Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Changes in ICU Admissions Among Elderly Patients in the United States*

Objectives: Changes in population demographics and comorbid illness prevalence, improvements in medical care, and shifts in care delivery may be driving changes in the composition of patients admitted to the ICU. We sought to describe the changing demographics, diagnoses, and outcomes of patients admitted to critical care units in the U.S. hospitals. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: U.S. hospitals. Patients: There were 27.8 million elderly (age, > 64 yr) fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with an intensive care or coronary care room and board charge from 1996 to 2010. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: We aggregated primary International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification discharge diagnosis codes into diagnoses and disease categories. We examined trends in demographics, primary diagnosis, and outcomes among patients with critical care stays. Between 1996 and 2010, we found significant declines in patients with a primary diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease (26.6 to 12.6% of admissions) and congestive heart failure (8.5 to 5.4% of admissions). Patients with infectious diseases increased from 8.8% to 17.2% of admissions, and explicitly labeled sepsis moved from the 11th-ranked diagnosis in 1996 to the top-ranked primary discharge diagnosis in 2010. Crude in-hospital mortality rose (11.3 to 12.0%), whereas discharge destinations among survivors shifted, with an increase in discharges to hospice and postacute care facilities. Conclusions: Primary diagnoses of patients admitted to critical care units have substantially changed over 15 years. Funding agencies, physician accreditation groups, and quality improvement initiatives should ensure that their efforts account for the shifting epidemiology of critical illness.
Classification and Recognition of Rossmann-Fold Protein

Fold recognition is an important issue in protein structure research. The Rossmann-fold protein that has typical structure is a common kind of alpha/beta protein. The training set, selected from 22 families, is constituted of 79 Rossmann-fold proteins which have less than 25% sequence identity with each other. The hierarchical clustering method according to RMSD is applied and a profile-HMM based on structure alignment is built for each cluster. Testing on 9505 proteins with less than 95% sequence identity from Astral1.65, the sensitivity, specificity and MCC are 93.9%, 82.1% and 0.876 respectively. The result shows that building profile-HMMs after classification could reach precise fold recognition while a unified one cannot be built due to there are too many members in training set.
Hybrid Shipping Architectures: A Survey

Recent advances in relational database systems include distributed systems that can choose to execute portions of query processing functionality at server or client sites. A symmetric problem that has received little attention is the partitioning of client application functionality between client and server. This report presents a survey of the literature related to both of these partitioning problems.
Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease Epithelial Cell Model Reveals Multiple Basolateral Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Sorting Pathways

We have discovered that multiple basolateral pathways mediate EGF receptor sorting in renal epithelial cells. The polycystic kidney disease allele in the BPK mouse model, Bicc1, interferes with one specific EGF receptor pathway, causing nonpolar delivery of the receptor without affecting overall cell polarity.
Semantic Vector Products: Some Initial Investigations

Semantic vector models have proven their worth in a number of natural language applications whose goals can be accomplished by modelling individual semantic concepts and measuring similarities between them. By comparison, the area of semantic compositionality in these models has so far remained underdeveloped. This will be a crucial hurdle for semantic vector models: in order to play a fuller part in the modelling of human language, these models will need some way of modelling the way in which single concepts are put together to form more complex conceptual structures. This paper explores some of the opportunities for us- ing vector product operations to model compositional phenomena in natural language. These vector opera- tions are all well-known and used in mathematics and physics, particularly in quantum mechanics. Instead of designing new vector composition operators, this paper gathers a list of existing operators, and a list of typical composition operations in natural language, and describes two small experiments that begin to investigate the use of certain vector operators to model certain language phenomena. Though preliminary, our results are encouraging. It is our hope that these results, and the gathering of other untested semantic and vector compositional challenges into a single paper, will stimulate further research in this area.
Differential Hemodynamic Response in Affective Circuitry with Aging: An fMRI Study of Novelty, Valence, and Arousal

Emerging evidence indicates that stimulus novelty is affectively potent and reliably engages the amygdala and other portions of the affective workspace in the brain. Using fMRI, we examined whether novel stimuli remain affectively salient across the lifespan, and therefore, whether novelty processing—a potentially survival-relevant function—is preserved with aging. Nineteen young and 22 older healthy adults were scanned during observing novel and familiar affective pictures while estimating their own subjectively experienced aroused levels. We investigated age-related difference of magnitude of activation, hemodynamic time course, and functional connectivity of BOLD responses in the amygdala. Although there were no age-related differences in the peak response of the amygdala to novelty, older individuals showed a narrower, sharper (i.e., “peakier”) hemodynamic time course in response to novel stimuli, as well as decreased connectivity between the left amygdala and the affective areas including orbito-frontal regions. These findings have relevance for understanding age-related differences in memory and affect regulation.
ELF radio emission associated with strong M6.0 earthquake

This article presents the results of observation of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF, 300–3000 Hz) electromagnetic radiation related to seismic activity in the period before and after strong M6.0 earthquake. Proper ELF radiation of the system of tectonic faults may indicate the state of activity and help to understand and interpret the data of ionosphere sounding by radio wave propagation study other technique. ELF and ionosphere sounding methods should complement each other in studies of radio precursors of earthquakes.
IQGAP1 Is Involved in Post-Ischemic Neovascularization by Regulating Angiogenesis and Macrophage Infiltration

Background Neovascularization is an important repair mechanism in response to ischemic injury and is dependent on inflammation, angiogenesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS). IQGAP1, an actin-binding scaffold protein, is a key regulator for actin cytoskeleton and motility. We previously demonstrated that IQGAP1 mediates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced ROS production and migration of cultured endothelial cells (ECs); however, its role in post-ischemic neovascularization is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Ischemia was induced by left femoral artery ligation, which resulted in increased IQGAP1 expression in Mac3+ macrophages and CD31+ capillary-like ECs in ischemic legs. Mice lacking IQGAP1 exhibited a significant reduction in the post-ischemic neovascularization as evaluated by laser Doppler blood flow, capillary density and α-actin positive arterioles. Furthermore, IQGAP1−/− mice showed a decrease in macrophage infiltration and ROS production in ischemic muscles, leading to impaired muscle regeneration and increased necrosis and fibrosis. The numbers of bone marrow (BM)-derived cells in the peripheral blood were not affected in these knockout mice. BM transplantation revealed that IQGAP1 expressed in both BM-derived cells and tissue resident cells, such as ECs, is required for post-ischemic neovascularization. Moreover, thioglycollate-induced peritoneal macrophage recruitment and ROS production were inhibited in IQGAP1−/− mice. In vitro, IQGAP1−/− BM-derived macrophages showed inhibition of migration and adhesion capacity, which may explain the defective macrophage recruitment into the ischemic tissue in IQGAP1−/− mice. Conclusions/Significance IQGAP1 plays a key role in post-ischemic neovascularization by regulating, not only, ECs-mediated angiogenesis but also macrophage infiltration as well as ROS production. Thus, IQGAP1 is a potential therapeutic target for inflammation- and angiogenesis-dependent ischemic cardiovascular diseases.
An evaluation of content browsing techniques for hierarchical space-filling visualizations

Space-filling visualizations, such as the TreeMap, are well suited for displaying the properties of nodes in hierarchies. To browse the contents of the hierarchy, the primary mode of interaction is by drilling down through many successive layers. In this paper we introduce a distortion algorithm based on fisheye and continuous zooming techniques for browsing data in the TreeMap representation. The motivation behind the distortion approach is for assisting users to rapidly browse information displayed in the TreeMap without opening successive layers of the hierarchy. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the new approach. In the first experiment (N=20) the distortion approach is compared to the drill down method. Results show that subjects are quicker and more accurate in locating targets of interest using the distortion method. The second experiment (N=12) evaluates the effectiveness of the two approaches in a task requiring context, we define as the context browsing task. The results show that subjects are quicker and more accurate in locating targets with the distortion technique in the context browsing task.
A Nonsense Mutation in agrA Accounts for the Defect in agr Expression and the Avirulence of Staphylococcus aureus 8325-4 traP::kan

ABSTRACT TraP is a triply phosphorylated staphylococcal protein that has been hypothesized to be the mediator of a second Staphylococcus aureus quorum-sensing system, “SQS1,” that controls expression of the agr system and therefore is essential for the organism's virulence. This hypothesis was based on the loss of agr expression and virulence by a traP mutant of strain 8325-4 and was supported by full complementation of both phenotypic defects by the cloned traP gene in strain NB8 (Y. Gov, I. Borovok, M. Korem, V. K. Singh, R. K. Jayaswal, B. J. Wilkinson, S. M. Rich, and N. Balaban, J. Biol. Chem. 279:14665-14672, 2004), in which the wild-type traP gene was expressed in trans in the 8325-4 traP mutant. We initiated a study of the mechanism by which TraP activates agr and found that the traP mutant strain used for this and other recently published studies has a second mutation, an adventitious stop codon in the middle of agrA, the agr response regulator. The traP mutation, once separated from the agrA defect by outcrossing, had no effect on agr expression or virulence, indicating that the agrA defect accounts fully for the lack of agr expression and for the loss of virulence attributed to the traP mutation. In addition, DNA sequencing showed that the agrA gene in strain NB8 (Gov et al., J. Biol. Chem., 2004), in contrast to that in the agr-defective 8325-4 traP mutant strain, had the wild-type sequence; further, the traP mutation in that strain, when outcrossed, also had no effect on agr expression.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-Like Induction Elevates β-Amyloid Levels, Which Directly Activates Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Neurons to Exacerbate Stress Responses

Recent studies have found that those who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to experience dementia as they age, most often Alzheimer's disease (AD). These findings suggest that the symptoms of PTSD might have an exacerbating effect on AD progression. AD and PTSD might also share common susceptibility factors such that those who experience trauma-induced disease were already more likely to succumb to dementia with age. Here, we explored these two hypotheses using a mouse model of PTSD in wild-type and AD model animals. We found that expression of human familial AD mutations in amyloid precursor protein and presenilin 1 leads to sensitivity to trauma-induced PTSD-like changes in behavioral and endocrine stress responses. PTSD-like induction, in turn, chronically elevates levels of CSF β-amyloid (Aβ), exacerbating ongoing AD pathogenesis. We show that PTSD-like induction and Aβ elevation are dependent on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor 1 signaling and an intact hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Furthermore, we show that Aβ species can hyperexcite CRF neurons, providing a mechanism by which Aβ influences stress-related symptoms and PTSD-like phenotypes. Consistent with Aβ causing excitability of the stress circuitry, we attenuate PTSD-like phenotypes in vivo by lowering Aβ levels during PTSD-like trauma exposure. Together, these data demonstrate that exposure to PTSD-like trauma can drive AD pathogenesis, which directly perturbs CRF signaling, thereby enhancing chronic PTSD symptoms while increasing risk for AD-related dementia.
Practice Education

To practice effectively, one must first know how to practice. The practice process is affected by one’s ability to set goals, design strategies, self-assess, and to have an aural image of the music being learned. The author proposes a model reflecting the factors involved in practice and proposes a number of strategies that can be used to progressively teach students how to practice effectively.
Chronic Urocortin 2 Administration Improves Cardiac Function and Ameliorates Cardiac Remodeling After Experimental Myocardial Infarction

Abstract: The impact of chronic urocortin 2 (Ucn2) treatment after myocardial infarction (MI) has not previously been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of 30-day Ucn2 administration (415 &mgr;g·kg−1·d−1 SC per day) in mice post-MI. Compared with surgical sham + vehicle controls (n = 10), MI + vehicle animals (n = 10) after 30 days demonstrated decreased ejection fraction (75.6 ± 1.2 vs. 43.6% ± 0.8%, P < 0.001) and fractional shortening (38.20 ± 0.83 vs. 18.4% ± 0.54%, P < 0.001) in association with increased heart weight-to-body weight ratio (4.57 ± 0.25 vs. 5.29 ± 0.18, P < 0.01), left ventricular (LV) mass (91 ± 7 vs. 126 ± 8 mg, P < 0.01), LV internal diameters at both systole (1.91 ± 0.14 vs. 3.45 ± 0.09 mm, P < 0.001) and diastole (3.14 ± 0.15 vs. 4.25 ± 0.10 mm, P < 0.001), LV end systolic volumes (0.02 ± 0.01 vs. 0.11 ± 0.01 mL, P < 0.001), and ventricular collagen 1 and &bgr;-myosin heavy chain gene expression. Compared with MI + vehicle mice, MI + Ucn2 animals (n = 10) exhibited significantly reduced infarct size (4.00 ± 0.39 vs. 1.83 ± 0.44 mm2, P < 0.01), heart weight-to-body weight ratio (4.75 ± 0.19, P = 0.06), LV mass (101 ± 6 mg, P < 0.01), LV internal diameters (systole 2.61 ± 0.09 mm, P < 0.001; diastole 3.78 ± 0.09 mm, P < 0.001), and end systolic volumes (0.14 ± 0.02 mL, P < 0.01) in conjunction with improved ejection fraction (65.2% ± 0.9%, P < 0.001) and fractional shortening (18.4 ± 0.5 vs. 30.5% ± 0.5%, P < 0.001). Ucn2 treatment also decreased collagen 1 and &bgr;-myosin heavy chain expression. In conclusion, chronic Ucn2 treatment significantly improves cardiovascular function and attenuates cardiac injury and remodeling in experimental MI.
EXPLAINING GENDERED SENTENCING PATTERNS FOR VIOLENT MEN AND WOMEN IN THE LATE-VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN PERIOD

Contemporary studies of disparities in the sentencing of male and female offenders claim that the differences found are caused by gender-related contextual factors, but not by a gender bias. In contrast, historical studies have suggested that women were disadvantaged by appearing to offend both against the law and the conventions of femininity. This article analyses minor assaults prosecuted in ten English magistrates' courts between 1880 and 1920. It is based on a data-set that combines court cases and newspaper reports, and allows for the control of gender differences in sentencing outcomes through four contextual factors: severity of the assault, bonds between victim and assailant, culpability, and evidence. The findings reveal a differentiated pattern of sentences that questions the assumption that 'doubly deviant' women were more often convicted, and received higher penalties, throughout the Victorian period. The results show that the contextual factors of the offence affected judicial decision-making to the extent that they virtually account for gender differences in conviction rates, but do not, on their own, account for the different penalties handed out to men and women. Women who committed similar assaults to men were likely to receive a lighter punishment. Magistrates clearly targeted 'male' contexts of violence, and handed down more convictions and harsher penalties to men involved in these, in contrast to women involved in 'female' contexts. The findings of a strong gender bias in sentencing that disadvantaged lowerclass men indicate that local magistrates directed their efforts of 'civilizing' lower-class communities at 'dangerous masculinities', and deemed assaults committed by women as less important in this task.
EXSMAL: EDI/XML semi-automatic schema matching algorithm

We describe a schema matching algorithm EXSMAL that automates the semantic correspondence discovery between the EDI (electronic data interchange) messages of various standards (EDIFACT, SWIFT.) by using XML schema as the pivot format. This algorithm takes two schemata of EDI messages as the input, computes the basic similarity between each pair of elements by comparing their textual description and data type. Then, it computes the structural similarity value basing on the structural neighbors of each element (ancestor, sibling, immediate children and leaf elements) with an aggregation function. The basic similarity and structural similarity values are used in the pair wise element similarity computing which is the final similarity value between two elements.
Image fusion for a digital camera application based on wavelet domain hidden Markov models

The traditional image fusion for a digital camera application may not be satisfactory to classify pixels in the source image by the statistical techniques. In this paper, we present a technique, based on wavelet domain hidden Markov models (HMMs) and max-likelihood estimation. The method presented here consists of deciding the quality of pixels in source images directly from the statistical techniques to overcome the shift-variant of inverse wavelet transform. We have studied several possibilities including all energy methods that are utilized in the standard image fusion for digital camera application and discuss the difference to our new method. The new framework uses two trained HMMs to decide if the wavelet coefficients of source images are in-focus or out-focus, and then judges the quality of pixels in the source images directly to overcome the shift-variant of inverse wavelet transform. The two trained HMMs are obtained separately from an in-focus image and a out-focus image using EM algorithm. We used the method to merge two images in which have two clocks with different focus and obtain the best fusion results in preserving edge information and avoiding shift-variant.
Probabilistic Planning by Probabilistic Programming

Automated planning is a major topic of research in artificial intelligence, and enjoys a long and distinguished history. The classical paradigm assumes a distinguished initial state, comprised of a set of facts, and is defined over a set of actions which change that state in one way or another. Planning in many real-world settings, however, is much more involved: an agent's knowledge is almost never simply a set of facts that are true, and actions that the agent intends to execute never operate the way they are supposed to. Thus, probabilistic planning attempts to incorporate stochastic models directly into the planning process. In this article, we briefly report on probabilistic planning through the lens of probabilistic programming: a programming paradigm that aims to ease the specification of structured probability distributions. In particular, we provide an overview of the features of two systems, HYPE and ALLEGRO, which emphasise different strengths of probabilistic programming that are particularly useful for complex modelling issues raised in probabilistic planning. Among other things, with these systems, one can instantiate planning problems with growing and shrinking state spaces, discrete and continuous probability distributions, and non-unique prior distributions in a first-order setting.
Transcriptome-Wide Identification of miRNA Targets under Nitrogen Deficiency in Populus tomentosa Using Degradome Sequencing

miRNAs are endogenous non-coding small RNAs with important regulatory roles in stress responses. Nitrogen (N) is an indispensable macronutrient required for plant growth and development. Previous studies have identified a variety of known and novel miRNAs responsive to low N stress in plants, including Populus. However, miRNAs involved in the cleavage of target genes and the corresponding regulatory networks in response to N stress in Populus remain largely unknown. Consequently, degradome sequencing was employed for global detection and validation of N-responsive miRNAs and their targets. A total of 60 unique miRNAs (39 conserved, 13 non-conserved, and eight novel) were experimentally identified to target 64 mRNA transcripts and 21 precursors. Among them, we further verified the cleavage of 11 N-responsive miRNAs identified previously and provided empirical evidence for the cleavage mode of these miRNAs on their target mRNAs. Furthermore, five miRNA stars (miRNA*s) were shown to have cleavage function. The specificity and diversity of cleavage sites on the targets and miRNA precursors in P. tomentosa were further detected. Identification and annotation of miRNA-mediated cleavage of target genes in Populus can increase our understanding of miRNA-mediated molecular mechanisms of woody plants adapted to low N environments.
Fast accurate summary warehouses with distributed summaries

Large data warehouses (DW) put a major challenge in what concerns performance and scalability, as users request instant answers to their queries. Traditional solutions relying on very expensive architectures and structures cannot turn every complex aggregation query into minutes or seconds answers. The summary warehouse (SW) achieves such a speedup using only general-purpose sampling summaries well fit for aggregated exploration analysis. The major limitation of SWs results from the tradeoff between accuracy and speed: smaller, faster summaries cannot answer less-aggregated queries. We propose a simple and cheap strategy to meet these conflicting requirements and deliver unseen speedup by taking advantage of distributed computation ubiquity. The distributed summaries approach (DS) proposed in this paper manages a distributed set of summaries that are put in available computing nodes of a local area network to achieve very fast query processing, while guaranteeing enough accuracy.