Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leveraging Moderate User Data for News Recommendation

It is very crucial for news aggregator websites which are recent in the market to actively engage its existing users. A recommendation system would help to tackle such a problem. However, due to the lack of sufficient amount of data, most of the state-of-the-art methods perform poorly in terms of recommending relevant news items to the users. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for Item-based Collaborative filtering for recommending news items using Markov Decision Process (MDP). Due to the sequential nature of news reading, we choose MDP to model our recommendation system as it is based on a sequence optimization paradigm. Further, we also incorporate factors like article freshness and similarity into our system by extrinsically modelling it in terms of reward for the MDP. We compare it with various other state-of-the-art methods. On a moderately low amount of data we see that our MDP-based approach outperforms the other approaches. One of the reasons for this is that the baselines fail to identify the underlying patterns within the sequence in which the articles are read by the users. Hence, the baselines are not able to generalize well.
Spatial Distribution and Factors Shaping the Niche Segregation of Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms in the Qiantang River, China

ABSTRACT Ammonia oxidation is performed by both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, the current knowledge of the distribution, diversity, and relative abundance of these two microbial groups in freshwater sediments is insufficient. We examined the spatial distribution and analyzed the possible factors leading to the niche segregation of AOA and AOB in the sediments of the Qiantang River, using clone library construction and quantitative PCR for both archaeal and bacterial amoA genes. pH and NH4 +-N content had a significant effect on AOA abundance and AOA operational taxonomy unit (OTU) numbers. pH and organic carbon content influenced the ratio of AOA/AOB OTU numbers significantly. The influence of these factors showed an obvious spatial trend along the Qiantang River. This result suggested that AOA may contribute more than AOB to the upstream reaches of the Qiantang River, where the pH is lower and the organic carbon and NH4 +-N contents are higher, but AOB were the principal driver of nitrification downstream, where the opposite environmental conditions were present.
Indeterminacy with preferences featuring multiplicative habits in consumption: lessons from Bulgaria (1999-2016)

We introduce consumption habits into an exogenous growth model augmented with a detailed government sector, and calibrate the model to Bulgarian data for the period following the introduction of the currency board arrangement (1999-2016). We show that in contrast to the case without habits, e.g., Vasilev (2009), when the economy features saddle-path stability, the habit motive alone leads to equilibrium indeterminacy in the model. When habits enter multiplicatively in the representative agent's utility function, the setup exhibits "sink" dynamics, and equilibrium paths are determined by "animal spirits. " These results are in line with the findings in the literature, e.g., Benhabib and Farmer (1994, 1996) and Farmer (1999), and have major implications for policy-making and welfare.
A biochemical-based model for the dosimetry of dietary organically bound tritium--Part 1: Physiological criteria.

In this paper the physiological criteria for a novel form of model are described whose biokinetics are governed by the overall metabolic reactions of the principal nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The biokinetics of a particular element are based primarily on the oxidation of glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids and the formation of water, carbon dioxide, and urea. The compartmental models proposed follow the pathways of the major elements including hydrogen and, hence, tritium. The parameters for two models of differing complexity--called the HCNO-S and HCNO-C models--were evaluated here on the basis of biochemical reactions; the results of compartmental analysis are reported in an accompanying paper. The simpler form of the HCNO model has single compartments representing the principal nutrients. The more complex model includes compartments representing the longer-term retention of carbohydrates as glycogen, fats as adipose tissue, and proteins in bone and soft tissues. The pool sizes and hydrogen transfer rates are estimated. The incorporation of biochemical reactions and important metabolic parameters serve to give the models a greater semblance of physiological merit than those currently available. For example, ingestion of carbohydrates results in a respiratory quotient of 1.0 and 100% of the hydrogen content oxidized to water, which are the same as values published in the literature. This form of metabolic model enables development of models for other isotopes, besides 3H, of the major elements of the body, e.g., 14C, 15N, 18O.
LC/ESI-MS/MS detection of FAs by charge reversal derivatization with more than four orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity[S]

Quantitative analysis of fatty acids (FAs) is an important area of analytical biochemistry. Ultra high sensitivity FA analysis usually is done with gas chromatography of pentafluorobenzyl esters coupled to an electron-capture detector. With the popularity of electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometers coupled to liquid chromatography, it would be convenient to develop a method for ultra high sensitivity FA detection using this equipment. Although FAs can be analyzed by ESI in negative ion mode, this method is not very sensitive. In this study, we demonstrate a new method of FA analysis based on conversion of the carboxylic acid to an amide bearing a permanent positive charge, N-(4-aminomethylphenyl)pyridinium (AMPP) combined with analysis on a reverse-phase liquid chromatography column coupled to an ESI mass spectrometer operating in positive ion mode. This leads to an ∼60,000-fold increase in sensitivity compared with the same method carried out with underivatized FAs. The new method is about 10-fold more sensitive than the existing method of gas chromatography/electron-capture mass spectrometry of FA pentafluorobenzyl esters. Furthermore, significant fragmentation of the precursor ions in the nontag portion improves analytical specificity. We show that a large number of FA molecular species can be analyzed with this method in complex biological samples such as mouse serum.
Management of Performance Management Using Balanced Scorecard Method

The aims of this research is to describe and analyze the level of performance management of RSUD Dr. Soeselo Kabupaten Tegal using the Balanced Scorecard method. Sampling was carried out by incidental sampling the sample size was determined using the formula slovin and obtained 100 respondens. Data collection methods used are documentation and questionnaires. The analytical method used is descriptive quantitative analysis. The results obtained, in 2015-2017 performance of the financial perspective was considered good. Cutomer perspective performance is considered good. The performance of learning and growth is considered good. The conclusions of this study is the overall performance of RSUD Dr. Soeselo Kabupaten Tegal is categorized quite well. Suggestion in observational it is advisable RSUD Dr. Soeselo Kabupaten Tegal needs to increase motivation and training for employees, so that it can contribute to improving the performance of hospital services.
Induction of interferon regulatory factors, 2′‐5′ oligoadenylate synthetase, P68 kinase and RNase L in chronic myelogenous leukaemia cells and its relationship to clinical responsiveness

The genes crucially determining the therapeutic response of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) to interferon‐alpha (IFN‐alpha) are unknown. Recently, two independent IFN‐alpha signalling pathways were identified: the classic pathway mediates induction of 2′‐5′ oligoadenylate synthetase (2‐5 OAS), p68 kinase and IFN regulatory factor‐2 (IRF‐2), whereas the alternate pathway leads to activation of IFN regulatory factor‐1 (IRF‐1). We investigated whether deficient or imbalanced expression of components of these two pathways is associated with resistance of CML cells to antiproliferative action of IFN‐alpha/beta. Constitutive and IFN‐induced transcript levels of IFN‐dependent genes in mononuclear cells, granulocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes and CD34+ cells of chronic‐phase CML and blast crisis patients were assessed by Northern blot techniques and were correlated with subsequent clinical responses to IFN therapy. Our results demonstrated that IFN‐alpha or ‐beta treatment in vitro and in vivo leads to an enhanced expression of IRF‐1, IRF‐2, RNase L, p68 and 2‐5 OAS which was independent of the degree of cellular differentiation and clonal evolution of CML. Neither the magnitude of induction of these genes nor the IRF‐1/IRF‐2 mRNA balance differed between chronic‐phase CML patients responding or failing IFN‐alpha therapy. These results indicate that failure of IFN‐alpha treatment is not due to defects in mRNA induction of the above‐mentioned candidate genes for the direct antiproliferative response to IFN type I.
Brain mechanisms of abnormal temperature perception in cold allodynia induced by ciguatoxin

Cold allodynia occurs as a major symptom of neuropathic pain states. It remains poorly treated with current analgesics. Ciguatoxins (CTXs), ichthyosarcotoxins that cause ciguatera, produce a large peripheral sensitization to dynamic cold stimuli in Aδ‐fibers by activating sodium channels without producing heat or mechanical allodynia. We used CTXs as a surrogate model of cold allodynia to dissect the framework of cold allodynia–activated central pain pathways.
Characterizing spontaneous induction of Stx encoding phages using a selectable reporter system

Shiga toxin (Stx) genes in Stx producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are encoded in prophages of the λ family, such as H‐19B. The subpopulation of STEC lysogens with induced prophages has been postulated to contribute significantly to Stx production and release. To study induced STEC, we developed a selectable in vivo expression technology, SIVET, a reporter system adapted from the RIVET system. The SIVET lysogen has a defective H‐19B prophage encoding the TnpR resolvase gene downstream of the phage PR promoter and a cat gene with an inserted tet gene flanked by targets for the TnpR resolvase. Expression of resolvase results in excision of tet, restoring a functional cat gene; induced lysogens survive and are chloramphenicol resistant. Using SIVET we show that: (i) approximately 0.005% of the H‐19B lysogens are spontaneously induced per generation during growth in LB. (ii) Variations in cellular physiology (e.g. RecA protein) rather than in levels of expressed repressor explain why members of a lysogen population are spontaneously induced. (iii) A greater fraction of lysogens with stx encoding prophages are induced compared to lysogens with non‐Stx encoding prophages, suggesting increased sensitivity to inducing signal(s) has been selected in Stx encoding prophages. (iv) Only a small fraction of the lysogens in a culture spontaneously induce and when the lysogen carries two lambdoid prophages with different repressor/operators, 933W and H‐19B, usually both prophages in the same cell are induced.
Quantitative Proteomics Reveals β2 Integrin-mediated Cytoskeletal Rearrangement in Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-induced Retinal Vascular Hyperpermeability*

Retinal vascular hyperpermeability causes macular edema, leading to visual deterioration in retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular occlusion. Dysregulation of junction integrity between endothelial cells by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was shown to cause retinal vascular hyperpermeability. Accordingly, anti-VEGF agents have been used to treat retinal vascular hyperpermeability. However, they can confer potential toxicity through their deleterious effects on maintenance and survival of neuronal and endothelial cells in the retina. Thus, it is important to identify novel therapeutic targets for retinal vascular hyperpermeability other than VEGF. Here, we prepared murine retinas showing VEGF-induced vascular leakage from superficial retinal vascular plexus and prevention of VEGF-induced leakage by anti-VEGF antibody treatment. We then performed comprehensive proteome profiling of these samples and identified retinal proteins for which abundances were differentially expressed by VEGF, but such alterations were inhibited by anti-VEGF antibody. Functional enrichment and network analyses of these proteins revealed the β2 integrin pathway, which can prevent dysregulation of junction integrity between endothelial cells through cytoskeletal rearrangement, as a potential therapeutic target for retinal vascular hyperpermeability. Finally, we experimentally demonstrated that inhibition of the β2 integrin pathway salvaged VEGF-induced retinal vascular hyperpermeability, supporting its validity as an alternative therapeutic target to anti-VEGF agents.
Ganglioside Expression in Human Pancreatic Islets

Recent biochemical studies have shown that the cytoplasmic islet cell–antibody autoantigen has properties of a monosialoganglioside (GM). To characterize islet glycolipids and ascertain whether islets express unique gangliosides, we determined the pattern of ganglioside expression in whole human pancreas and isolated human islets using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). The major gangliosides detected in glycolipid extracts of whole human pancreas were GM3, GD3 (disialoganglioside), and in a lesser amount, a GD1a-comigrating ganglioside. In contrast to whole human pancreas, isolated human islets were found to predominantly express GM3, an acidic glycolipid comigrating with GM2, and a ganglioside with mobility between GM2 and GM1 by both HPLC and HPTLC. Quantitation of the major ganglioside UV peaks seen on HPLC gave the following results. In whole pancreas, GM3 represented 66.7% of total gangliosides detected; an asialoglycolipid comigrating with GM2, 2.0%; a ganglioside migrating between GM2 and GM1, 2.6%; GD3, 22.6%; and a GD1a-comigrating ganglioside, 6.1%. In isolated islets, these components were found at the following levels: GM3, 14.9%; GM2-comigrating glycolipid, 74.2%; a ganglioside migrating between GM2 and GM1, 9.8%; GD3, 1.1%; and the GD1a-comigrating ganglioside, not detectable.
Trends in 1-year survival of people admitted to hospital in Ontario, 1994–2009

Background: Changes in the long-term survival of people admitted to hospital is unknown. This study examined trends in 1-year survival of patients admitted to hospital adjusted for improved survival in the general population. Methods: One-year survival after admission to hospital was determined for all adults admitted to hospital in Ontario in 1994, 1999, 2004, or 2009 by linking to vital statistics datasets. Annual survival in the general population was determined from life tables for Ontario. Results: Between 1994 and 2009, hospital use decreased (from 8.8% to 6.3% of the general adult population per year), whereas crude 1-year mortality among people with hospital admissions increased (from 9.2% to 11.6%). During this time, patients in hospital became significantly older (median age increased from 51 to 58 yr) and sicker (the proportion with a Charlson comorbidity index score of 0 decreased from 68.2% to 60.0%), and were more acutely ill on admission (elective admissions decreased from 47.4% to 42.0%; proportion brought to hospital by ambulance increased from 16.1% to 24.8%). Compared with 1994, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for death at 1 year in 2009 was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77–0.79). However, 1-year risk of death in the general population decreased by 24% during the same time. After adjusting for improved survival in the general population, risk of death at 1 year for people admitted to hospital remained significantly lower in 2009 than in 1994 (adjusted relative excess risk 0.81, 95% CI 0.80–0.82). Interpretation: After accounting for both the increased burden of patient sickness and improved survival in the general population, 1-year survival for people admitted to hospital increased significantly from 1994 to 2009. The reasons for this improvement cannot be determined from these data.
Uptake of radiolabelled herceptin by experimental mammary adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine the biodistribution of (131)I-herceptin in C3H/Bi mice with transplantable mammary adenocarcinoma with a high frequency of C-erbB2 receptor expression. MATERIAL AND METHODS Mice C3H/Bi with subcutaneously transplanted mammary adenocarcinoma were used as animal model to study the interaction between C-erbB2 receptor and hercepin, a humanized anti-C-erbB2 monoclonal antibody. The expression of the gene encoding C-erbB2 receptor in the tumours was studied by the RT-PCR technique. RESULTS Expression of this gene was found in 66% of the studied cases. Similarly, the presence of the C-erbB2 receptor in 77% of the tumours was detected by a Western blot analysis with the use of herceptin. Biodistribution experiments of iodine-labelled herceptin in mice C3H/Bi with adenocarcinoma revealed its maximal accumulation in the tumours at 48 hours since the i.v. injection (7% ID/g). The tumour/muscle radioactivity ratio reached its highest value (above 20) also at 48 hours after the injection. CONCLUSIONS C3H/Bi mice with this adenocarcinoma may be a good experimental model to study herceptin, or its fragments, labelled with different radionuclids for preliminary evaluation of their usefulness in the therapeutic and diagnostic aspects of breast cancer.
Variable-Temperature Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Investigations of Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates) and Perturbation-Correlation Moving-Window Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis. Part II: Study of Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Homopolymer and a Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)—Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Blend

In the present study, variable-temperature Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) homopolymer and a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blend were analyzed by generalized two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) and perturbation-correlation moving-window two-dimensional (PCMW2D) correlation spectroscopy. The C=O stretching vibration bands of PCL and PHB were employed to explore the structural changes in the PCL homopolymer and the PHB–PCL blend during the heating process. For the melting of PCL homopolymer in the temperature range of 50 to 70 °C, we observed in the synchronous and asynchronous 2D correlation spectra one crystalline (1724 cm−1) and one amorphous (1737 cm−1) C=O stretching vibration band, which are also detectable in the one-dimensional FT-IR spectra. This result was also confirmed by PCMW2D correlation spectroscopy. During the heating process of the PHB–PCL blend in the temperature range 30–200 °C, the PCMW2D correlation analysis provided detailed information. Thus, in the synchronous PCMW2D correlation spectrum the melting of PCL was observed in the temperature region between 30 and 70 °C. The recrystallization of PHB in the blend in the temperature range 70–120 °C was accompanied by a shift of the C=O stretching band from higher wavenumber (1724 cm−1) corresponding to an imperfect crystalline state to the lower wavenumber (1721 cm−1) characteristic of a well-ordered crystalline state. In the temperature range 120–200 °C the melting process of PHB in the blend is captured by a sharp transition from the crystalline (1722 cm−1) to the amorphous (1747 cm−1) C=O stretching band.
High rate of infectivity and liver disease in blood donors with antibodies to hepatitis C virus.

OBJECTIVE To determine the epidemiologic, clinical, serologic, and histologic importance of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in blood donors. DESIGN Cross-sectional identification and prospective evaluation of seropositive donors; retrospective assessment of infectivity; and nested case-control study for risk factors. SETTING Liver unit of a referral-based university hospital. SUBJECTS Of 30,231 consecutive donors, 368 (1.2%) were found to be anti-HCV-reactive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Two hundred and fifty-four of these 368 donors were evaluated for risk factors by comparison with 284 age- and sex-matched controls. Eighty-six spouses of seropositive donors were also evaluated. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Twenty-four percent of the seropositive donors had a history of percutaneous exposure to blood. This rate increased to 45% when only those donors confirmed to be anti-HCV positive by a second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA-2) were considered. A family history of liver disease (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% Cl, 1.6 to 4.8), previous blood transfusion (odds ratio, 6.1; 95% Cl, 3 to 12.5), and a history of tattooing or intravenous drug abuse (odds ratio, 8.4; 95% Cl, 2.3 to 31) were associated with anti-HCV seropositivity. An elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was found in 58% of the seropositive donors. Of the 150 donors tested, 104 (69%; Cl, 62% to 77%) were confirmed by RIBA-2 to be anti-HCV positive. Of the 105 donors who had a biopsy, 16% had normal histologic findings, 11% had minimal changes, 21% had chronic persistent hepatitis, 45% had chronic active hepatitis, and 7% had active cirrhosis. All 77 donors with RIBA-2-confirmed seropositivity had histologic abnormalities. Of 43 donors evaluated in an infectivity study, 82% were implicated in previous HCV transmission. Only 2.3% of the spouses were anti-HCV positive. The ELISA, RIBA-2, and ALT results correlated with infectivity and abnormal histologic findings. CONCLUSIONS In our geographic area, almost 70% of donors who are anti-HCV positive by ELISA are confirmed to be positive by RIBA-2; most of these donors appear to be chronic carriers of HCV and have substantial liver disease.
Rewiring the Brain

The brain is a plastic organ with a capability to reorganize in response to behavior and/or injury. Following injury to the motor cortex or emergent corticospinal pathways, recovery of function depends on the capacity of surviving anatomical resources to recover and repair in response to task-specific training. One such area implicated in poststroke reorganization to promote recovery of upper extremity recovery is the premotor cortex (PMC). This study reviews the role of distinct subdivisions of PMC: dorsal (PMd) and ventral (PMv) premotor cortices as critical anatomical and physiological nodes within the neural networks for the control and learning of goal-oriented reach and grasp actions in healthy individuals and individuals with stroke. Based on evidence emerging from studies of intrinsic and extrinsic connectivity, transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional neuroimaging, and experimental studies in animals and humans, the authors propose 2 distinct patterns of reorganization that differentially engage ipsilesional and contralesional PMC. Research directions that may offer further insights into the role of PMC in motor control, learning, and poststroke recovery are also proposed. This research may facilitate neuroplasticity for maximal recovery of function following brain injury.