Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Renal Function in Older Men: The Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study

Background: It is unknown if ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with lower renal function, a cardiovascular risk factor. Objective: We investigated whether long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in a cohort of older men living in the Boston Metropolitan area. Methods: This longitudinal analysis included 669 participants from the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study with up to four visits between 2000 and 2011 (n = 1,715 visits). Serum creatinine was measured at each visit, and eGFR was calculated according to the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. One-year exposure to PM2.5 prior to each visit was assessed using a validated spatiotemporal model that utilized satellite remote-sensing aerosol optical depth data. eGFR was modeled in a time-varying linear mixed-effects regression model as a continuous function of 1-year PM2.5, adjusting for important covariates. Results: One-year PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower eGFRs; a 2.1-μg/m3 interquartile range higher 1-year PM2.5 was associated with a 1.87 mL/min/1.73 m2 lower eGFR [95% confidence interval (CI): –2.99, –0.76]. A 2.1 μg/m3-higher 1-year PM2.5 was also associated with an additional annual decrease in eGFR of 0.60 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year (95% CI: –0.79, –0.40). Conclusions: In this longitudinal sample of older men, the findings supported the hypothesis that long-term PM2.5 exposure negatively affects renal function and increases renal function decline. Citation: Mehta AJ, Zanobetti A, Bind MC, Kloog I, Koutrakis P, Sparrow D, Vokonas PS, Schwartz JD. 2016. Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and renal function in older men: the VA Normative Aging Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1353–1360; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1510269
A novel nano-immunoassay method for quantification of proteins from CD138-purified myeloma cells: biological and clinical utility

Protein analysis in bone marrow samples from patients with multiple myeloma has been limited by the low concentration of proteins obtained after CD138+ cell selection. A novel approach based on capillary nano-immunoassay could make it possible to quantify dozens of proteins from each myeloma sample in an automated manner. Here we present a method for the accurate and robust quantification of the expression of multiple proteins extracted from CD138-purified multiple myeloma samples frozen in RLT Plus buffer, which is commonly used for nucleic acid preservation and isolation. Additionally, the biological and clinical value of this analysis for a panel of 12 proteins essential to the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma was evaluated in 63 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The analysis of the prognostic impact of CRBN/Cereblon and IKZF1/Ikaros mRNA/protein showed that only the protein levels were able to predict progression-free survival of patients; mRNA levels were not associated with prognosis. Interestingly, high levels of Cereblon and Ikaros proteins were associated with longer progression-free survival only in patients who received immunomodulatory drugs and not in those treated with other drugs. In conclusion, the capillary nano-immunoassay platform provides a novel opportunity for automated quantification of the expression of more than 20 proteins in CD138+ primary multiple myeloma samples.
From Tribology to Rheology: Impact of interparticle friction in the shear thickening of non-Brownian suspensions

Recently, new cement pastes with low carbon footprint, low water content and outstanding mechanical properties after hardening have been developed. However, these cement pastes cannot be commercialized because they shear thicken at high shear rates, causing severe processing problems. The shear thickening of non-Brownian suspensions such as these cement slurries is to date poorly understood. In this thesis, a theoretical framework has therefore been developed to predict and understand the shear thickening of dense non-Brownian suspensions. It links the macroscopic transition from Newtonian to shear-thickening regimes to the microscopic transition in lubrication regimes between the particles from hydrodynamic to boundary lubrication. It also shows that the suspension volume fraction and the boundary-lubrication friction coefficient control the nature (continuous or discontinuous) of the shear-thickening regime. This model is first validated by computer simulations based on a tailored contact dynamics algorithm. The simulated flow curves not only exhibit the three different flow regimes described in the literature, but also display the transitions between the regimes in a realistic way. The relevance of the framework is then experimentally confirmed on suspensions of quartz particles coated with different polymer brushes that modify the boundary-lubrication friction coefficient between the particles. These experiments validate the link between the nature of shear thickening, the suspension volume fraction and the boundary friction coefficient. Moreover, based on extensive tests, the influence of different polymer architectural parameters on the shear thickening of different filler suspensions is evaluated. Finally, emphasizing the key role of the friction between particles in the rheology of dense suspensions, a precise and robust technique to measure the friction between two microspheres based on lateral force microscopy (LFM) has been developed and successfully applied.
Colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection: Systematic review of mid‐term clinical outcomes

With a drive towards minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is now gaining popularity. In a number of East Asian countries, ESD is now the treatment of choice for early non‐metastatic gastric cancer, but the outcomes of ESD for colorectal lesions are unclear. The present review summarizes the mid‐term outcomes of colorectal ESD including complication and recurrence rates. A systematic literature search was done in May 2014, identifying 20 publications reporting the outcomes of colorectal ESD which were included in this review. En‐bloc resection rates, complete (R0) resection rates, endoscopic clearance rates, complication and recurrences rates were analyzed. Statistical pooling was done to calculate weighted means using random effects modeling. Twenty studies reporting the outcomes of 3060 colorectal ESD procedures were reported. Overall weighted en‐bloc resection rate was 89% (95% CI: 83–94%), R0 resection rate 76% (95% CI: 69–83%), endoscopic clearance rate 94% (95% CI: 90–97%) and recurrence rate 1% (95% CI: 0.5–2%). Studies that followed up patients for over 1 year were found to have an en‐bloc resection rate of 91% (95% CI: 86–96%), R0 resection rate of 81% (95% CI: 75–88%), endoscopic clearance rate 93% (95% CI: 90–97%) and recurrence rate of 0.8% (95% CI: 0.4–1%). Colorectal ESD can be carried out effectively and safely with a 1% recurrence rate. Further studies with longer follow‐up periods are required to determine whether colorectal ESD is a viable alternative to conventional surgical therapy.
Least-squares parameter set estimation for robust control design

Two least-squares based methods are presented for obtaining ARX model sets. The first is obtained using properties of high-order ARX models and the second uses a stochastic embedding scheme on the residuals from an ARX model of any order. Either of the ARX model sets is useful for robust control of systems with uncertain parameters. Using the high order ARX model approach, the parameter uncertainty lies in a confidence ellipsoid. Using the stochastic embedding approach, the parameter uncertainty is in a confidence box. For scalar plants, both cases can be handled using convex programming to obtain the exact stability robustness margin for a particular controller. However, because the uncertainty description is probabilistic, the robustness property has to be associated with a confidence level, i.e., a probability of stability.
Salient Region Segmentation

Saliency prediction is a well studied problem in computer vision. Early saliency models were based on low-level hand-crafted feature derived from insights gained in neuroscience and psychophysics. In the wake of deep learning breakthrough, a new cohort of models were proposed based on neural network architectures, allowing significantly higher gaze prediction than previous shallow models, on all metrics. However, most models treat the saliency prediction as a \textit{regression} problem, and accurate regression of high-dimensional data is known to be a hard problem. Furthermore, it is unclear that intermediate levels of saliency (ie, neither very high, nor very low) are meaningful: Something is either salient, or it is not. Drawing from those two observations, we reformulate the saliency prediction problem as a salient region \textit{segmentation} problem. We demonstrate that the reformulation allows for faster convergence than the classical regression problem, while performance is comparable to state-of-the-art. We also visualise the general features learned by the model, which are showed to be consistent with insights from psychophysics.
A double blind randomized control trial, comparing effect of drospirenone and gestodene to sexual desire and libido.

BACKGROUND Oral contraceptive is the most commonly used method of fertility control. Yasmin is a combination of a novel progestogen with anti-androgenic and anti-mineralcorticoid activities (3 mg Drospirenone (DRSP) and 30 microg ethinylestradiol (EE)). It has been shown in many clinical trials that Yasmin is an efficacious oral contraceptive, lacking undesired effects as with other oral contraceptives such as weight gain. However the effects of Yasmin on sexual desire and libido have not been intensively investigated so far OBJECTIVE Investigate the effects of Yasmin on sexual desire, libido and changes in the free androgen index (FAI) compare to Meliane (75 microg gestodene + 20 microg ethinylestradiol). MATERIAL AND METHOD The authors' report the results of a double blind randomized controlled study using a translated version of the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire (FSFI) for the assessment of the sexual function. The free androgen index was calculated from measurements of testosterone and sexual hormone binding globulin. RESULT The result shows statistically significant improvements regarding sexual desire, arousal and overall satisfaction in the Yasmin group. Additionally, an increased frequency of orgasms in the Meliane group was reported. Statistically significant differences between the two treatments regarding changes in the FSFI score and changes in the free androgen index have not been observed. CONCLUSION The novel oral contraceptive containing drospirenone (Yasmin) and the non-anti-androgenic progestin containing oral contraceptive (Meliane) do not show unfavorable effects on sexual response and libido.
Assessment of the effect of ozonated water irrigation on gingival inflammation in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment

Background: A split-mouth longitudinal study was designed here to evaluate the effect of ozonated water delivered subgingivally through a jet device (Kent Ozone dental TY 820 jet) in controlling gingival inflammation of patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment following thorough oral prophylaxis were recalled after 2 weeks, and baseline gingival inflammation was estimated. This study was conducted as split-mouth technique with the upper left quadrant (Control side) was irrigated by jetting saline into sulcus by air–water syringe with gauge 22 needle tip and upper right quadrant (Test side) irrigated with ozonated water by a jet device using similar delivery tip. The patients were recalled at the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th month and the irrigations as well as gingival inflammation estimation were repeated. A biochemical assessment of gingival inflammation (estimation of aspartate aminotransferase [AST] in gingival crevicular fluid [GCF]) and clinical assessment (gingival index scoring) was done at each visit. Results: At the test side, the AST level in the GCF was found to be maintained almost the same value as baseline till the end of 4th month, indicating not much of change in inflammatory status. Statistically significant difference in GCF-AST and gingival index score between test and control sites were found at the end of 3rd and 4th month with a significance of P < 0.05. Conclusion: The patient undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment showed a consistent improvement in gingival inflammation on frequent irrigation with ozone jet irrigation as compared with saline irrigation delivered with same jetting force.
Comparison of joint modeling and landmarking for dynamic prediction under an illness‐death model

Dynamic prediction incorporates time‐dependent marker information accrued during follow‐up to improve personalized survival prediction probabilities. At any follow‐up, or “landmark”, time, the residual time distribution for an individual, conditional on their updated marker values, can be used to produce a dynamic prediction. To satisfy a consistency condition that links dynamic predictions at different time points, the residual time distribution must follow from a prediction function that models the joint distribution of the marker process and time to failure, such as a joint model. To circumvent the assumptions and computational burden associated with a joint model, approximate methods for dynamic prediction have been proposed. One such method is landmarking, which fits a Cox model at a sequence of landmark times, and thus is not a comprehensive probability model of the marker process and the event time. Considering an illness‐death model, we derive the residual time distribution and demonstrate that the structure of the Cox model baseline hazard and covariate effects under the landmarking approach do not have simple form. We suggest some extensions of the landmark Cox model that should provide a better approximation. We compare the performance of the landmark models with joint models using simulation studies and cognitive aging data from the PAQUID study. We examine the predicted probabilities produced under both methods using data from a prostate cancer study, where metastatic clinical failure is a time‐dependent covariate for predicting death following radiation therapy.
Maladaptive Plasticity Masks the Effects of Natural Selection in the Red-Shouldered Soapberry Bug

Natural selection can produce local adaptation, but local adaptation can be masked by maladaptive plasticity. Maladaptive plasticity may arise as a result of gene flow producing novel gene combinations that have not been exposed to selection. In the 1980s, populations of the red-shouldered soapberry bug (Jadera haematoloma) were locally adapted to feed on the seeds of a native host plant and an introduced host plant; by 2014, local differentiation in beak length had been lost, likely as a consequence of increased gene flow. In this study, I assess the relative contributions of natural selection and plasticity to beak length on these two hosts. I confirm the earlier hypothesis that the host plant seedpod drives divergent natural selection on beak length. I then demonstrate that the proximate cause of the loss of observable differentiation in beak length is maladaptive plasticity, which masks persistent genetic differences between host-associated populations. Maladaptive plasticity is highest in areas where the two plants co-occur; in combination with historical measures of plasticity in hybrids, this indicates that maladaptive plasticity may be a consequence of ongoing gene flow. Although natural selection produced locally adapted genotypes in soapberry bugs, maladaptive plasticity is masking phenotypic differences between populations in nature.
Agreeing Asynchronously

This paper formulates and solves a version of the widely studied Vicsek consensus problem in which each member of a group of n > 1 agents independently updates its heading at times determined by its own clock. It is not assumed that the agents' clocks are synchronized or that the ldquoeventrdquo times between which any one agent updates its heading are evenly spaced. Nor is it assumed that heading updates must occur instantaneously. Using the concept of ldquoanalytic synchronizationrdquo together with several key results concerned with properties of ldquocompositionsrdquo of directed graphs, it is shown that the conditions under which a consensus is achieved are essentially the same as those applicable in the synchronous case provided the notion of an agent's neighbor between its event times is appropriately defined. However, in sharp contrast with the synchronous case where for analysis an n dimensional state space model is adequate, for the asynchronous version of the problem a 2n-dimensional state space model is required. It is explained how to analyze this model despite the fact that, unlike the synchronous case, the stochastic matrices involved do not have all positive diagonal entries.
Properties of 1-D Infrastructure-Based Wireless Multi-Hop Networks

Many real wireless multi-hop networks are deployed with some infrastructure support, where the results on ad-hoc networks cannot be readily extended to understand the properties of those networks. In this paper, we study those networks in 1-D. Specifically, we consider two types of nodes in the networks: ordinary nodes and powerful nodes, where ordinary nodes are i.i. d and Poissonly distributed in a unit interval and powerful nodes are arbitrarily distributed within the same unit interval. These powerful nodes are inter-connected via some backbone infrastructure. The network is said to be connected, i.e. any two nodes can communicate with each other, if each ordinary node is connected to at least one of the powerful nodes. We call this type of connectivity type-II connectivity. Exact and simplified asymptotic formulas for type-II connectivity probability and the average hop count between two arbitrary nodes are obtained. Further we prove that equi- distant powerful nodes deployment delivers the optimum performance which maximizes the type-II connectivity probability. These results are important for the design and deployment of 1-D infrastructure-based networks and provide useful insights into the analysis of higher dimensional networks.
A Test of Possibility on Relative Humidity Function in Minor Operation Theatre

High humidity air flow in Minor Operation Theatre (MOT) is undesired as it will cause discomfort to the occupant. Acceptable humidity air flow is important as it will affect the pureness of the indoor environment as well. The objective of this research work is to construct a realistic Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of MOT for investigation. The MOT which is occupied with one unit of Air Conditioner has been selected for this study. The RH of air is analysed. The experimental data is collected by applying a digital air flow anemometer with USB interface and the channels digital handheld temperature thermometer meter data loggers for validation purpose. CFD simulation is conducted by applying ANSYS Fluent software. The experimental result and simulation is compared and validated. Based on the simulation and experiment findings, it reveals that ANSYS Fluent can be used for RH in MOT.
Distribution and Functions of TonB-Dependent Transporters in Marine Bacteria and Environments: Implications for Dissolved Organic Matter Utilization

Background Bacteria play critical roles in marine nutrient cycles by incorporating and redistributing dissolved organic matter (DOM) and inorganic nutrients in the ocean. TonB-dependent transporter (TBDT) proteins allow Gram-negative bacteria to take up scarce resources from nutrient-limiting environments as well as siderophores, heme, vitamin B12, and recently identified carbohydrates. Thus, the characterization of TBDT distribution and functions is essential to better understand the contribution TBDT to DOM assimilation and its consequences on nutrient cycling in the environment. Methodology/Principal Findings This study presents the distribution of encoded known and putative TBDT proteins in the genomes of microorganisms and from the Global Ocean Survey data. Using a Lek clustering algorithm and substrate specificities, the TBDT sequences were mainly classified into the following three groups: (1) DOM transporters; (2) Siderophores/Vitamins transporters; and (3) Heme/Hemophores/Iron(heme)-binding protein transporters. Diverse TBDTs were found in the genomes of oligotroph Citromicrobium bathyomarinum JL354 and Citromicrobium sp JLT1363 and were highly expressed in the stationary phase of bacterial growth. The results show that the Gammaproteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides (CFB) group bacteria accounted for the majority of the TBDT gene pool in marine surface waters. Conclusions/Significance The results of this study confirm the ecological importance of TBDTs in DOM assimilation for bacteria in marine environments owing to a wide range of substrate utilization potential in the ubiquitous Gammaproteobacteria and CFB group bacteria.
Various shape memory effects of stimuli-responsive shape memory polymers

One-step dual-shape memory polymers (SMPs) recover their original (permanent) shape upon small variation of environmental conditions such as temperature, electric field, light, magnetic field, and solvent/chemicals. For advanced applications such as aerospace and medical devices, complicated, multiple-step, spatially controllable, and two-way shape memory effects (SMEs) are required. In the past decade, researchers have devoted great effort to improve the versatility of the SME of SMPs to meet the needs of advanced applications. This paper is intended to review the up-to-date research endeavors on advanced SMEs. The problems facing the various SMPs are discussed. The challenges and opportunities for future research are discussed.
Risk factors for cerebral venous thrombosis and deep venous thrombosis in patients aged between 15 and 50 years

Summary Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE) are associated with many risk factors. It is unclear why CVT occurs less often than DVT/PE. Age dependent risk factors may play a role. The aim of our study was to compare risk factors in a uniform age group of CVT and DVT/PE patients aged between 15 and 50 years. Thrombophilic markers and clinical risk factors of 79 CVT patients and 173 DVT/PE patients aged 15–50 years were compared. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate if risk factors were independently associated with CVT or DVT/ PE. Cerebral venous thrombosis patients were younger (median age 30 years vs. 42 years; p<0.001) and more often female (82% vs. 52%; p<0.001). There were no differences in thrombophilic markers. Cerebral venous thrombosis was less often associated with trauma, immobilisation or surgery than DVT/PE (6% vs. 21%; adjusted OR 0.29; 95%CI 0.10–0.82). In women, CVT was more frequently associated with oral contraceptive use, pregnancy or puerperium (82% vs. 53%; adjusted OR 2.34; 95%CI 1.03–5.32). This study demonstrated no differences in thrombophilic markers between CVT patients and DVT/PE patients aged between 15 and 50 years, while the frequency of some transient risk factors was different. Cerebral venous thrombosis was relatively more common in women and hormonal factors may predispose to CVT compared to DVT/PE, while trauma, immobilisation and surgery may be less important in the pathophysiology of CVT.