcome after cardiac surgery. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Single, tertiary referral PICU. Patients: Patients aged 0–16 years following cardiac surgery with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. Interventions: Procalcitonin was measured in all patients at admission to PICU, and on postoperative day 1 and 2. Outcome variables included major adverse event, length of stay in PICU, postoperative renal failure requiring temporary dialysis, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of inotropic support. A major adverse event was defined as cardiac arrest, need for postoperative extracorporeal life support or death within 3 months of cardiac surgery. Measurements and Main Results: In 221 included patients who underwent 232 operations, procalcitonin at admission to PICU was significantly associated with mechanical ventilation prior to surgery (p = 0.001), preoperative myocardial dysfunction (p = 0.002), duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (p < 0.001), intraoperative cross-clamp time (p = 0.015), and serum lactate at admission (p < 0.001). Patients suffering a major adverse event and patients with postoperative renal failure had significantly higher procalcitonin levels at admission to PICU (p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, procalcitonin levels at admission correlated significantly with the length of stay in the PICU (p = 0.005), time on mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03), and duration of inotropic support (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Elevated levels of procalcitonin in the early phase after pediatric cardiac surgery are a marker for increased risk for major adverse events and postoperative renal failure and increased postoperative morbidity.
Low power highly linear temperature sensor based on SOI lateral PIN diodes

This work presents a highly linear temperature sensors implemented with SOI Lateral PIN Diodes, for low-power applications, biased on the exponential region of the I-V characteristics. Experimental results are shown for temperatures ranging between 150 K and 400 K, showing that depending on the selected bias currents, the linearity can be improved in comparison to a single SOI PIN diode. Simulations results show that the sensing range can be extended for both lower and higher temperatures maintaining high linearity.
Writing in dyslexia: product and process.

Research on dyslexia has largely centred on reading. The aim of this study was to assess the writing of 13 children with and 28 without dyslexia at age 11 years. A programme for keystroke logging was used to allow recording of typing activity as the children performed a sentence dictation task. Five sentences were read aloud twice each. The task was to type the sentence as correctly as possible, with no time constraints. The data were analysed from a product (spelling, grammar and semantics) and process (transcription fluency and revisions) perspective, using repeated measures ANOVA and t-tests to investigate group differences. Furthermore, the data were correlated with measures of rapid automatic naming and working memory. Results showed that the group with dyslexia revised their texts as much as the typical group, but they used more time, and the result was poorer. Moreover, rapid automatic naming correlated with transcription fluency, and working memory correlated with the number of semantic errors. This shows that dyslexia is generally not an issue of effort and that cognitive skills that are known to be important for reading also affect writing.
Simulation of Plastic Hinges in FRP-Plated RC Beams

Structural engineers inherently rely on the ductility of a member to absorb energy, give prior warning of failure, control the drift of columns, and redistribute moments in beams. However, quantifying the ductility of reinforced concrete members has been a seemingly difficult or even intractable structural engineering problem mainly because of the softening characteristics of concrete. In this paper, a numerical model of the hinge region of a reinforced concrete beam bonded with fiber reinforced fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tension face plates is described, which simulates four mechanisms that contribute to the rotation of the member and, significantly, defines the limit to rotation imposed by concrete softening.
A common deletion in the uridine diphosphate glucuronyltransferase (UGT) 2B17 gene is a strong determinant of androgen excretion in healthy pubertal boys.

BACKGROUND Testosterone (T) is excreted in urine as water-soluble glucuronidated and sulfated conjugates. The ability to glucuronidate T and other steroids depends on a number of different glucuronidases (UGT) of which UGT2B17 is essential. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of UGT2B17 genotypes on urinary excretion of androgen metabolites in pubertal boys. STUDY DESIGN A clinical study of 116 healthy boys aged 8-19 yr. UGT2B17 genotyping was performed using quantitative PCR. Serum FSH, LH, T, estradiol (E2), and SHBG were analyzed by immunoassays, and urinary levels of androgen metabolites were quantitated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in all subjects. RESULTS Ten of 116 subjects (9%) presented with a homozygote deletion of the UGT2B17 gene (del/del), whereas 52 and 54 boys were hetero- and homozygous carriers of the UGT2B17 gene (del/ins and ins/ins), respectively. None of the reproductive hormones were affected by UGT2B17 genotype. In all subjects, mean urinary T/epitestosterone ratio was 1.56 [1.14 (SD); 0.1-6.9 (range)] and unaffected by age or pubertal stage. Subjects with homozygous deletions of UGT2B17 had significantly lower urinary levels of T and 5alpha- and 5beta-androstanediol. Mean urinary T/epitestosterone was significantly reduced in del/del subjects [0.29 (0.30); 0.1-1.0 (range), P < 0.0001]. CONCLUSION In pubertal boys, a common homozygous deletion in the UGT2B17 gene strongly affected urinary excretion pattern of androgen metabolites but did not influence circulating androgen levels.
FINE STRUCTURE OF BASIDIOSPORES OF SCHIZOPHYLLUM COMMUNE

Voelz, Herbert (University of West Virginia, Morgantown), and Donald J. Niederpruem. Fine structure of basidiospores of Schizophyllum commune. J. Bacteriol. 88:1497–1502. 1964. —The fine structure of basidiospores of the wood-rotting mushroom Schizophyllum commune was elucidated. Ungerminated spores were characterized by a fibrous cell wall, a cytoplasmic membrane, electron-dense granules, nuclei surrounded by nuclear envelopes with pores, and poorly defined mitochondria. Young germlings were still binucleate, whereas mitochondria appeared highly organized. Vacuolization appeared with germination, and elaborate pore structures were associated with septa.
Sinus and Paced P Wave Duration and Dispersion as Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation After Pacemaker Implantation in Patients with Isolated Sick Sinus Syndrome

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the sinus and the paced P wave duration and dispersion as predictors of AF after pacemaker implantation in patients with isolated sick sinus syndrome (SSS). The study included 109 (69 women, mean age 72 ± 11 years) patients with SSS, 59 with bradycardia‐tachycardia syndrome (BTS). A 12‐lead ECG was recorded before pacemaker implantation and during high right atrial and septal right atrial pacing at 70 and 100 beats/min. The ECGs were scanned into a computer and analyzed on screen. The patients were treated with AAIR (n = 52) or DDDR pacing. The P wave duration was measured in each lead and mean P wave duration and P wave dispersion were calculated for each ECG. AF during follow‐up was defined as: AF in an ECG at or between follow‐up visits; an atrial high rate episode with a rate of ≥220 beats/min for ≥5 minutes, atrial sensing with a rate of ≥170 beats/min in ≥5% of total counted beats, mode‐switching in ≥5% of total time recorded, or a mode switching episode of ≥5 minutes recorded by the pacemaker telemetry. The ECG parameters were correlated to AF during follow‐up. Mean follow‐up was 1.5 ± 0.9 years. None of the ECG parameters differed between patients with AF and patients without AF during follow‐up, nor was there any difference between groups after correction for BTS and age. BTS was the strongest predictor of AF during follow‐up (P < 0.001). P wave duration and dispersion measured before and during pacemaker implantation were not predictive of AF after pacemaker implantation in patients with isolated SSS. (PACE 2004; 27:606–614)
Succumbing to the Call of Violence – Sex-Linked Development of Appetitive Aggression in Relation to Familial and Organized Violence

Appetitive aggression is the attraction to violent behavior, which can peak in the experience of a combat high. In various war and conflict scenarios, members of armed groups have reported developing a desire to hunt and even kill humans. More recently, we reported that the phenomenon has also been observed in female ex-combatants with varying participation in warfare. Despite recent investigations on risk factors for appetitive aggression, sex-specific pathways in the development of appetitive aggression have not yet been delineated. This study investigated moderation effects of sex on previously identified risk factors for appetitive aggression by means of regression analyses in a sample of individuals with varying degrees of warfare participation (overall sample, n = 602). First examining a sample characterized by backgrounds heterogeneous in both sociodemographic data and war experiences, the analysis was then replicated in a subsample of fighters active during the civil war (combatant sample, n = 109). In both samples, regression analyses revealed significant moderation effects of sex. Childhood maltreatment and traumatic events had positive associations on the development of appetitive aggression for males but a negative (childhood maltreatment) or no (traumatic events) association for females. Perpetrated events were more strongly correlated with appetitive aggression for females than for males. This pattern was pronounced for the combatant sample. These results are in favor of sex-linked pathways. In both sexes, appetitive aggression may have evolved as a biologically prepared response to cruel environments but might develop along different trajectories. The current study highlights the need for addressing appetitive aggression in order to support peace-building processes and emphasizes sex specific starting-points.