Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Whole-genome sequences of 89 Chinese sheep suggest role of RXFP2 in the development of unique horn phenotype as response to semi-feralization

Abstract Background Animal domestication has been extensively studied, but the process of feralization remains poorly understood. Results Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 99 sheep and identified a primary genetic divergence between 2 heterogeneous populations in the Tibetan Plateau, including 1 semi-feral lineage. Selective sweep and candidate gene analysis revealed local adaptations of these sheep associated with sensory perception, muscle strength, eating habit, mating process, and aggressive behavior. In particular, a horn-related gene, RXFP2, showed signs of rapid evolution specifically in the semi-feral breeds. A unique haplotype and repressed horn-related tissue expression of RXFP2 were correlated with higher horn length, as well as spiral and horizontally extended horn shape. Conclusions Semi-feralization has an extensive impact on diverse phenotypic traits of sheep. By acquiring features like those of their wild ancestors, semi-feral sheep were able to regain fitness while in frequent contact with wild surroundings and rare human interventions. This study provides a new insight into the evolution of domestic animals when human interventions are no longer dominant.
The (cost‐)effectiveness of preventive, integrated care for community‐dwelling frail older people: A systematic review

Abstract Integrated care is increasingly promoted as an effective and cost‐effective way to organise care for community‐dwelling frail older people with complex problems but the question remains whether high expectations are justified. Our study aims to systematically review the empirical evidence for the effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of preventive, integrated care for community‐dwelling frail older people and close attention is paid to the elements and levels of integration of the interventions. We searched nine databases for eligible studies until May 2016 with a comparison group and reporting at least one outcome regarding effectiveness or cost‐effectiveness. We identified 2,998 unique records and, after exclusions, selected 46 studies on 29 interventions. We assessed the quality of the included studies with the Effective Practice and Organization of Care risk‐of‐bias tool. The interventions were described following Rainbow Model of Integrated Care framework by Valentijn. Our systematic review reveals that the majority of the reported outcomes in the studies on preventive, integrated care show no effects. In terms of health outcomes, effectiveness is demonstrated most often for seldom‐reported outcomes such as well‐being. Outcomes regarding informal caregivers and professionals are rarely considered and negligible. Most promising are the care process outcomes that did improve for preventive, integrated care interventions as compared to usual care. Healthcare utilisation was the most reported outcome but we found mixed results. Evidence for cost‐effectiveness is limited. High expectations should be tempered given this limited and fragmented evidence for the effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of preventive, integrated care for frail older people. Future research should focus on unravelling the heterogeneity of frailty and on exploring what outcomes among frail older people may realistically be expected.
Unrepaired DNA damage in macrophages causes elevation of particulate matter- induced airway inflammatory response

The inflammatory cascade can be initiated with the recognition of damaged DNA. Macrophages play an essential role in particulate matter (PM)-induced airway inflammation. In this study, we aim to explore the PM induced DNA damage response of macrophages and its function in airway inflammation. The DNA damage response and inflammatory response were assessed using bone marrow–derived macrophages following PM treatment and mouse model instilled intratracheally with PM. We found that PM induced significant DNA damage both in vitro and in vivo and simultaneously triggered a rapid DNA damage response, represented by nuclear RPA, 53BP1 and γH2AX foci formation. Genetic ablation or chemical inhibition of the DNA damage response sensor amplified the production of cytokines including Cxcl1, Cxcl2 and Ifn-γ after PM stimulation in bone marrow–derived macrophages. Similar to that seen in vitro, mice with myeloid-specific deletion of RAD50 showed higher levels of airway inflammation in response to the PM challenge, suggesting a protective role of DNA damage sensor during inflammation. These data demonstrate that PM exposure induces DNA damage and activation of DNA damage response sensor MRN complex in macrophages. Disruption of MRN complex lead to persistent, unrepaired DNA damage that causes elevated inflammatory response.
Effects of ionizing radiation on telomere length and telomerase activity in cultured human lens epithelium cells

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the effects of ionizing radiation on telomere length and telomerase activity in human lens epithelial cells. There are studies suggesting evidence of telomere length in association with opacity of the lens; however, these studies have been conducted on Canine Lens cells. Our study was designed to understand further the effects of different doses of ionizing radiation on telomere length and telomerase activity in cultured human lens epithelium cells from three Donors. Materials and methods: For this study, embryonic human lens epithelial (HLE) cells from three donors, obtained commercially were cultured. Telomere length and telomerase activity were measured after each passage until cells stopped growing in culture. This was repeated on irradiated (0.001 Gy, 0.01 Gy, 0.02 Gy, 0.1 Gy, 1 Gy and 2 Gy) cells. DNA damage response using the H2AX and telomere dysfunction foci assays were also examined at 30 mins, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours postirradiation. Results and conclusion: We have demonstrated genetic changes in telomere length and oxidative stress, which may be relevant to cataractogenesis. Our study shows that in control cells telomere length increases as passage increases. We have also demonstrated that telomere length increases at higher doses of 1.0 Gy and 2.0 Gy. However, telomerase activity decreases dose dependently and as passages increase. These results are not conclusive and further studies ex vivo measuring lens opacity and telomere length in the model would be beneficial in a bigger cohort, hence confirming a link between telomere length, cataractogenesis and genetic factors.
Three-dimensional drugs: A new era in the pharmaceutical development

Since long, two dimensional printing technologies (flexographic printing and inkjet technology) are being applied in the pharmaceutical sector and inclusion of three dimensional (3D) printing technology in the same field is relatively new. [1] 3D printing technologies are already in use in many areas like fashion, construction, aerospace and many other industries. In the field of medicine, it is being used in dentistry and tissue engineering. However use of 3D printing technology in pharmaceutical field, is quite recent.
A gaze independent spelling based on rapid serial visual presentation

An event-related potential (ERP) speller is a brain computer interface (BCI) based on the detection on ERPs that can be used as spelling device for those people deprived of other means of communication. In the present online study we investigated in twelve participants the performance of an ERP speller based on the rapid serial visual presentation paradigm (RSVP). Three variants of the RSVP speller have been investigated regarding chromaticism and speed of stimulus presentation. All the subjects were able to successfully operate the RSVP speller and high mean symbol selection accuracies were reached in all conditions, (93.6% to 94.8%). Offline analysis revealed a possible mean spelling speed of about 2 symb/min for an optimized number of stimulus sequences. The RSVP speller is intuitive to use and it is gaze independent, which makes it suitable for patients with deterioration of oculomotor control.
Proactive Botnet Countermeasures An Offensive Approach

Botnets, consisting of thousands of interconnected, remote-controlled computers, pose a big threat against the Internet. We have witnessed the involvement of such malicious infrastructures in politically motivated attacks more than once in recent years. Classical countermeasures are mostly reactive and conducted as part of incident response actions. This is often not sufficient. We argue that proactive measures are necessary to mitigate the botnet threat and demonstrate techniques based on a formalized view of botnet infrastructures. However, while being technically feasible, such actions raise legal and ethical
How random is the random forest? Random forest algorithm on the service of structural imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: from Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI) database

Neuroinformatics is a fascinating research field that applies computational models and analytical tools to high dimensional experimental neuroscience data for a better understanding of how the brain functions or dysfunctions in brain diseases. Neuroinformaticians work in the intersection of neuroscience and informatics supporting the integration of various sub-disciplines (behavioural neuroscience, genetics, cognitive psychology, etc.) working on brain research. Neuroinformaticians are the pathway of information exchange between informaticians and clinicians for a better understanding of the outcome of computational models and the clinical interpretation of the analysis. Machine learning is one of the most significant computational developments in the last decade giving tools to neuroinformaticians and finally to radiologists and clinicians for an automatic and early diagnosis-prognosis of a brain disease. Random forest (RF) algorithm has been successfully applied to high-dimensional neuroimaging data for feature reduction and also has been applied to classify the clinical label of a subject using single or multi-modal neuroimaging datasets. Our aim was to review the studies where RF was applied to correctly predict the Alzheimer's disease (AD), the conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its robustness to overfitting, outliers and handling of non-linear data. Finally, we described our RF-based model that gave us the 1st position in an international challenge for automated prediction of MCI from MRI data.
Data-efficient learning for pulmonary nodule detection

Convolutional neural networks – the methodology of choice for automated image analysis – typically require a large amount of annotated data to learn from, which is difficult to obtain in the medical domain. This work shows that the sample complexity for automated medical image analysis tasks can be significantly improved by using 3D roto-translation group convolutions instead of more conventional translational convolutions. 3DG-CNNs were applied to the false positive reduction step of pulmonary nodule detection, and proved to be substantially more effective in terms of performance, sensitivity to malignant nodules, and speed of convergence compared to a baseline architecture with regular convolutions and a similar number of parameters. For every dataset size, the G-CNNs substantially outperformed the baseline CNN, achieving scores very close to or exceeding those of the CNN trained on ten times more data, with differences in performance being more pronounced in the small-data regime.
Finite Biased Teaching with Infinite Concept Classes

We investigate the teaching of infinite concept classes through the effect of the learning bias (which is used by the learner to prefer some concepts over others and by the teacher to devise the teaching examples) and the sampling bias (which determines how the concepts are sampled from the class). We analyse two important classes: Turing machines and finite-state machines. We derive bounds for the biased teaching dimension when the learning bias is derived from a complexity measure (Kolmogorov complexity and minimal number of states respectively) and analyse the sampling distributions that lead to finite expected biased teaching dimensions. We highlight the existing trade-off between the bound and the representativeness of the sample, and its implications for the understanding of what teaching rich concepts to machines entails.
Prestimulus Frontal Midline Theta Reflects Increased Cognitive Control During Spontaneous Lapses of Attention

Performance errors are well studied under conditions of increased demands for motor inhibition; within this framework, errors are considered to be manifestations of motor conflicts between mutually exclusive responses to stimuli presented. However, tasks that require prolonged exertion of sustained attention and complex stimulus-response mapping may involve somewhat different internal causes of performance errors related to fluctuation in cognitive control; this aspect has not been previously addressed in literature. Specifically, it has not been studied whether performance errors can result from conflicts with spontaneous internally generated task-unrelated processes. In the present study, modulation of prestimulus brain activity in relation to spontaneous performance errors was studied during the auditory condensation task. Frontal midline theta (FMT) power, which is an indicator of cognitive control system activation, was found to be significantly higher before incorrect responses than before correct ones. Relative increase in FMT power before incorrect responses was positively correlated with Strength of excitation (STI questionnaire) and negatively correlated with the percentage of errors and with correct-to-error response time ratio. These findings allow us to suggest that the increase in the prestimulus FMT power before incorrect responses under the condensation task was at least partly related to the adjustment of the cognitive control system and conflict regulation. We speculate that the conflict may arise from interference between task-related and task-unrelated processes such as mind wandering
Discovering Entailment Relations Using “Textual Entailment Patterns”

In this work we investigate methods to enable the detection of a specific type of textual entailment (strict entailment), starting from the preliminary assumption that these relations are often clearly expressed in texts. Our method is a statistical approach based on what we call textual entailment patterns, prototypical sentences hiding entailment relations among two activities. We experimented the proposed method using the entailment relations of WordNet as test case and the web as corpus where to estimate the probabilities; obtained results will be shown.
Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in a flexible office‐based workplace: Employee perceptions and priorities for change

ISSUE ADDRESSED Many Australian employees now regularly work from home in some capacity. This new way of working has not been widely studied in relation to the potential implications for employees' health-related behaviour or workplace health promotion. The aim of this study was to explore office-based employees' perceptions of the impact of flexible work on physical activity and sedentary behaviour; and preferences for associated interventions. METHODS Three focus groups were conducted with office-based employees (n = 28) 6 months after the introduction of a flexible work policy. A semi-structured interview format with open-ended questions was used with summary statements to check understanding. Sessions were audiotaped, and dominant themes were identified. Findings on intervention preferences were interpreted using a social cognitive framework. An overview of results was provided to a group of managers (n = 9) for comment. RESULTS Employees reported that physical activity was not impacted, but sedentary behaviour had increased, with flexible work. Intervention preferences focussed on occupational sedentary behaviour, self-regulation, prompts and social connections, and not the physical work environment. Managers agreed with employees' preferences and also wanted interventions to be sustainable. CONCLUSION Self-directed interventions with social components and targeting occupational sedentary behaviour were more acceptable than physical activity interventions in this flexible workplace. SO WHAT? : Health promotion for workplaces with flexible work practices may benefit from prioritising strategies that promote self-regulation and social connections rather than being linked to the physical worksite.
Switching of antihypertensive drugs at Tertiary Care Government Hospital, Hyderabad, India: A cross-sectional retrospective investigation

OBJECTIVE: Switching of antihypertensive drugs is attributed to uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) which imposes a great burden on health economics. But again, switching leads to accomplishment of the goal BP, thereby improving the health status. Such studies are well documented in developed nations but rarely reported in developing countries, especially in India. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate various factors associated with switching of antihypertensive drugs. METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective investigation was performed using a standardized schedule adapting the World Health Organization indicators for drug utilization in a tertiary care government hospital, Hyderabad, India. A total of 429 prescriptions were monitored for a switchover to a different antihypertensive drug in 180 days. RESULTS: The results revealed that the duration of hypertension (HTN) >5–10 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.73, P < 0.05), two or more symptoms of HTN (aOR = 3.42, P < 0.05), 2014 prescriptions (aOR = 4.54, P < 0.001), polytherapy (aOR = 2.85, P < 0.001), noncompliance to National List of Essential Medicine (NLEM) (aOR = 1.631, P < 0.05), and systolic BP (SBP) (aOR = 1.77, P < 0.05) were the predictors, which were highly likely to switch (38.5%) the antihypertensive drugs. Diuretics (0.7%) were poorly prescribed, the first line of therapy suggested by Seventh Joint National Committee (JNC VII). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed, the calendar year 2014 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.23, P < 0.001), polytherapy (OR = 2.5, P < 0.001), and the level of SBP ≥140 mmHg (OR = 1.82, P < 0.01) as the three major predictors which showed a likelihood of switching medication. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study reveals predictors of the switchover like uncontrolled SBP, duration of HTN, compliance with the list of NLEM drugs, polytherapy, enabling the clinicians to critically analyze the patients' profile, and hence, reach target BP soon, i.e., decreased cardiovascular risk.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Heralding the Onset of Semantic Frontotemporal Dementia

Background: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cognitive decline. The dementia type following PTSD is unclear. Objective: To assess whether PTSD is associated with a specific dementia. Methods: Prospective study: 46 PTSD patients (DSM-IV-TR) were followed for 6–10 years with clinical, neuropsychological, imaging evaluations for possible development of dementia. Retrospective study: 849 dementia patients followed during 1999–2014 (509 Alzheimer’s disease, AD; 207 dementia with Lewy bodies, DLB; 90 vascular dementia, VaD; 43 frontotemporal dementia, FTD) and 287 patients with any neurological condition (including patients with/without dementia) were evaluated for the presence of PTSD in their history. Results: Prospective study: 8 patients developed dementia; 1 AD, 1 DLB, 6 semantic FTD (13.0% of the PTSD population). Retrospective study: 38 patients (4.5%) had a history of PTSD; 3.5% of AD, 4.3% of DLB, 14.0% of FTD, 5.6% of VaD. The percentage was higher in FTD than in AD or DLB (χ2 = 10, p = 0.001, and χ2 = 6, p = 0.02). At difference with AD, DLB, or VaD, FTD incidence among dementia patients with PTSD history (38 patients) was higher than in the dementia population overall (16% versus 5%, χ2 = 8, p = 0.005). The impact of possible demographical/clinical confounders (age, gender, MMSE) was excluded by Poisson regression. PTSD prevalence in the comparative group without dementia matched the prevalence in the Italian general population (1.1%). PTSD prevalence in the demented comparative group matched the prevalence in our dementia retrospective cohort, 3.7%). Discussion: PTSD was associated with the development of semantic FTD.
Health Beliefs of People with Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Health Care in Muscat, Oman: A Qualitative Approach

Background: With recent affluence, Oman has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of Omani nationals with type 2 diabetes. Most national studies have focused on quantifying the magnitude of the problem, and issues related to co-morbidity. The purpose of this study was to explore the health beliefs associated with diabetes self-management among adult Omani patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study employed the Health Belief Model (HBM) as the theoretical framework. A structured open-ended interview question guide was developed based on the constructs of the HBM and based on literature regarding various factors associated with diabetes management. The study was conducted in seven conveniently selected Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in the Muscat Governorate. In total 29 patients with type 2 diabetes were invited at convenience, while visiting the centers for regular follow ups, to participate and were interviewed based on written consents. Results: Applying the HBM with this group of patients indicated to six factors as barriers to diabetes self-care: (1) cost of self-monitoring for blood glucose level, (2) social interactions, (3) negative feelings associated with living with the disease, (4) lack of accurate practical and culturally-sensitive health education about diet and exercise, (5) fatalism, and (6) low self-efficacy. Diabetes self-management education was not valued and a large number (19/29) did not actively seek information about diabetes. Conclusion: The findings here point to the urgent need for a culturally appropriate diabetes education program with respected to the health beliefs indicated here.
Metronome: Operating system level performance management via self-adaptive computing

In this paper, we present Metronome: a framework to enhance commodity operating systems with self-adaptive capabilities. The Metronome framework features two distinct components: Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) and Performance - Aware Fair Scheduler (PAFS). HRM is an active monitoring infrastructure implementing the observe phase of a self - adaptive computing system Observe - Decide - Act (ODA) control loop, while PAFS is an adaptation policy implementing the decide and act phases of the control loop. Metronome was designed and developed looking towards multi - core processors; therefore, its experimental evaluation has been carried on with the PARSEC 2.1 benchmark suite.
Quantitative J correlation: a new approach for measuring homonuclear three-bond J(HNH.alpha.) coupling constants in 15N-enriched proteins

A new approach is described for the measurement of homonuclear H N -H α J couplings in 15 N-enriched proteins. The method relies on measurement of the diagonal-peak to cross-peak intensity ratio in a 3D 15 N-separated quantitative J-correlation spectrum. The experiment is demonstrated for the protein staphylococcal nuclease, uniformly enriched with 15 N, ligated with thymidine 3'-5'-bisphosphate and Ca 2+ . Amide to C α H correlations are observed for all but three of the amide protons that have regular intensities in a 2D 1 H- 15 N correlation spectrum, and J couplings could be measured for 96 residues with sufficiently resolved 1 H- 15 N correlations, including 6 glycines