Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence and outcomes of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) and factors associated with severe EPS

Background Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but serious complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, previous studies reported large variations in its mortality rates that may associate with a different degree of EPS severity. This study reports the incidence and outcomes of EPS and identifies the risk factors associated with severe EPS. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of EPS patients from 3 medical centers in Taiwan from January 1982 to September 2015, and classified patients as having mild/moderate or severe EPS. Patients with intractable intestinal obstruction/gut-related sepsis that needed surgical intervention or resulted in mortality were in severe EPS group. Follow-up for outcome was through December 31, 2015. Clinical characteristics, peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related parameters, biochemical and imaging results were analyzed and compared between groups. Results Fifty-eight of 3202 patients undergoing PD during the study period had EPS (prevalence 1.8%). The incidence of EPS increased for patients on PD for >6–8 years (≤6 yrs. vs. >6–8 yrs., 0.0% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.001). Relative to those on PD for >6–8 years, the risk of EPS significantly increased with PD duration longer than 10 years (>10–12 years vs. >6–8 years: OR: 5.5, 95% CI: 1.7–17.1, p < 0.01). Twenty-three patients fulfilled the criteria for severe EPS. The overall mortality rate of EPS was 35% (20/58), and was 74% (17/23) in the severe EPS group. The average serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and intact-parathyroid hormone (i-PTH), which were checked every 3~6 months within one year before diagnosis of EPS, were higher in severe EPS group than in mild/moderate group (p = 0.02, p = 0.08, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed severe EPS was independently associated with bowel tethering (based on CT), presentation with bloody ascites, diagnosis of EPS after withdrawal from PD, and i-PTH ≥ 384 pg/mL. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that presentation with 2 or more of the 5 risk factors (EPS diagnosis after PD withdrawal, bloody ascites, bowel tethering, CRP ≥ 29 mg/L, and i-PTH ≥ 384 pg/mL) had a good accuracy (AUC = 0.80, p = 0.001) for prediction of severe EPS. Conclusions The incidence of EPS increases with PD duration. Severe EPS has high mortality rate and is associated with bowel tethering, presentation of bloody ascites, diagnosis after PD withdrawal, and higher serum levels of i-PTH before EPS diagnosis. Having 2 or more of the 5 risk factors can provide a good accuracy for prediction of severe EPS.
Concurrent tobacco and khat use is associated with blunted cardiovascular stress response and enhanced negative mood: a cross‐sectional investigation

Khat (Catha edulis), an amphetamine‐like plant, is widely used in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and is becoming a growing problem in other parts of the world. The concurrent use of tobacco and khat is highly prevalent and represents a public health challenge. We examined for the first time associations of the concurrent use of tobacco and khat with psychophysiological responses to acute stress in two sites in Yemen.
Myeloid conditional deletion and transgenic models reveal a threshold for the neutrophil survival factor Serpinb1

Abstract Serpinb1 is an inhibitor of neutrophil granule serine proteases cathepsin G, proteinase-3 and elastase. One of its core physiological functions is to protect neutrophils from granule protease-mediated cell death. Mice lacking Serpinb1a (Sb1a-/-), its mouse ortholog, have reduced bone marrow neutrophil numbers due to cell death mediated by cathepsin G and the mice show increased susceptibility to lung infections. Here, we show that conditional deletion of Serpinb1a using the Lyz2-cre and Cebpa-cre knock-in mice effectively leads to recombination-mediated deletion in neutrophils but protein-null neutrophils were only obtained using the latter recombinase-expressing strain. Absence of Serpinb1a protein in neutrophils caused neutropenia and increased granule permeabilization-induced cell death. We then generated transgenic mice expressing human Serpinb1 in neutrophils under the human MRP8 (S100A8) promoter. Serpinb1a expression levels in founder lines correlated positively with increased neutrophil survival when crossed with Sb1a-/- mice, which had their defective neutrophil phenotype rescued in the higher expressing transgenic line. Using new conditional and transgenic mouse models, our study demonstrates the presence of a relatively low Serpinb1a protein threshold in neutrophils that is required for sustained survival. These models will also be helpful in delineating recently described functions of Serpinb1 in metabolism and cancer.
Named entity classification using dependency grammar

Named Entity (NE) classification is a task to classify words or group of words in a sentence into some predefined classes like, Person, Organization, Location etc. It is used in different natural language processing (NLP) tasks like machine translation, information retrieval, text annotation, question answering, summarization etc. To classify the Named Entity, researchers use different techniques like rule based entity sorting, statistical class modeling, linear chaining etc. However, most of those techniques do not capture grammatical dependencies of words hidden in the sentence, which is very essential to classify a Named Entity. In our research, we consider grammatical dependencies of words hidden in the sentence and use them to learn a classification model which classifies the Named Entity. In a classification task among three different classes, average performance gain of the proposed system over the state of the art system exceeds more than 6% in F1 Score.
Antioxidant intake and pancreatic cancer risk

Oxidative stress causes damage to many components of human cells (ie, proteins, lipids, and DNA) and is involved in carcinogenesis. Nutrients with antioxidant properties may protect against oxidative stress. In this study, the authors examined the intake of antioxidants from diet and supplements in relation to pancreatic cancer risk among participants of the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Study.
CD69‐triggered ERK activation and functions are negatively regulated by CD94 / NKG2‐A inhibitory receptor

CD69 represents a functional triggering molecule on activated NK and T cells, capable of inducing cytotoxic activity and costimulating cytokine production. It belongs to the C‐lectin type superfamily, and its gene maps in the NK gene complex, close to other genes coding for NK receptors. CD94 / NKG2‐A complex is the inhibitory receptor for the non classical MHC class I molecule HLA‐E on human NK cells. To investigate CD69‐initiated signal transduction pathways, and to evaluate CD94 / NKG2‐A interference on CD69 triggering ability, we have generated transfectants expressing both receptors in the RBL cell line. Here we report that CD69 engagement leads to the activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) enzymes belonging to the MAPK family, and that this event is required for CD69‐mediated cell degranulation. Moreover, we show that the co‐engagement of CD94 / NKG2‐A inhibitory receptor effectively suppresses both CD69‐triggered cell degranulation in RBL transfectants, through the inhibition of ERK activation, and CD69‐induced cytotoxicity in human NK cells. Thus, here we provide new information on the molecular mechanisms initiated by CD69 activation receptor, and show that CD69‐initiated signaling pathways and functional activity are negatively regulated by CD94 / NKG2‐A inhibitory complex.
Noninvasive assessment of myocardial viability in a small animal model: Comparison of MRI, SPECT, and PET

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) research relies increasingly on small animal models and noninvasive imaging methods such as MRI, single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET). However, a direct comparison among these techniques for characterization of perfusion, viability, and infarct size is lacking. Rats were studied within 18–24 hr post AMI by MRI (4.7 T) and subsequently (40–48 hr post AMI) by SPECT (99Tc‐MIBI) and micro‐PET (18FDG). A necrosis‐specific MRI contrast agent was used to detect AMI, and a fast low angle shot (FLASH) sequence was used to acquire late enhancement and functional images contemporaneously. Infarcted regions showed late enhancement, whereas corresponding radionuclide images had reduced tracer uptake. MRI most accurately depicted AMI, showing the closest correlation and agreement with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC), followed by SPECT and PET. In some animals a mismatch of reduced uptake in normal myocardium and relatively increased 18FDG uptake in the infarct border zone precluded conventional quantitative analysis. We performed the first quantitative comparison of MRI, PET, and SPECT for reperfused AMI imaging in a small animal model. MRI was superior to the other modalities, due to its greater spatial resolution and ability to detect necrotic myocardium directly. The observed 18FDG mismatch likely represents variable metabolic conditions between stunned myocardium in the infarct border zone and normal myocardium and supports the use of a standardized glucose load or glucose clamp technique for PET imaging of reperfused AMI in small animals. Magn Reson Med 59:252–259, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relationship quality: effects on ambulatory blood pressure and negative affect in a biracial sample of men and women

BackgroundProspective studies link marriage to better cardiovascular health, but marital dissatisfaction and discord predict increased rates of hypertension, higher blood pressure (BP), greater reactivity to stress, and left ventricular mass. ObjectiveTo determine and compare effects of partner status and relationship quality on 24-h BP, urinary norepinephrine and cortisol, and self-reported stress and negative affect. MethodsAmbulatory BP (ABP) and 24-h urine collections were obtained during a typical work day in 325 adults, including 139 African Americans (AAs). Participants cohabiting with a spouse or partner were classified into high, intermediate and low relationship quality (RQ) groups and compared to those without partners (Alone). ResultsMean ABP was nearly identical in participants with versus without partners (125.7/76.9 versus 125.9/76.7 mmHg). High RQ subjects had lower mean waking ABP than intermediate/low RQ and Alone groups [systolic blood pressure (SBP), F=3.45; diastolic blood pressure (DBP), F=3.38, P-values <0.05]. High RQ was related to lower SBP and DBP in African Americans, and to lower SBP in Whites. High RQ was also linked to lower SBP and DBP in men, and to lower SBP in women. High RQ subjects reported less negative affect and stress than all other groups (P<0.05). Norepinephrine was lower in partnered versus Alone women regardless of RQ status. ConclusionsRelationship quality is a better predictor of daily BP, affect and stress than partner status. High RQ is linked to lower ABP across race and gender. This reduced ABP may be due, in part, to the stress buffering effects of better RQ and/or the stress enhancing effects of poor RQ.
Time trends in physical activity in leisure time in the Danish population from 1987 to 2005

Aims: To examine time trends in leisure-time physical activity in the Danish population from 1987 to 2005. Methods: Analyses were based on four national representative population surveys of 4752 respondents in 1987, 4667 in 1994, 16,688 in 2000, and 14,566 in 2005. Associations between leisure-time physical activity (dichotomised into high versus low) and temporal changes according to year of birth, age, and calendar-year were estimated in an age-period-cohort logistic regression model. Time trends in socioeconomic differences in physical activity were analysed by testing interaction terms. Results: The odds ratio (OR) of being highly physically active in leisure time in 2005 compared to 1987 was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.3—1.9) among men and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5—2.2) among women. The age- and calendar-year-adjusted probability of being highly physically active increased with year of birth. The OR of being highly physically active among men and women with 13 or more years of education were 2.1 (95% CI: 1.8—2.3) and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.7—2.2), respectively, compared to individuals with less than 10 years of education. There was no significant interaction between educational level and year of interview (p>0.05). Conclusions: During the past 20 years, physical activity in leisure time has increased. Younger generations seem to be more physically active in leisure time than older generations. Due to the stable socioeconomic inequality gap in physical activity, future intervention strategies should target these inequalities.
Instantaneous Current-Sharing Control Strategy for Parallel Operation of UPS Modules Using Virtual Impedance

By regulating the inverter output current every switching cycle, instantaneous current-sharing control strategies are usually employed in paralleled modular uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs). In this paper, virtual impedance, which is usually utilized in the droop method, is firstly introduced to the instantaneous current-sharing control strategy to achieve good load current-sharing performance. The instantaneous circulating current model of the paralleled system is developed and the circulating impedance is derived as well to clearly identify the intrinsic nature of unequal sharing of load current. By inserting the virtual impedance to the circulating impedance with the help of proper control strategy, good current-sharing capability can be obtained. The parallel inductor, e.g., coupled inductor, which is generally added at the output of each inverter to reduce the circulating current among modules, can be, therefore, eliminated, contributing to reduced weight, volume, and cost. In the meantime, the system output-voltage regulation performance, e.g., amplitude and waveform quality, is not affected by the introduction of the virtual impedance. The designation of the virtual impedance is provided and its implementation is simple but rather effective. Experimental results are also provided to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
EDUCATION FOR ALL: REFLECTING ON ADULT LITERACY LEARNING FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN UGANDA

When the 1990 World Conference in Education held in Jomtien (Thailand) revealed that illiteracy was on the increase especially in developing countries, UNESCO stepped up the campaign to reduce or end illiteracy. What followed was a series of interventions notable among which was the Education For All (EFA) campaign. The aim of this paper is to discuss Uganda’s efforts at fighting illiteracy especially adult illiteracy. The Government of Uganda in joint collaboration with civil society organizations, non-governmental, community based organizations as well as the international community underscored the need to promote adult literacy programmes in local communities as a way of knowledge sharing and imparting of skills intended for development. The objective of the paper is to ascertain the extent to which the adult literacy programmes are viewed as socio-economic tools for development in the country. Indeed, illiteracy poses a heavy challenge to development and hence the provision of literate skills to adults is vital to in order to contribute to communal and national development. Evidence suggests that even though adult literacy learning in Uganda is being promoted, there is little regard of this effort as an avenue for reducing illiteracy and promoting socio-economic development, which forms the research problem of this discussion. Qualitative research data from 2006 and 2011 on Uganda Government’s Functional adult literacy programme will inform the discussion. Furthermore, findings from the data indicate a gap between knowledge and skills offered and actual socioeconomic development in the rural communities where the literacy programmes are promoted. A number of factors are mentioned as hindering programme effectiveness hence suggesting a lot that needs to be done in order to make adult literacy learning a vital tool in achieving socio-economic development in Uganda.
Physical time series prediction using Recurrent Pi-Sigma Neural Networks

This paper presents a new type of recurrent neural network, called the Recurrent Pi-Sigma Neural Network (RPSN) and its application to physical time series prediction. The network is constructed of two layers, the sigma and the pi unit layers. The recurrent pi-sigma network calculates the product sum of the weighted inputs and passes the results to a non-linear transfer function. The output of the network is the feedback to its input. The performance of the network is tested in non-linear and non-stationary physical signal prediction. Two popular time series, the mean value of the AE index and the number of sunspots, are used in our studies. The simulation results showed an average improvement in the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of 1.85 dB over the feedforward pi-sigma neural networks.
A survey of analysis and classification of EEG signals for brain-computer interfaces

A Brain Computer-Interfaces (BCI) is a communication system that enables human brain to interact with machines or devices without involving physical contact by using EEG signals generated from brain activity. Selection of the processing technique of the EEG signals at each processing stage is very important to get the robust BCI system. The aim of this paper is to address the various techniques applied for BCI at each stage such as pre-processing, feature extraction and classification stage. This paper discussed the advantages, disadvantages and current trends of BCI at each stage. Finally, the initial experiment result at each BCI stage was discussed at the end of this paper which is different with previous survey paper.
Multi-agent Approach for Return Route Support System Simulation

We propose a system that supports stranded commuters caused by a large-scale disaster. When a large-scale disaster breaks out, buildings may collapse and roads may be damaged and the public transportation systems would be paralyzed. Thus, people working in the city center have to walk back home on foot. The problem is that when those people start walking, the situation along the routes for returning home may be different from that of the pre-disaster. Not only may it be the first time for most of them to walk home, but also the return route may be extremely complex due to many detours. They have to look for alternative routes whenever bridges collapse and fires break out. Making situation become worse, modern people intensively use navigation systems, those systems may be unavailable due to the paralyzed Internet. A large scale disaster may destroy base stations of wireless phones, and even if it does not completely destroy them, extreme congestion may paralyze the communication infrastructure so that not only net-surfing using smartphone, but also collecting information by e-mail may become impossible. To deal with such situations, we are designing a system that provides those unfortunate pedestrians appropriate return routes to their homes without depending on the communication infrastructures. Instead, our proposed system only depends on smartphones of those pedestrians and constructs mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) to collect and disperse useful information. We employ multiple mobile agents extensively for information collection and dispersion. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of our system, we have constructed a preliminary prototype of the simulation system and have conducted numerical experiments.
Time-domain modelling of turbo-coded underwater communication

A technique for prediction of the performance of underwater acoustic communication by simulations is presented1. The simulation technique, implemented in a software called COMLAB, is composed of three main modules for, respectively, describing the underwater environment, numerical modeling of the communication channel and the communication signal processing. The environment is modelled as a water layer above a fluid or solid seabed, admitting full 3D variations of the bathymetry and media parameters for realistic modelling of sites near a shoreline and inside harbour basins or archipelagos. The communication channel is represented by time-domain hybrid ray-trace/plane wave modelling of underwater sound propagation, accounting for effects with significant influence on communication performance, in particular transmission loss, bottom and surface interactions, ambient noise, reverberation, and ray path dependent doppler shifts caused by moving source, receivers or surface waves. The signal processing algrithms handle a SIMO (Single Input Multiple Output) communication channel, i.e. a single transmitter and a receiver array. The algorithms employ error-corrective encoding by adding redundancy into the message bitstream and iterative channel estimation, equalization and SISO (Soft Input Soft Output) decoding formulated in likelihood ratios for the bit values. For a given communiaction scenario the complete communication chain comprised of encoding - signal emission -sound propagation - signal reception - decoding is simulated and the incurred bit error rate (BER) is computed. The bit error rate, interpretable as the probability of communication error, then provides an estimate of the communication performance. Simulations of point-to-point communication scenarios from the UAN10 field trials at Pianosa in the Mediterranean in September 2010 are presented, and compared with experimental results.
Inhibition of bovine sperm–oocyte fusion by the p‐aminophenyl derivative of d‐mannose

Several steps in the process of mammalian fertilization are mediated by carbohydrates. This study investigated the role of the p‐aminophenyl derivative of d‐mannose (APMP) during bovine fertilization. Inseminating cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) in the presence of increasing APMP concentrations resulted in a significant dose‐dependent decrease of the fertilization rate (P < 0.05). No negative effect of 50 mM APMP on total sperm motility and progressive motility was found. Subsequently, the fertilization steps at which this blocking effect could be exerted were investigated, i.e., sperm penetration of the cumulus oophorus, sperm‐zona binding, acrosome reaction, sperm–oolemma binding, and/or sperm–oocyte fusion. Inseminating cumulus‐enclosed and cumulus‐denuded oocytes in the presence of 50 mM APMP significantly decreased the fertilization rate to a comparable minimum level (P < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between the number of spermatozoa bound to the zona pellucida and the APMP concentration, and APMP nor d‐mannosylated bovine serum albumin (BSA) suppressed or stimulated sperm acrosomal status. Inseminating zona‐free oocytes in the presence of 50 mM APMP did not influence sperm–oolemma binding, but significantly inhibited sperm–oocyte fusion (P < 0.05). Preincubating zona‐free oocytes with 200 μg/ml Con A but not with 50 mM APMP inhibited the sperm–oocyte fusion rate to the same extent as when the gametes were simultaneously exposed to 50 mM APMP. These data indicate that the blocking effect of APMP on bovine fertilization is mainly due to an inhibition of sperm–oocyte fusion, probably by specific obstruction of the sperm receptor sites that are responsible for the fusion process. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 67:224–232, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.