Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empowering Stream Processing through Edge Clouds

CHive is a new streaming analytics platform to run distributed SQL-style queries on edge clouds. However, CHive is currently tightly coupled to a specific stream processing system (SPS), Apache Storm. In this paper we address the decoupling of the CHive query planner and optimizer from the runtime environment, and also extend the latter to support pluggable runtimes through a common API. As runtimes, we currently support Apache Spark and Flink streaming. The fundamental contribution of this paper is to assess the cost of employing interstream parallelism in SPS. Experimental evaluation indicates that we can enable popular SPS to be distributed on edge clouds with stable overhead in terms of throughput
Broad-Scale Integrity and Local Divergence in the Fiddlehead Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro (Onocleaceae)

Abstract Matteuccia struthiopteris (Onocleaceae) has a present-day distribution across much of the north-temperate and boreal regions of the world. Much of its current North American and European distribution was covered in ice or uninhabitable tundra during the Pleistocene. Here we use DNA sequences and AFLP data to investigate the genetic variation of the fiddlehead fern at two geographic scales to infer the historical biogeography of the species. Matteuccia struthiopteris segregates globally into minimally divergent (0.3%) Eurasian and American lineages. These two clades have little to no variation even at large geographic scales. Within hemisphere, patterned genetic variation was evident only in the AFLP data and only locally. Genetic variation within Vermont was greater within the westward-trending Winooski River watershed than in the Passumpsic River watershed, which drains east into the Connecticut River. We suggest that historical factors have created this pattern; a Mississippi Valley Pleistocene refugium for the American lineage of the species seems plausible.
Fresh Symptom Emergence After Intensive Behaviour Therapy

Summary The outcome of a standard four-day intensive symptomatic treatment programme with 39 agoraphobics is examined in relation to the incidence of fresh symptom emergence. Twenty-six patients suffered fresh symptom emergence during follow-up, and there was a significant association of fresh symptom emergence with poorer outcome at one-year follow-up. About 18 per cent of patients were adversely affected by the treatment programme, as judged on a wide range of symptoms and measures of inter- and intra-personal adjustment. Sixteen individually treated patients are then compared with the 39 group-treated patients and differences in drop-out rate are discussed.
Comparison of critical ratios and critical bands in the monaural chinchilla.

The major purpose of this study was to compare measures of critical ratios and critical bands in monaural chinchillas. Critical ratios were obtained from two groups of chinchillas tested at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in each of three levels of broad−band noise. Critical bands were obtained by assessing the values of masked threshold in various narrow−bands of noise centered on each test frequency. The measures of critical ratios and critical bands were found not to be parallel as a function of frequency, as is the case for human subjects. The present data were compared to those reported for the monkey and were found to be in essential agreement.Subject Classification: 65.58, 65.75; 80.50.
A Method of Sensitizing Guinea Pigs to Fungus Antigens Without Infection

Summary Guinea pigs were sensitized to histoplasmin using one dose of 10X concentrated antigen plus an equal amount of Freund's incomplete adjuvant. One-tenth ml of the mixture was injected into each hind footpad of the animals. The degree of sensitivity obtained was satisfactory for use in titrating the potency of new skin test antigen lots. A second experiment was performed to compare the degree of sensitization obtained by the footpad method using non-infectious material to that obtained by injecting the guinea pigs with live Histoplasma capsula-tum. There was essentially no difference in the degree of sensitivity obtained in the animals using the two methods.
Effects of captopril on membrane current and contraction in single ventricular myocytes from guinea‐pig

1 Single guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes were voltage‐clamped and cell length was measured with a photodiode array. 2 Captopril (1 × 10−5 m) reduced both peak early current and active shortening in response to a depolarizing clamp pulse along a similar time course. 3 From a holding potential of around −45 mV peak early inward current was reduced by 37 ± 9% (P < 0.001) on exposure to captopril. The early current‐voltage relationship was shifted outwards by captopril indicating a reduction in membrane conductance through the L‐type calcium channel (ICa). 4 The amplitude of cell shortening in response to depolarizing voltage steps was reduced but the voltage‐dependence of contraction after captopril was unchanged. 5 A small negative shift of the potential at which ICa was half‐activated was observed after captopril. There was no change in the voltage‐dependence of the inactivation variable or in the time‐dependence of repriming for ICa. 6 The actions of captopril on ICa and developed shortening were dose‐dependent and took place in the same proportion when ICa was increased by isoprenaline. 7 These results are discussed in relation to the effects of captopril on ICa and contraction and to its clinical usage.
Preoperative detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: ferumoxides-enhanced mr imaging versus combined helical CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare ferumoxides-enhanced MR imaging with combined helical CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography for preoperative detection of hepatocellular carcinomas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Twenty patients with 30 hepatocellular carcinomas underwent ferumoxides-enhanced MR imaging and combined helical CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography. The diagnosis was established by pathologic examination after surgical resection in 18 patients and by biopsy in two. The MR protocol included fast spin-echo with two echo times, T2(*)-weighted fast multiplanar gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state, proton density-weighted fast multiplanar spoiled gradient-recalled echo, and T1-weighted fast multiplanar spoiled gradient-recalled echo images. The MR images of all sequences and the paired CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography images were independently evaluated by three radiologists on a segment-by-segment basis. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed with receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS The accuracies (A(z) values) of ferumoxides-enhanced MR imaging and combined CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography for all observers were 0.964 and 0.948, respectively. The mean sensitivities of MR imaging and CT were 93% and 91%, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant. The mean specificity of MR imaging (99%) was significantly higher than that of combined CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography (94%). CONCLUSION Ferumoxides-enhanced MR imaging can be used successfully in place of combined CT during arterial portography and CT hepatic arteriography for the preoperative evaluation of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas.
Density-matrix electronic-structure method with linear system-size scaling.

We introduce a method for the solution of the electronic-structure problem in the independent-electron approximation. The method is based upon a variational solution for the density matrix, which is truncated to zero beyond a real-space radius R c , and becomes exact as R c →∞. Most importantly, the computer time scales only linearly with system size. The method is tested in the context of tight-binding models in one and three dimensions
Characterization of male meiotic germ cell‐specific antigen (Meg 1) by monoclonal antibody TRA 369 in mice

We have identified a male meiotic germ cell‐specific antigen (Meg 1) with monoclonal antibody (mAb) TRA 369 in mice. The Meg 1 antigen was strongly expressed in specific steps of meiotic germ cells from pachytene spermatocyte to early spermatid, and not in other germ cells or somatic cells. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the antigen was localized to the cytoplasm and was not distributed in the nucleus or on the cell surface. This antigen was demonstrated to have a molecular weight of 93 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.2 by Western blotting. This molecule was first detected in the testis of 13‐day‐old mouse when pachytene spermatocytes first appeared. Thus this is a differentiation‐specific antigen in male meiotic germ cells, and mAb TRA 369 is a useful tool to study the regulation of germ cell differentiation and to define germ cell development in a molecular level. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Many college freshmen drink at levels far beyond the binge threshold.

BACKGROUND Binge drinking is a dichotomous variable that allows researchers to sort students into categories based upon a specific threshold of consumption, commonly 4 (females) or 5 (males) drinks. Crossing the binge threshold increases the risk of negative alcohol-related consequences. The use of such thresholds has played a vital role in the study of college drinking. While extremely valuable, the dichotomous nature of binge drinking variables removes information about how heavily students actually drink, leaving the characterization of college drinking incomplete. The present study examined patterns of alcohol use beyond the binge threshold. METHODS The data set consisted of self-reported 2-week drinking histories from 10,424 first-semester freshmen at 14 schools across the United States during the fall of 2003. The number of students who reached the 4+/5+ binge-drinking threshold was calculated, as was the number who reached 2 times (8+/10+ drinks) or 3 times (12+/15+ drinks) the binge threshold. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore gender differences and to assess whether frequent binge drinkers (3+ binges per 2 weeks) were more likely than infrequent binge drinkers (1-2 binges per 2 weeks) to reach high peak levels of consumption. RESULTS Roughly 1 of 5 males consumed 10+ drinks and 1 of 10 females consumed 8+ drinks, twice the binge threshold, at least once in the previous 2 weeks. Gender differences were observed at every drinking level and were particularly large at higher peak levels. Frequent binge drinkers were more likely than infrequent binge drinkers to consume 2 or 3 times the binge threshold. DISCUSSION A surprisingly large percentage of students, particularly males, drink at peak levels well beyond the binge threshold. Such findings suggest that schools might make additional progress in the battle against alcohol misuse by focusing on extreme drinking practices in addition to binge drinking per se.
Phenotypic Variation in Infectivity of Diplostomum spathaceum Cercariae Within a Population

The present study examined phenotypic variation in infectivity of Diplostomum spathaceum (Trematoda) cercariae within a natural population. Twelve infected Lymnaea stagnalis were collected from the field, and the infectivity of cercariae from individual snails was assessed under constant laboratory conditions. At a water temperature of 16.3 C, the mean infectivity of cercariae from the snails varied between 55.5% and 87.5%. Depending on the source of variation, this may have important ecological and evolutionary implications for both natural parasite populations and those occurring in aquaculture.
Prevalence and Worm Load of Enteric Helminthiasis in Stray Dogs of Chittagong Metropolitan, Bangladesh

representative thanas in two consecutive seasons starting from May’2010 to February’ 2011. The animals were captured, euthanized and necropsized for enteric parasites. The effects of season, age, sex and body conditions were also observed. Results revealed that 57 (95%) dogs were infected with one or more enteric helminths. The highest prevalence (45%) and worm burden (42.18 ± 7.99) was recorded in Trichuris vulpis infection whereas Taenia spp were found the lowest. Considerably higher prevalence (25%) was recorded in Diphyllobothrium latum and Ancylostoma caninum infection. However, occurrence of enteric helminths was more common in summer season. The highest (35.71%) seasonal prevalence was found in Toxocara canis infection in summer whereas the highest intensity of worms was found in Trichuris vulpis infections in both summer (37.18±9.37) and winter season (47.33±12.73). Age specific prevalence indicated that stray dogs of younger age showed higher susceptibility to enteric helminthiasis compared to adults; particularly Dipylidium caninum, A. caninum, T. canis and T. vulpis. Sex group variation showed that the frequency of D. latum, D. caninum and A. caninum was higher in female dogs. Statistically significant association was not observed in the occurrence of enteric helminthiasis based on the body condition of the stray dogs. In conclusion, it could be stated that the presence of these parasites in dogs also indicates a potential public health problem in study area. Hence, appropriate control measures should be taken to prevent such parasitic diseases.
Fault detection and classification in linear integrated circuits: an application of discrimination analysis and hypothesis testing

The standard multivariate techniques of hypothesis testing and discrimination analysis have been applied to detect and classify faults in a variety of linear IC designs. These techniques are potentially useful for tracking IC failures during processing or for assessing failure mechanisms of ICs once the circuits are in field use. The results indicate that the statistical methods investigated potentially yield low detection and classification error rates. >
High prevalence of "biochemical" adrenal insufficiency in thalassemics: is it a matter of different testings or decreased cortisol binding globulin?

CONTEXT High prevalence of "biochemical" adrenal insufficiency (AI) in thalassemics has been reported. However, "clinical" AI is rare. AIM The aim was to determine whether cortisol binding globulin (CBG) or tests used in assessing adrenal function contributed to the abnormally high prevalence of biochemical AI. SETTING The study was conducted at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. PARTICIPANTS Participants included 56 children and adolescents with thalassemia and 44 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Serum CBG and adrenal function test results assessed by 1 μg cosyntropin test and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were measured. Free cortisol index (FCI) calculated by total cortisol (TC)/CBG and calculated free cortisol (cFC) were determined. RESULTS Mean (sd) CBG levels were comparable between patients and controls [45.2 (11.0) vs. 47.0 (8.6) mg/liter]. Peak TC, FCI, and cFC after cosyntropin test were lower in thalassemics [TC, 15.2 (4.0) vs. 18.9 (3.1) μg/dl; FCI, 3.4 (0.8) vs. 4.2 (1.2) μg/mg, P <0.001; and cFC, 1.03 (0.38) vs. 1.44 (0.61) μg/dl, P = 0.008]. Thirty of 56 thalassemics (53.6%) had AI, defined as having peak TC of less than 16 μg/dl. ITT was performed in 26 of those 30 patients. Five of 26 patients had peak TC after an ITT of at least 20 μg/dl. As a result, the estimated frequency of AI in the entire patient group was reduced by approximately 10%. CONCLUSION The 1 μg cosyntropin test could be an adrenal function screening test in thalassemics. However, for definite diagnosis, ITT should be performed in those having peak total cortisol of less than 16 μg/dl after the 1 μg cosyntropin test.
Positive and negative global self-esteem: a substantively meaningful distinction or artifactors?

Global self-esteem based on M. Rosenberg's (1965) scale is typically treated as a unidimensional scale. However, factor analyses suggest separate factors associated with positively and negatively worded items, and there is an ongoing debate about the substantive meaningfulness of this distinction. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate alternative 1- and 2-factor models and to test hypotheses about how the factors vary with reading ability and age. Responses based on the National Longitudinal Study of 1988 (S.J. Ingles et al., 1992) reflected a relatively unidimensional factor and method effects associated with negatively worded items. Such effects are common in rating scale responses, and this CFA approach may be useful in evaluating whether factors associated with positively and negatively worded items are substantively meaningful or artifactors.
Interferon gamma Profile in Egyptian Infants with Respiratory Syncytial Virus bronchiolitis

Viral bronchiolitis is one of the leading causes for hospitalization of infants in the world and causes an estimated one million deaths per year worldwide. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is associated with the majority of cases. During the last few years it has become increasingly clear that T cells contribute to the abnormal regulation of the immune response in viral diseases since these cells are potent producers of a large variety of cytokines. It was reported that cord blood interferon gamma (IFN-γ) responses were inversely related to the frequency of viral respiratory infections. To ascertain whether RSV infection promotes a different IFN-γ profile to that induced by other respiratory infections, thirty-two infants with severe bronchiolitis were enrolled in this study. RSV-IgM was detected by immunofluorescent technique in 23/32 patients. Serum IFN-γ levels in RSV+ infants were significantly lower than RSV- (p < 0.001). In vitro stimulation of peripheral blood cells followed by flow cytometery combined with intracellular cytokine staining revealed that both CD4+ and CD8+ cells contribute in IFN-γ production. The percentage of CD4+ cells producing IFN-γ in RSV+ was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those in RSV-, while the difference in % of CD8+ between RSV+ and RSV- was non significant. Our conclusions are that RSV infection is associated with severe decreased IFN-γ responses. Both CD4+ and CD8+ cells contribute in IFN-γ production during RSV bronchiolitis. RSV infection promotes a different IFN-γ profile from that induced by other respiratory infections.
Prognostic Value of Pulmonary Doppler to Predict Response to Tracheal Occlusion in Fetuses with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Pulmonary Doppler may play an important role in the prediction of survival and postnatal morbidity in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia treated with fetoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO). Spectral Doppler indexes such as pulsatility index and peak early diastolic reversed flow could help to refine the selection of fetuses that might benefit from fetal therapy. When combined with lung-to-head ratio (LHR), these Doppler indices allow to discriminate cases with moderate-to-high survival rates from fetuses with extremely low chances to survive after FETO. In addition, they discriminate groups with a high or low risk of serious neonatal morbidity in surviving fetuses. After therapy, the combined evaluation of the relative increase of LHR with the increase in lung tissue perfusion by power Doppler seems to improve the prediction of fetal survival. In conclusion, while LHR remains the strongest predictive index, Doppler measurements allow to substantially improve the accuracy in the prediction of the chances of survival of fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia treated with FETO.
Social media and medical education: Exploring the potential of Twitter as a learning tool

This study set out to explore the ways in which social media can facilitate learning in medical education. In particular we were interested in determining whether the use of Twitter during an academic conference can promote learning for participants. The Twitter transcript from the annual International Conference on Residency Education (ICRE) 2013 was qualitatively analysed for evidence of the three overarching cognitive themes: (1) preconceptions, (2) frameworks, and (3) metacognition/refl ection in regard to the National Research Council ’ s (NRC) How People Learn framework . Content analysis of the Twitter transcript revealed evidence of the three cognitive themes as related to how people learn. Twitter appears to be most effective at stimulating individuals ’ preconceptions, thereby engaging them with the new material acquired during a medical education conference. The study of social media data, such as the Twitter data used in this study, is in its infancy. Having established that Twitter does hold signifi cant potential as a learning tool during an academic conference, we are now in a better position to more closely examine the spread, depth, and sustainability of such learning during medical education meetings.
Leptin signalling reduces the severity of cardiac dysfunction and remodelling after chronic ischaemic injury.

AIMS Leptin is elevated under conditions of both obesity and heart failure (HF), and activation of leptin receptor (ObR) signalling is known to increase in vivo cardiac contractility and to have anti-hypertrophic effects on the left ventricle (LV). However, it is unknown whether ObR signalling is altered in cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction (MI) leading to HF, or if a deficiency in ObR signalling leads to worse HF. METHODS AND RESULTS In separate experimental protocols, C57BL/6J and leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice underwent open-chest surgery to induce permanent left coronary artery ligation (CAL) or had a sham operation. Subgroups of ob/ob mice examined were lean (food-restricted), obese (food-ad libitum), and leptin repleted. Four weeks post-surgery, cardiac structure and function was examined by echocardiography, and the activation of cardiac leptin signalling was characterized through quantitative PCR, western blotting, and DNA-binding activities. CAL produced echocardiographic evidence of HF in C57BL/6J mice, elevated circulating leptin, increased cardiomyocyte leptin and ObR expression, and activated myocardial signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3). In leptin-deficient ob/ob mice, whether lean or obese, CAL caused increased hypertrophy and dilation, decreased contractility of the LV, and worsened survival relative to wildtype or leptin-repleted mice after CAL. In ob/ob mice, activation of cardiac STAT3 signalling after CAL is enhanced in the presence of leptin and parallels the induction of the STAT3-responsive genes, tissue-inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and heat shock protein-70. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that HF increases ObR signalling in cardiomyocytes and that activation of ObR signalling improves functional outcomes in chronic ischaemic injury leading to HF.