Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B virus transgenic mice: Insights into the virus and the disease

It should be apparent from the foregoing that the transgenic mouse model system has contributed substantially to our understanding of many aspects of HBV biology, immunobiology, and pathogenesis in the past several years. We have learned that HBV can replicate within the mouse hepatocyte, as well as other mouse cell types, suggesting that there are probably no strong tissue or species-specific constraints to viral replication once the viral genome enters the cell. However, the failure thus far to detect viral cccDNA in the hepatocyte nucleus in several independently derived transgenic lineages suggests that other, currently undefined, constraints on host range and tissue specificity may also be operative. Thanks to the transgenic mouse model, we now understand the pathophysiological basis for HBsAg filament formation and "ground glass" cell production, and we have learned that at least this viral gene product can be toxic for the hepatocyte, first by compromising its ability to survive the hepatocytopathic effects of lipopolysaccharide and gamma interferon, and eventually by causing it to die in the absence of any obvious exogenous stimulus. In recent studies, it has been shown that preformed nucleocapsid particles do not cross the nuclear membrane, in either direction, at least in the mouse hepatocyte. If this is confirmed, it will have two important implications: first, that nucleocapsid disassembly must occur in the cytoplasm before the nascent viral genome can enter the nucleus; second, that the intranuclear nucleocapsid particles are empty, and therefore serve no currently defined purpose in the viral life cycle. This should stimulate new interest in the analysis of the function of these particles that are a prominent feature of mammalian hepadnavirus infection. The transgenic mouse model has also established definitively that HBV-induced liver disease has an immunologic basis, and that the class I restricted CTL response plays a central role in this process. Additionally, the mouse studies have taught us that when the CTL recognize their target antigen on the hepatocyte they cause them to undergo apoptosis, forming the acidophilic Councilman bodies that are characteristic of viral hepatitis. Further, we have learned that although the CTL initiate the liver disease, they actually contribute more to disease severity indirectly by recruiting antigen nonspecific effector cells into the liver than by directly killing the hepatocytes themselves; and that by releasing gamma interferon when they recognize antigen, the CTL can destroy enough of the liver to cause fulminant hepatitis in mice whose hepatocytes overproduce the large envelope protein and are hypersensitive to the cytopathic effects of this cytokine. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The ESO’s VLT type Ia supernova spectral set of the final two years of SNLS

Aims. We aim to present 70 spectra of 68 new high-redshift type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) measured at ESO’s VLT during the final two years of operation (2006–2008) of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS). This new sample complements the VLT three year spectral set. Altogether, these two data sets form the five year sample of SNLS SN Ia spectra measured at the VLT on which the final SNLS cosmological analysis will partly be based. In the redshift range considered, this sample is unique in terms of homogeneity and number of spectra. We use it to investigate the possibility of a spectral evolution of SNe Ia populations with redshift as well as SNe Ia spectral properties as a function of lightcurve fit parameters and the mass of the host-galaxy. Methods. Reduction and extraction are based on both IRAF standard tasks and our own reduction pipeline. Redshifts are estimated from host-galaxy lines whenever possible or alternatively from supernova features. We used the spectro-photometric SN Ia model SALT2 combined with a set of galaxy templates that model the host-galaxy contamination to assess the type Ia nature of the candidates. Results. We identify 68 new SNe Ia with redshift ranging from z = 0.207 to z = 0.98 for an average redshift of z = 0.62. Each spectrum is presented individually along with its best-fit SALT2 model. Adding this new sample to the three year VLT sample of SNLS, the final dataset contains 209 spectra corresponding to 192 SNe Ia identified at the VLT. We also publish the redshifts of other candidates (host galaxies or other transients) whose spectra were obtained at the same time as the spectra of live SNe Ia. This list provides a new redshift catalog useful for upcoming galaxy surveys. Using the full VLT SNe Ia sample, we build composite spectra around maximum light with cuts in color, the lightcurve shape parameter (“stretch”), host-galaxy mass and redshift. We find that high-z SNe Ia are bluer, brighter and have weaker intermediate mass element absorption lines than their low-z counterparts at a level consistent with what is expected from selection effects. We also find a flux excess in the range [3000–3400] Å for SNe Ia in low mass host-galaxies (M < 1010M⊙) or with locally blue U–V colors, and suggest that the UV flux (or local color) may be used in future cosmological studies as a third standardization parameter in addition to stretch and color.
Alterations in right posterior hippocampus in early blind individuals

This study compares hippocampal volumes of early blind and sex/age-matched sighted controls through volumetric and localization analyses. Early blind individuals showed a significantly smaller right posterior hippocampus compared with controls. No differences in total hippocampal volumes were found between groups and there were no within-group differences for left versus right hippocampus. Sex, age and total brain grey matter volume had no effect on hippocampal volumes. Although extensive navigational training results in structural enhancement of the hippocampus for the sighted, the reduction of the posterior hippocampus in early blind individuals suggests the implication of this region in visual spatial memory.
Comparison of clarithromycin and penicillin VK suspensions in the treatment of children with streptococcal pharyngitis and review of currently available alternative antibiotic therapies

&NA; In a randomized investigator‐blinded study, 506 children ages 6 months to 12 years with positive rapid direct antigen tests for Group A beta‐hemolytic Streptococcus (GABHS) received treatment with either clarithromycin suspension, 7.5 mg/kg twice daily, or penicillin VK suspension, 13.3 mg/kg three times per day for 10 days. Signs and symptoms of pharyngitis or tonsillitis were evaluated and throat cultures were obtained before treatment, once during treatment and 4 to 6 days and 19 to 25 days posttreatment. All GABHS isolates were susceptible in vitro to clarithromycin. Successful clinical responses at the end of treatment were demonstrated in 169 of 176 (96%) evaluable clarithromycin‐treated patients and 179 of 191 (94%) evaluable penicillin‐treated patients. GABHS was successfully eradicated at end of treatment in 168 of 183 (92%) evaluable clarithromycintreated patients compared with 162 of 199 (81%) evaluable penicillin‐treated patients (P = 0.004). There were no significant changes in hematologic or serum chemistry parameters in either group. Both drugs were well‐tolerated. The incidence and nature of adverse events were similar in the clarithromycin and penicillin groups, except for gastrointestinal complaints reported in 35 of 250 (14%) clarithromycin recipients compared with 12 of 256 (5%) penicillin recipients (P ≤ 0.001). The results indicate that twice daily clarithromycin was as safe and effective as three times daily penicillin VK in the treatment of children with streptococcal pharyngitis or tonsillitis. Clarithromycin was statistically superior to penicillin VK in the eradication of GABHS.
Bi-Directional Recurrent Neural Ordinary Differential Equations for Social Media Text Classification

Classification of posts in social media such as Twitter is difficult due to the noisy and short nature of texts. Sequence classification models based on recurrent neural networks (RNN) are popular for classifying posts that are sequential in nature. RNNs assume the hidden representation dynamics to evolve in a discrete manner and do not consider the exact time of the posting. In this work, we propose to use recurrent neural ordinary differential equations (RNODE) for social media post classification which consider the time of posting and allow the computation of hidden representation to evolve in a time-sensitive continuous manner. In addition, we propose a novel model, Bi-directional RNODE (Bi-RNODE), which can consider the information flow in both the forward and backward directions of posting times to predict the post label. Our experiments demonstrate that RNODE and Bi-RNODE are effective for the problem of stance classification of rumours in social media.
The world recreated: redating Silbury Hill in its monumental landscape

A classic exposition of the difficulties of dating a major monument and why it matters. Silbury Hill, one of the world's largest prehistoric earth mounds, is too valuable to take apart, so we are reliant on samples taken from tunnels and chance exposures. Presenting a new edition of thirty radiocarbon dates, the authors offer models of short- or long-term construction, and their implications for the ritual landscape of Silbury and Stonehenge. The sequence in which monuments, and bits of monuments, were built gives us the kind and history of societies doing the building. So nothing matters more than the dates…
Distinguishing Symptoms of ADHD from Other Psychiatric Disorders in the Adult Primary Care Setting

Abstract Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed in adults. Owing to the relatively recent recognition of adult ADHD as a valid mental disorder and its overlapping symptomatology with other conditions, primary care physicians often fail to screen for ADHD in patients who present with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. A substantial proportion of adults with ADHD also have psychiatric comorbidities. Physicians need to recognize the ways in which ADHD symptoms are expressed in adults and distinguish them from symptoms of other disorders, including mood, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders.
Magnetic Dipole Modeling Combined With Material Sensitivity Analysis for Solving an Inverse Problem of Thin Ferromagnetic Sheet

This paper presents an efficient methodology for determining the underwater field anomaly due to the remanent magnetization of a ferromagnetic ship hull by utilizing a magnetic dipole modeling technique combined with material sensitivity analysis. The complicated 3D structure of the hull is replaced with an equivalent magnetic dipole array placed in a 2D plane, of which the optimal dipole moment values will be easily sought out with the aid of material sensitivity analysis. To achieve this, a material sensitivity formula, which contains the first-order gradient information of an objective function with respect to the magnetic dipoles, is analytically derived by exploiting the augmented objective function and adjoint variable method. The proposed method leads to easy numerical implementation and also dramatically reducing system unknowns of the 3D inverse problem considered. Finally, the validity of the method has been tested with real measurements of a scale model ship as well as numerical results of our previous work, which adopted the magnetic charge method in conjunction with material sensitivity analysis.
Advantage of Computed Tomography (CT) Virtual Bronchoscopy in the Evaluation of Children with Suspected Foreign Body Airway

Background & Objectives: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) into the tracheo bronchial tree is a frequent and serious cause of respiratory distress and visit to the pediatrics emergency, principally in patients under 3 years of age. Most foreign bodies are not radio opaque and approximately one third of the children admitted will show normal chest X-ray. Virtual bronchoscopy is a relatively new and non-invasive procedure that provides a three dimensional view of the internal walls of the tracheobronchial tree through the reconstruction of axial images. The objectives of the study are, 1) to study the diagnostic accuracy and advantage of virtual bronchoscopy over rigid bronchoscopy in the evaluation of children with suspected FBA and to plan for early management as it is a non-invasive technique; 2) to study the clinical spectrum of children attending with suspected FBA. Methods: An observational study of 37 patients of age 12 yrs and below who underwent Virtual Bronchoscopy for suspected foreign body aspiration in the department of pediatrics and Otorhinolaryngology at MGM Hospital, Warangal is carried out for a period of 1.5 years during 2012-2013. Results: The common age of presentation was 1 - 3 years with male preponderance. History of foreign body was obtained in 64.86% of cases. Normal X-ray was found in 27.02% of cases. In 75.67% FB detected on rigid bronchoscopy was also revealed on virtual bronchoscopy. False positive percentage was 5.40% and false negative was 2.70%. Sensitivity and specificity was 96.5% and 75% respectively. Ground nuts were the commonest foreign bodies aspirated. Conclusion: Virtual bronchoscopy should be considered in cases with suspected foreign body aspiration, when chest X-ray is normal, to avoid needless rigid bronchoscopy. Virtual bronchoscopy is useful in screening cases of occult foreign body as it has sensitivity, specificity, and validity.
Estimation of the sensitivity of various environmental sampling methods for detection of Salmonella in duck flocks

Reports of Salmonella in ducks in the UK currently rely upon voluntary submissions from the industry, and as there is no harmonized statutory monitoring and control programme, it is difficult to compare data from different years in order to evaluate any trends in Salmonella prevalence in relation to sampling methodology. Therefore, the aim of this project was to assess the sensitivity of a selection of environmental sampling methods, including the sampling of faeces, dust and water troughs or bowls for the detection of Salmonella in duck flocks, and a range of sampling methods were applied to 67 duck flocks. Bayesian methods in the absence of a gold standard were used to provide estimates of the sensitivity of each of the sampling methods relative to the within-flock prevalence. There was a large influence of the within-flock prevalence on the sensitivity of all sample types, with sensitivity reducing as the within-flock prevalence reduced. Boot swabs (individual and pool of four), swabs of faecally contaminated areas and whole house hand-held fabric swabs showed the overall highest sensitivity for low-prevalence flocks and are recommended for use to detect Salmonella in duck flocks. The sample type with the highest proportion positive was a pool of four hair nets used as boot swabs, but this was not the most sensitive sample for low-prevalence flocks. All the environmental sampling types (faeces swabs, litter pinches, drag swabs, water trough samples and dust) had higher sensitivity than individual faeces sampling. None of the methods consistently identified all the positive flocks, and at least 10 samples would be required for even the most sensitive method (pool of four boot swabs) to detect a 5% prevalence. The sampling of dust had a low sensitivity and is not recommended for ducks.
Interactive comment on “Intercomparison of ammonia measurement techniques at an intensively managed grassland site (Oensingen, Switzerland)” by M. Norman et al

General Comments The paper "Intercomparison of ammonia measurement techniques at an intensively managed grassland site (Oensingen, Switzerland)" compares ambient gas phase ammonia (NH3) measurements over a managed grassland site from three different instruments. The paper is of interest to the scientific community because NH3 is an important aerosol precursor and its main source, use as a fertilizer in agricultural activity is likely to increase with population growth.
High speed CML latch using active inductor in 0.18μm CMOS technology

In this paper, a high speed latch architecture is proposed. This latch is based on a modified CML architecture, in which the tail current source is removed. To further increase the speed, shunt peaking is used. This technique can be implemented using passive or active inductors. Active inductors require smaller on-chip implementation area, but impose some drawbacks such as nonlinearity and noise. Fortunately, these drawbacks can be tolerated in a shunt peaking CML latch. In addition to cost effective implementation, using active inductors in the modified CML latch allows for optimizing the inductance values independently for the track and evaluation phases. This is not possible with passive inductors or common CML latches. Simulations predict that the active inductor loads increase the speed by more than 50% compared to resistive loads, when simulated in 0. 18μm CMOS technology with 1.8V supply.
Quality of life and the health status of elderly persons: a population-based study in the central sertão of Ceará

Introduction : Healthy aging and quality of life has become a major desire of contemporary society. Understanding the profile of this population will allow the creation of more appropriate policies and actions for the promotion of health and quality of life. Objective : To map aspects related to health and quality of life as perceived by elderly residents of the city of Caninde, in the central sertao region of the state of Ceara. Method : A quantitative, cross-sectional, household-based study was performed. From a population of 5,214 elderly persons, proportional stratified sampling resulted in a sample of 372 individuals. A characterization questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics and health status and the abbreviated version of WHOQOL were used. SPSS version 16.0 was used for descriptive and inferential statistics, adopting a significance level of 5%. Results : Most elderly individuals were female, married, brown skinned, aged 60 to 69 years old, with an incomplete primary education and an income of up to one minimum wage. Most of the elderly persons had attended 1-3 consultations/admissions in the last 12 months, and reported a high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, anxiety and cardiovascular diseases, despite describing their health and quality of life as "good". In terms of quality of life, the psychological domain had the highest, and the environmental domain had the lowest mean score. Conclusions : The prevalent diseases/comorbidities belonged to the chronic non-communicable diseases group. The environmental domain negatively influenced overall quality of life, indicating the importance of environments that provide health promotion and quality of life for elderly people from rural regions.
Reproducibility of PET Activation Studies: Lessons from a Multi-Center European Experiment EU Concerted Action on Functional Imaging

PET activation studies are performed widely to study human brain function. The question of reproducibility, reliability, and comparability of the results of such experiments has never been addressed on a large scale. Recently, 12 European PET centers performed the same cognitive activation experiment in a European Union funded concerted action. The experiment involved a standardized and validated cross-lingual experimental and control task involving verbal fluency. Each center contributed at least 6 subjects. In total there were 77 subjects and 247 scans in each of the two conditions, giving 494 scans in total. We have analyzed each center's dataset and pooled datasets using statistical parametric mapping. We present results that address the consistency of these analyses, discuss the factors that influence their sensitivity, and comment on a number of related methodological issues. We used a MANOVA to test for center, condition, and centre by condition effects and found a strong condition and center effect and weaker interactions. The main effect determining reproducibility was the overall sensitivity of the experiment, to which the scanner and number of scans contribute in a major way, with a marked advantage for 3D scanners and a large field of view. An important conclusion is that data from different centers can be pooled to improve the reliability of results, which is of particular importance for studies in patients with rare conditions.
Farnesylated RhoB Prevents Cell Cycle Arrest and Actin Cytoskeleton Disruption Caused by the Geranylgeranyltransferase I Inhibitor GGTI-298

Here we demonstrate that the geranylgeranyltransferase-I inhibitor GGTI-298 inhibits the RhoB pathway and disrupts stress fiber and focal adhesion formation in NIH-3T3 cells. Farnesylated V14RhoB-CAIM (resistant to GGTI-298), but not geranylgeranylated V14RhoB (-CLLL), prevented inhibition of actin stress fiber and focal adhesion formation, underlining the critical role of RhoB. In contrast, farnesylated, V14RhoA (-CVLS) was unable to prevent effects of GGTI 298 on cytoskeleton organization. Furthermore, the ability of GGTI-298 to induce p21WAF and to block cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was also prevented by farnesylated V14RhoB but not by farnesylated V14RhoA. Moreover, treatment with GGTI-298 of cells expressing farnesylated RhoB results in accumulation of these cells in the G2/M phase. Therefore, the RhoB pathway is a critical target of GGTI-298.
Hepatic Encephalopathy: Pharmacological Therapies Targeting Ammonia

Abstract Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major complication in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, leading to higher readmission rates causing a profound burden of disease and considerable health care costs. Because ammonia is thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HE, therapies directed at reducing ammonia levels are now being aggressively developed. Ammonia scavengers such as AST-120 (spherical carbon adsorbent), glycerol phenylbutyrate, sodium phenylacetate or sodium benzoate, and ornithine phenylacetate have been used to improve HE symptoms. A new approach, bowel cleansing with polyethylene glycol 3350, appears to be a promising therapy, with a recent study demonstrating a more rapid improvement in overt HE (at 24 hours after treatment) than lactulose. Extracorporeal devices, although now used primarily in research settings, have also been utilized in patients with refractory HE, but are not approved for clinical management.
Heat Shock Protein 27 Protects Against Atherogenesis via an Estrogen-Dependent Mechanism: Role of Selective Estrogen Receptor Beta Modulation

Objective—We recently identified HSP27 as an atheroprotective protein that acts extracellularly to prevent foam cell formation and atherogenesis in female but not male mice, where serum levels of HSP27 were increased and inversely correlated with degree of lesion burden. In the current study we sought to determine whether estrogens are required for the observed atheroprotective benefits of HSP27 as well as its extracellular release. Methods and Results—In vitro estrogens prompted the release of HSP27 from macrophages in an ERβ specific manner that involved exosomal trafficking. Ovariectomy nullified the previously recognized attenuation in aortic lesion area in HSP27o/eapoE−/− mice compared to apoE−/− mice. Supplementation with 17β-estradiol resulted in a >15× increase in uterine weight and attenuation of atherogenesis in all mice, although HSP27o/eapoE−/− had 34% less lesion burden compared to apoE−/− mice. Mice treated with the ERβ-specific agonist, DPN had no effect on uterine weight but a 28% decrease in aortic lesion area in HSP27o/eapoE−/− compared to apoE−/− mice. HSP27 serum levels showed a similar gradual increase with E2 and DPN replacement treatment but did not change in untreated mice. Conclusions—The extracellular release of and atheroprotection provided by HSP27 is estrogen dependent.