Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to childhood asthma: A meta‐analysis

As for the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to pediatric asthma, results of published studies yielded conflicts. A systematic review was conducted on the relationship between childhood asthma and VDR gene polymorphisms, including ApaI (rs7975232), BsmI (rs1544410), FokI (rs2228570), and TaqI (rs731236).
The simulation of the diurnal cycle of convective precipitation over land in a global model

In the context of the European Cloud Systems project, the problem of the simulation of the diurnal cycle of convective precipitation over land is addressed with the aid of cloud‐resolving (CRM) and single‐column (SCM) model simulations of an idealized midlatitude case for which observations of large‐scale and surface forcing are available. The CRM results are compared to different versions of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) convection schemes using different convective trigger procedures and convective closures. In the CRM, maximum rainfall intensity occurs at 15 h (local time). In this idealized midlatitude case, most schemes do not reproduce the afternoon precipitation peak, as (i) they cannot reproduce the gradual growth (typically over 3 hours) of the deep convective cloud layer and (ii) they produce a diurnal cycle of precipitation that is in phase with the diurnal cycle of the convective available potential energy (CAPE) and the convective inhibition (CIN), consistent with the parcel theory and CAPE closure used in the bulk mass‐flux scheme. The scheme that links the triggering to the large‐scale vertical velocity gets the maximum precipitation at the right time, but this may be artificial as the vertical velocity is enforced in the single‐column context.
Comparison of methods to measure low serum estradiol levels in postmenopausal women.

CONTEXT Accurate measurement of low serum estradiol (E(2) < 30 pg/ml or < 110 pmol/liter) is needed to study relationships between endogenous E(2) and risks of diseases in older women. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether an extraction-based (indirect) assay or a non-extraction-based (direct) assay correlates better with mass spectrometry and body mass index (BMI). DESIGN/SETTING In a pilot study of 40 postmenopausal women, endogenous E(2) measurements from three indirect and four direct assay methods and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) were compared. A confirmatory study compared an indirect and a direct assay, selected among those in the pilot study, to GC-MS/MS; this study was conducted in 374 postmenopausal women not taking hormone therapy from the Ultra Low-dose TRansdermal estrogen Assessment (ULTRA) trial. MAIN OUTCOMES Pearson correlation coefficients among E(2) measurements by assay methods and BMI, and their confidence intervals, by bias-corrected bootstrap method, were used. RESULTS In the pilot study, E(2) by three indirect assays correlated better (P < 0.03) with GC-MS/MS and with BMI than measurements by four direct assays. In the confirmatory study, the indirect assay correlated better (P < 0.01) with GC-MS/MS and BMI than the direct assay. Measurements by the indirect and direct assays were overestimated, but deviations in direct assay measurements were less precise. Mean E(2) by the indirect and direct assays were higher (by 14 and 68%, respectively) and less reproducible than by GC-MS/MS. CONCLUSION Until mass spectrometry is practical for wide use, extraction-based indirect assays may be preferable for measuring low postmenopausal serum E(2).
Childhood Attachments, Sexual Abuse, and Their Relationship to Adult Coping in Child Molesters

The present study examined the parent–child attachments, typical coping styles, and childhood sexual abuse among 30 child molesters, 24 nonsexual offenders, and 29 nonoffenders. The results indicated that all subjects reported greater security in their attachments to their mothers than to their fathers and the insecure patterns of childhood attachments were related to ineffective adult coping. The only difference observed in characteristic coping showed that child molesters were more likely to engage in emotion focused strategies. Child molesters reported having experienced high levels of childhood sexual abuse and these experiences appear to have been more distressing to them than to other subjects. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for theory and treatment.
The Hippocampus According to the Ouroboros Model , the " Expanding Memory Index Hypothesis " Knud Thomsen PSI

Understanding information processing in the brain demands more than one approach or method. Combining wellestablished and diverse novel experimental findings from neuroscience, connectionist approaches, and artificial intelligence, the perspective of the recently proposed cognitive architecture of the Ouroboros Model offers an integrative view on the functional role of the mammalian hippocampus: it is hypothesized to implement a rapidly laid down index, first establishing, contributing to binding, and then retrieving together memory entries, thus iteratively expanding the overall cognitive system in an autocatalytic process.
Thylakoid Membrane Maturation and PSII Activation Are Linked in Greening Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Cells1

Thylakoid membrane formation and photosynthetic electron transfer reactions are linked in greening cyanobacteria. Thylakoid membranes are typical and essential features of both chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. While they are crucial for phototrophic growth of cyanobacterial cells, biogenesis of thylakoid membranes is not well understood yet. Dark-grown Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells contain only rudimentary thylakoid membranes but still a relatively high amount of phycobilisomes, inactive photosystem II and active photosystem I centers. After shifting dark-grown Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells into the light, “greening” of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells, i.e. thylakoid membrane formation and recovery of photosynthetic electron transport reactions, was monitored. Complete restoration of a typical thylakoid membrane system was observed within 24 hours after an initial lag phase of 6 to 8 hours. Furthermore, activation of photosystem II complexes and restoration of a functional photosynthetic electron transport chain appears to be linked to the biogenesis of organized thylakoid membrane pairs.
Permeabilization in a cerebral endothelial barrier model by pertussis toxin involves the PKC effector pathway and is abolished by elevated levels of cAMP

Respiratory tract infections caused by Bordetella pertussis are occasionally accompanied by severe neurologic disorders and encephalopathies. For these sequelae to occur the integrity of cerebral barriers needs to be compromised. The influence of pertussis toxin, a decisive virulence factor in the pathogenesis of pertussis disease, on barrier integrity was investigated in model systems for blood-liquor (epithelial) and blood-brain (endothelial) barriers. While pertussis toxin did not influence the barrier function in Plexus chorioideus model systems, the integrity of cerebral endothelial monolayers was severely compromised. Cellular intoxication by pertussis toxin proceeds via ADP-ribosylation of α-Gi proteins, which not only interferes with the homeostatic inhibitory regulation of adenylate cyclase stimulation but also results in a modulation of the membrane receptor coupling. Increasing intra-endothelial cAMP levels by employing cholera toxin or forskolin even inhibited the pertussis toxin-induced permeabilization of endothelial barriers. Therefore, pertussis-toxin-induced permeabilization has to be mediated via a cAMP-independent pathway. To investigate potential signalling pathways we employed several well established cellular drugs activating or inhibiting central effectors of signal transduction pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, adenylate cyclase, phospholipase C, myosin light chain kinase and protein kinase C. Only inhibitors and activators of protein kinase C and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase affected the pertussis toxin-induced permeability. In summary, we conclude that permeabilization of cerebral endothelial monolayers by pertussis toxin does not depend on elevated cAMP levels and proceeds via the phosphokinase C pathway.
Estimating incidence rates using exact or interval‐censored data with an application to hospital‐acquired infections

Health‐care providers in the UK and elsewhere are required to maintain records of incidents relating to patient safety, including the date and time of each incident. However, for reporting and analysis, the resulting data are typically grouped into discrete time intervals, for example, weekly or monthly counts. The grouping represents a potential loss of information for estimating variations in incidence over time. We use a Poisson point process model to quantify this loss of information. We also suggest some diagnostic procedures for checking the goodness of fit of the Poisson model. Finally, we apply the model to the data on hospital‐acquired methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in two hospitals in the north of England. We find that, in one of the hospitals, the estimated incidence decreased by a factor of approximately 2.3 over a 7‐year period from 0.323 to 0.097 cases per day per 1000 beds, whereas in the other, the estimated incidence showed only a small and nonsignificant decrease over the same period from 0.137 to 0.131. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is obesity a risk factor for psychopathology among adolescents?

Abstract Background : Although several studies have documented the existence of psychopathology in obese adolescents, disagreement remains regarding the extent and nature of this psychopathology. The aim of the present study was to explore the type and frequency of psychopathology in a clinical as well as a non‐clinical sample of obese adolescents, and in a normal weight control group.
Millimeter-Wave High-Gain SIW End-Fire Bow-tie Antenna

This communication presents a high-gain bow-tie antenna that operates across 57-64 GHz for application in high data rate point-to-point communication systems. The proposed antenna consists of a pair of bow-tie radiators, where each radiator is etched on the opposite side of the common dielectric substrate and fed through substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) feed-line. The bow-tie radiators are arranged to cross each other symmetrically by tilting the feed-lines by 30° to enhance the antenna gain and to obtain the required radiation pattern. The antenna is loaded with a pair of double G-shaped resonators (DGRs) that are located in a region between the radiators and SIW to suppress the back-lobe level in the H-plane. Embedded in the E-plane of the antenna is an array of zero-index metamaterial (ZIM) unit-cells whose purpose is to effectively confine the electromagnetic waves in the end-fire direction to enhance its gain performance. A prototype antenna was fabricated and its performance was measured to validate the simulation results. The proposed structure exhibits a gain of 11.8-12.5 dBi over the frequency range of 57-64 GHz with reflection coefficient less than $- 11\;\hbox{dB}$. In addition, the proposed antenna exhibits good cross-polarization, which is less than $- 17\;\hbox{dB}$ in both E- and H-planes at 60 GHz.
Smad2 Positively Regulates the Generation of Th17 Cells*

Development of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and pro-inflammatory Th17 cells from naive CD4+ T cells requires transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. Although Smad4 and Smad3 have been previously shown to regulate Treg cell induction by TGF-β, they are not required in the development of Th17 cells. Thus, how TGF-β regulates Th17 cell differentiation remains unclear. In this study, we found that TGF-β-induced Foxp3 expression was significantly reduced in the absence of Smad2. More importantly, Smad2 deficiency led to reduced Th17 differentiation in vitro and in vivo. In the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model, Smad2 deficiency in T cells significantly ameliorated disease severity and reduced generation of Th17 cells. Furthermore, we found that Smad2 associated with retinoid acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and enhanced RORγt-induced Th17 cell generation. These results demonstrate that Smad2 positively regulates the generation of inflammatory Th17 cells.
Economic assessment of rheolytic thrombectomy versus intracoronary urokinase for treatment of extensive intracoronary thrombus: Results from a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Despite advances in mechanical and pharmacologic therapy, thrombus-containing lesions are at high risk for adverse events and remain a challenging subset for percutaneous coronary revascularization. Recently, rheolytic thrombectomy with the AngioJet device has been shown to safely remove intracoronary thrombus, but the overall cost-effectiveness of this technique is unknown. METHODS We determined in-hospital and 1-year follow-up costs for 349 patients with overt intracoronary thrombus who were randomly assigned to treatment with intracoronary urokinase (6- to 30-hour infusion followed by definitive revascularization; n = 169) or immediate thrombectomy with the AngioJet device (n = 180) as part of the Vein Graft AngioJet Study (VeGAS) 2 trial. Catheterization laboratory costs were based on measured resource utilization and 1998 unit costs, whereas all other costs were estimated from hospital charges and cost center-specific cost-to-charge ratios. RESULTS Compared with urokinase, rheolytic thrombectomy reduced the incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction (12.8% vs 30.3%, P <.001) and major hemorrhagic complications (2.8% vs 11.2%, P <.001) and shortened length of stay by nearly 1 day (4.2 vs 4.9 days; P =.02). As a result, AngioJet treatment reduced procedural costs, hospital room/nursing costs, and ancillary costs with resulting hospital cost savings of approximately $3500 per patient during the initial hospitalization ($15,311 vs $18,841, P <.001). These cost savings were maintained at 1 year of follow-up ($24,389 vs $29,109, P <.001). CONCLUSIONS Compared with standard treatment with intracoronary urokinase, rheolytic thrombectomy both improves clinical outcomes and reduces overall medical care costs for patients with extensive intracoronary thrombus.
Response of Phytoplankton Assemblages From Naturally Acidic Coastal Ecosystems to Elevated pCO2

The interplay of coastal oceanographic processes usually results in partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2) higher than expected from the equilibrium with the atmosphere and even higher than those expected by the end of the century. Although this is a well-known situation, the natural variability of seawater chemistry at the locations from which tested organisms or communities originate is seldom considered in ocean acidification experiments. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the role of the carbonate chemistry dynamics in shaping the response of coastal phytoplankton communities to increased pCO2 levels. The study was conducted at two coastal ecosystems off Chile, the Valdivia River estuary and the coastal upwelling ecosystem in the Arauco Gulf. We characterized the seasonal variability (winter/summer) of the hydrographic conditions, the carbonate system parameters, and the phytoplankton community structure at both sites. The results showed that carbonate chemistry dynamics in the estuary were mainly related to seasonal changes in freshwater discharges, with acidic and corrosive conditions dominating in winter. In the Arauco Gulf, these conditions were observed in summer, mainly associated with the upwelling of cold and high pCO2 (>1,000 μatm) waters. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton communities at both sites, yet the one in Valdivia was more diverse. Only certain phytoplankton groups in this latter ecosystem showed a significant correlations with the carbonate system parameters. When the impact of elevated pCO2 levels was investigated by pCO2 manipulation experiments, we did not observe any significant effect on the biomass of either of the two communities. Changes in the phytoplankton species composition and abundance during the incubations were related to other factors, such as competition and growth phases. Our findings highlight the importance of the natural variability of coastal ecosystems and the potential for local adaptation in determining responses of coastal phytoplankton communities to increased pCO2 levels.
Fossil Evidence for Evolution of the Shape and Color of Penguin Feathers

Feather of the Penguin Penguins are highly adapted for their cold, aquatic environment. Changes in their wings and feathers have allowed rapid swimming and protection from the near-freezing water. Clarke et al. (p. 954, published online 30 September; see the cover) describe an early penguin, dating to about 35 million years ago, that includes well-preserved feathers. The melanosomes in the feathers, which influence their strength, as well as their color, are like those of many other aquatic birds and unlike those of present-day penguins, even though the morphology of the wings and feathers had already been modified. Thus, in penguins, the shape and form of the feather evolved before microstructural changes occurred. The melanosome arrangement also suggests that the penguin was mostly gray-brown. A fossil penguin shows that the wing and feather form evolved before distinctive microstructural changes in the feathers. Penguin feathers are highly modified in form and function, but there have been no fossils to inform their evolution. A giant penguin with feathers was recovered from the late Eocene (~36 million years ago) of Peru. The fossil reveals that key feathering features, including undifferentiated primary wing feathers and broad body contour feather shafts, evolved early in the penguin lineage. Analyses of fossilized color-imparting melanosomes reveal that their dimensions were similar to those of non-penguin avian taxa and that the feathering may have been predominantly gray and reddish-brown. In contrast, the dark black-brown color of extant penguin feathers is generated by large, ellipsoidal melanosomes previously unknown for birds. The nanostructure of penguin feathers was thus modified after earlier macrostructural modifications of feather shape linked to aquatic flight.
Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction of the Knee

Background: Injuries to the posterolateral corner of the knee remain a challenging problem and have been cited frequently as a reason for failure of anterior and posterior cruciate ligament reconstructions. Although several reconstructive techniques currently exist, there are relatively few clinical outcomes data after reconstruction of the posterolateral corner. Purpose: The study was undertaken to examine the clinical outcomes and provide objective data using arthrometry and stress radiography of a posterolateral corner reconstruction technique. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of a consecutive series of patients who underwent posterolateral corner reconstruction of the knee was evaluated. The surgery featured dual femoral tunnels, a transfibular tunnel, and a free graft to reconstruct the posterolateral corner of the knee. All patients had concomitant reconstruction of one or both cruciate ligaments. Outcomes were assessed using the Short Form–12, Lysholm, and Tegner knee scores. A clinical examination, KT-2000 arthrometry measurements, single-legged hop quotient, and varus and posterior Telos stress radiographs were obtained and compared with results for the contralateral, uninjured knees. Results: Twenty-four (83%) of 29 consecutive patients were evaluated at a mean 39 months postoperatively (range, 24-81 months). The mean Lysholm and Tegner knee scores were 83 and 6, respectively. The mean difference (± standard deviation) in total anterior-posterior side-to-side KT arthrometry measurements was 1.4 ± 1.3 mm. The varus stress radiographic mean side-to-side difference measured at 20° of flexion was 0.2 ± 1.9 mm. The mean radiographic posterior tibial displacement with a 15-kg stress at 90° of flexion was 3.2 ± 4.5 mm in patients undergoing posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Conclusion: This reconstruction of the posterolateral corner of the knee with concomitant cruciate ligament reconstruction restores varus and rotational stability at a minimum of 2 years postoperatively.
On scheduling 3D model transmission in network virtual environments

View dependent 3D-geometry streaming allows navigation of large virtual environments without requiring replication of the entire database at the client. We present scheduling policies for optimal transmission of multiple multiresolution 3D-geometry objects over congested network links. Using multiresolution objects allows smooth adaptation of the visual quality of the graphics environment with network bandwidth fluctuations. A greedy scheduling policy is used for minimizing the visual error received at the client. The performance is further increased using a look-ahead scheduling policy. Finally a scheduling policy using multicast transmission of 3D models is presented. The scheduling policy combines unicast and multicast transmissions in order to provide optimal visual quality of the virtual environment rendered at the client.
Gene Regulatory Network Inference: Connecting Plant Biology and Mathematical Modeling

Plant responses to environmental and intrinsic signals are tightly controlled by multiple transcription factors (TFs). These TFs and their regulatory connections form gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which provide a blueprint of the transcriptional regulations underlying plant development and environmental responses. This review provides examples of experimental methodologies commonly used to identify regulatory interactions and generate GRNs. Additionally, this review describes network inference techniques that leverage gene expression data to predict regulatory interactions. These computational and experimental methodologies yield complex networks that can identify new regulatory interactions, driving novel hypotheses. Biological properties that contribute to the complexity of GRNs are also described in this review. These include network topology, network size, transient binding of TFs to DNA, and competition between multiple upstream regulators. Finally, this review highlights the potential of machine learning approaches to leverage gene expression data to predict phenotypic outputs.
Efficient computation of the impedance of a single vertical current in a periodic line

A rigorous and efficient numerical analysis of the excitation of ID-periodic lines through finite practical sources requires the use of methods such as the Array Scanning (ASM) [1], in which the nonperiodic problem is regarded as a superposition of auxiliary periodic problems, each solved by means of the well-known Bloch-Floquet theory.
Comparison of Efficiency of Stratified and Unequal Probability Sampling

In this article, a choice of the optimum sampling design to study a finite population is studied. Three sampling schemes are compared, viz., Sunter's procedure of unequal probability sampling, stratified sampling under optimum stratification, and simple random sampling without replacement. The comparison is made against a background of various correlation between stratification and survey variables and various variability in the variables. Under weak correlation and large variability, stratification appeared to be more efficient than Sunter's procedure. Under strong correlation and/or low variability in the variables, the latter procedure was the most efficient. Simple random sampling was usually the least efficient.