Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urinary metabolite profiling provides potential differentiation to explore the mechanisms of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

To explore the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the perspective of metabolomics, gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) technology was used to observe changes in the metabolic profiles of urine output from rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA). Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with eight in each. Rats in the experimental group were induced by intracutaneous innoculation of 0.1 mL Freund's complete adjuvant to right paws. On day 20 after immunization, the metabolic profiles between rat control and experimental groups were compared by combining GC-TOF/MS technology with multivariate statistical approaches, including principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis. Nine potential biomarkers were identified, including 2,2-dimethylsuccinic acid, tartronic acid, dehydroshikimic acid, hippuric acid, adenine, phenaceturic acid, l-dopa, 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid and melibiose. The findings indicate that the rats with AA are disturbed in metabolism of purine, amino acid, fat and energy. This study also demonstrates that the dysfunction in a range of biosynthetic and catabolic pathways, which leads to increased oxygen free radicals and inflammation, could cause underlying pathogenesis of RA. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Disparity of basal and therapeutically activated interferon signalling in constraining hepatitis E virus infection

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) represents one of the foremost causes of acute hepatitis globally. Although there is no proven medication for hepatitis E, pegylated interferon‐α (IFN‐α) has been used as off‐label drug for treating HEV. However, the efficacy and molecular mechanisms of how IFN signalling interacts with HEV remain undefined. As IFN‐α has been approved for treating chronic hepatitis C (HCV) for decades and the role of interferon signalling has been well studied in HCV infection, this study aimed to comprehensively investigate virus–host interactions in HEV infection with focusing on the IFN signalling, in comparison with HCV infection. A comprehensive screen of human cytokines and chemokines revealed that IFN‐α was the sole humoral factor inhibiting HEV replication. IFN‐α treatment exerted a rapid and potent antiviral activity against HCV, whereas it had moderate and delayed anti‐HEV effects in vitro and in patients. Surprisingly, blocking the basal IFN pathway by inhibiting JAK1 to phosphorylate STAT1 has resulted in drastic facilitation of HEV, but not HCV infection. Gene silencing of the key components of JAK‐STAT cascade of the IFN signalling, including JAK1, STAT1 and interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9), stimulated HEV infection. In conclusion, compared to HCV, HEV is less sensitive to IFN treatment. In contrast, the basal IFN cascade could effectively restrict HEV infection. This bears significant implications in management of HEV patients and future therapeutic development.
Prevalence of HLA antibodies in transfused patients with and without red cell antibodies

BACKGROUND: Multiply transfused patients are at increased risk of developing red cell (RBC) antibodies, as well as antibodies to HLA. Although pretransfusion testing screens for RBC antibodies, no such testing is routinely performed for HLA antibodies. Determining which patients are more likely to make HLA antibodies may be important for patients undergoing elective surgery where platelets (PLTs) may be required. It is hypothesized that patients with RBC alloantibodies may be more likely to have HLA antibodies than previously transfused patients without RBC antibodies.
Evolving aggregation behavior for robot swarms: A cost analysis for distinct fitness functions

Evolving behaviors for swarm robotic systems offers interesting emerged strategies which may be complex and unpredictable by an explicit behavioral controller design. However, even in the evolutionary case, there are critical choices regarding the design of the evolutionary algorithm that a roboticist should take into account to achieve desired goal with a reasonable efficiency. Among these design choices, adopting an appropriate fitness function is a crucial task, since it directly affects the resulting evolved strategy of a robot group. For the evolution of a single goal, different fitness functions can be used and their efficiencies can be compared. In this study, we chose complete aggregation as the desired goal for a robot swarm and compared the performances and costs of two distinct fitness functions in a simulated environment. Whilst the performance analysis consists of testing the average success rates, the cost analysis measures average time and distance taken by robots up to the successful formation. The results showed that for small communication ranges there is a trade-off between performance and cost in the fitness function selection; and hybrid control models can be utilized to overcome this issue to some extent.
A systematic approach to exploring embedded system architectures at multiple abstraction levels

The sheer complexity of today's embedded systems forces designers to start with modeling and simulating system components and their interactions in the very early design stages. It is therefore imperative to have good tools for exploring a wide range of design choices, especially during the early design stages, where the design space is at its largest. This paper presents an overview of the Sesame framework, which provides high-level modeling and simulation methods and tools for system-level performance evaluation and exploration of heterogeneous embedded systems. More specifically, we describe Sesame's modeling methodology and trajectory. It takes a designer systematically along the path from selecting candidate architectures, using analytical modeling and multiobjective optimization, to simulating these candidate architectures with our system-level simulation environment. This simulation environment subsequently allows for architectural exploration at different levels of abstraction while maintaining high-level and architecture-independent application specifications. We illustrate all these aspects using a case study in which we traverse Sesame's exploration trajectory for a motion-JPEG encoder application.
The Use of Spinning-Disk Confocal Microscopy for the Intravital Analysis of Platelet Dynamics in Response to Systemic and Local Inflammation

Platelets are central players in inflammation and are an important component of the innate immune response. The ability to visualize platelets within the live host is essential to understanding their role in these processes. Past approaches have involved adoptive transfer of labelled platelets, non-specific dyes, or the use of fluorescent antibodies to tag platelets in vivo. Often, these techniques result in either the activation of the platelet, or blockade of specific platelet receptors. In this report, we describe two new methods for intravital visualization of platelet biology, intravenous administration of labelled anti-CD49b, which labels all platelets, and CD41-YFP transgenic mice, in which a percentage of platelets express YFP. Both approaches label endogenous platelets and allow for their visualization using spinning-disk confocal fluorescent microscopy. Following LPS-induced inflammation, we were able to measure a significant increase in both the number and size of platelet aggregates observed within the vasculature of a number of different tissues. Real-time observation of these platelet aggregates reveals them to be large, dynamic structures that are continually expanding and sloughing-off into circulation. Using these techniques, we describe for the first time, platelet recruitment to, and behaviour within numerous tissues of the mouse, both under control conditions and following LPS induced inflammation.
Exploring the information space: a strategic perspective on information systems

El pensament relatiu als sistemes d'informacio ha barrejat tradicionalment dades, informacio i coneixement. Els agents intel·ligents converteixen les dades en informacio i, aquesta, en coneixement, i ho fan mitjancant un proces de filtratge que consta de dues fases i que esta determinat per la possessio d'un coneixement previ. Tanmateix, el cervell i la intel·ligencia dels agents tenen un caracter finit, i sovint es troben amb mes dades i informacio del que son capacos de processar o emmagatzemar. Per tal de fer front al problema de la sobrecarrega, els agents han recorregut a dispositius externs de processament i emmagatzematge –artefactes o "bastiments externs" de diversos tipus. De fet, aquests mateixos artefactes, disposats en xarxa, generen sistemes d'informacio en estat embrionari que confereixen a l'agent un paper central. D'altra banda, la transformacio tecnica creixent dona lloc a un canvi continu en la divisio del treball, per un costat entre el bastiment extern i l'agent que l'utilitza, i per un altre en l'agent mateix, entre formes de coneixement incorporades, narratives i abstractes. Que provoca aquest canvi?
The Impact of Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Bacillus pumilus As Antimicrobial and Nematicide

This study evaluates the potential application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as antimicrobial or nematicidal agents produced by the extremophile Bacillus pumilus, which was isolated from the alkaline Wadi El-Natrun Lake in Egypt. The AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The size of AgNPs formed ranged from 20.12 to 29.48 nm. Panagrellus redivivus was exposed to different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μg/mL) of AgNPs in a 5 mL nematode suspension (1 × 103 mL−1). The best result occurred at AgNP concentrations of 150 and 200 μg/mL, with death rates of 80 and 91%, respectively, following 48 h of exposure. AgNPs also exhibited potent antimicrobial properties when using Gram-negative and Gram-positive human pathogens, with MIC and MBC values of 5 and 10 μg/mL, respectively. These laboratory assays prove that biologically synthesized AgNPs are an ecofriendly material that can be used in lieu of solvents or toxic chemicals.
Evaluation of antivenom therapy for Vipera palaestinae bites in children: experience of two large, tertiary care pediatric hospitals

Abstract Background: Antivenom has been successfully used to treat systemic and progressive, local manifestations of envenomation inflicted by Vipera (V.) palaestinae, the most common venomous snake in Israel. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fixed dose V. palaestinae monovalent (equine) immunoglobulin G antivenom used in two pediatric emergency departments. In particular, we wanted to assess the need for repeated antivenom administration and the rate of adverse antivenom effects in children. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for all children admitted with definite or probable signs of V. palaestinae envenomation to Chaim Sheba Medical Center and Kaplan Medical Center between 1 March 2008 and 1 March 2014. Extracted data included: age, location of bite, time to hospital arrival, time to antivenom administration if indicated, outcomes, and complications of the envenomation and adverse effects to the antivenom. Results: 57 patients met inclusion criteria; they ranged from 1 to 17 years in age and median age was 9.5 years. Clinical manifestations were evident in 55 (96.4%) of victims: 18 presented with minimal local signs and 37 showed marked progressive, local features (rapidly progressing edema) and signs of systemic envenomation: tachycardia (20), vomiting (17), abdominal pain (11) and hypotension (6). Two patients developed compartment syndrome and underwent surgical decompression (both received only a loading dose of antivenom with no subsequent maintenance dose). One patient developed thrombocytopenia and three patients presented with mild coagulopathy. Antivenom was administered to 25 (42%) children. Indications for antivenom administration included moderate to severe local signs (19 patients) and systemic signs (6 patients). None of these patients developed adverse reactions, serum sickness, or other side effects to the antivenom. One patient received a single additional 30mL dose of antivenom, due to hypotension and syncope, with good response. Conclusions: In children, 50 ml dosing of V. palaestinae antivenom is efficacious and safe for the treatment of systemic and progressive local manifestations of envenomation by V. palaestinae.
Evaluating the safety and dosing of drugs in patients with liver cirrhosis by literature review and expert opinion

Introduction Liver cirrhosis can have a major impact on drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Patients with cirrhosis often suffer from potentially preventable adverse drug reactions. Guidelines on safe prescribing for these patients are lacking. The aim of this study is to develop a systematic method for evaluating the safety and optimal dosage of drugs in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods and analysis For each drug, a six-step evaluation process will be followed. (1) Available evidence on the pharmacokinetics and safety of a drug in patients with liver cirrhosis will be collected from the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and a systematic literature review will be performed. (2) Data regarding two outcomes, namely pharmacokinetics and safety, will be extracted and presented in a standardised assessment report. (3) A safety classification and dosage suggestion will be proposed for each drug. (4) An expert panel will discuss the validity and clinical relevance of this suggested advice. (5) Advices will be implemented in all relevant Clinical Decision Support Systems in the Netherlands and published on a website for patients and healthcare professionals. (6) The continuity of the advices will be guaranteed by a yearly check of new literature and comments on the advices. This protocol will be applied in the evaluation of a selection of drugs: (A) drugs used to treat (complications of) liver cirrhosis, and (B) drugs frequently prescribed to the general population. Ethics and dissemination Since this study does not directly involve human participants, it does not require ethical clearance. Besides implementation on a website and in clinical decision support systems, we aim to publish the generated advices of one or two drug classes in a peer-reviewed journal and at conference meetings.
A Novel architecture for improving performance under virtualized environments

Even though virtualization provides a lot of advantages in cloud computing, it does not provide effective performance isolation between the virtualization machines. In other words, the performance may get affected due the interferences caused by co-virtual machines. This can be achieved by the proper management of resource allocations between the Virtual Machines running simultaneously. This paper aims at providing a proposed novel architecture that is based on Fast Genetic K-means++ algorithm and test results show positive improvements in terms of performance improvements over a similar existing approach.
Progress for stroke prevention with atrial fibrillation: emergence of alternative oral anticoagulants.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is both a common cardiac arrhythmia and a frequent cause of cardioembolic strokes. The prevalence of AF markedly increases with age and with the current population trends, the number of patients with AF is expected to continue to grow and may reach 12 million in the United States by 2050.1 AF accounts for up to 20% of all ischemic strokes and independently increases the risk of these events by up to 5-fold.2,3 Various cardiovascular risk factors do increase the risk of AF and given the continuing rise of obesity and resultant hypertension and diabetes, the future healthcare burden of AF-related strokes is likely to greatly increase. AF is arguably 1 of the best-studied causes of stroke with dozens of randomized trials that have led to well-established evidence-based recommendations regarding effective treatment modalities. Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, is currently the most commonly used oral anticoagulant. It has been used for decades, is inexpensive, and has standardized laboratory monitoring and reversal protocols. Warfarin is also exceedingly effective; a recent meta-analysis has shown it to reduce stroke by almost two thirds compared with placebo and to provide an almost 40% relative risk reduction compared with antiplatelet therapy.4 Warfarin, however, has several limitations that have led to underuse in the community. It has a very narrow therapeutic window with potentially life-threatening consequences from both under- and overdosing the medication. Bleeding, either systemically or intracranially, is the most feared complication; it has hindered a more wide-scale acceptance of this therapy, particularly among elderly patients. Maintaining most patients within that therapeutic window is challenging due to numerous drug and diet interactions and requires frequent and inconvenient blood testing and monitoring. Due to these difficulties, a portion of patients and physicians has never adequately adopted this therapy, which …
EÆcient Progressive Skyline Computation

In this paper, we focus on the retrieval of a set of interesting answers called the skyline from a database. Given a set of points, the skyline comprises the points that are not dominated by other points. A point dominates another point if it is as good or better in all dimensions and better in at least one dimension. We present two novel algorithms, Bitmap and Index, to compute the skyline of a set of points. Unlike most existing algorithms that require at least one pass over the dataset to return the rst interesting point, our algorithms progressively return interesting points as they are identi ed. Our performance study further shows that the proposed algorithms provide quick initial response time with Index being superior in most cases.
Automatic Construction of Machine Translation Knowledge Using Translation Literalness

When machine translation (MT) knowledge is automatically constructed from bilingual corpora, redundant rules are acquired due to translation variety. These rules increase ambiguity or cause incorrect MT results. To overcome this problem, we constrain the sentences used for knowledge extraction to "the appropriate bilingual sentences for the MT." In this paper, we propose a method using translation literalness to select appropriate sentences or phrases. The translation correspondence rate (TCR) is defined as the literalness measure.Based on the TCR, two automatic construction methods are tested. One is to filter the corpus before rule acquisition. The other is to split the acquisition process into two phases, where a bilingual sentence is divided into literal parts and the other parts before different generalizations are applied. The effects are evaluated by the MT quality, and about 4.9% of MT results were improved by the latter method.
A role for DNA primase in coupling DNA replication to DNA damage response

The temperature‐sensitive yeast DNA primase mutant pri1‐M4 fails to execute an early step of DNA replication and exhibits a dominant, allele‐specific sensitivity to DNA‐damaging agents. pri1‐M4 is defective in slowing down the rate of S phase progression and partially delaying the G1–S transition in response to DNA damage. Conversely, the G2 DNA damage response and the S–M checkpoint coupling completion of DNA replication to mitosis are unaffected. The signal transduction pathway leading to Rad53p phosphorylation induced by DNA damage is proficient in pri1‐M4, and cell cycle delay caused by Rad53p overexpression is counteracted by the pri1‐M4 mutation. Altogether, our results suggest that DNA primase plays an essential role in a subset of the Rad53p‐dependent checkpoint pathways controlling cell cycle progression in response to DNA damage.
Joint Reconstruction of Absorbed Optical Energy Density and Sound Speed Distributions in Photoacoustic Computed Tomography: A Numerical Investigation

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is a rapidly emerging bioimaging modality that seeks to reconstruct an estimate of the absorbed optical energy density within an object. Conventional PACT image reconstruction methods assume a constant speed-of-sound (SOS), which can result in image artifacts when acoustic aberrations are significant. It has been demonstrated that incorporating knowledge of an object's SOS distribution into a PACT image reconstruction method can improve image quality. However, in many cases, the SOS distribution cannot be accurately and/or conveniently estimated prior to the PACT experiment. Because variations in the SOS distribution induce aberrations in the measured photoacoustic wavefields, certain information regarding an object's SOS distribution is encoded in the PACT measurement data. Based on this observation, a joint reconstruction (JR) problem has been proposed in which the SOS distribution is concurrently estimated along with the sought-after absorbed optical energy density from the photoacoustic measurement data. A broad understanding of the extent to which the JR problem can be accurately and reliably solved has not been reported. In this work, a series of numerical experiments is described that elucidate some important properties of the JR problem that pertain to its practical feasibility. To accomplish this, an optimization-based formulation of the JR problem is developed that yields a nonlinear iterative algorithm that alternatively updates the two image estimates. Heuristic analytic insights into the reconstruction problem are also provided. These results confirm the ill-conditioned nature of the joint reconstruction problem that will present significant challenges for practical applications.
Hexokinase Domain Containing 1 (HKDC1) Gene Variants and their Association with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a South Indian Population

Hexokinase domain containing 1 (HKDC1), a novel human hexokinase gene, is known to affect glucose metabolism and was shown to have a strong association with 2‐h plasma glucose in pregnant women in a recent genome wide association study. This study aimed to evaluate the association of these regulatory variants of HKDC1 (rs1076224, rs4746822, rs2394529 and rs9645501) with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a South Indian population. The regulatory variants of HKDC1 were genotyped in unrelated 500 women with GDM and 510 non‐GDM individuals by using the MassARRAY system and by direct DNA sequencing. The minor alleles of the HKDC1 gene regulatory variants, namely rs10762264 and rs4746822, showed a significant association with GDM and these alleles conferred as much as 1.24 and 1.34 times higher risk for GDM, respectively. This is the first study to demonstrate the association of HKDC1 genetic variants with susceptibility to GDM.