Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Status epilepticus in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy

Status epilepticus (SE) constitutes a neurological emergency and may be of prognostic value in individuals with epilepsy. Little is known about the associations between other prognostic factors in epilepsy and the occurrence of SE. The following study examines associations between clinical characteristics of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy and the occurrence of SE when epilepsy is first diagnosed. Children were recruited prospectively from the practices of physicians throughout Connecticut. Information was collected via standardized interviews with parents and review of pertinent records. Analyses were performed for any SE, unprovoked SE only, and previous provoked SE. Of 613 children, 56 (9.1%) had one or more episodes of SE by the time the diagnosis of epilepsy was established. Factors correlated with SE during an unprovoked seizure were partial seizures and previous craniotomy. For SE during a provoked seizure, correlates were primarily young age at onset of epilepsy and nonidiopathic epilepsy syndrome. To date, subsequent SE has occurred in 4.3% of children without and in 19.6% of those with SE at diagnosis. By the time epilepsy is first diagnosed in children, SE has already occurred in a substantial minority. It is correlated with specific clinical characteristics in the children, which differ depending on whether the SE was provoked or unprovoked. SE has a high risk of recurring. Ann Neurol 1999;45:618–623
Containment control of heterogeneous systems with active leaders of bounded unknown control using reinforcement learning

This paper solves the containment problem of multi-agent systems on undirected graph with multiple active leaders using off-policy reinforcement learning (RL). The leaders are active in the sense that there exists bounded control input in the dynamics which is unknown to all followers and the followers are heterogeneous with different dynamics. Not only the steady states of agent i but also the transient trajectories are taken into account to impose optimality to the proposed containment control. Inhomogeneous algebraic Riccati equations (ARE) are derived to solve the optimal containment control protocol. To avoid the requirement of agents' dynamics to obtain containment control, an off-policy RL algorithm is developed to solve the inhomogeneous AREs online in real time and without requiring any knowledge of the agents' dynamics. Finally, a simulation example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Augmented retinal endothelin-1, endothelin-3, endothelinA and endothelinB gene expression in chronic diabetes.

PURPOSE Endothelins (ETs) belong to a family of vasoactive peptides implicated in several disorders of the microvasculature. In the present study, we investigated ET-1 and ET-3 peptide mRNAs and ETA, ETB receptor mRNAs in the retina of diabetic BB/W rats and age-matched, non-diabetic control animals, following six months of diabetes. METHODS Total mRNA was extracted from each retina and was subjected to reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for ET-1, ET-3, ETA and ETB. Simultaneously, beta-globin was amplified and used as a housekeeping gene. The products were analyzed on agarose gels and the specificity of the amplification was established by hybridization with amplification-specific biotinylated oligoprobes. For quantification, the products from the linear phase of amplification were subjected to serial dilution slot-blot hybridization and densitometry. RESULTS ETs and their receptor mRNA expressions were present in the retina. Retinas from the diabetic animals showed significant increases in ET-1, ET-3 ET(A), ET(B) mRNA expressions compared to those from control rats. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that retinal ET-1, ET-3, ET(A) and ET(B) mRNA expression in increased in the chronically diabetic BB/W rat. Augmented gene expression of ETs and their receptors potentially may be of importance in the pathogenesis of retinal microangiopathy in diabetes.
Body-composition reference data for simple and reference techniques and a 4-component model: a new UK reference child.

BACKGROUND A routine pediatric clinical assessment of body composition is increasingly recommended but has long been hampered by the following 2 factors: a lack of appropriate techniques and a lack of reference data with which to interpret individual measurements. Several techniques have become available, but reference data are needed. OBJECTIVE We aimed to provide body-composition reference data for use in clinical practice and research. DESIGN Body composition was measured by using a gold standard 4-component model, along with various widely used reference and bedside methods, in a large, representative sample of British children aged from 4 to ≥20 y. Measurements were made of anthropometric variables (weight, height, 4 skinfold thicknesses, and waist girth), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, body density, bioelectrical impedance, and total body water, and 4-component fat and fat-free masses were calculated. Reference charts and SD scores (SDSs) were constructed for each outcome by using the lambda-mu-sigma method. The same outcomes were generated for the fat-free mass index and fat mass index. RESULTS Body-composition growth charts and SDSs for 5-20 y were based on a final sample of 533 individuals. Correlations between SDSs by using different techniques were ≥0.68 for adiposity outcomes and ≥0.80 for fat-free mass outcomes. CONCLUSIONS These comprehensive reference data for pediatric body composition can be used across a variety of techniques. Together with advances in measurement technologies, the data should greatly enhance the ability of clinicians to assess and monitor body composition in routine clinical practice and should facilitate the use of body-composition measurements in research studies.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONLINE RATING, HOTEL STAR CATEGORY AND ROOM PRICING POWER

In the digital way of doing business we see a substantial rise of online customer feedback and customer information sharing communities. The role and importance of social media has considerably increased in the past several years and businesses can no longer overlook its impact. For companies, the acceptance of such sources are not only tangential rather they are becoming central in how they approach their operations. Numerous web based platforms that include social networking, online communities and review sites are critical reference points for companies while deciding how to structure and price their products and services. The tourism and hospitality industry is no exception to this phenomenon, as a matter of fact, it is at the very forefront of this new trend that we are observing. Some of these sites are more popular than others, such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Travelocity or Expedia but all of them affect how service providers conduct their business, specifically in the area of pricing. The aim of this paper is to examine and quantify the relationship between customer online rating, hotel category and room pricing power in hotel industry. Findings EKON. MISAO I PRAKSA DBK. GOD XXVI. (2017.) BR. 1. (189-204) B. Agušaj, V. Bazdan, Đ. Lujak: THE RELATIONSHIP. 190 suggest that there is a statistically significant relationship between hotel star category, online rating and service provider’s room pricing power. Moreover, results indicate a strong correlation between TripAdvisor and Booking.com online customer reviews, suggesting that contrary to popular beliefs, TripAdvisor is as reliable as Booking.com.
Expression of caveolin-1 in human T cell leukemia cell lines.

Caveolae are plasma membrane invaginations that function as a center for signal transduction. Recent studies indicate that caveolins, the main proteins in caveolae, serve as scaffolding proteins onto which many classes of signaling molecules are assembled. There are multiple forms of caveolins: caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 are expressed as stable heterooligomeric complexes within most cell types, while caveolin-3 is restricted to striated muscle cells. However, neither caveolin proteins nor caveolae structures are detected in peripheral blood cells or blood cell lines. We identified caveolin-1 in one T cell leukemia cell line, a subline of Jurkat cells, by immunostaining and Western blotting. The cells showed enlarged cell bodies similar to activated T cells. This led us to investigate caveolin expression in adult T cell leukemia (ATL) cell lines, which are known to be constitutively activated. Two of five ATL cell lines expressed caveolin-1. The phenotype of caveolin-1-positive cells expressed not only high levels of the T cell activation markers, as with CD25 or HLA-DR, but also CD54 at extremely high levels. These findings demonstrate for the first time that hematological cells express caveolin-1 in certain states of cell activation. In addition, the caveolin-1 expression may be a useful marker for the diagnosis of ATL malignancy.
Long-Term Outcome of Permanent Hemodialysis Catheters: A Controlled Study

Aims: Hemodialysis tunneled catheters are widely used nowadays. However, their complications, infection and dysfunction, remain much too frequent. Different types of tunneled silicone hemodialysis catheters are available. We prospectively compared the long-term outcome of the two most popular devices, Permcath cuffed double catheter and TwinCath uncuffed twin catheter, both inserted percutaneously. Methods: From January 1994 to April 1998, 125 tunneled catheters were inserted in the internal jugular vein of 86 chronic hemodialysis patients, 63 TwinCath MedComp® (TC) and 62 Permcath Quinton® (PC). They were prospectively followed looking for technical patency, infection and dysfunction rate. Results: TC were used more often for iterative access (52 vs. 25% , p = 0.01) and were inserted more frequently in the left internal jugular vein (59 vs. 16% p < 0.001). Their median technical survival rate was longer (869 vs. 433 days for PC, p < 0.01) with a 1-year patency rate of 80 vs. 53% (p = 0.002). Total catheter extrusion was also slightly less frequent with TC (4.7 vs. 9.6%), but partial extrusion happened more frequently (43 vs. 16%, p = 0.02). No significant difference in infection rate was observed, 0.77 for TC vs. 1.3 local infection/1,000 catheter days; 1.08 vs. 1.30 bacteremia/1,000 catheter days. A persistent catheter thrombosis was observed in 7.9 vs. 20.9% in PC (p = 0.04), the number of dysfunction was 10.5 vs. 24/1,000 days in use (p = 0.0001) and the number of urokinase infusion was 4.4 vs. 12/1,000 days (p = 0.001). PC needed more radiological interventions for dysfunction with endolumenal brushes (4 vs. 0) or fibrin sleeve removal (4 vs. 0). The vena cava thrombosis incidence was not different (2 vs. 3). Conclusion: Although the study was not randomized, TC appears more efficient allowing for a longer patency with a lower dysfunction rate than PC. This was reinforced by less favorable conditions of TC including more left jugular side and more iterative catheters. The cuff does not offer a better bacteriological barrier or protection against extrusion, and the TC seems at a less risk of fibrin sleeves. However, a large randomized study is needed to definitively conclude.
Comparison between single-cell cultures and tissue cultures as model systems for evaluating the modulation of gene expression by food bioactives

In this study, we sought the use of cultured human abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) tissue to investigate the transcriptional effects of some bioactives, whose role in the prevention of atherosclerotic plaque development through the regulation of gene expression has been hypothesized. After supplementation with n − 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, the expression of five genes involved in cholesterol metabolism was assessed in cultures of AAA tissue obtained during elective open surgery, and compared to the results obtained in a single-cell culture model (HepG2 cells). All bioactives modulated gene expression in HepG2 cells, while no effects were observed in the tissue culture due to the shortcomings of the tissue model, which showed high within-patient variations and high between-patient variations in gene expression. Results herein reported underline that the choice of the model system is a critical point in the evaluation of the transcriptional effects of bioactives.
Performance of ZnO-Based Ultraviolet Photodetectors Under Varying Thermal Treatment

This paper reports fabrication, characterization, and testing of the thermal stability of ZnO-based Schottky ultraviolet photodetectors. The ZnO thin film was grown on a p-type Si 〈100〉 substrate by the sol-gel technique. The surface morphological and the structural properties of the thin film were studied by an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). For the investigation of the surface chemical bonding, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were also performed. The I-V characteristics of the Schottky barrier photodetector were studied, and the parameters such as ideality factor, leakage current, and barrier height were extracted from the measured data at room temperature. With applied bias voltages in the range from -3 to 3 V, the contrast ratio, responsivity, detectivity, and quantum efficiency of the photodetectors were measured for an incident optical power of 0.1 mW at 365-nm wavelength. The electrical and optical study revealed that the performance of the device improves with increasing post metal deposition annealing temperature up to 100°C. The device exhibited excellent thermal stability in the annealing temperature range of 100°C to 200°C. For annealing temperatures beyond 200°C, the performance of the device degrades drastically. It was also found that at under 200°C, there is a harmonious correlation between the photoresponse and electrical characteristics of the device. Above this temperature, there is no correlation between the variations of photoresponse and electrical characteristics with increasing annealing temperature. The variation of the electrical and photoresponse properties of the Schottky photodetector subjected to different post-fabrication annealing can be attributed to the combined effects of interfacial reaction and phase transition during the annealing process.
METHODOLOGICAL CONCERNS FOR DETERMINING POWER OUTPUT IN THE JUMP SQUAT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of power measurement techniques during the jump squat (JS) utilizing various combinations of a force plate and linear position transducer (LPT) devices. Nine men with at least 6 months of prior resistance training experience participated in this acute investigation. One repetition maximums (1RM) in the squat were determined, followed by JS testing under 2 loading conditions (30% of 1RM [JS30] and 90% of 1RM [JS90]). Three different techniques were used simultaneously in data collection: (a) 1 linear position transducer (1-LPT); (b) 1 linear position transducer and a force plate (1-LPT + FP); and (c) 2 linear position transducers and a force place (2-LPT + FP). Vertical velocity-, force-, and power-time curves were calculated for each lift using these methodologies and were compared. Peak force and peak power were overestimated by 1-LPT in both JS30 and JS90 compared with 2-LPT + FP and 1-LPT + FP (p ≤ 0.05). Peak power determined by 2-LPT + FP was significantly higher than that determined by 1-LPT + FP under the JS90 loading condition. Peak vertical velocity determined by 2-LPT + FP was significantly lower than that determined by either 1-LPT and 1-LPT + FP in JS90. This investigation indicates that peak power and the timing of power output in the jump squat varies according to the measurement technique utilized. The 1-LPT methodology is not a valid means of determining power output in the jump squat. Furthermore, the 1-LPT + FP method may not accurately represent power output in free weight movements that involve a significant amount of horizontal motion.
Galactic stellar haloes in the CDM model

We present six simulations of galactic stellar haloes formed by the tidal disruption of accreted dwarf galaxies in a fully cosmological setting. Our model is based on the Aquarius project, a suite of high-resolution N-body simulations of individual dark matter haloes. We tag subsets of particles in these simulations with stellar populations predicted by the galform semi-analytic model. Our method self-consistently tracks the dynamical evolution and disruption of satellites from high redshift. The luminosity function (LF) and structural properties of surviving satellites, which agree well with observations, suggest that this technique is appropriate. We find that accreted stellar haloes are assembled between 1 < z < 7 from less than five significant progenitors. These progenitors are old, metal-rich satellites with stellar masses similar to the brightest Milky Way dwarf spheroidals (10^(7)–10^(8) M_⊙). In contrast to previous stellar halo simulations, we find that several of these major contributors survive as self-bound systems to the present day. Both the number of these significant progenitors and their infall times are inherently stochastic. This results in great diversity among our stellar haloes, which amplifies small differences between the formation histories of their dark halo hosts. The masses (~10^(8)–10^(9) M_⊙) and density/surface-brightness profiles of the stellar haloes (from 10 to 100 kpc) are consistent with expectations from the Milky Way and M31. Each halo has a complex structure, consisting of well-mixed components, tidal streams, shells and other subcomponents. This structure is not adequately described by smooth models. The central regions (<10 kpc) of our haloes are highly prolate (c/a ~ 0.3), although we find one example of a massive accreted thick disc. Metallicity gradients in our haloes are typically significant only where the halo is built from a small number of satellites. We contrast the ages and metallicities of halo stars with surviving satellites, finding broad agreement with recent observations.
Motivational Intervention and Nicotine Replacement Therapies for Smokers: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003, 2011) estimated that at international level approximately 1.3 million people currently smoke cigarettes or other products. Almost one billion men and 250 million women, and about 6 million people die each year from diseases related to smoking. Related diseases comprise different types of cancer (lung, larynx, oral cavity), cardiovascular (atherosclerosis, stroke), respiratory diseases (acute and chronic), alterations in the reproductive system, dental problems (leukoplakia, gingivitis, among others), peptic ulcer and some diseases of eye, diabetes.
Mucosal immune response to specific outer membrane proteins of Moraxella catarrhalis in young children

Background. Moraxella catarrhalis is an important cause of otitis media. A number of candidate antigens for a future infant otitis media vaccine have been identified, but their mucosal immunogenicity induced by nasopharyngeal M. catarrhalis colonization has not been characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the salivary IgA response to M. catarrhalis outer membrane proteins (OMP) in young children. Methods. Children ages 1 to 24 months evaluated for acute respiratory tract infection were prospectively enrolled. M. catarrhalis nasopharyngeal colonization was determined by (1) selective culture and (2) detection by reverse transcription-PCR of messenger RNA specific for the OMP UspA1 and UspA2. Salivary IgA responses were detected by immunoblot analysis of M. catarrhalis OMP. Isogenic knockout mutants for UspA1, UspA2, hemagglutinin (Hag), transferrin-binding protein B (TbpB) and CopB were constructed for identification of specific target OMP. Results. Sixty-six patients were studied. The rates of M. catarrhalis colonization by culture, reverse transcription-PCR for uspA1 messenger RNA and uspA2 mRNA were 40, 94 and 58%, respectively. Anti-M. catarrhalis salivary IgA was detected in 62 patients (94%). IgA directed against a >250-kDa antigen (assigned to UspA1/UspA2 by mutant analysis) and a 200-kDa antigen (Hag) were detected in 65 and 70% of patients, respectively. Bands at 80 to 85 kDa (82%) consisted of IgA directed against monomeric UspA2, TbpB and CopB. Conclusions. M. catarrhalis colonization occurring in early infancy is associated with a consistent mucosal immune response directed against the UspA proteins, Hag and other OMP. The data suggest that several M. catarrhalis OMP are immunogens of the nasopharyngeal mucosal immune system of infants.
Aggregate Impact of Different Brand Development Strategies

Current branding literature investigates the spillover effects and extension effects due to the introduction of product extensions. However, no study so far has evaluated the aggregate market impact of these effects across different brand development strategies or accounted for the strategic decision to introduce the extension. It is important to examine the above given the significant investments and the high failure rates associated with the introduction of new product extensions. In this study, we develop an analytical framework that derives revenue outcome due to an extension introduction as a function of spillover and extension effects. We empirically estimate the above effects through a Bayesian endogenous switching model that jointly models market shares of the extension and its parent brand along with the strategic decision to introduce the extension and the endogeneity in prices. By using a data set that covers 155 extensions introduced across 20 U.S. geographic markets, we obtain several new gen.
Identification of the integrin binding domain of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis invasin protein.

The invasin protein of the pathogenic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis mediates entry of the bacterium into cultured mammalian cells by binding several beta 1 chain integrins. In this study, we identified the region of invasin responsible for cell recognition. Thirty‐two monoclonal antibodies directed against invasin were isolated, and of those, six blocked cell attachment to invasin. These six antibodies recognized epitopes within the last 192 amino acids of invasin. Deletion mutants of invasin and maltose‐binding protein (MBP)‐‐invasin fusion proteins were generated and tested for cell attachment. All of the invasin derivatives that carried the carboxyl‐terminal 192 amino acids retained cell binding activity. One carboxyl‐terminal invasin fragment and seven MBP‐‐invasin fusion proteins were purified. The purified derivatives that retained binding activity inhibited bacterial entry into cultured mammalian cells. These results indicated that the carboxyl‐terminal 192 amino acids of invasin contains the integrin‐binding domain, even though this region does not contain the tripeptide sequence Arg‐Gly‐Asp.
On being yourself in different cultures: ideal and actual self-concept, autonomy support, and well-being in China, Russia, and the United States

The present study used multilevel modeling and measures of the Big Five to test Rogers’ prediction that discrepancies between ideal and actual self-concept would be negatively associated with well-being, and to test the prediction drawn from self-determination theory that partners’ autonomy support would be associated with smaller discrepancies. Discrepancies and well-being were found to be negatively associated in samples from the USA, Russia, and China, but participants’ actual self-concept was closer to their ideal when with autonomy supportive partners. Although there was some moderation by country membership, associations were in the same direction for all countries. Discussion focuses on the cultural and clinical implications.