Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification via location-profiling in GSM networks

As devices move within a cellular network, they register their new location with cell base stations to allow for the correct forwarding of data. We show it is possible to identify a mobile user from these records and a pre-existing location profile, based on previous movement. Two different identification processes are studied, and their performances are evaluated on real cell location traces. The best of those allows for the identification of around 80% of users. We also study the misidentified users and characterise them using hierarchical clustering techniques. Our findings highlight the difficulty of anonymizing location data, and firmly establish they are personally identifiable.
Systemic Inflammation Induced by microRNAs: Endometriosis-Derived Alterations in Circulating microRNA 125b-5p and Let-7b-5p Regulate Macrophage Cytokine Production

Context Endometriosis is characterized by aberrant inflammation. We previously reported increased levels of microRNA (miRNA) 125b-5p and decreased levels of miRNA Let-7b-5p in serum of patients with endometriosis. Objective Determine the regulatory function of miRNAs 125b-5p and Let-7b-5p on production of proinflammatory cytokines in endometriosis. Design Case-control study. Setting University hospital. Patients Women with (20) and without (26) endometriosis; human U937 macrophage cell line. Intervention Sera were collected from surgically diagnosed patients and differentiated U937 cells that were transfected with miRNAs 125b-5p and Let-7b-5p mimics and inhibitor. Main Outcome Measures Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1β levels and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for expression of miRNAs 125b-5p and Let-7b-5p in sera of patients with and without endometriosis. Transfected macrophages were evaluated for expression of inflammatory cytokines, intracellular production, and secretion of these cytokines. Results We noted substantial elevation of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, marked upregulation of miRNA 125b, and considerable downregulation of Let-7b in sera of patients with endometriosis vs control. There was a positive correlation between miRNA 125b levels and TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and a negative correlation between miRNA Let-7b levels and TNF-α in sera of patients with endometriosis. Transfection experiments showed a noteworthy upregulation of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in macrophages transfected with miRNA 125b mimic or Let-7b inhibitor. The secreted cytokine protein levels and intracellular imaging studies closely correlate with the messenger RNA changes. Conclusions Endometriosis-derived miRNAs regulate macrophage cytokine production that contributes to inflammation associated with this condition.
A Multivariate Generalized Orthogonal Factor GARCH Model

We propose a factor generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model and develop test procedures for checking the correctness of the number of factors. Maximum likelihood estimation of the model is straightforward once computationally simple preliminary estimates are obtained. Motivated by the empirical application of the article, a mixture of Gaussian distributions is considered in addition to the conventional Gaussian likelihood. Interestingly, some parameters of the conditional covariance matrix that are not identifiable under normality, can be identified when the mixture specification is used. As an empirical example, modeling a system of exchange rate returns and testing for volatility transmission is considered.
Gait Speed and Grip Strength Reflect Cognitive Impairment and Are Modestly Related to Incident Cognitive Decline in Memory Clinic Patients With Subjective Cognitive Decline and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Findings From the 4C Study

Background Prospective studies in the general population show that slow gait speed is associated with cognitive decline and clinical progression to dementia. However, longitudinal studies in memory clinic populations are mostly lacking. We aimed to study the association between gait speed and grip strength and cognitive functioning at baseline and cognitive decline over time in memory clinic patients with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. Methods We included 309 patients (age 70 ± 9 years, 108 [35%] women, Mini-Mental State Examination 27 ± 3 points). Baseline gait speed was assessed over 15 feet, grip strength with a hydraulic hand dynamometer. Cognitive functioning was assessed annually with a comprehensive test battery during 3 years. Results Age- and gender-adjusted linear mixed models showed that slower gait speed was related to worse baseline attention, memory, information processing speed, and verbal fluency. Longitudinally, gait speed was related to decline in information processing speed and executive functioning. Weaker grip strength was related to worse baseline information processing speed and executive functioning but there were no longitudinal associations. Cox proportional hazards models revealed no significant associations with clinical progression. Conclusions Our findings suggest that markers of physical performance are related to current cognitive status and modestly related to cognitive decline but are seemingly not useful as an early marker of incident clinical progression.
Electron-microprobe dating of monazite

Monazite (LREE, ThO 2 )PO 4 is an accessory mineral in leucogranites and metapelites. It crystallizes with zircon from granitic melts. During metamorphism the formation of monazite is possible at a wide range of conditions. High contents of Th and its decay to Pb during geological time spans provide the prerequisite for a dating method without analysis of isotopic ratios. Monazite Th-U-Pb ages can be calculated from a bulk chemical analysis by electron-microprobe (EMP). This analytical technique is non-destructive and insitu with a great spatial resolution. Besides the characteristics of monazite and the properties of EMP this paper is focused on the different age calculation methods that have been developed during the last years.
Computational approaches to predict bacteriophage–host relationships

Metagenomics has changed the face of virus discovery by enabling the accurate identification of viral genome sequences without requiring isolation of the viruses. As a result, metagenomic virus discovery leaves the first and most fundamental question about any novel virus unanswered: What host does the virus infect? The diversity of the global virosphere and the volumes of data obtained in metagenomic sequencing projects demand computational tools for virus–host prediction. We focus on bacteriophages (phages, viruses that infect bacteria), the most abundant and diverse group of viruses found in environmental metagenomes. By analyzing 820 phages with annotated hosts, we review and assess the predictive power of in silico phage–host signals. Sequence homology approaches are the most effective at identifying known phage–host pairs. Compositional and abundance-based methods contain significant signal for phage–host classification, providing opportunities for analyzing the unknowns in viral metagenomes. Together, these computational approaches further our knowledge of the interactions between phages and their hosts. Importantly, we find that all reviewed signals significantly link phages to their hosts, illustrating how current knowledge and insights about the interaction mechanisms and ecology of coevolving phages and bacteria can be exploited to predict phage–host relationships, with potential relevance for medical and industrial applications.
SimRNAweb: a web server for RNA 3D structure modeling with optional restraints

RNA function in many biological processes depends on the formation of three-dimensional (3D) structures. However, RNA structure is difficult to determine experimentally, which has prompted the development of predictive computational methods. Here, we introduce a user-friendly online interface for modeling RNA 3D structures using SimRNA, a method that uses a coarse-grained representation of RNA molecules, utilizes the Monte Carlo method to sample the conformational space, and relies on a statistical potential to describe the interactions in the folding process. SimRNAweb makes SimRNA accessible to users who do not normally use high performance computational facilities or are unfamiliar with using the command line tools. The simplest input consists of an RNA sequence to fold RNA de novo. Alternatively, a user can provide a 3D structure in the PDB format, for instance a preliminary model built with some other technique, to jump-start the modeling close to the expected final outcome. The user can optionally provide secondary structure and distance restraints, and can freeze a part of the starting 3D structure. SimRNAweb can be used to model single RNA sequences and RNA-RNA complexes (up to 52 chains). The webserver is available at http://genesilico.pl/SimRNAweb.
Chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia attenuates monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension via modulating inflammation and suppressing NF-κB/p38 pathway

Objective(s): Inflammation is involved in various forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Although the pathophysiology of PAH remains uncertain, NF-κB and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) has been reported to be associated with many inflammatory mediators of PAH. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) on pulmonary inflammation and remodeling in monocrotaline (MCT) induced PAH in rats. Materials and Methods: An in vivo model of PAH induced by MCT was employed. Statistical analyses were done using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Fisher’s LSD test for multiple comparisons. Results: Four weeks of CIHH exposure following MCT injection resulted in significant reduction of mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) level and improvement of right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH). Morphometric analyses showed decreased wall thickness of pulmonary arterioles in MCT+CIHH treated rats. These findings are consistent with the decrease in Ki-67 immunostaining. Following CIHH treatments, apoptotic analysis showed a consistent decrease in T lymphocytes together with lower levels of CD4+ T cell subset as measured in spleen and blood samples. Furthermore, CIHH treatment resulted in markedly reduced expression of TNF-α and IL-6 via the inhibition of NF-κB and p38 MAPK activity in rat lungs. Conclusion: Altogether, these results provide new evidence relating to the mode of action of CIHH in the prevention of PAH induced by MCT.
Historical Impacts on River Fauna, Shifting Baselines, and Challenges for Restoration

The decimation of aquatic wildlife through overexploitation is usually perceived as a marine phenomenon, yet it has also been common in freshwater ecosystems. Fish and other aquatic animals were superabundant when Europeans first arrived in North America and Australia, and were intensively exploited soon after. Contemporaneously, the construction of barriers in rivers increasingly prevented many species from migrating. Populations usually crashed as a result. Natural resource managers have not fully considered the ecological impacts of the devastation of these species to the environmental degradation that we see today, yet these impacts are likely to be pervasive. Nor have resource managers embedded the role of these species in river restoration. We argue that the functions of these depleted stocks need to be considered and perhaps reestablished if river restoration efforts are to be successful. The establishment of freshwater protected areas may be the most effective way to do this.
Highly efficient data migration and backup for big data applications in elastic optical inter-data-center networks

This article discusses the technologies for realizing highly efficient data migration and backup for big data applications in elastic optical inter-data-center (inter-DC) networks. We first describe the impacts of big data applications on underlying network infrastructure and introduce the concept of flexible-grid elastic optical inter-DC networks. Then we model the data migration in such networks as dynamic anycast and propose several efficient algorithms. Joint resource defragmentation is also discussed to further improve network performance. For efficient data backup, we leverage a mutual backup model and investigate how to avoid the prolonged negative impacts on DCs' normal operation by minimizing the DC backup window.
Molecular characterization of Cuban endemism Carica cubensis Solms using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.

The objective of this work is to present an appropriate set of RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers using single and multiplex PCR analysis suitable for the characterization of the endemic Cuban species Carica cubensis and the establishment of genetic relationships with the cultivated species Carica papaya. RAPD markers presented a high level of polymorphism. In addition, the incorporation of more than one RAPD primer in the PCR analysis increased the number of obtained bands and the polymorphism of these bands. A total of 73 RAPD bands were detected (45 of them polymorphic) with the nine RAPD markers assayed using single and multiplex PCR analysis. Results demonstrated a reduced genetic variability within the tested Carica cubensis accessions. The observed clustering in this species could be better explained according to geographic proximity and can indicate the similar precedence of the isolated studied populations. C. cubensis seem to be subspecies of C. papaya adapted to the environmental conditions of the mountains of Cuba or a endemic species close to C. papaya. The implications of these results in the creation of effective germplasm core collection in Carica species have been also discussed.
Enhance generalized learning vector quantization using unsupervised extreme learning machine and intelligent K-means clustering

In this paper we proposed an enhancement of GLVQ classifier using USELM and IK-Means clustering. USELM is used to transform feature data into more separable form. The clustering method used to initiate codebook during training process. The proposed method has been tested using synthetic dataset and benchmark dataset. The proposed method has been compared to previous method and commonly used method. Experiment result shows that in over all dataset, the proposed method still has highest accuracy compared to others. Compared to GLVQ based classifier, the proposed method has better accuracy with margin 7.42%, 10.29%, 11.80%, and 8.11% for GLVQ, FNGLVQ, IK-Means-GLVQ, and USELM-GLVQ respectively. Compared to commonly used classifiers the proposed method has better accuracy with margin 1.94%, 2.93%, 11.61%, 31.37%, and 2.91% for MLP, Tree (J48), Linear-SVM, Sigmoid-SVM, and RBF-SVM respectively.
Trends in self‐reported oral health of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999‐2014

OBJECTIVE Single-item self-reported oral health (SROH) is a convenient and reliable measure for the assessment of population-based oral health. However, little is known about trends and its associations among US adults. This study investigated trends in SROH (aged 20+ years) and the associated factors among adults living in the United States. METHODS Self-reported oral health data for 41 621 adults aged 20+ years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2014 were analysed. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics were computed to provide nationally representative estimates. Multivariable logistic regression was performed separately for each survey period with SROH as the primary outcome. Independent variables included were age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level and family poverty income ratio or PIR. Pooled survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression was also performed to consider possible time-changing effects. RESULTS The survey-weighted proportions of "excellent or very good" in SROH increased from 27% in 1999-2000 (n = 4873) to 38% in 2013-2014 (n = 5765). Separate multivariable logistic analyses for each survey period suggested that females, Whites (vs Mexican and Black Americans) as well as respondents from high family PIR had higher odds of reporting their oral health as "excellent or very good" (P < .05). The pooled multivariable logistic model confirmed results in the separate logistic regression, and respondents in the more recent survey periods had higher probabilities of reporting "excellent or very good" oral health. Respondents aged 50-59 years were found to have relatively lower probabilities of reporting "excellent or very good" oral health, while people aged 20-29 years had higher probabilities than those aged 30-39 years. Compared to respondents with lower education, those with higher education were more likely to report their oral health as excellent or very good. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported oral health improved from 1999 to 2014. In general, respondents who were young, female, White, had higher education or higher income or were surveyed in more recent years reported excellent or very good oral health.
Juvenile striatal white matter is resistant to ischemia‐induced damage

White matter injury following ischemic stroke is a major cause of functional disability. Injury to both myelinated axons and oligodendrocytes, the myelin producing cells in the central nervous system, occurs in experimental models of ischemic stroke. Age‐related changes in white matter vulnerability to ischemia have been extensively studied and suggest that both the perinatal and the aged periods are times of increased white matter vulnerability. However, sensitivity of white matter following stroke in the juvenile brain has not been evaluated. Interestingly, the late pediatric period is an important developmental stage, as it is the time of maximal myelination. The current study demonstrates that neurons in late pediatric/juvenile striatum are vulnerable to ischemic damage, with neuronal injury being comparable in juvenile and adult mice following ischemia. By contrast, actively myelinating striatal oligodendrocytes in the juvenile brain are resistant to ischemia, whereas adult oligodendrocytes are quite sensitive. As a result, myelin sheaths are remarkably intact and axons survive well in the injured striatum of juvenile mice. In addition to relative resistance of juvenile white matter, other glial responses were very different in juvenile and adult mice following cerebral ischemia, including differences in astrogliosis, fibrosis, NG2‐cell reactivity, and vascular integrity. Together, these responses lead to long‐term preservation of brain parenchyma in juvenile mice, compared to severe tissue loss and scarring in adult mice. Overall, the current study suggests that equivalent ischemic insults may result in less functional deficit in children compared to adults and an environment more conducive to long‐term recovery. GLIA 2016;64:1972–1986
A commensal streptococcus hijacks a Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolysaccharide to promote biofilm formation

Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes devastating chronic pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Although the CF airway is inhabited by diverse species of microorganisms interlaced within a biofilm, many studies focus on the sole contribution of P. aeruginosa pathogenesis in CF morbidity. More recently, oral commensal streptococci have been identified as cohabitants of the CF lung, but few studies have explored the role these bacteria play within the CF biofilm. We examined the interaction between P. aeruginosa and oral commensal streptococci within a dual species biofilm. Here we report that the CF P. aeruginosa isolate, FRD1, enhances biofilm formation and colonization of Drosophila melanogaster by the oral commensal Streptococcus parasanguinis. Moreover, production of the P. aeruginosa exopolysaccharide, alginate, is required for the promotion of S. parasanguinis biofilm formation and colonization. However, P. aeruginosa is not promoted in the dual species biofilm. Furthermore, we show that the streptococcal adhesin, BapA1, mediates alginate-dependent enhancement of the S. parasanguinis biofilm in vitro, and BapA1 along with another adhesin, Fap1, are required for the in vivo colonization of S. parasanguinis in the presence of FRD1. Taken together, our study highlights a new association between streptococcal adhesins and P. aeruginosa alginate, and reveals a mechanism by which S. parasanguinis potentially colonizes the CF lung and interferes with the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa.
Dynamic Compression Properties of Low-Cost Ti-6Al-4V Plates

Ti-6Al-4V ingot with rectangle cross-section was directly manufactured by a single electron beam cold hearth melting (EBCHM) process, in which 65 wt. % recycled titanium scraps was used. The dynamic stress-strain behavior of the low-cost Ti-6Al-4V plates after heat treatment was investigated by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar system at the strain rates of 2000 s-1~ 3000 s-1. The results showed that the plates with homogeneous microstructure could be obtained after two-heats hot rolled. The dynamic compression properties of low-cost Ti-6Al-4V plates in three different thicknesses were in the same level, which is comparable with that of commercial Ti-6Al-4V plates.
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women

Introduction: Scientific studies show that many factors related to lifestyles affect the reduction of bone mineral density and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Goal: The goal of this study was to determine whether smoking, drinking coffee and alcohol in menopausal women contribute to the reduction of bone mass and osteoporosis, as well as the impact of physical activity on bone mass. Material and methods: The study was carried out as case study and matched controls. The group of cases consisted of 100 females in postmenopausal age, in which by the DEXA method was newly diagnosed osteoporosis at the Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center of RS during 2015-2016, while the control group consisted of 100 females in a postmenopausal age without diagnosed osteoporosis. The groups were matched by age (±2 years). In order to collect demographic data and information on risk factors for osteoporosis and lifestyle of patients was used the questionnaire Bone Mineral Density Questionnaire- Female of the Irish Association for osteoporosis. Results: Testing the significance of differences in terms of smoking showed that the studied groups are statistically significantly different in terms of smoking (χ2=24.025, p=0.000). In terms of consumption of coffee, a statistically significant difference was found between the group of cases and control group (χ2=0.615, p=0.735). When observing the obtained information about the consumption of alcohol, we find that this preventable risk factor in the present study did not show as significant for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (χ2=4.35, p=0.114). Statistical analysis shows that there are significant differences between the group of cases and control group in terms of physical activity (χ2=7.30, p=0.026). Analysis of the data of our study by univariate logistic regressions showed that smoking (p=0.000) was statistically significantly associated with osteoporosis, while physical activity is a protective factor for bone mass (p=0.036). Results of multivariate logistic regression showed that the independent risk factors for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is smoking (OR=1.665; p=0.006). Conclusion: The results of our study show that smoking is an independent risk factor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and physical activity is a protective factor for bone mass retention. Through education and certain preventive measures should be stressed the importance of these factors on bone health from the earliest period.