Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Likely Impact of a Rotavirus Vaccination Program in England: The Contribution of Syndromic Surveillance.

BACKGROUND In July 2013, a rotavirus vaccination program for 2- to 3-month-olds was introduced in the United Kingdom. We present an initial impact analysis of this new vaccine program using national syndromic surveillance systems. METHODS General practitioner (GP) in-hours, GP out-of-hours, and emergency department (ED) syndromic surveillance systems were used to monitor GP consultations and ED visits for gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and vomiting. Data were stratified by age group and compared between pre- and postvaccine-year rotavirus seasons. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and percentage ratios were calculated for GP in-hours consultations and GP out-of-hours and ED data, respectively. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and vomiting GP in-hours consultations in children aged 0-4 years when comparing the rotavirus season in the pre- and postvaccine years (P < .001 for all indicators). IRRs illustrated a 26%-33% and 23%-31% decrease in gastroenteritis incidence in the <1 and 1-4 years age groups, respectively, across the syndromic surveillance systems. There was also an 8% decrease recorded in the 5-14 years age group in the GP in-hours and ED systems. CONCLUSIONS Syndromic surveillance revealed a marked decline in gastroenteritis, coinciding with the introduction of the new rotavirus vaccine program in England. The largest reduction in disease was observed in infants, although some impact was also demonstrated in children aged 1-4 and 5-14 years, suggesting possible herd protection in older age groups. This study was limited to the first postvaccine year, and further analysis is required to assess the longer-term impact of the vaccine.
Hepatocellular carcinoma in a mouse model fed a choline‐deficient, L‐amino acid‐defined, high‐fat diet

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer worldwide and represents the outcome of the natural history of chronic liver disease. The growing rates of HCC may be partially attributable to increased numbers of people with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, details of the liver‐specific molecular mechanisms responsible for the NAFLD–NASH–HCC progression remain unclear, and mouse models that can be used to explore the exact factors that influence the progression of NAFLD/NASH to the more chronic stages of liver disease and subsequent HCC are not yet fully established. We have previously reported a choline‐deficient, L‐amino acid‐defined, high‐fat diet (CDAHFD) as a dietary NASH model with rapidly progressive liver fibrosis in mice. The current study in C57BL/6J mice fed CDAHFD provided evidence for the chronic persistence of advanced hepatic fibrosis in NASH and disease progression towards HCC in a period of 36 weeks. When mice fed CDAHFD were switched back to a standard diet, hepatic steatosis was normalized and NAFLD activity score improved, but HCC incidence increased and the phenotype of fibrosis‐associated HCC development was observed. Moreover, when mice continued to be fed CDAHFD for 60 weeks, HCC further developed without severe body weight loss or carcinogenesis in other organs. The autochthonous tumours showed a variety of histological features and architectural patterns including trabecular, pseudoglandular and solid growth. The CDAHFD mouse model might be a useful tool for studying the development of HCC from NAFLD/NASH, and potentially useful for better understanding pathological changes during hepatocarcinogenesis.
Role of CXC chemokine ligand 13 in oral squamous cell carcinoma associated osteolysis in athymic mice

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) are malignant tumors with a potent activity of local bone invasion; however, the molecular mechanisms of tumor osteolysis are unclear. In this study, we identified high level expression of chemokine ligand, CXCL13 and RANK ligand (RANKL) in OSCC cells (SCC1, SCC12 and SCC14a). OSCC cell‐conditioned media (20%) induced osteoclast differentiation which was inhibited by OPG in peripheral blood monocyte cultures indicating that OSCC cells produce soluble RANKL. Recombinant hCXCL13 (10 ng/ml) significantly enhanced RANKL‐stimulated osteoclast differentiation in these cultures. Trans‐well migration assay identified that CXCL13 induces chemotaxis of peripheral blood monocytes in vitro which was inhibited by addition of anti‐CXCR5 receptor antibody. Zymogram analysis of conditioned media from OSCC cells revealed matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) activity. Interestingly, CXCL13 treatment to OSCC cells induced CXCR5 and MMP‐9 expression suggesting an autocrine regulatory function in OSCC cells. To examine the OSCC tumor cell bone invasion/osteolysis, we established an in vivo model for OSCC by subcutaneous injection of OSCC cells onto the surface of calvaria in NCr‐nu/nu athymic mice, which developed tumors in 4–5 weeks. μCT analysis revealed numerous osteolytic lesions in calvaria from OSCC tumor‐bearing mice. Histochemical staining of calvarial sections from these mice revealed a significant increase in the numbers of TRAP‐positive osteoclasts at the tumor‐bone interface. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed CXCL13 and MMP‐9 expression in tumor cells. Thus, our data implicate a functional role for CXCL13 in bone invasion and may be a potential therapeutic target to prevent osteolysis associated with OSCC tumors in vivo.
The inv(16) Fusion Protein Associates with Corepressors via a Smooth Muscle Myosin Heavy-Chain Domain

ABSTRACT Inversion(16) is one of the most frequent chromosomal translocations found in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), occurring in over 8% of AML cases. This translocation results in a protein product that fuses the first 165 amino acids of core binding factor β to the coiled-coil region of a smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (CBFβ/SMMHC). CBFβ interacts with AML1 to form a heterodimer that binds DNA; this interaction increases the affinity of AML1 for DNA. The CBFβ/SMMHC fusion protein cooperates with AML1 to repress the transcription of AML1-regulated genes. We show that CBFβ/SMMHC contains a repression domain in the C-terminal 163 amino acids of the SMMHC region that is required for inv(16)-mediated transcriptional repression. This minimal repression domain is sufficient for the association of CBFβ/SMMHC with the mSin3A corepressor. In addition, the inv(16) fusion protein specifically associates with histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8). inv(16)-mediated repression is sensitive to HDAC inhibitors. We propose a model whereby the inv(16) fusion protein associates with AML1 to convert AML1 into a constitutive transcriptional repressor.
Endothelial Matrix Assembly during Capillary Morphogenesis

Biologically relevant, three-dimensional extracellular matrix is an essential component of in vitro vasculogenesis models. WI-38 fibroblasts assemble a 3D matrix that induces endothelial tubulogenesis, but this model is challenged by fibroblast senescence and the inability to distinguish endothelial cell-derived matrix from matrix made by WI-38 fibroblasts. Matrices produced by hTERT-immortalized WI-38 recapitulated those produced by wild type fibroblasts. ECM fibrils were heavily populated by tenascin-C, fibronectin, and type VI collagen. Nearly half of the total type I collagen, but only a small fraction of the type IV collagen, were incorporated into ECM. Stable hTERT-WI-38 transfectants expressing TagRFP-fibronectin incorporated TagRFP into ~90% of the fibronectin in 3D matrices. TagRFP-fibronectin colocalized with tenascin-C and with type I collagen in a pattern that was similar to that seen in matrices from wild type WI-38. Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) formed 3D adhesions and tubes on WI38-hTERT-TagRFP-FN-derived matrices, and the TagRFP-fibronectin component of this new 3D human fibroblast matrix model facilitated the demonstration of concentrated membrane type 1 metalloprotease and new HUVEC FN and collagen type IV fibrils during EC tubulogenesis. These findings indicate that WI-38-hTERT- and WI-38-hTERT-TagRFP-FN-derived matrices provide platforms for the definition of new matrix assembly and remodeling events during vasculogenesis.
3D Curvelet-Based Segmentation and Quantification of Drusen in Optical Coherence Tomography Images

Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is a widely used interferometric diagnostic technique in ophthalmology that provides novel in vivo information of depth-resolved inner and outer retinal structures. This imaging modality can assist clinicians in monitoring the progression of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) by providing high-resolution visualization of drusen. Quantitative tools for assessing drusen volume that are indicative of AMD progression may lead to appropriate metrics for selecting treatment protocols. To address this need, a fully automated algorithm was developed to segment drusen area and volume from SD-OCT images. The proposed algorithm consists of three parts: (1) preprocessing, which includes creating binary mask and removing possible highly reflective posterior hyaloid that is used in accurate detection of inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction layer and Bruchźs membrane (BM) retinal layers; (2) coarse segmentation, in which 3D curvelet transform and graph theory are employed to get the possible candidate drusenoid regions; (3) fine segmentation, in which morphological operators are used to remove falsely extracted elongated structures and get the refined segmentation results. The proposed method was evaluated in 20 publically available volumetric scans acquired by using Bioptigen spectral-domain ophthalmic imaging system. The average true positive and false positive volume fractions (TPVF and FPVF) for the segmentation of drusenoid regions were found to be 89.15%ź± 3.76 and 0.17%ź± . 18%, respectively.
Metformin does not improve survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To assess whether metformin, which has a chemopreventive effect in chronic liver disease, has any chemotherapeutic effect in hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS This was a retrospective study of 701 patients with newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) seen between January 2005 and June 2011 at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. This patient cohort was a part of the global HCC BRIDGE study, which is a large longitudinal study of HCC determining the real-world experience of HCC characteristics, management and patient outcomes. We defined significant metformin exposure as continuation of this agent at least 90 d beyond diagnosis of HCC, and compared survival of diabetic patients on metformin to diabetic patients not on metformin and non-diabetics. RESULTS Our cohort was 72.9% male, with a mean ± SD age of 62.6 ± 12.3 years. The most common etiologies of liver disease were hepatitis C (34%), alcoholic liver disease (29%), fatty liver disease (15%) and hepatitis B (9%). By univariate analysis, using diabetics not on metformin as the reference group, diabetic patients with HCC on metformin had no survival advantage, with a HR (95%CI) of 1.0 (0.8-1.3). Non-diabetic HCC patients also did not appear to have a survival advantage as compared to diabetic HCC patients not on metformin, as demonstrated by a HR (95%CI) of 1.1 (0.7-1.7). Diabetics on metformin beyond 90 d after HCC diagnosis had a longer median survival at 34.2 mo, as compared to 25.5 mo among diabetic patients who were not on metformin or had discontinued metformin within 90 d after HCC diagnosis. This finding was likely due to potential survival bias among those who lived long enough to receive metformin. CONCLUSION Although the literature suggests a chemotherapeutic effect in other malignancies, our study demonstrates no survival benefit to the use of metformin in diabetic patients with HCC.
Areas 3a, 3b, and 1 of Human Primary Somatosensory Cortex 1. Microstructural Organization and Interindividual Variability

This study defines cytoarchitectonic areas 3a, 3b, and 1 of the human primary somatosensory cortex by objective delineation of cytoarchitectonic borders and ensuing cytoarchitectonic classification. This avoids subjective evaluation of microstructural differences which has so far been the only way to structurally define cortical areas. Ten brains were fixed in formalin or Bodian's fixative, embedded in paraffin, sectioned as a whole in the coronal plane at 20 microm, and cell stained. Cell bodies were segmented from the background by adaptive thresholding. Equidistant density profiles (125 microm wide, spacing 300 or 150 microm) were extracted perpendicularly to the pial surface across cortical layers II-VI and processed with multivariate statistical procedures. Positions of significant differences in shape between adjacent groups of profiles were correlated with the cytoarchitectonic pattern. Statistically significant borders can be reproduced at corresponding positions across a series of nearby sections. They match visible changes in cytoarchitecture in the cell-stained sections. Area 3a lies in the fundus of the central sulcus, and area 3b in the rostral bank of the postcentral gyrus. Area 1 lies on its crown and reaches down into the postcentral sulcus. Interareal borders, however, do not match macrostructural landmarks of the postcentral gyrus, and they considerably vary in their positions relative to these landmarks across different brains. Hence, only genuine microstructural analysis can define the borders between these cortical areas. Additional significant borders which do not correlate with visible changes in cytoarchitecture can be found within areas 3b and 1. They may represent somatotopy and/or cortical representations of different somatosensory receptors.
Visualization and Characterization of Respiratory Syncytial Virus F-Specific CD8+ T Cells During Experimental Virus Infection1

CTL play a major role in the clearance of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during experimental pulmonary infection. The fusion (F) glycoprotein of RSV is a protective Ag that elicits CTL and Ab response against RSV infection in BALB/c mice. We used the strategy of screening a panel of overlapping synthetic peptides corresponding to the RSV F protein and identified an immunodominant H-2Kd-restricted epitope (F85–93; KYKNAVTEL) recognized by CD8+ T cells from BALB/c mice. We enumerated the F-specific CD8+ T cell response in the lungs of infected mice by flow cytometry using tetramer staining and intracellular cytokine synthesis. During primary infection, F85–93-specific effector CD8+ T cells constitute ∼4.8% of pulmonary CD8+ T cells at the peak of the primary response (day 8), whereas matrix 2-specific CD8+ T cells constituted ∼50% of the responding CD8+ T cell population in the lungs. When RSV F-immune mice undergo a challenge RSV infection, the F-specific CD8+ T cell response is accelerated and dominates, whereas the primary response to the matrix 2 epitope in the lungs is reduced by ∼20-fold. In addition, we found that activated F-specific effector CD8+ T cells isolated from the lungs of RSV-infected mice exhibited a lower than expected frequency of IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells and were significantly impaired in ex vivo cytolytic activity compared with competent F-specific effector CD8+ T cells generated in vitro. The significance of these results for the regulation of the CD8+ T cell response to RSV is discussed.
To Analyze the Price of the Priced House in China from 1998-2004 by Using Housing Affordability Index

Housing Affordability Index is used for in vestigating the affordability of median-in- come household in the market of housing for the media-priced home.By integrating the real- ity of housing market for recent seven years in our country and refening the theory of Housing Affordability Index in foreign countries,this paper tests and verifies the house price in Beijing,Shanghai and the whole country,con- cluding that the priced house in our country is generally affordable.The price in Beijing has been so high that the Index has been lower than the affordable state while it's Index is gradu- ally increasing.The price of real estate in Shang- hai increases so fast that its affordability index is dramatically declining in recent two years, from the affordability in the year of 2002 to the unaffordable state in the year of 2003 and 2004. In the last section of this paper,a corresponding analysis is presented.
Characterization of rate and regularity of ventricular response during atrial tachyarrhythmias. Insight on atrial and nodal determinants

Objective: Ventricular rate and regularity affect hemodynamic stability and are targets of rate control therapy in patients with atrial flutter (AFL) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Nevertheless, the characteristics and determinants of ventricular response during these atrial arrhythmias are poorly understood. This work aims to investigate the effects of changes in atrial activity and atrioventricular (AV) conduction patterns on ventricular response in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias by a combined quantitative analysis of atrial and ventricular time series. Approach: Time series were determined in patients during 24 episodes of AFL and 13 episodes of AF. Ventricular response was characterized in terms of mean ventricular interval, time-domain variability parameters, and entropy-based irregularity measures (quadratic entropy rate, QSE, and coefficient of sample entropy, COSEn). Atrial activity was characterized in terms of mean atrial rate and variability. AV conduction was analyzed by AV synchrogram method, quantifying the stability of AV coupling and the average AV conduction ratio. The dependence of ventricular features on atrial/AV determinants was investigated by correlation analysis. Main results: The analysis showed ventricular response to display a wide spectrum of variability and irregularity features at changing atrial and AV properties. The ventricular interval was significantly correlated with the AV conduction ratio (Spearman correlation coefficient ρ = −0.76, p < 0.005), while it did not correlate with atrial rate. The variability and irregularity of ventricular response were influenced by both atrial and AV parameters. QSE and COSEn significantly increased at shorter atrial cycle lengths (ρ = −0.67 and −0.71, p < 0.005), at higher atrial variability (ρ = 0.80 and 0.77, p < 0.005), at reduced AV coupling (ρ = −0.91, p < 0.005) and at smaller AV conduction ratios (ρ = −0.65 and −0.52, p < 0.005). Significance: The identification of the determinants of ventricular rate and regularity may have significant implications in the development of efficacious rate control strategies in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias.
A land cover adaptive topographic correction and evaluation method for remote sensing data

Most of the empirical topographic correction methods are based on the universal assumptions of the relationship between radiations and solar incident angles. The correction accuracy is hardly to be accessed quantitatively. This paper introduces a land cover adaptive C (LCAC) method for topographic correction, and verifies its advantage quantitatively. Experiments on synthetic and real remote sensing data are performed. The synthetic data derives from the SMARTS2 model, which simulates the surface reflectance and the atmospheric conditions. The global land cover map produced by the National Geomatics Center of China is taken as the auxiliary data. The LCAC outperforms the traditional C method in experiments on both synthetic and real remote sensing data by visual and quantitative assessments.
Numerical investigation of electromagnetically induced transparency in a quantum dot structure.

A numerical investigation of pulse propagation in a quantum dot structure in the regime of electromagnetically induced transparency is reported. The quantum dot is described as a cone on top of a wetting layer and the calculated energy levels and dipole moments are used in an effective three-level model. Pulse propagation characteristics such as degree of slowdown, absorption, and pulse distortion are investigated with respect to their dependence on the dephasing rates and pulse width. It is seen how Rabi oscillations can seriously distort the pulse when the spectral width of the pulse becomes too large compared to the width of the EIT window.
New sequestrate fungi from Guyana: Jimtrappea guyanensis gen. sp. nov., Castellanea pakaraimophila gen. sp. nov., and Costatisporus cyanescens gen. sp. nov. (Boletaceae, Boletales)

Jimtrappea guyanensis gen. sp. nov., Castellanea pakaraimophila gen. sp. nov., and Costatisporus cyanescens gen. sp. nov. are described as new to science. These sequestrate, hypogeous fungi were collected in Guyana under closed canopy tropical forests in association with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) host tree genera Dicymbe (Fabaceae subfam. Caesalpinioideae), Aldina (Fabaceae subfam. Papilionoideae), and Pakaraimaea (Dipterocarpaceae). Molecular data place these fungi in Boletaceae (Boletales, Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) and inform their relationships to other known epigeous and sequestrate taxa within that family. Macro- and micromorphological characters, habitat, and multi-locus DNA sequence data are provided for each new taxon. Unique morphological features and a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 185 taxa across the order Boletales justify the recognition of the three new genera.
Content based image retrieval using feature extraction with machine learning

Content-Based image Retrieval (CBIR) is a technique of image retrieval which uses the visual features of an image such as color, shape and texture in order to search the user based query images from the large databases. CBIR depends on feature extraction of an image which are the visual features and these features are extracted automatically i.e without human interaction. In this paper SIFT feature extraction algorithm is used for feature extraction, which basically gives us the key point in an image. SIFT image feature algorithm give a set of image features that are not valuable so we use the optimization technique BFOA (Bacteria foraging optimization algorithm) to reduce the complexity, cost, energy and Time consumptions. Then for similarity check a deep neural network is trained and then the validation and texting phases are done accordingly which lead to a better performance as compared to previously done techniques. The accuracy rates are relatively excellent in the proposed technique.