Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different Risk of Tuberculosis and Efficacy of Isoniazid Prophylaxis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Biologic Therapy: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan

Increasing evidence indicates an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving biologic therapy, and the effectiveness of isoniazid prophylaxis (INHP) in TB prevention. We aimed to examine 1) the incidence rate (IR) and risk factors for TB among RA patients receiving different therapies; 2) INHP effectiveness for TB prevention; 3) mortality rates after TB diagnosis in patients receiving different therapies. This retrospective study was conducted using a nationwide database: 168,720 non-RA subjects and a total of 42,180 RA patients including 36,162 csDMARDs-exposed, 3,577 etanercept-exposed, 1,678 adalimumab-exposed and 763 rituximab-exposed patients. TB risk was 2.7-fold higher in RA cohort compared with non-RA group, with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 2.58. Advanced age, male, the use of corticosteroids≧5mg/day, and the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease were risk factors for developing TB. Using csDMARDs-exposed group as reference, aHR of TB was the highest with adalimumab treatment (1.52), followed by etanercept (1.16), and the lowest with rituximab (0.08). INHP could effectively reduce TB risk in biologics-exposed patients. Mortality rates after TB diagnosis were higher in RA patients, particularly the elderly and those with DM, with lower rates in adalimumab-exposed patients compared with csDMARDs-exposed patients. In conclusion, TB risk was increased in patients receiving TNF-α inhibitors, but the risk associated with rituximab therapy was relatively low. With the effectiveness of INHP shown in the prevention of biologics-associated TB, stricter implementation of INHP should be beneficial. The mortality from biologics–associated TB may be efficiently reduced through increased awareness.
Patterns and drivers of marine phytoplankton change over the past century

xii List of Abbreviations and Symbols Used . xiii Acknowledgements . xvii Chapter
Degree resistance distance of unicyclic graphs

Let $G$ be a connected graph with vertex set $V(G)$‎. ‎The‎ ‎degree resistance distance of $G$ is defined as $D_R(G) = sum_{{u‎, ‎v} subseteq V(G)} [d(u)+d(v)] R(u,v)$‎, ‎where $d(u)$ is the degree‎ ‎of vertex $u$‎, ‎and $R(u,v)$ denotes the resistance distance between‎ ‎$u$ and $v$‎. ‎In this paper‎, ‎we characterize $n$-vertex unicyclic‎ ‎graphs having minimum and second minimum degree resistance‎ ‎distance‎. ‎
Differential Expression of Microsomal Prostaglandin E Synthase at Implantation Sites and in Decidual Cells of Mouse Uterus1

Abstract Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is considered important for blastocyst spacing, implantation, and decidualization in the rodent uterus. PGE synthase (PGES) catalyzes the isomerization of PGH2 to PGE2. There are two isoforms of PGES, microsomal PGES (mPGES) and cytosolic PGES (cPGES). However, the expression and regulation of mPGES in the mammalian uterus during early pregnancy are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential expression of mPGES in mouse uterus during early pregnancy and its regulation under different conditions by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Microsomal PGES expression in the preimplantation mouse embryos was also performed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Expression of mPGES mRNA and protein was at a basal level in the luminal epithelium from Day 1 to Day 4 of pregnancy. However, mPGES mRNA and protein were highly expressed in the stroma immediately surrounding the blastocyst but not in the luminal epithelium on Day 5 of pregnancy. Microsomal PGES mRNA and protein were not detected in the pseudopregnant uterus from Day 1 to Day 5. During delayed implantation, mPGES mRNA and protein were also not detected in the uterus. Once delayed implantation was terminated by estrogen treatment and embryo implantation initiated, both mPGES mRNA and protein were induced to express in the stroma immediately surrounding the blastocyst, which was similar to the expression pattern on Day 5 of pregnancy. From Day 6 to Day 8 of pregnancy, the signals for mPGES mRNA and protein were strongly detected in the decidualized cells. Microsomal PGES mRNA and protein were also highly expressed in the artificially decidualized cells but not in the control horn. Microsomal PGES mRNA was detected in the oocytes and all the stages of preimplantation embryos. The strong mPGES expression in the implantation site and decidual cells suggests that mPGES might play an important role during implantation and more importantly in decidualization.
Dynamical vacuum selection in field theories with flat directions in their potential

In this paper we show that in field theories with topologically stable kinks and flat directions in their potential, a so-called dynamical vacuum selection (DVS) takes place in the non-trivial, soliton sector of the theory. We explore this DVS mechanism using a specific model. For this model we show that there is only a static kink solution when very specific boundary conditions are met, very similar to the case of vortices in two dimensions. In the case of other boundary conditions a scalar cloud is expelled to infinity, leaving a static kink behind. Other circumstances under which DVS may or may not take place are discussed as well.
Apolipoprotein B but not LDL Cholesterol Is Associated With Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 2 Diabetic Whites

OBJECTIVE Evidence favors apolipoprotein B (apoB) over LDL cholesterol as a predictor of cardiovascular events, but data are lacking on coronary artery calcification (CAC), especially in type 2 diabetes, where LDL cholesterol may underestimate atherosclerotic burden. We investigated the hypothesis that apoB is a superior marker of CAC relative to LDL cholesterol. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed cross-sectional analyses of white subjects in two community-based studies: the Penn Diabetes Heart Study (N = 611 type 2 diabetic subjects, 71.4% men) and the Study of Inherited Risk of Coronary Atherosclerosis (N = 803 nondiabetic subjects, 52.8% men) using multivariate analysis of apoB and LDL cholesterol stratified by diabetes status. RESULTS In type 2 diabetes, apoB was associated with CAC after adjusting for age, sex, and medications [Tobit regression ratio of increased CAC for 1-SD increase in apoB; 1.36 (95% CI 1.06–1.75), P = 0.016] whereas LDL cholesterol was not [1.09 (0.85–1.41)]. In nondiabetic subjects, both were associated with CAC [apoB 1.65 (1.38–1.96), P < 0.001; LDL cholesterol 1.56 (1.30–1.86), P < 0.001]. In combined analysis of diabetic and nondiabetic subjects, apoB provided value in predicting CAC scores beyond LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratios, and marginally beyond non-HDL cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS Plasma apoB, but not LDL cholesterol, levels were associated with CAC scores in type 2 diabetic whites. ApoB levels may be particularly useful in assessing atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes.
Personalized search on Flickr based on searcher's preference prediction

In this paper, we propose a personalized search model to assist users in obtaining interested photos on Flickr, which exploits the favorite marks of the searcher's friends to predict the searcher's preference on the returned photos. The proposed model utilizes a co-clustering method to extract latent interest dimensions from users' implicit interests, and employs a discriminative learning method to predict searcher's preference on the returned photos. Preliminary experiments demonstrate the improvement of the proposed model compared to existing one-fit-all methods and a user-based collaborative filtering method.
Spatial skills as predictors of success in first-year engineering

Numerous research studies have highlighted the importance of well-developed 3-D spatial skills for success in STEM related programs. Poor spatial skills, particularly among first-year students, can place them at a distinct disadvantage when completing introductory courses in mathematics, CAD, descriptive geometry, and graphic communications - first-year requirements in many STEM related programs. This in turn can lead to poor grades and retention issues. Women are disproportionally among the group of students with weak or poorly developed 3-D spatial skills meaning that they are at a greater risk of leaving engineering when compared to their male counterparts. In this study, the spatial skills of first-year students in several engineering and technology programs were assessed through two standardized instruments widely used in spatial cognition research. The spatial skills of architecture and computer science students were also assessed for comparison purposes. This paper outlines the results obtained from a study at an Institution of Higher Learning and draws conclusions regarding the importance of spatial skills for success in introductory STEM courses. Grades at the end of the semester were obtained in several mathematics courses to determine if there is a correlation between spatial skill level and student performance in introductory math courses.
Deficits in LTP Induction by 5-HT2A Receptor Antagonist in a Mouse Model for Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is a common inherited form of mental retardation caused by the lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) because of Fmr1 gene silencing. Serotonin (5-HT) is significantly increased in the null mutants of Drosophila Fmr1, and elevated 5-HT brain levels result in cognitive and behavioral deficits in human patients. The serotonin type 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is highly expressed in the cerebral cortex; it acts on pyramidal cells and GABAergic interneurons to modulate cortical functions. 5-HT2AR and FMRP both regulate synaptic plasticity. Therefore, the lack of FMRP may affect serotoninergic activity. In this study, we determined the involvement of FMRP in the 5-HT modulation of synaptic potentiation with the use of primary cortical neuron culture and brain slice recording. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT2AR by R-96544 or ketanserin facilitated long-term potentiation (LTP) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of WT mice. The prefrontal LTP induction was dependent on the activation of NMDARs and elevation of postsynaptic Ca2+ concentrations. By contrast, inhibition of 5-HT2AR could not restore the induction of LTP in the ACC of Fmr1 knock-out mice. Furthermore, 5-HT2AR inhibition induced AMPA receptor GluR1 subtype surface insertion in the cultured ACC neurons of Fmr1 WT mice, however, GluR1 surface insertion by inhibition of 5-HT2AR was impaired in the neurons of Fmr1KO mice. These findings suggested that FMRP was involved in serotonin receptor signaling and contributed in GluR1 surface expression induced by 5-HT2AR inactivation.
Hybrid Scenario Based Performance Analysis of DSDV and DSR

The area of mobile ad hoc networking has received considerable attention of the research community in recent years. These networks have gained immense popularity primarily due to their infrastructure-less mode of operation which makes them a suitable candidate for deployment in emergency scenarios like relief operation, battlefield etc., where either the pre-existing infrastructure is totally damaged or it is not possible to establish a new infrastructure quickly. However, MANETs are constrained due to the limited transmission range of the mobile nodes which reduces the total coverage area. Sometimes the infrastructure-less ad hoc network may be combined with a fixed network to form a hybrid network which can cover a wider area with the advantage of having less fixed infrastructure. In such a combined network, for transferring data, we need base stations which act as gateways between the wired and wireless domains. Due to the hybrid nature of these networks, routing is considered a challenging task. Several routing protocols have been proposed and tested under various traffic conditions. However, the simulations of such routing protocols usually do not consider the hybrid network scenario. In this work we have carried out a systematic performance study of the two prominent routing protocols: Destination Sequenced Distance Vector Routing (DSDV) and Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) protocols in the hybrid networking environment. We have analyzed the performance differentials on the basis of three metrics - packet delivery fraction, average end-to-end delay and normalized routing load under varying pause time with different number of sources using NS2 based simulation.
Long term stability of surface EMG pattern classification for prosthetic control

Long-term functioning of a hand prosthesis is crucial for its acceptance by patients with upper limb deficit. In this study the reliability over days of the performance of pattern classification approaches based on surface electromyography (sEMG) signal for the control of upper limb prostheses was investigated. Recordings of sEMG from the forearm muscles were obtained across five consecutive days from five healthy subjects. It was demonstrated that the classification performance decreased monotonically on average by 4.1% per day. It was also found that the accumulated error was confined to three of the eight movement classes investigated. This contribution gives insight on the long term behavior of pattern classification, which is crucial for commercial viability.
Senseval-3 task: Automatic labeling of semantic roles

The SENSEVAL-3 task to perform automatic labeling of semantic roles was designed to encourage research into and use of the FrameNet dataset. The task was based on the considerable expansion of the FrameNet data since the baseline study of automatic labeling of semantic roles by Gildea and Jurafsky. The FrameNet data provide an extensive body of “gold standard” data that can be used in lexical semantics research, as the basis for its further exploitation in NLP applications. Eight teams participated in the task, with a total of 20 runs. Discussions among participants during development of the task and the scoring of their runs contributed to a successful task. Participants used a wide variety of techniques, investigating many aspects of the FrameNet data. They achieved results showing considerable improvements from Gildea and Jurafsky’s baseline study. Importantly, their efforts have contributed considerably to making the complex FrameNet dataset more accessible. They have amply demonstrated that FrameNet is a substantial lexical resource that will permit extensive further research and exploitation in NLP applications in the future.
Brain Network Connectivity and Topological Analysis During Voluntary Arm Movements

Functional connectivity estimates the temporal synchrony among functionally homogeneous brain regions based on the assessment of the dynamics of topologically localized neurophysiological responses. The aim of this study was to investigate task-related changes in brain activity and functional connectivity by applying different methods namely event-related desynchronization (ERD), coherence, and graph-theoretical analysis to electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, for comparing their respective descriptive power and complementarity. As it is well known, ERD provides an estimate of differences in power spectral densities between active (or task) and rest conditions, functional connectivity allows assessing the level of synchronization between the signals recorded at different scalp locations and graph analysis enables the estimation of the functional network features and topology. EEG activity was recorded on 10 subjects during left/right arm movements. The theta, alpha, and beta bands were considered. Conventional analysis showed a significant ERD in both alpha and beta bands over the sensorimotor cortex during the left arm movement and in beta band during the right arm movement, besides identifying the regions involved in the task, as it was expected. On the other hand, connectivity assessment highlighted that stronger connections are those that involved the motor regions for which graph analysis revealed reduced accessibility and an increased centrality during the movement. Jointly, the last two methods allow identifying the cortical areas that are functionally related in the active condition as well as the topological organization of the functional network. Results support the hypothesis that network analysis brings complementary knowledge with respect to established approaches for modeling motor-induced functional connectivity and could be profitably exploited in clinical contexts.
Deploying loosely coupled, component-based applications into distributed environments

With significant advances in software development technologies in recent years, it is now possible to have complex software applications, which include a large number of heterogeneous software components distributed over a large network of computers with different computational capabilities. To run such applications, their components must be instantiated on proper hardware resources in their target environments so that some requirements and constraints are met. This process is called software deployment. For large, distributed, component-based applications with many constraints and requirements, it is difficult to do the deployment process manually, and some automated tools and techniques are required. This paper presents a graph-based approach for this purpose that is not dependent on any specific component technology and does the deployment planning with respect to the communication resources required by application components and communication resources available on the hosts in the target environment. In our approach, component-based applications and distributed environments are modeled with the help of graphs. Deployment of an application is then defined as the mapping of the application graph to the target environment graph
Wireless Network Information Flow

We present an achievable rate for general deterministic relay networks, with broadcasting at the transmitters and interference at the receivers. In particular we show that if the optimizing distribution for the information-theoretic cut-set bound is a product distribution, then we have a complete characterization of the achievable rates for such networks. For linear deterministic finite-field models discussed in a companion paper [3], this is indeed the case, and we have a generalization of the celebrated max-flow min-cut theorem for such a network.
Digit-Level Semi-Systolic and Systolic Structures for the Shifted Polynomial Basis Multiplication Over Binary Extension Fields

Finite field multiplication is one of the most important operations in the finite field arithmetic. In this paper, we study semi-systolic and systolic implementations of the shifted polynomial basis multiplication and propose low time complexity semi-systolic and systolic array structures. We show that our proposed semi-systolic multiplier is faster than its existing counterparts available in the literature. Our application-specified integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation of the proposed semi-systolic multiplier demonstrates that reduction in time complexity is achieved without imposing hardware overhead. Furthermore, our proposed systolic array shifted polynomial basis (SPB) multiplier has a low time complexity for general irreducible polynomials.
Exploitation of 3D Stereotactic Surface Projection for automated classification of Alzheimer's disease according to dementia levels

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one major cause of dementia. Previous studies have indicated that the use of features derived from Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans lead to more accurate and earlier diagnosis of AD, compared to the traditional approach used for determining dementia ratings, which uses a combination of clinical assessments such as memory tests. In this study, we compare Naïve Bayes (NB), a probabilistic learner, with variations of Support Vector Machines (SVMs), a geometric learner, for the automatic diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. 3D Stereotactic Surface Projection (3D-SSP) is utilized to extract features from PET scans. At the most detailed level, the dimensionality of the feature space is very high, resulting in 15964 features. Since classifier performance can degrade in the presence of a high number of features, we evaluate the benefits of a correlation-based feature selection method to find a small number of highly relevant features.
Optimizing imaging protocols for overweight and obese patients: a lutetium orthosilicate PET/CT study.

UNLABELLED High photon attenuation and scatter in obese patients affect image quality. The purpose of the current study was to optimize lutetium orthosilicate (LSO) PET image acquisition protocols in patients weighing > or =91 kg (200 lb). METHODS Twenty-five consecutive patients (16 male and 9 female) weighing > or =91 kg (200 lb; range, 91-168 kg [200-370 lb]) were studied with LSO PET/CT. After intravenous injection of 7.77 MBq (0.21 mCi) of 18F-FDG per kilogram of body weight, PET emission scans were acquired for 7 min/bed position. Single-minute frames were extracted from the 7 min/bed position scans to reconstruct 1-7 min/bed position scans for each patient. Three reviewers independently analyzed all 7 reconstructed whole-body images of each patient. A consensus reading followed in cases of disagreement. Thus, 175 whole-body scans (7 per patient) were analyzed for number of hypermetabolic lesions. A region-of-interest approach was used to obtain a quantitative estimate of image quality. RESULTS Fifty-nine hypermetabolic lesions identified on 7 min/bed position scans served as the reference standard. Interobserver concordance increased from 64% for 1 min/bed position scans to 70% for 3 min/bed position scans and 78% for 4 min/bed position scans. Concordance rates did not change for longer imaging durations. Region-of-interest analysis revealed that image noise decreased from 21% for 1 min/bed position scans to 14%, 13%, and 11% for, respectively, 4, 5, and 7 min/bed position scans. When compared with the reference standard, 14 lesions (24%) were missed on 1 min/bed position scans but only 2 (3%) on 4 min/bed position scans. Five minute/bed position scans were sufficient to detect all lesions identified on the 7 min/bed position scans. CONCLUSION Lesion detectability and reader concordance peaked for 5 min/bed position scans, with no further diagnostic gain achieved by lengthening the duration of PET emission scanning. Thus, 5 min/bed position scans are sufficient for optimal lesion detection with LSO PET/CT in obese patients.