Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PCR-based versus conventional stool tests in children with diarrhea who underwent solid organ transplantation or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Infectious diarrhea is a common problem among post-transplant recipients. Compared to conventional tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based stool tests have been shown to improve diagnostic yield but the aforementioned data in children remain limited. Our aims were to assess the detection rate of PCR-based tests in post-transplant children and compare with the conventional tests; and to investigate how these stool tests help in managing these children. We enrolled children aged 1 to 19 years who underwent solid organ transplantation or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation that remained on immunosuppressive agents and developed diarrhea ≥ 24 hours between January 2015 and February 2023. Besides stool tests, data on demographics, clinical characteristics and management were collected. We analyzed 68 patients and 92 episodes of diarrhea with PCR-based tests. PCR-based tests provided a detection rate of 41.8% versus 16.5% for the conventional tests. While conventional tests may detect a higher proportion of Clostridiodes difficile infection, PCR-based tests showed greater yields in detecting Salmonella spp. and viruses especially norovirus. PCR-based tests had an impact in management among 22/38 (58%) diarrheal episodes especially with Campylobacter jejuni and C difficile; and among 16 episodes that positive PCR-based tests had a minimal impact, the most common reason was due to the need for continuation of antimicrobial agents for concomitant site-specific infection (69%). Among transplanted children presenting with diarrhea, PCR-based tests provide a higher yield when compared with the conventional tests. The PCR-based stool tests may also further guide clinicians for providing proper antimicrobial agents.
Fuzzy Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Control of Fractional-Order Nonlinear Systems

This paper studies the adaptive control problem for a class of uncertain fractional nonlinear systems with actuator faults, where the total number of failures is allowed to be infinite. A compensating term in a smooth function form of a conventional control law is introduced to compensate for the actuator faults. After the introduction of fractional-order adaptation laws, an adaptive controller is designed by using a modified backstepping technique. Fractional Lyapunov stability criterion is adopted to prove the convergence of the developed proposed controller even in the presence of actuator faults. Finally, a simulation example of fractional-order Chua–Hartley’s system is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant control scheme.
Default Recovery Rates and LGD in Credit Risk Modeling and Practice : An Updated Review of the Literature and Empirical Evidence *

Evidence from many countries in recent years suggests that collateral values and recovery rates on corporate defaults can be volatile and, moreover, that they tend to go down just when the number of defaults goes up in economic downturns. This link between recovery rates and default rates has traditionally been neglected by credit risk models, as most of them focused on default risk and adopted static loss assumptions, treating the recovery rate either as a constant parameter or as a stochastic variable independent from the probability of default. This traditional focus on default analysis has been partly reversed by the recent significant increase in the number of studies dedicated to the subject of recovery rate estimation and the relationship between default and recovery rates. This paper presents a detailed review of the way credit risk models, developed during the last thirty years, treat the recovery rate and, more specifically, its relationship with the probability of default of an obligor. We also review the efforts by rating agencies to formally incorporate recovery ratings into their assessment of corporate loan and bond credit risk and the recent efforts by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to consider “downturn LGD” in their suggested requirements under Basel II. Recent empirical evidence concerning these issues is also presented and discussed.
Molecular signature characterisation of different inflammatory phenotypes of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objectives The International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification criteria define systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) by the presence of fever, rash and chronic arthritis. Recent initiatives to revise current criteria recognise that a lack of arthritis complicates making the diagnosis early, while later a subgroup of patients develops aggressive joint disease. The proposed biphasic model of SJIA also implies a ‘window of opportunity’ to abrogate the development of chronic arthritis. We aimed to identify novel SJIA biomarkers during different disease phases. Methods Children with active SJIA were subgrouped clinically as systemic autoinflammatory disease with fever (SJIA syst ) or polyarticular disease (SJIA poly ). A discovery cohort of n=10 patients per SJIA group, plus n=10 with infection, was subjected to unbiased label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and immunoassay screens. In a separate verification cohort (SJIA syst , n=45; SJIA poly , n=29; infection, n=32), candidate biomarkers were measured by multiple reaction monitoring MS (MRM-MS) and targeted immunoassays. Results Signatures differentiating the two phenotypes of SJIA could be identified. LC-MS/MS in the discovery cohort differentiated SJIA syst from SJIA poly well, but less effectively from infection. Targeted MRM verified the discovery data and, combined with targeted immunoassays, correctly identified 91% (SJIA syst vs SJIA poly ) and 77% (SJIA syst vs infection) of all cases. Conclusions Molecular signatures differentiating two phenotypes of SJIA were identified suggesting shifts in underlying immunological processes in this biphasic disease. Biomarker signatures separating SJIA in its initial autoinflammatory phase from the main differential diagnosis (ie, infection) could aid early-stage diagnostic decisions, while markers of a phenotype switch could inform treat-to-target strategies.
The effect of lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration limit on driving under the influence (DUI) in southern Taiwan: a cross-sectional retrospective analysis

Objectives We aimed to profile the epidemiological changes of driving under the influence (DUI) in southern Taiwan after the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit was lowered from 50 to 30 mg/dL in 2013. Setting Level 1 trauma medical centre in southern Taiwan. Participants Data from 7447 patients (4375 males and 3072 females) were retrieved from the trauma registry system of a single trauma centre to examine patient characteristics (gender, age and BAC), clinical outcome variables (Abbreviated Injury Score, Injury Severity Score and mortality) and vehicular crash-related factors (vehicle type, airbag use in car crashes, helmet use in motorcycle crashes and time of crash) before and after the BAC limit change. Results Our results indicated that the percentage of DUI patients significantly declined from 10.99% (n=373) to 6.64% (n=269) after the BAC limit was lowered. Airbag use in car crashes (OR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.88, p=0.007) and helmet use in motorcycle crashes (OR: 0.20, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.26, p<0.001) was lower in DUI patients compared with non-DUI patients after the BAC limit change, with significant negative correlation. DUI behaviour increased crash mortality risk before the BAC limit change (OR: 4.33, 95% CI 2.20 to 8.54), and even more so after (OR: 5.60, 95% CI 3.16 to 9.93). The difference in ORs for mortality before and after the change in the BAC legal limit was not significant (p=0.568). Conclusion This study revealed that lowering the BAC limit to 30 mg/dL significantly reduced the number of DUI events, but failed to result in a significant reduction in mortality in these trauma patients.
Spin-o¤s and the Market for Ideas

We propose a theory of rm dynamics in which workers have ideas for new projects that can be sold in a market to existing rms or implemented in new rms: spin-o¤s. Workers have private information about the quality of their ideas. Because of an adverse selection problem, workers can sell their ideas to existing rms only at a price that is not contingent on their information. We show that the option to spin o¤ in the future is valuable so only workers with very good ideas decide to spin o¤ and set up a new rm. Since entrepreneurs of existing rms pay a price for the ideas sold in the market that implies zero expected pro ts for them, rmsproject selection is independent of their size which, under some assumptions, leads to scale independent growth. The entry and growth process of rms in this economy leads to an invariant distribution that resembles the one in the US economy.
Free Energy Calculations in Action: Theory, Applications and Challenges of Solvation Free Energies

Author(s): Duarte Ramos Matos, Guilherme | Advisor(s): Mobley, David L | Abstract: Free energy calculations play an essential role in the study of physical transformations and chemical reactions. Within the universe of free energy calculation applications, solvation free energies (Gsolv) have a leading role: they are easy to calculate and have a broad scope of applications, from the study distribution coefficients between two phases to solubility prediction. This dissertation discusses some of the uses of Gsolv as a tool for method development, as a way to calculate infinite dilution activity coefficients, and as a part of an effort to predict solubilities of molecular solids.In chapters 2 and 3, I discuss the general features of solvation free energy calculations and their applications. We also introduced an update of FreeSolv, a hydration free energy database, and the use of infinite activity coefficient calculations (IDACs) as assisting tools (or potentially substitutes) of hydration free energies in force field parameterization and method development. Chapter 4 discusses the reproducibility of relative alchemical free energies (RAFE) across different software (AMBER, GROMACS, SOMD, CHARMM). We demonstrated that Ghyd can be reproduced to within about +0.2 kcal /mol and we highlighted the differences and particularities of each code. I was responsible for running the simulations and analyzing the results of the GROMACS code. Chapter 5 discusses an application of free energy calculations to the prediction of solubilities. I attempted to predict the solubility of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) by calculating the absolute chemical potentials of the most stable polymorph of ASA and of solutions of different concentrations. Despite not finding a result that agreed with experimental error, I outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the method used and suggested improvements for future attempts.
Forward-Looking Monetary Policy and the Transmission of Conventional Monetary Policy Shocks

Standard structural VAR models and estimation using Romer and Romer (2004) monetary policy shocks show that, in samples after the 1980s, a contractionary conventional monetary policy shock generates smaller and sometimes perversely-signed impulse responses compared to earlier samples. Using insights from the central bank information effects literature, we show that the analyses producing these results suffer from an omitted variables problem related to forward-looking information emanating from Federal Reserve forecasts. Transmission of conventional monetary policy shocks takes on the standard signs, and is typically significant, once Fed forward-looking information is taken into account. This reconciliation does not follow from adding private sector forecasts to the estimation frameworks.
Análisis Sobre Elección De Ocupaciones Que Generen Empleo Usando Modelos De Elección Discreta: Medellín Área Metropolitana 2009 (An Analysis on the Occupations that Create Employment Using Discreet Choice Models: Medellin Metropolitan Area 2009)

Spanish Abstract: La formacion y consolidacion de empresas constituye un elemento clave para lograr la transformacion social y economica de Colombia. Muestra de esta hipotesis, son el creciente numero de trabajos academicos y politicas encaminadas a fomentar la actividad emprendedora en el pais y sus regiones. Por tanto, se quiere contrastar lo observado en la literatura aplicado al caso de Medellin Area Metropolitana para el ano 2009, con el fin de aportar a la discusion sobre los determinantes y politicas de creacion y fortalecimiento de empresas. De esta forma, dadas unas caracteristicas socioeconomicas de los individuos y la region se quiere conocer cual es probabilidad de que una persona sea empresaria, independiente formal, empleada o independiente informal, siendo el primer estado aquel que genera mayor efecto en el crecimiento y desarrollo de la region. Para ello, se utilizan tres modelo de eleccion discreta, tales como logit y probit multinomial, y logit binario secuencial, que permiten observar que la educacion, uso de tecnologias de informacion y telecomunicaciones, y el capital financiero son variables que mas contribuyen en la probabilidad de ser empresario.English Abstract: The formation and consolidation of businesses is a key element in achieving social and economic transformation of Colombia. Example of this hypothesis, are the increasing number of academic papers and policies to promote entrepreneurship in country and its regions. Therefore, we want to contrast what is observed in the literature applied to the case of Medellin Metropolitan Area in 2009, to contribute to the discussion on the determinants and policy creation and strengthening of companies. the main objective if this paper is know what is the probability that an individual will be an entrepreneur, formal independent,employee or informal independent, being the first state that generates the largest effect on growth and development of the region. We use three discrete choice models such as Logit and Multinomial Probit and Logit Binary sequence, for observing that education, use of information technologies and telecommunications, and financial capital are variables that contribute to the probability to be entrepreneur.
The autophagic degradation of cytosolic pools of peroxisomal proteins by a new selective pathway

ABSTRACT Damaged or redundant peroxisomes and their luminal cargoes are removed by pexophagy, a selective autophagy pathway. In yeasts, pexophagy depends mostly on the pexophagy receptors, such as Atg30 for Pichia pastoris and Atg36 for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the autophagy scaffold proteins, Atg11 and Atg17, and the core autophagy machinery. In P. pastoris, the receptors for peroxisomal matrix proteins containing peroxisomal targeting signals (PTSs) include the PTS1 receptor, Pex5, and the PTS2 receptor and co-receptor, Pex7 and Pex20, respectively. These shuttling receptors are predominantly cytosolic and only partially peroxisomal. It remains unresolved as to whether, when and how the cytosolic pools of peroxisomal receptors, as well as the peroxisomal matrix proteins, are degraded under pexophagy conditions. These cytosolic pools exist both in normal and mutant cells impaired in peroxisome biogenesis. We report here that Pex5 and Pex7, but not Pex20, are degraded by an Atg30-independent, selective autophagy pathway. To enter this selective autophagy pathway, Pex7 required its major PTS2 cargo, Pot1. Similarly, the degradation of Pex5 was inhibited in cells missing abundant PTS1 cargoes, such as alcohol oxidases and Fox2 (hydratase-dehydrogenase-epimerase). Furthermore, in cells deficient in PTS receptors, the cytosolic pools of peroxisomal matrix proteins, such as Pot1 and Fox2, were also removed by Atg30-independent, selective autophagy, under pexophagy conditions. In summary, the cytosolic pools of PTS receptors and their cargoes are degraded via a pexophagy-independent, selective autophagy pathway under pexophagy conditions. These autophagy pathways likely protect cells from futile enzymatic reactions that could potentially cause the accumulation of toxic cytosolic products. Abbreviations: ATG: autophagy related; Cvt: cytoplasm to vacuole targeting; Fox2: hydratase-dehydrogenase-epimerase; PAGE: polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Pot1: thiolase; PMP: peroxisomal membrane protein; Pgk1: 3-phosphoglycerate kinase; PTS: peroxisomal targeting signal; RADAR: receptor accumulation and degradation in the absence of recycling; RING: really interesting new gene; SDS: sodium dodecyl sulphate; TCA, trichloroacetic acid; Ub: ubiquitin; UPS: ubiquitin-proteasome system Vid: vacuole import and degradation
Cold-Induced Thermogenesis and Inflammation-Associated Cold-Seeking Behavior Are Represented by Different Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Sites: A Three-Dimensional Functional Topography Study in Conscious Rats

In the past, we showed that large electrolytic lesions of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) promoted hypothermia in cold-exposed restrained rats, but attenuated hypothermia in rats challenged with a high dose of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a thermogradient apparatus. The goal of this study was to identify the thermoeffector mechanisms and DMH representation of the two phenomena and thus to understand how the same lesion could produce two opposite effects on body temperature. We found that the permissive effect of large electrolytic DMH lesions on cold-induced hypothermia was due to suppressed thermogenesis. DMH-lesioned rats also could not develop fever autonomically: they did not increase thermogenesis in response to a low, pyrogenic dose of LPS (10 μg/kg, i.v.). In contrast, changes in thermogenesis were uninvolved in the attenuation of the hypothermic response to a high, shock-inducing dose of LPS (5000 μg/kg, i.v.); this attenuation was due to a blockade of cold-seeking behavior. To compile DMH maps for the autonomic cold defense and for the cold-seeking response to LPS, we studied rats with small thermal lesions in different parts of the DMH. Cold thermogenesis had the highest representation in the dorsal hypothalamic area. Cold seeking was represented by a site at the ventral border of the dorsomedial nucleus. Because LPS causes both fever and hypothermia, we originally thought that the DMH contained a single thermoregulatory site that worked as a fever–hypothermia switch. Instead, we have found two separate sites: one that drives thermogenesis and the other, previously unknown, that drives inflammation-associated cold seeking. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cold-seeking behavior is a life-saving response that occurs in severe systemic inflammation. We studied this behavior in rats with lesions in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) challenged with a shock-inducing dose of bacterial endotoxin. We built functional maps of the DMH and found the strongest representation of cold-seeking behavior at the ventral border of the dorsomedial nucleus. We also built maps for cold-induced thermogenesis in unanesthetized rats and found the dorsal hypothalamic area to be its main representation site. Our work identifies the neural substrate of cold-seeking behavior in systemic inflammation and expands the functional topography of the DMH, a structure that modulates autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral responses and is a potential therapeutic target in anxiety and panic disorders.
Ultrahigh power factor and thermoelectric performance in hole-doped single-crystal SnSe

Heat conversion gets a power boost Thermoelectric materials convert waste heat into electricity, but often achieve high conversion efficiencies only at high temperatures. Zhao et al. tackle this problem by introducing small amounts of sodium to the thermoelectric SnSe (see the Perspective by Behnia). This boosts the power factor, allowing the material to generate more energy while maintaining good conversion efficiency. The effect holds across a wide temperature range, which is attractive for developing new applications. Science, this issue p. 141; see also p. 124 A thermoelectric derived by sodium doping of tin selenide has a high power factor and conversion efficiency over a wide temperature range. [Also see Perspective by Behnia] Thermoelectric technology, harvesting electric power directly from heat, is a promising environmentally friendly means of energy savings and power generation. The thermoelectric efficiency is determined by the device dimensionless figure of merit ZTdev, and optimizing this efficiency requires maximizing ZT values over a broad temperature range. Here, we report a record high ZTdev ∼1.34, with ZT ranging from 0.7 to 2.0 at 300 to 773 kelvin, realized in hole-doped tin selenide (SnSe) crystals. The exceptional performance arises from the ultrahigh power factor, which comes from a high electrical conductivity and a strongly enhanced Seebeck coefficient enabled by the contribution of multiple electronic valence bands present in SnSe. SnSe is a robust thermoelectric candidate for energy conversion applications in the low and moderate temperature range.
Performance of Mono-Layer Evapotranspirative Covers in Response to High Precipitation and Extended Drought Periods in the Southwestern United States

Properly designed evapotranspirative (ET) cover systems can greatly reduce the amount of infiltration and groundwater recharge (deep percolation) into potential acid generating mine waste. In arid and semi-arid environments, infrequent precipitation, low measurable subsurface fluxes, spatial variability within mine waste and cover material, and evapotranspiration from below the cover system create challenges to monitoring moisture flux in these systems. Sloped ET single-layer (monolayer) cover depths and a variety of reclamation treatments are being studied at a copper tailing impoundment in Arizona, USA. To monitor the performance of different ET cover systems in response to precipitation patterns, four different test plots consisting of two different cover depths and two different vegetation densities were instrumented with heat dissipation sensor nests. The sensors measure the soil water pressure potential and allow hydraulic gradients to be determined within and below the cover systems to depths of 180 cm. Three replicate sensor nests were installed in each test plot to account for variability in materials and test plot treatments. Data collection occurs twice daily and is ongoing. Weather during the 26-month monitoring period was characterised by two months of greater than normal precipitation followed by nine months of normal precipitation and 15 months of abnormally dry conditions. Monitoring data indicate that deep percolation occurs in response to periods of extended precipitation, however, drying was observed to depths of six feet below the surface in all test plots. Using conservative assumptions regarding tailing hydraulic properties, one-dimensional downward flux predictions based on the monitoring data indicate very low (<1.6 mm/year) average annual deep percolation rates. Prior to the abnormally dry period, increased cover depth and dense vegetation reduced the amount of moisture reaching the deeper sensors. During the abnormally dry period, little difference in the soil moisture regime was observed between cover depths and vegetation. Subsequent to the dry period, observed wetting and predicted deep percolation in the dense vegetation test plots was slightly greater than in the sparse vegetation test plots, indicating that the ET cover system performance is dynamic. Additional long-term monitoring and installation of deeper and replicate monitoring sensors into tailings without cover systems are recommended to evaluate the long-term ET cover system performance and develop a better understanding of deep percolation rates at the sites.