Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intussusception risk after rotavirus vaccination in U.S. infants.

BACKGROUND International postlicensure studies have identified an increased risk of intussusception after vaccination with the second-generation rotavirus vaccines RotaTeq (RV5, a pentavalent vaccine) and Rotarix (RV1, a monovalent vaccine). We studied this association among infants in the United States. METHODS The study included data from infants 5.0 to 36.9 weeks of age who were enrolled in three U.S. health plans that participate in the Mini-Sentinel program sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration. Potential cases of intussusception and vaccine exposures from 2004 through mid-2011 were identified through procedural and diagnostic codes. Medical records were reviewed to confirm the occurrence of intussusception and the status with respect to rotavirus vaccination. The primary analysis used a self-controlled risk-interval design that included only vaccinated children. The secondary analysis used a cohort design that included exposed and unexposed person-time. RESULTS The analyses included 507,874 first doses and 1,277,556 total doses of RV5 and 53,638 first doses and 103,098 total doses of RV1. The statistical power for the analysis of RV1 was lower than that for the analysis of RV5. The number of excess cases of intussusception per 100,000 recipients of the first dose of RV5 was significantly elevated, both in the primary analysis (attributable risk, 1.1 [95% confidence interval, 0.3 to 2.7] for the 7-day risk window and 1.5 [95% CI, 0.2 to 3.2] for the 21-day risk window) and in the secondary analysis (attributable risk, 1.2 [95% CI, 0.2 to 3.2] for the 21-day risk window). No significant increase in risk was seen after dose 2 or 3. The results with respect to the primary analysis of RV1 were not significant, but the secondary analysis showed a significant risk after dose 2. CONCLUSIONS RV5 was associated with approximately 1.5 (95% CI, 0.2 to 3.2) excess cases of intussusception per 100,000 recipients of the first dose. The secondary analysis of RV1 suggested a potential risk, although the study of RV1 was underpowered. These risks must be considered in light of the demonstrated benefits of rotavirus vaccination. (Funded by the Food and Drug Administration.).
Threshold improvement of low-density lattice codes via spatial coupling

Spatially-coupled low-density lattice codes (LDLC) are constructed using protographs. By using Monte Carlo density evolution with single-Gaussian messages, we observe that the threshold of the spatially-coupled LDLC is within 0.22 dB of capacity of the unconstrained power channel. This is in contrast with a 0.5 dB noise threshold for the conventional LDLC construction.
ATG16L1 Ala197Thr is not associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease or with phenotype in an Italian population.

Dear Sir: Prescott et al,1 in a recent issue of GASTROENTEROLOGY, reported an association of a threonine-to-alanine substitution (rs2241880, c.898G A, p.Ala197Thr) in the autophagy-related 16 like 1 (ATG16L1) gene with Crohn’s disease (CD; OMIM #266600). This paper extends previous studies supporting a significant association between the above reported ATG16L1 variant and susceptibility to CD.2,3 The Ala197Thr was first identified by Hampe et al2 and was significantly associated with CD in a case-controlled allelic association test and in a family-based transmission/disequilibrium test. The allele G conferred susceptibility to CD and was found to interact with the CARD15 risk genotype. The Prescott et al paper provided an additional strong replication of such association in a large case-control cohort from the United Kingdom (P .0004). 1 However, the authors were unable to confirm the interaction between the ATG16L1 variant and CD-associated CARD15 and IL23R variants.1 Furthermore, they found that the ATG16L1 Ala197Thr variant is associated specifically with ileal CD with or without colonic involvement but not with colonic only disease.1 Other replications were obtained in 2 different studies.4,5 Although these findings are rather compelling, continuing concerns arise regarding the performance of association studies in complex traits. Although the etiology of CD remains unknown, strong evidence indicates that, in genetically susceptible individuals, an inappropriate, overactive, and ongoing gut mucosal immune response triggered by ubiquitous, commensal intestinal bacteria and environmental factors is involved in the pathogenesis of tissue damage.6 ATG16L1 is located on chromosome 2q37.1 and a recent study has revealed that a mouse ortholog ATG16 is localized to the autophagic isola-
Visual Exploration Strategies and the Development of Infants’ Facial Emotion Discrimination

We examined the role of visual exploration strategies in infants’ discrimination between facial emotion expressions. Twenty-eight 6- to 11-month olds were habituated to alternating models posing the same expression (happy N = 14/fearful N = 14) as eye gaze data were collected with a corneal reflection eye tracker. Gaze behavior analyses indicated that duration of gaze to the eyes and mouth was similar, consistent with what would be expected based on area subtended by those regions, and negatively correlated. This pattern did not differ as a function of age, sex, or habituation condition. There were no posthabituation performance differences as a function of age group (6- to 8-month- versus 9- to 11-month olds). Only infants habituated to happy faces showed longer looking at the novel emotion (fear) when the model was held constant from habituation to test. We found no reliable correlation between this performance and proportion of gaze directed at any one facial region. Consistent with previous work, the group habituated to fear faces showed no reliable posthabituation novelty preference. Individual differences in gaze behavior shed light on this finding. Greater proportion of gaze directed at the eyes correlated positively with preference for the novel emotion (happy). These data suggest that, as in other object classes, visual exploration strategies are an important agent of change in infants’ capacity to learn about emotion expressions.
Dual action of nitric oxide on purely isolated retinal ganglion cells

Purpose. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was investigated. Methods. RGCs were purely isolated from postnatal Sprague-Dawley rats by 2-step panning and were cultured in chemically defined serum free medium. An NO releaser, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP: 500 µM, 250 µM, 100 µM, 10 µM, 1 µM, 100 nM, and 10 nM), an NO scavenger, 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (c-PTIO: 100 µM, 33 µM, 10 µM, 1 µM), mixture of 100 µM SNAP and 33 µM c-PTIO, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME: 10 mM, 5 mM, 500 µM, 100 µM or 10 µM), or their vehicles were added to the medium of pure RGC culture for 48 hr. Survival rates of small and large RGCs were determined separately by flow cytometry. Results. At =100 µM, SNAP significantly reduced RGC survival in a concentration dependent manner. At =1 µM, SNAP significantly increased survival, particularly of large RGCs. c-PTIO and L-NAME reduced the survival rates concentration-dependently. A mixture of 100 µM SNAP and 33 µM c-PTIO significantly improved RGC survival compared with when they were added on their own. Conclusions. These results indicate that NO exhibits neuroprotective and neurotoxic actions on RGCs and that low concentrations of NO may be beneficial for the survival of neonatal RGCs in vitro.
National survey of pediatric residency program directors and residents regarding education in palliative medicine and end-of-life care.

PURPOSE To determine how palliative and end-of-life care can best be incorporated into the training of pediatric residents. METHODS From 2001 to 2002, we surveyed 246 directors and 235 residents of pediatric residency programs. We elicited responses regarding (1) perceived relevance of pediatric palliative care, (2) residents' exposure to palliative medicine, (3) competency of faculty and matriculating residents in palliative care, (4) core palliative medicine competencies, and (5) the best teaching/learning format for palliative care. RESULTS Fifty-five directors (22.4%) and 98 residents (42.0%) responded. More than three quarters of directors (78.1%) agreed with the statement that palliative care as a competency is "somewhat" to "very" important. Approximately one third (32.7%) agreed with the statement that their residents were not clinically exposed to end-of-life care; 99.0% of the residents indicated participation in such care. Almost one third of directors (27.3%) indicated that they had no faculty available to teach palliative care. Only 38.2% agreed with the statement that matriculating residents are competent in palliative medicine while many residents indicated having limited or no training in core palliative care competencies. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS For palliative care principles to be better incorporated into pediatric practice, they must be incorporated into residency education, optimally through informal teaching and during rounds. Finding ways to teach residents palliative medicine during clinical "teachable moments" and standardizing didactic curricula should become a priority in palliative and end-of-life care education.
Adaptive neural network control for a class of MIMO nonlinear systems with disturbances in discrete-time

In this paper, adaptive neural network (NN) control is investigated for a class of multiinput and multioutput (MIMO) nonlinear systems with unknown bounded disturbances in discrete-time domain. The MIMO system under study consists of several subsystems with each subsystem in strict feedback form. The inputs of the MIMO system are in triangular form. First, through a coordinate transformation, the MIMO system is transformed into a sequential decrease cascade form (SDCF). Then, by using high-order neural networks (HONN) as emulators of the desired controls, an effective neural network control scheme with adaptation laws is developed. Through embedded backstepping, stability of the closed-loop system is proved based on Lyapunov synthesis. The output tracking errors are guaranteed to converge to a residue whose size is adjustable. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
From the inside out: Understanding stress-related enamel defects in great ape canines

of Dissertation . viii List of Figures . xii List of Tables . xvi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Chapter 2: Quantifying linear enamel hypoplasia in Virunga mountain gorillas and other great apes . 14 Chapter 3: Enamel growth variation corresponds with surface defect depth in great ape canines . 55 Chapter 4: From the inside out: Histological analysis of enamel defects in Virunga mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) canines . 96 Chapter 5: Conclusions . 130 References . 135
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cyclodiene Insecticides and Breast Cancer

Cyclodienes are a group of organochlorine pesticides that have been the focus of increasing numbers of breast cancer etiology studies in recent years. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize and pool the results of breast cancer and cyclodiene insecticide contamination studies. We used databases from 1966 to 7/2006 and included 21 case-control studies. Pooled odds ratios or differences in means as geometric means ratios were calculated. Meta-analysis of the chemicals did not reveal any statistically significant association except for heptachlor. The heterogeneity among the different studies and the methodology limitations are discussed.
Ant-based Clustering Algorithms: A Brief Survey

Ant-based clustering is a biologically inspired data clustering technique. Clustering task aims at the unsupervised classification of patterns in different groups. Clustering problem has been approached from different disciplines during last years. In recent years, many algorithms have been developed for solving numerical and combinatorial optimization problems. Most promising among them are swarm intelligence algorithms. Clustering with swarm-based algorithms is emerging as an alternative to more conventional clustering techniques. These algorithms have recently been shown to produce good results in a wide variety of real-world applications. During the last five years, research on and with the ant-based clustering algorithms has reached a very promising state. In this paper, a brief survey on ant-based clustering algorithms is described. We also present some applications of ant-based clustering algorithms.
Effect of fixation stitches on out-of-plane response of textile non-crimp fabric composites

Non-crimp fabrics are fabric tapes stitched to an adjacent orthogonal fabric with no associated crimp. In the current research, the effect of fixation polyester stitches in improving through-the-thickness properties of non-crimp fabric composite laminates is investigated. Detailed experimental studies on interlaminar fracture toughness and static indentation properties of stitched and unstitched thin ply carbon fibre epoxy composites have been conducted. About 23% higher peak load and 37% higher energy absorption were noticed during static indentation tests for the stitched ply composites. A detailed SEM investigation has shown that the stitch-stitch interaction ‘within a bi-angle ply’ and ‘between the bi-angle ply’ plays a significant role in reducing the delamination extent. The critical energy release rate during Mode I fracture toughness of stitched composites was found to be 26.5% higher and SEM investigation depicted that the stitches promote the intra-laminar delamination and enhance the toughness of the composite.
Shielding Aspects of Accelerators, Targets and Irradiation Facilities - SATIF 10

Particle accelerators have evolved over the last decades from simple devices to powerful machines, and are having an increasingly important impact on research, technology and daily life. Today they cover a wide range of applications including material science and medical applications. In recent years, requirements from new technological and research applications have emerged while the number of accelerator facilities in operation, being commissioned, designed or planned has significantly grown. Their parameters (such as the beam energy, beam currents and intensities, and target composition) vary widely, giving rise to new radiation shielding aspects and problems. Particle accelerators must be operated in safe ways to protect operators, the public and the environment. As the design and use of these facilities evolve, so must the analytical methods used in the safety analyses. These workshop proceedings review the state of the art in radiation shielding of accelerator facilities and irradiation targets. They also evaluate progress on the development of modelling methods used to assess the effectiveness of such shielding as part of safety analyses.
Protective Effect of Time Spent Walking on Risk of Stroke in Older Men

Background and Purpose— Older adults have the highest risks of stroke and the lowest physical activity levels. It is important to quantify how walking (the predominant form of physical activity in older age) is associated with stroke. Methods— A total of 4252 men from a UK population-based cohort reported usual physical activity (regular walking, cycling, recreational activity, and sport) in 1998 to 2000. Nurses took fasting blood samples and made anthropometric measurements. Results— Among 3435 ambulatory men free from cardiovascular disease and heart failure in 1998 to 2000, 195 first strokes occurred during 11-year follow-up. Men walked a median of 7 (interquartile range, 3–12) hours/wk; walking more hours was associated with lower heart rate, D-dimer, and higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Compared with men walking 0 to 3 hours/wk, men walking 4 to 7, 8 to 14, 15 to 21, and >22 hours had age- and region-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for stroke of 0.89 (0.60–1.31), 0.63 (0.40–1.00), 0.68 (0.35–1.32), and 0.36 (0.14–0.91), respectively, P (trend)=0.006. Hazard ratios were somewhat attenuated by adjustment for established and novel risk markers (inflammatory and hemostatic markers and cardiac function [N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide]) and walking pace, but linear trends remained. There was little evidence for a dose–response relationship between walking pace and stroke; comparing average pace or faster to a baseline of slow pace, the hazard ratio for stroke was 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.44–0.97), which was fully mediated by time spent walking. Conclusions— Time spent walking was associated with reduced risk of onset of stroke in dose–response fashion, independent of walking pace. Walking could form an important part of stroke-prevention strategies in older people.
Floral initiation and inflorescence architecture: a comparative view.

BACKGROUND A huge variety of plant forms can be found in nature. This is particularly noticeable for inflorescences, the region of the plant that contains the flowers. The architecture of the inflorescence depends on its branching pattern and on the relative position where flowers are formed. In model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana or Antirrhinum majus the key genes that regulate the initiation of flowers have been studied in detail and much is known about how they work. Studies being carried out in other species of higher plants indicate that the homologues of these genes are also key regulators of the development of their reproductive structures. Further, changes in these gene expression patterns and/or function play a crucial role in the generation of different plant architectures. SCOPE In this review we aim to present a summarized view on what is known about floral initiation genes in different plants, particularly dicotyledonous species, and aim to emphasize their contribution to plant architecture.
Happiness in motion: emotions, well-being, and active school travel.

BACKGROUND A pan-Canadian School Travel Planning intervention promoted active school travel (AST). A novel component was exploring emotion, well-being, and travel mode framed by the concept of "sustainable happiness. " Relationships between travel mode and emotions, parent perceptions of their child's travel mode on well-being, and factors related to parent perceptions were examined. METHODS Questionnaires were administered to families (N = 5423) from 76 elementary schools. Explanatory variables were demographics (age and sex), school travel measures (mode, distance, accompaniment by an adult, safety, and barriers), and emotions (parent and child). Outcomes examined parent perceived benefits of travel mode on dimensions of well-being (physical, emotional, community, and environmental). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and hierarchical regression were used. RESULTS Parents and children who used AST reported more positive emotions versus passive travelers. Parents of active travelers reported stronger connections to dimensions of well-being. AST had the strongest association with parents' perceptions of their child's well-being, and positive emotions (parent and child) were also significantly related to well-being on the trip to school. CONCLUSIONS As an additional potential benefit of AST, interventions should raise awareness of the positive emotional experiences for children and their parents. Future research should experimentally examine if AST causes these emotional benefits.
In vitro activity and function of B7-H4-Ig fusion protein

B7-H4 has been shown to inhibit T cell proliferation, cytokine production and cell cycle in vitro. B7-H4 deficient mice develop exacerbated disease in the mouse models of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE). On the other hand, B7-H4-Ig fusion protein has been documented to assuage the symptoms in mouse models of RA, T1D, and multiple sclerosis in vivo. In the present study, B7-H4-Ig bound to the majority of human peripheral blood monocytes and NK cells, but not to either normal or activated T cells. B7-H4-Ig fusion protein was assayed for its effects in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) systems. Soluble B7- H4-Ig had no significant effect in the MLC, but with a tendency to promote allogeneic response. Immobilized, but not soluble B7-H4-Ig inhibited plastic bound anti-CD3 mediated activation of T cells. This inhibition however was largely due to B7-H4-Ig mediated displacement of anti-CD3 antibody from the plastic plate. Finally, B7-H4-Ig had no effect on the cytotoxicity mediated by NK and LAK cells in PBMC. Our findings thus caution against the interpretation of suppressive effect observed solely in plate-bound anti-CD3 mediated T cell co-stimulation in vitro.
Are Low Doses of Antipsychotics Effective in the Management of Psychomotor Agitation? A Randomized, Rated-Blind Trial of 4 Intramuscular Interventions

BackgroundPsychomotor agitation can be associated with a wide range of medical conditions. Although clinical practice advocates the use of several drugs for the management of psychomotor agitation, there are still very few controlled studies comparing the profiles of action and the adverse effects of different drugs that induce tranquilization. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of 4 low-dose pharmacological interventions used to control psychomotor agitation guided by the clinical response. MethodsUsing a randomized, rated-blind design, 100 agitated patients were assigned to receive 1 of 4 treatments: haloperidol (2.5 mg) + promethazine (25 mg) (HLP + PMZ), haloperidol (2.5 mg) + midazolam (7.5 mg) (HLP + MID), ziprasidone (10 mg) (ZIP), or olanzapine (10 mg) (OLP). Patients were evaluated just before the intervention and after 30, 60, and 90 minutes, using the Agitation-Calmness Evaluating Scale. Adverse effects were assessed within 24 hours after the intervention, using selected items from the UKU Scale (Ugvalg Klinisk Undersgelser Side Effect Scale). According to the clinical indication, medication could be repeated twice after the first injection. Data were analyzed using general linear model with repeated measures and logistic regression. ResultsAll treatment options promoted a reduction in agitation, without causing excessive sedation, although a lower reduction in agitation was observed with HLP + PMZ and ZIP compared with HLP + MID and OLZ. The need for an additional dose of medication was observed in 22 patients, and only 8 remained agitated during the entire 90-minute period. A higher risk for the development of extrapyramidal symptoms within the following 24 hours was observed with HLP + PMZ. DiscussionLow doses of haloperidol combined with midazolam can be as effective as olanzapine in reducing psychomotor agitation without increasing the risk of extrapyramidal effects. Because of the higher risk for the occurrence of extrapyramidal symptoms, the combination of haloperidol with promethazine should be considered a second-line treatment option.