Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yield of Diagnostic Testing in Infants Who Have Had an Apparent Life-Threatening Event

We appreciate the comments of Abston et al in response to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Medicaid policy statement.1 As lead authors of the statement, we offer the following reply. We agree that all pediatricians are responsible to provide highquality, equitable care. The AAP is opposed to discrimination in the care of any patient.2 Pediatricians should provide medical care for underserved children including those enrolled in Medicaid as well as the uninsured, immigrant, homeless, and migrant.3 Pediatricians also should address the needs of their patients and all children in the context of the community.4 Finally, we also should continue to transform our private and public pediatric health care systems to emphasize value.5 Pediatricians have made a strong commitment to children enrolled in Medicaid. Nationally, a majority of pediatricians accept all Medicaid patients.6 On average, 30% of a pediatrician’s patients are covered by Medicaid.7 In general, pediatricians serve more Medicaid patients than do other primary care physicians.8 All physicians and society are also responsible for ensuring that all children are treated equitably. In particular, policy makers should address low payment and paperwork concerns to ensure sufficient primary care physician capacity to appropriately serve children who are enrolled in Medicaid.6 The AAP is committed to improving child health and reducing the gap in health disparities among populations of children in the United States and the world, in particular among children living in poverty and other groups of marginalized children. In partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the AAP has established the Equity Project to ensure that all pediatricians and providers of child health services understand the issues and experience of marginalized children and health implications of inequity and have the capacity for resolving health disparities among children; this project also seeks to advance the understanding of the genesis of health disparities and raise the national profile of the health implications of inequity through research and the development of relevant public policy.9
Influence of age and dietary fish oil on plasma soluble adhesion molecule concentrations.

Soluble forms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin (termed sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin respectively) are found in the plasma, and are elevated during inflammatory conditions in which there is increased expression of the cellular forms of the molecules on endothelial and other cells. sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin concentrations were measured in the plasma of 140 healthy Caucasian subjects aged between 18 and 75 years (100 males/40 females). sICAM-1 concentrations varied between 59.9 and 299.7 ng/ml (median 150 ng/ml), sVCAM-1 concentrations varied between 222.8 and 1672.9 ng/ml (median 662 ng/ml) and sE-selectin concentrations varied between 12.4 and 90.3 ng/ml (median 45.5 ng/ml). There were significant positive linear correlations between age and the plasma concentrations of sICAM-1 (r=0.580; P<0.001) and sVCAM-1 (r=0.392; P<0.001), which were retained when the effects of gender, body mass index and fasting plasma triacylglycerol and total cholesterol concentrations were controlled for. The significant positive linear correlation between age and the plasma concentration of sE-selectin (r=0.234; P=0.027) was lost when other variables were controlled for. Male subjects <40 years of age had significantly lower plasma concentrations of both sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 than males >55 years of age (both P<0.001), but the difference in plasma sE-selectin concentrations between the age groups did not reach significance (P=0.073). Subgroups of 16 males aged <40 years and 12 elderly subjects (>55 years of age) participated in a doubled-blind, placebo-controlled study of fish oil supplementation over 12 weeks. The level of eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma phospholipids did not change with placebo supplementation, but was significantly increased with fish oil supplementation in both young male and elderly subjects (median increase 200%). sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin concentrations were unaffected by supplementation with placebo in either young male or elderly subjects. sICAM-1 concentrations were unaffected by fish oil supplementation. sE-selectin concentrations were significantly increased by fish oil supplementation in young males (P=0.043; median increase 38%), but fish oil tended to decrease plasma sE-selectin concentrations in the elderly subjects (P=0.075), with a median decrease of 11%. sVCAM-1 concentrations were unaffected by fish oil supplementation in young males. Fish oil supplementation significantly decreased plasma sVCAM-1 concentrations in the elderly subjects (P=0.043), with a median decrease of 20% (range 16-60%). These observations suggest that fish oil decreases endothelial activation in elderly subjects.
The Location of Alashiya: New Evidence from Petrographic Investigation of Alashiyan Tablets from El-Amarna and Ugarit

Ancient Near Eastern archives of cuneiform texts contain tablets whose origin is unknown. Letters often do not contain the name or address of the sender. Moreover, the locations of some ancient Near Eastern countries and cities have not yet been clearly established. Hence we perform a research program that intends to fill this gap through a systematic provenance study of the Amarna letters and other Near Eastern texts using petrographic and geochemical methods. So far, over 300 tablets have been analyzed. This paper presents the provenance of the Alashiya letters from Amarna and Ugarit as well as an assemblage of Cypro-Minoan texts from Cyprus. Petrographic and chemical examinations indicate that the Amarna letters from Alashiya originate from the area on the margin of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. Various lines of evidence make it clear that the raw material was collected by the scribes in their immediate vicinity and not transported over large distances. Within Cyprus, either Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios or Alassa Paliotaverna/Pano Manadilaris are identified as the source of official Alashiyan letters. Since the geopolitical configuration of Late Bronze Age Alashiya is still unclear, the implications of our conclusions for this vexed issue are discussed.
Genome-Wide Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae Genes Essential for Bacterial Replication during Experimental Meningitis

ABSTRACT Meningitis is the most serious of invasive infections caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Vaccines protect only against a limited number of serotypes, and evolving bacterial resistance to antimicrobials impedes treatment. Further insight into the molecular pathogenesis of invasive pneumococcal disease is required in order to enable the development of new or adjunctive treatments and/or pneumococcal vaccines that are efficient across serotypes. We applied genomic array footprinting (GAF) in the search for S. pneumoniae genes that are essential during experimental meningitis. A total of 6,000 independent TIGR4 marinerT7 transposon mutants distributed over four libraries were injected intracisternally into rabbits, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected after 3, 9, and 15 h. Microarray analysis of mutant-specific probes from CSF samples and inocula identified 82 and 11 genes mutants of which had become attenuated or enriched, respectively, during infection. The results point to essential roles for capsular polysaccharides, nutrient uptake, and amino acid biosynthesis in bacterial replication during experimental meningitis. The GAF phenotype of a subset of identified targets was followed up by detailed studies of directed mutants in competitive and noncompetitive infection models of experimental rat meningitis. It appeared that adenylosuccinate synthetase, flavodoxin, and LivJ, the substrate binding protein of a branched-chain amino acid ABC transporter, are relevant as targets for future therapy and prevention of pneumococcal meningitis, since their mutants were attenuated in both models of infection as well as in competitive growth in human cerebrospinal fluid in vitro.
Proposal of a linear definition of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) and comparison with the 2-step and 10-step definitions

Background: The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) characterises the spinal mobility of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Two versions have been published using categorical scores with either scores 0–2 for each of the five assessments, or scores 0–10. For metric purposes, we recently defined a BASMI version with linear score definitions. Aim: to evaluate agreement between three BASMI definitions and to test sensitivity to change. Patients and methods: The performance of the BASMI2 (based on the 2-step definition), BASMI10 (based on the 10-step definition), and BASMIlin (based on the linear definition), are compared in 598 status assessments and 222 follow-up assessments with a 24-week interval after an intervention with either placebo or a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blocker from various cohorts of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Descriptive statistics and Bland–Altman plots were applied to compare the pairwise agreement of the three definitions. To assess sensitivity to change, Guyatt effect size using change data from the placebo and actively treated patients were used. Results: Bland–Altman analysis showed that the differences between BASMI2 scores and scores obtained by either of the two other definitions were highly dependent on the magnitude of the measurement. Guyatt effect sizes were 0.66 for the BASMI2, 0.95 for the BASMI10, and 1.04 for the BASMIlin, respectively, demonstrating best sensitivity to change for the newly-developed BASMIlin. Conclusions: The BASMI10 and BASMIlin have clear metric advantages as compared to BASMI2, among which are their superior sensitivity to change and feasibility of BASMIlin in computer evaluations. The BASMI10 and BASMI2 are not interchangeable.
Transient Modeling of Squirrel-Cage Induction Machine Considering Air-Gap Flux Saturation Harmonics

A transient model of a squirrel-cage induction machine, including air-gap flux saturation harmonics, is presented in this paper. The machine model is based on a flux model, where the winding magnetizing fluxes are directly calculated from the resultant air-gap magnetomotive force, avoiding the use of complicated inductance harmonics. The effects of the fundamental and third harmonic components of the air-gap flux are incorporated in the model by two saturation factors. Moreover, the saturation effects are incorporated in the machine's torque equation, allowing the model to investigate the machine's performance under any load condition. The machine parameters, including saturation data, are obtained via the conventional no-load and locked-rotor tests, with access to the stator neutral connection. The proposed model is validated by experimental results for a squirrel-cage machine and can be used to predict machine transient states.
Posttransplant Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis: A Worrying New Trend?

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but serious complication in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). We describe a cluster of 13 EPS cases occurring in 2 university hospitals in The Netherlands. Most of these cases were diagnosed after recent kidney transplantation, when the patients developed severe symptoms of bowel obstruction. This accumulation raised the question as to whether other than known risk factors, such as duration of PD treatment, could be involved in the development or course of EPS after transplantation. According to various publications, EPS has been diagnosed often after withdrawal from PD, suggesting that cessation in itself may be a risk factor. In addition, transplantation-related management should be considered to play a role, including the use of the profibrotic calcineurin inhibitors and the trend to reduce the load of corticosteroids in treatment regimes. To identify risk factors, further multicenter studies are required, paying special attention to alterations in immunosuppressive treatment regimens as well as PD prescriptions, including PD fluid characteristics. Transfer from PD to hemodialysis should be under serious consideration in patients eligible for kidney transplantation as soon as there are indications of ultrafiltration failure.
Intravenous gamma globulin decreases platelet‐associated IgG and improves transfusion responses in platelet refractory states

In an attempt to improve platelet transfusion responses, intravenous immunoglobulin (IV‐IgG) was administered to 19 patients who were refractory to random and best available HLA‐matched platelets. A response to IV‐IgG was defined as two or more successive transfusions of HLA‐matched products that provided recoveries greater than 30%. Thirteen of 19 (68%) patients responded to therapy at a median time of 7 days after initiation of IV‐IgG (range = 2–17). Baseline platelet associated IgG levels (PaIgG) were elevated in both the responders (61.6 ± 76.2) (mean ± SD) and the non‐responders (47.0 ± 46.3 fg/plt). Post‐therapy, PaIgG levels remained unchanged in the nonresponders but were decreased significantly (p = 0.05) to 11.1 ± 6.2 fg/plt in the responders. The latter levels were similar to those (11.6 ± 8.2 fg/plt) measured in a series of 36 transfusion responsive patients. This apparent decline in PaIgG was not explained by differences in lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCT‐Ab) after therapy. Moreover, a high degree of alloimmunization was associated with a poorer response to IgG. Only two of eight patients with LCT panel‐reactive antibody (PRA) of > 85% were responders. By contrast, improved transfusion outcomes were seen uniformly in patients with PRA ≦ 85%. Improved recoveries were obtained using LCT‐Ab compatible but not incompatible platelets. The median increment (% predicted) with compatible platelets before therapy was 6.0 ± 9.9 (SD). Post‐IgG, median recoveries were 37.0 ± 31.2 percent, P < 0.001. These findings suggest that IV‐IgG may alter destructive mechanisms that affect the survival of compatible platelets in refractory patients.
The edgeworth-kuiper belt as a debris disk

Allgegenwartige Begleiter von Hauptreihensternen sind die sogenannten Trummerscheiben. Sie sind Uberreste der Planetenentstehung und bestehen aus Planetesimalen, welche in gegenseitigen Kollisionen kleinen Staub produzieren. Und es ist dieser Staub, welcher beobachtet werden kann. Im Sonnensystem kennen wir die Mutterkorper des Staubes, die transneptunischen Objekte (TNOs), und die Planeten. Jedoch ist das Wissen uber den Staub begrenzt, da eine Detektion auf Grund der starken Emission des Zodiakallichtes unmoglich ist. Unter Anwendung derselben Kollisionsmodelle fur extrasolare Trummerscheiben auf das Sonnensystem, ist es moglich, die Verbindung zwischen Planetesimalen und Staub besser zu verstehen. Dieses Modell kann dann als Referenzmodell fur alle Trummerscheiben verwendet werden.
Simulating a white dwarf dominated Galactic halo

Observational evidence has suggested the possibility of a Galactic halo dominated by white dwarfs (WDs). While debate continues concerning the interpretation of this evidence, it is clear that an initial mass function (IMF) biased heavily toward WD precursors (1less than or similar tom /M-circle dot less than or similar to 8) , at least in the early Universe, would be necessary in generating such a halo. Within the framework of homogeneous, closed-box models of Galaxy formation, such biased IMFs lead to an unavoidable overproduction of carbon and nitrogen relative to oxygen (as measured against the abundance patterns in the oldest stars of the Milky Way). Using a three-dimensional Tree N -body smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, we study the dynamics and chemical evolution of a galaxy with different IMFs. Both invariant and metallicity-dependent IMFs are considered. Our variable IMF model invokes a WD-precursor-dominated IMF for metallicities less than 5 per cent solar (primarily the Galactic halo), and the canonical Salpeter IMF otherwise (primarily the disc). Halo WD density distributions and C,N/O abundance patterns are presented. While Galactic haloes composed of greater than or similar to5 per cent (by mass) of WDs are not supported by our simulations, mass fractions of similar to1-2 per cent cannot be ruled out. This conclusion is consistent with present-day observational constraints.
Multi-Branch Fully Convolutional Network for Face Detection

Face detection is a fundamental problem in computer vision. It is still a challenging task in unconstrained conditions due to significant variations in scale, pose, expressions, and occlusion. In this paper, we propose a multi-branch fully convolutional network (MB-FCN) for face detection, which considers both efficiency and effectiveness in the design process. Our MB-FCN detector can deal with faces at all scale ranges with only a single pass through the backbone network. As such, our MB-FCN model saves computation and thus is more efficient, compared to previous methods that make multiple passes. For each branch, the specific skip connections of the convolutional feature maps at different layers are exploited to represent faces in specific scale ranges. Specifically, small faces can be represented with both shallow fine-grained and deep powerful coarse features. With this representation, superior improvement in performance is registered for the task of detecting small faces. We test our MB-FCN detector on two public face detection benchmarks, including FDDB and WIDER FACE. Extensive experiments show that our detector outperforms state-of-the-art methods on all these datasets in general and by a substantial margin on the most challenging among them (e.g. WIDER FACE Hard subset). Also, MB-FCN runs at 15 FPS on a GPU for images of size 640 x 480 with no assumption on the minimum detectable face size.
The Relationship between Personality and the Symptoms of Depressive Illness

Summary The Maudsley Personality Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory, with additional items to assess depressive functional shift features and outlook on life values, were administered to 100 patients diagnosed as suffering from depressive illness. Patients’ scores for questions eliciting information about symptoms assumed to be dependent on personality correlated at substantial and significant levels with N scale scores of the Maudsley Personality Inventory. Similar levels of correlation were found for the added items for assessing life values. Items believed to assess changes in functions independent of personality, such as the features of the Depressive Functional Shift, showed no correlation with either N or E scales of the Maudsley Personality Inventory, while demonstrating a substantial level of correlation with the depression scale. It is concluded that whereas changes in innate biological functions independent of environment are direct indications of the depressive illness process, psychological symptoms of the illness may reflect changes in personality dependent on upbringing, education and cultural background, thereby producing greater variation in this group of psychological symptoms.
An immunocapture/scintillation proximity analysis of Gαq/11 activation by native serotonin (5‐HT)2A receptors in rat cortex: Blockade by clozapine and mirtazapine

Though transduction mechanisms recruited by heterologously expressed 5‐HT2A receptors have been extensively studied, their interaction with specific subtypes of G‐protein remains to be directly evaluated in cerebral tissue. Herein, as shown by an immunocapture/scintillation proximity analysis, 5‐HT, the prototypical 5‐HT2A agonist, DOI, and Ro60,0175 all enhanced [35S]GTPγS binding to Gαq/11 in rat cortex with pEC50 values of 6.22, 7.24 and 6.35, respectively. No activation of Go or Gs/olf was seen at equivalent concentrations of DOI. Stimulation of Gαq/11 by 5‐HT (30 μM) and DOI (30 μM) was abolished by the selective 5‐HT2A vs. 5‐HT2C/5‐HT2B antagonists, ketanserin (pKB values of 9.11 and 8.88, respectively) and MDL100,907 (9.82 and 9.68). By contrast, 5‐HT‐induced [35S]GTPγS binding to Gαq/11 was only weakly inhibited by the preferential 5‐HT2C receptor antagonists, RS102,221 (6.94) and SB242,084 (7.39), and the preferential 5‐HT2B receptor antagonist, LY266,097 (6.66). The antipsychotic, clozapine, which had marked affinity for 5‐HT2A receptors, blocked the recruitment of Gαq/11 by 5‐HT and DOI with pKB values of 8.54 and 8.14, respectively. Its actions were mimicked by the “atypical” antidepressant and 5‐HT2A receptor antagonist, mirtazapine, which likewise blocked 5‐HT and DOI‐induced Gαq/11 protein activation with pKB values of 7.90 and 7.76, respectively. In conclusion, by use of an immunocapture/scintillation proximity strategy, this study shows that native 5‐HT2A receptors in rat frontal cortex specifically recruit Gαq/11 and that this action is blocked by clozapine and mirtazapine. Quantification of 5‐HT2A receptor‐mediated Gαq/11 activation in frontal cortex should prove instructive in characterizing the actions of diverse classes of psychotropic agent. Synapse 63:95–105, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
N‐(2‐methyl‐6‐benzoxazolyl)‐N′‐1,5‐naphthyridin‐4‐yl urea (SB334867), a hypocretin receptor‐1 antagonist, preferentially prevents ethanol seeking: comparison with natural reward seeking

Orexins/hypocretins (Orx/Hcrt) are hypothalamic peptides that regulate a wide range of physiological processes and have been shown to be recruited by drugs of abuse. This study was designed to test the effect of the specific Orx/Hcrt receptor‐1 (Hcrt‐r1) antagonist, N‐(2‐methyl‐6‐benzoxazolyl)‐N′‐1,5‐naphthyridin‐4‐yl urea (SB334867), on reinstatement elicited by ethanol (EtOH)‐associated stimuli versus stimuli associated with a conventional reinforcer [i.e. SuperSac, consisting of 3% glucose and 0.125% saccharin (w/v)]. SB334867 (1–10 mg/kg, i.p.) dose‐dependently reduced reinstatement induced by the EtOH‐ but not SuperSac‐associated stimuli. These findings support a differential role of Hcrt‐r1 in mediating EtOH seeking versus natural reward seeking.
Twenty-four-hour intraocular pressure control with the travoprost/timolol maleate fixed combination compared with travoprost when both are dosed in the evening in primary open-angle glaucoma

Objective: To evaluate the 24 h efficacy and safety of the travoprost/timolol maleate fixed combination (TTFC) versus travoprost when both are dosed in the evening in primary open-angle glaucoma patients. Methods: Prospective, double-masked, crossover, active-controlled, randomised 24 h comparison. After a 6 week medicine-free period, patients were randomised to either TTFC or travoprost for 8 weeks and were then switched to the opposite treatment for another 8 weeks. At the end of the washout and treatment periods, a 24 h pressure curve was performed. Results: Thirty-two patients completed the study. The TTFC group demonstrated a lower absolute intraocular pressure level (2.4 mm Hg) for the 24 h curve and at all time points, compared with travoprost (p⩽0.047). The pressure reduction from untreated baseline was significantly different between treatments for all time points (p = 0.018). The mean 24 h pressure fluctuation was lower with TTFC (3.0 mm Hg) compared with travoprost (4.0 mm Hg, p = 0.001). No statistical difference existed between the two treatment groups for any adverse event (p>0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that when both drugs are dosed in the evening the TTFC provides improved intraocular pressure reduction, compared with travoprost, over the 24 h curve and for each individual time point in primary open-angle glaucoma patients.