Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stratified exact tests for the weak causal null hypothesis in randomized trials with a binary outcome

Fisher's exact test is commonly used to compare two groups when the outcome is binary in randomized trials. In the context of causal inference, this test explores the sharp causal null hypothesis (i.e. the causal effect of treatment is the same for all subjects), but not the weak causal null hypothesis (i.e. the causal risks are the same in the two groups). Therefore, in general, rejection of the null hypothesis by Fisher's exact test does not mean that the causal risk difference is not zero. Recently, Chiba (Journal of Biometrics and Biostatistics 2015; 6: 244) developed a new exact test for the weak causal null hypothesis when the outcome is binary in randomized trials; the new test is not based on any large sample theory and does not require any assumption. In this paper, we extend the new test; we create a version of the test applicable to a stratified analysis. The stratified exact test that we propose is general in nature and can be used in several approaches toward the estimation of treatment effects after adjusting for stratification factors. The stratified Fisher's exact test of Jung (Biometrical Journal 2014; 56: 129–140) tests the sharp causal null hypothesis. This test applies a crude estimator of the treatment effect and can be regarded as a special case of our proposed exact test. Our proposed stratified exact test can be straightforwardly extended to analysis of noninferiority trials and to construct the associated confidence interval.
A Decapeptide from Durum Wheat Prevents Celiac Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Activation by Gliadin Peptides

Identifying antagonist peptides able to inhibit the abnormal immune response triggered by gliadin peptides in celiac disease (CD) is an alternative therapeutic strategy for CD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antagonist effect of 10mer, a decapeptide (sequence QQPQDAVQPF) from alcohol-soluble protein fraction of durum wheat, assessing its ability to prevent celiac peripheral blood lymphocytes from activation by gliadin peptides. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from DQ2-positive untreated coeliac children and from healthy controls and incubated with the peptic-tryptic digest of bread wheat gliadin (GLP) and peptide 62–75 from α-gliadin both alone and with 10mer simultaneously. PBMC proliferation, release of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α, release of immunoregulatory cytokine IL-10, and analysis of CD25 expression as indexes of lymphocytes activation were carried out. Enhanced lymphocytes activation was seen after exposure to GLP and p62–75, whereas the simultaneous incubation with 10mer inhibits the lymphocytes response. These data indicate that a peptide naturally occurring in durum wheat exerts in vitro an antagonist effect against gliadin toxicity and could have a protective effect in CD disease.
Viral antibody activity of oligodonal and polyclonal immunoglobulins synthesized within the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis

Thin‐layer polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing (PAG IEF), a very high capacity method for separating immunoglobulins (Ig), was performed on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. It was followed by antigen immunofixation with measles, mumps, herpes simplex (HSV), and rubella virus antigens and anti‐human Ig autoradiography in order to demonstrate viral antibodies in separated Ig zones. Two of 11 control patients and 21 of 25 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) displayed one or more zones of viral antibodies in the CSF without any counterpart, or with distinctly fainter zones, in the serum. Such reaction patterns were taken to indicate the possibility of intrathecal antibody synthesis. Antibody synthesis to measles was found in one to five zones in 76% of the patients with MS; antibody zones were found to HSV in 36% of the patients, to mumps in 12%, and to rubella in 12%. In 36% of the patients, two or three different antibody specificities (of which one was always measles) were found simultaneously in individual autoradiogram zones. For all viral antibodies detected in the CSF autoradiograms, their counterparts in oligoclonal or polyclonal IgG zones (or both) were demonstrable by PAG IEF of the corresponding CSF. The majority of patients with MS also had one or more oligoclonal CSF IgG zones without known antibody specificity. Antigen immunofixation and autoradiography are mainly qualitative. It is not known whether the viral antibodies present in oligoclonal or polyclonal IgG zones in MS CSF reflect a polyclonal B cell activation, a disease‐specific immune reaction, or both.
A study of energy conserving adequate coverage protocol for maximizing the lifetime of wireless sensor network

The use of Wireless sensor network is to monitor an area for event detection. The sensor node have some limitation like the sensor node associated with battery power and generally it is not possible to recharge or replace battery of sensor due to large number of sensor node, node distribution in remote, desert or hostile areas etc. The energy consumption of sensor node appears a lot of challenges for the researchers. sensor node consume energy for doing its operation (sensing and transmitting). For saving energy and prolong the lifetime of sensor network we using some mechanism and energy efficient coverage and routing protocol. In this paper we discuss and analysis a robust energy saving protocol (PEAS) for improving the lifetime of network. We also review some preliminary of wireless sensor network.
Analyses of the temperature field in a bar-shaped piezoelectric transformer operating in longitudinal vibration mode

In this study, a theoretical model of the steady-state temperature field in a bar-shaped piezoelectric transformer operating in longitudinal vibration mode is developed, and the characteristics of the temperature field are analyzed numerically. Being different from previous work, the effects of the stress distribution and the relative positions of input and output parts on the internal loss distribution are taken into account in this model. Using this model, the temperature rise and its distribution are calculated, and the effects of ambient temperature, internal loss distribution, size, heat dissipation coefficient, and heat conductivity of the transformer on the temperature rise are estimated. The calculated temperature rise and its distribution agree quite well with the experimental data. It is found that the allowable output power of the transformer should be reduced markedly when the ambient temperature increases to maintain a reasonable working temperature for the piezoelectric material of the transformer. It also is found that decreasing wavelength, making internal loss distribution uniform, and increasing the ratio of perimeter to area of the cross section (for example, decreasing the cross-sectional area and using a thin plate structure), decrease the temperature rise for a given internal loss per unit volume. Furthermore, it is revealed that the heat dissipation coefficient has a remarkable effect on the temperature rise at a large internal loss, and the variation in the heat conductivity of the piezoelectric material has little effect on the temperature rise.
Sex differences in ethanol-induced hypnosis and hypothermia in young Long-Evans rats.

INTRODUCTION Females experience greater liver damage, have reduced brain size, and have greater memory deficits than do males with a similar history of alcoholism. Females have higher peak alcohol levels and faster elimination rates than males. Our goal was to study sex differences in the response of young ethanol-naïve outbred Long-Evans rats to acute ethanol exposure so that we may better understand why females are more sensitive to alcohol toxicity than males. METHODS Females aged 49 days and males aged 43 days, weighing 153.6 and 177.5 g, respectively, were tested for their initial response to ethanol. Fasted (12 hr) females (in diestrous) and males were given an intraperitoneal injection of 3.0 g/kg of ethanol (v/v in 0.9% sterile saline). Body temperature, loss of the righting reflex (LORR), return of the righting reflex, and tail blood alcohol concentration (BAC) were monitored. RESULTS LORR occurred at the same time in females and males. The return of the righting reflex occurred later in males than in females. BACs were the same in the males and females except at LORR, when BAC was lower in the males. Acute ethanol tolerance developed in more males than females. Females demonstrated a slower recovery from peak ethanol-induced hypothermia than males. The proportions of lean body mass, ethanol elimination, and ethanol metabolism were similar in the females and males. CONCLUSIONS Ethanol-naïve young male and female Long-Evans rats demonstrated sex differences in their initial responses to ethanol. Males were more sensitive than females to the hypnotic effect of ethanol, whereas females were more sensitive than males to ethanol-induced hypothermia. In addition, more males than females developed acute ethanol tolerance. Investigating the mechanisms underlying these differences may help us to understand why females experience more of the adverse effects of alcohol consumption than males.
Disruption of Potential α‐Helix in the G Loop of the Guinea: Pig 5‐Hydroxytryptamine2 Receptor Does Not Prevent Receptor Coupling to Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis

Abstract: Heterogeneity of the 5‐hydroxytryptamine2 (5‐HT2) receptor across species has been implicated in several pharmacological and physiological studies. Although 5‐HT2 receptors in the rat have been linked to increases in Phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis, little evidence exists to support the association of guinea pig 5‐HT2 receptors with Pl hydrolysis, the second messenger generally linked with 5‐HT2receptors. In the present study, we have taken a molecular and biochemical approach to determining whether species differences in brain 5‐HT2 receptors exist between rat and guinea pig. First, we isolated partial cortical 5‐HTa receptor cDNA clones that encompassed the third intracellular loop, a receptor area putatively important in receptor‐effector coupling. The amino acid sequences deduced from the cDNA clones for rat and guinea pig brain 5‐HT2 receptor were 97% homologous. However, the guinea pig 5‐HT2 receptor had two tandem substitutions that disrupted a potential alpha helix in the region of the third cytoplasmic loop, which theoretically could alter the intracellular coupling of the guinea pig cortical 5‐HT2 receptor. Because of these molecular differences, we examined further the pharmacological activation of the brain 5‐HT2 receptor from guinea pig. 5‐HT and the 5‐HT2 receptor agonist α‐methyl‐5‐HT increased PI hydrolysis in guinea pig cortical slices whereas the 5‐HT1c receptor agonist 5‐methyltryptamine was significantly less potent. In addition, the 5‐HT2 receptor antagonists LY53857, ketanserin, and spiperone blocked 5‐HT‐stimulated Pl hydrolysis. These pharmacological data suggested that activation of the 5‐HT2 receptor in guinea pig cortical slices was associated with PI hydrolysis. Thus, although areas of the guinea pig brain 5‐HT2 receptor that influence receptor‐effector coupling were different from the rat, such differences were not critical to receptor‐effector coupling because, as in the rat, guinea pig brain 5‐HT2 receptors were also coupled to PI hydrolysis.
Spread of colorectal cancer micrometastases in regional lymph nodes by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reactions for carcinoembryonic antigen and cytokeratin 20

Background and Objectives: Lymph node metastasis is known as a significant predictor of prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. Recently, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) has been applied to detecting micrometastasis. To assess the risk of recurrence and accurately determine the spread of tumor cells, we examined lymph node micrometastases in a series of colorectal cancer patients.
Effect of Low Intensity Helium–Neon (HeNe) Laser Irradiation on Experimental Paracoccidioidomycotic Wound Healing Dynamics

The effect of HeNe laser on the extracellular matrix deposition, chemokine expression and angiogenesis in experimental paracoccidioidomycotic lesions was investigated. At days 7, 8 and 9 postinfection the wound of each animal was treated with a 632.8 nm HeNe laser at a dose of 3 J cm−2. At day 10 postinfection, the wounds were examined by using histologic and immunohistochemical methods. Results revealed that laser‐treated lesions were lesser extensive than untreated ones, and composed mainly by macrophages and lymphocytes. High IL‐1β expression was shown in the untreated group whereas in laser‐treated animals the expression was scarce. On the other hand, the expression of CXCL‐10 was found to be reduced in untreated animals and quite intensive and well distributed in the laser‐treated ones. Also, untreated lesions presented vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a small area near the center of the lesion and high immunoreactivity for hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1), whereas laser‐treated lesions expressed VEGF surrounding blood vessels and little immunoreactivity for HIF‐1. Laser‐treated lesions presented much more reticular fibers and collagen deposition when compared with the untreated lesion. Our results show that laser was efficient in minimizing the local effects observed in paracoccidioidomycosis and can be an efficient tool in the treatment of this infection, accelerating the healing process.
Identification of a nuclear localization signal in suppressor of cytokine signaling 1

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are inducible feedback inhibitors of janus kinase and signal transducer and activators of transcription signaling pathways. In addition, SOCS1 has been identified to regulate stability of nuclear NF‐ΚB subunits. However, details about the regulation of the nuclear pool of SOCS1 are unknown. Using different experimental approaches, we observed that SOCS1 but no further SOCS family members localized to the nucleus when expressed in various cell lines. Nuclear transport was confirmed for endogenous SOCS1 in macrophages stimulated with IFN‐γ. Sequence analysis revealed a bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) located between the src‐homology 2 (SH2) domain and the SOCS box of SOCS1. Deletion of this region, introduction of a series of R/A point mutations, or substitution of this sequence with the respective region of SOCS3 resulted in loss of nuclear localization. Fusion of the SOCS1‐NLS to cytokine‐inducible SH2 region containing protein (CIS) resulted in nuclear localization of this otherwise cytoplasmic protein. SOCS1 mutants with loss of nuclear localization were still effective in suppressing IFN‐α‐mediated STAT1 tyrosine phosphorylation. However, they showed decreased inhibition of IFN‐γ‐mediated induction of CD54. The results identify a hitherto unknown transport of SOCS1 into the nucleus which extends the spectrum of SOCS1 inhibitory activity. — Baetz, A. , Koelsche, C. , Strebovsky, J., Heeg, K. , Dalpke, A. H. Identification of a nuclear localization signal in suppressor of cytokine signaling 1. FASEB J. 22, 4296–4305 (2008)
Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for low bone mass-related fractures

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is inconsistently associated with the risk of low bone mass-related fractures (LBMF). This study aimed to summarize available cohort studies regarding the strength of association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and LBMF. Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were performed to identify studies through April 2016. Cohort studies that reported effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of LBMF for T2DM and control comparison were included. Results: The summary relative risks (RRs) for T2DM versus non-T2DM were associated with a higher risk of LBMF (RR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.09–1.41; P = .001). Further, women with T2DM showed a harmful impact on the incidence of LBMF (RR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.04–1.36; P = .010). However, in men, T2DM showed no significant impact on the risk of LBMF (RR: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.93–1.39; P = .215). Furthermore, the summary results suggested an association between T2DM and LBMF in studies that reported hazard ratio (HR) as an effect estimate in total cohorts (HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.17–1.46; P < .001), men (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.11–1.43; P < .001), and women (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.16–1.50; P < .001). However, these significant associations were not observed in studies that reported RR/odds ratio as an effect estimate. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis confirmed that T2DM was associated with an increased prevalence of LBMF compared with non-T2DM.
Advanced Technology Testbeds for Distributed, Survivable Command, Control and Communications (C3)

Two testbeds have been established to transfer emerging technology from the research community to the military thereby providing a basis for developing new military concepts for force effectiveness and survivability. Although still emerging, these technologies are now being presented to the user to make it possible to investigate (today) command, control and communications (C3) concepts that might otherwise not be considered for another decade. The technologies being transferred include: automated tactical reporting systems, advanced packet-switched communication, automated man-machine interfaces, communication network and internetwork environments, automated display and analysis of data, and techniques for automatically disseminating information into redundant/distributed data bases. Expectations are that the testbeds will ultimately lead to the definition of military distributed C3 architectures that will permit a commander to execute his mission in the "battlefield of the future" more effectively.
PNKASR — A Positive Negative Keyword-Aware Service Recommendation methodology for big data applications

A recommendation system has been appearing as an important method for giving suitable suggestions to users. In the latest years, the most of clients, administrations and network connected resources had developed quickly, yielding the huge data research problem for the administration recommendation system. The Recommendation system applies learning, revelation systems to the issue of making customized suggestions for data, items or administrations amid the live communication. The colossal development in the measure of accessible data and the increase in guests to the sites in the late years represents some key difficulties for recommender system. Today there is a major assortment of various methodologies and calculations of information separating and suggestion. A recommendation process is applied on items, items can be books, trains, music, video, hotels and things on which persons have many numbers of choices are available. These available many numbers of choices are anticipated using two essential methodologies first content-based method which include attributes of an item and second collaborative filtering method which concentrate on past behavior of clients. Additionally, the greater part of present service recommender system show the equal rankings and ratings of services to various clients by not considering different clients requirements and therefore not able to fulfill clients actualize needs. For this method, we introduce a Positive Negative Keyword-Aware Service Recommendation strategy, abbreviated PNKASR, to minimize the raised difficulties and for accuracy point of view it also concentrate on negative review of the previous user. It aims to exhibit a customized service suggestion list and prescribing the most proper services to the clients adequately. To upgrade its efficiency and scalability in large size data environment, PNKASR is implemented on open-source framework Hadoop, a mostly used platform by taking MapReduce parallel processing tool.
Assessment of damage in vasculitis: expert ratings of damage.

OBJECTIVES Current measures of damage in vasculitis do not account for the possibility that some forms of damage may exert greater impact than others. As part of an international effort to revise how damage is quantified in vasculitis clinical research, an exercise was performed to measure expert ratings of damage items. METHODS Members of the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium and European Vasculitis Study Group were given a list of 129 items of damage related to WG and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Participants were asked to rate each item of damage on an integer scale from 0 to 10, where 10 represented the most severe form of damage and 0 indicated 'no impact'. RESULTS A multidisciplinary panel of 50 investigators from North America, Europe and Australia-New Zealand participated. The highest median ratings (8-10) were assigned to items of damage associated with malignancy, tissue ischaemia, the central nervous system and cardiopulmonary manifestations. The mean scores ranged from 1.3 to 9.5. The highest s.d. s (>or=2.5) were associated with forms of damage that may benefit from surgical intervention or may not be causally associated with WG or MPA. Lower scores were assigned by nephrologists in comparison with rheumatologists and by Americans in comparison to Europeans, although the difference in median ranks used by these groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05 for the comparisons). CONCLUSIONS This exercise represents an important step in the development of a weighting system that may increase the utility of damage index scores for the assessment of patients with vasculitis.
Experimental evaluation of SDN-controlled, joint consolidation of policies and virtual machines

Middleboxes (MBs) are ubiquitous in modern data centre (DC) due to their crucial role in implementing network security, management and optimisation. In order to meet network policy's requirement on correct traversal of an ordered sequence of MBs, network administrators rely on static policy based routing or VLAN stitching to steer traffic flows. However, dynamic virtual server migration in virtual environment has greatly challenged such static traffic steering. In this paper, we design and implement Sync, an efficient and synergistic scheme to jointly consolidate network policies and virtual machines (VMs), in a readily deployable Mininet environment. We present the architecture of Sync framework and open source its code. We also extensively evaluate Sync over diverse workload and policies. Our results show that in an emulated DC of 686 servers, 10k VMs, 8k policies, and 100k flows, Sync processes a group of 900 VMs and 10 VMs in 634 seconds and 4 seconds respectively.
Evolution of East Asian ninespine sticklebacks as shown by mitochondrial DNA control region sequences.

Evolutionary processes in East Asian ninespine sticklebacks (Pungitius spp.), including both extremes of armor morphology in the genus, were demonstrated with mitochondrial DNA control region (CR) phylogeny. Entire CR sequences (830-930 bp long) were determined for three species: the most heavily armored (P. sinensis), the most reduced (P. tymensis), and an intermediate (P. pungitius). The former two species are endemic to East Asia, the latter being circumpolar. Three major lineages (A, B, and C) were revealed, whereas both the phylogenetic trees and the insertion sequence dynamics supported the polyphyly of P. sinensis. Haplotypes of the mainland populations of P. sinensis possessed lineage B, being the sister group of P. tymensis lineage A. Island populations of P. sinensis, however, possessed lineage C, along with all P. pungitius haplotypes. A molecular clock hypothesis was clearly rejected for the CR sequences, significantly slower evolutionary rates being observed in the P. tymensis lineage. The split of mainland P. sinensis and P. tymensis was considered to have preceded that of the lineage C colonization in East Asia. The contrasting morphology is probably attributable to adaptation of P. tymensis to island freshwater environments and an ecological interaction between P. tymensis and lineage C emigrants.