Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ketogenic Diet in Dravet Syndrome

Dravet syndrome is an infantile epilepsy syndrome with intractable pleomorphic seizures, cognitive impairment, and a number of comorbidities including ataxia/gait abnormalities and behavioral issues. Antiseizure medications are only partially effective in controlling seizures. Secondary to the intractable epilepsy, patients are often on multiple antiseizure medications with significant accumulative neurotoxic side effects. Specifically for Dravet syndrome, the medical literature includes both laboratory and clinical research that supports the use of the ketogenic diet. In addition, a review of the children with Dravet syndrome who were treated with the ketogenic diet at our center was undertaken. Thirteen of the 20 children (65%) with Dravet syndrome treated with the ketogenic diet experienced a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. The ketogenic diet is a good alternative to medication for seizure management in children with Dravet syndrome.
Evolution of re-emergent virus and its impact on enterovirus 71 epidemics

Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a member of the Enterovirus genus in the Picornaviridae family, has become an emergent infectious disease worldwide, most notably in Asia. As a neurotropic virus, EV71 infection occasionally causes neurological diseases with pulmonary edema, which is fatal for children. In this review, we examine the epidemiology of EV71, with three waves of increased EV71 activity since the 1970s and discuss the genotypic changes in phylogeny between the outbreaks or epidemics. Genetic changes including mutations and recombinations as well as the diversity of antigenic properties among EV71 strains in various outbreaks are described. Furthermore, the impact of genetic changes on viral pathogenesis and vaccine candidate selection are addressed. In conclusion, these genetic and antigenic investigations of EV71 evolution have provided us with new insight into the trend of EV71 epidemiology, which may contribute to a better understanding of the viral pathogenesis and vaccine development.
Structural and Functional Studies of the Escherichia coli Phenylacetyl-CoA Monooxygenase Complex*

The utilization of phenylacetic acid (PA) in Escherichia coli occurs through a hybrid pathway that shows features of both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Oxygenation of the aromatic ring is performed by a multisubunit phenylacetyl-coenzyme A oxygenase complex that shares remote homology of two subunits to well studied bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases and was postulated to form a new bacterial multicomponent monooxygenase subfamily. We expressed the subunits PaaA, B, C, D, and E of the PA-CoA oxygenase and showed that PaaABC, PaaAC, and PaaBC form stable subcomplexes that can be purified. In vitro reconstitution of the oxygenase subunits showed that each of the PaaA, B, C, and E subunits are necessary for catalysis, whereas PaaD is not essential. We have determined the crystal structure of the PaaAC complex in a ligand-free form and with several CoA derivatives. We conclude that PaaAC forms a catalytic core with a monooxygenase fold with PaaA being the catalytic α subunit and PaaC, the structural β subunit. PaaAC forms heterotetramers that are organized very differently from other known multisubunit monooxygenases and lacks their conservative network of hydrogen bonds between the di-iron center and protein surface, suggesting different association with the reductase and different mechanisms of electron transport. The PaaA structure shows adaptation of the common access route to the active site for binding a CoA-bound substrate. The enzyme-substrate complex shows the orientation of the aromatic ring, which is poised for oxygenation at the ortho-position, in accordance with the expected chemistry. The PA-CoA oxygenase complex serves as a paradigm for the new subfamily multicomponent monooxygenases comprising several hundred homologs.
Educating for Global Perspectives: A Study of Teacher Preparation Programs

Multiple global education frameworks (AACTE, 1989; Klassen, 1975; Merryfield, 1997; Roberts, 2007) have suggested that two keys to globalizing teacher education curricula are the integration of global content courses and participation in co-curricular cross-cultural experiences. Therefore, this study sought to determine the extent to which global content courses and co-curricular cross-cultural experiences had been integrated into the teacher preparation of preservice teachers in multiple certification areas at a large public university in the southeastern United States, as well as the effects of that integration on the global perspectives of preservice teachers. Significant differences in the rate of participation were found in preservice teachers in one of seven types of global content courses examined, but in none of the 10 types of co-curricular cross-cultural experiences examined. The results of this investigation also confirmed that higher rates of participation in both global content courses and co-curricular cross-cultural experiences have a significant positive relationship with preservice teachers' global perspectives.
Fatal acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia in an infant: The histopathologic variability of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Objective: The histopathologic pattern of acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) has been described recently in cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in adults and differs from the well-recognized pattern of classic diffuse alveolar damage (DAD). The objective of this study was to determine whether similar appearances can be seen in infant ARDS. Design: Case report and retrospective review of infant lung biopsies 1995–2005. Setting: Paediatric and neonatal intensive care units in a tertiary referral center. Patients: None. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: A formerly premature infant with ARDS secondary to respiratory syncytial virus pneumonitis had histopathologic features of AFOP on open lung biopsy. Nine infants from 1995 to 2005 had definite histology of DAD or AFOP and fulfilled American-European Consensus Conference criteria for the diagnosis of ARDS. Of these, classic DAD findings were present in seven, whereas two had features of AFOP and DAD. Features suggesting viral infection were identified in five infants. Conclusions: The histopathologic features of AFOP may be seen in some cases of infant ARDS. The variability in the histopathology of ARDS raises questions as to the pathogenesis and clinical correlates of these different patterns.
HIV-1 Integrase Forms Stable Tetramers and Associates with LEDGF/p75 Protein in Human Cells*

We studied human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) complexes derived from nuclei of human cells stably expressing the viral protein from a synthetic gene. We show that in the nuclear extracts IN exists as part of a large distinct complex with an apparent Stokes radius of 61 Å, which dissociates upon dilution yielding a core molecule of 41 Å. We isolated the IN complexes from cells expressing FLAG-tagged IN and demonstrated that the 41 Å core is a tetramer of IN, whereas 61 Å molecules are composed of IN tetramers associated with a cellular protein with an apparent molecular mass of 76 kDa. This novel integrase interacting protein was found to be identical to lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75), a protein implicated in regulation of gene expression and cellular stress response. HIV-1 IN and LEDGF co-localized in the nuclei of human cells stably expressing IN. Furthermore, recombinant LEDGF robustly enhanced strand transfer activity of HIV-1 IN in vitro. Our findings indicate that the minimal IN molecule in human cells is a homotetramer, suggesting that at least an octamer of IN is required to accomplish coordinated integration of both retroviral long terminal repeats and that LEDGF is a cellular factor involved in this process.
Temporal envelope and fine structure cues for speech intelligibility.

This paper describes a number of listening experiments to investigate the relative contribution of temporal envelope modulations and fine structure to speech intelligibility. The amplitude envelopes of 24 1/4-oct bands (covering 100-6400 Hz) were processed in several ways (e.g., fast compression) in order to assess the importance of the modulation peaks and troughs. Results for 60 normal-hearing subjects show that reduction of modulations by the addition of noise is more detrimental to sentence intelligibility than the same degree of reduction achieved by direct manipulation of the envelope; in some cases the benefit in speech-reception threshold (SRT) is almost 7 dB. Two crossover levels can be defined in dividing the temporal envelope into two equally important parts. The first crossover level divides the envelope into two perceptually equal parts: Removing modulations either chi dB below or above that level yields the same intelligibility score. The second crossover level divides the envelope into two acoustically equal peak and trough parts. The perceptual level is 9-12 dB higher than the acoustic level, indicating that envelope peaks are perceptually more important than troughs. Further results showed that 24 intact temporal speech envelopes with noise fine structure retain perfect intelligibility. In general, for the present type of signal manipulations, no one-to-one relation between the modulation-transfer function and the intelligibility scores could be established.
Does tipping help to attract and retain better service workers?

ABSTRACT A survey of several hundred restaurant servers in the United States found that servers’ attitudes toward working for tips and average tip sizes were weakly related (at best) to their service-orientation, intended job-tenure, and occupational-tenure. These findings suggest that tipping does not substantially help to attract and retain more service-oriented workers. Restaurateurs can eliminate tipping at their restaurants without fear that doing so will reduce the quality of their wait-staff.
A Comparative Analysis of Regional Correlation, Dynamic Time Warping, and Skeletal Tree Matching for Signature Verification

A report is presented on a comparative study of three different signal matching algorithms in the context of signature verification: regional correlation, dynamic time warping, and skeletal tree matching. The algorithm performances are compared in a single experimental protocol over the same database. Algorithm performance is analyzed in terms of verification error rates, execution time, and number and sensitivity of algorithm parameters. Three different script types (normal signatures, handwritten passwords, and initials) and three different signal representation spaces (position, velocity, and acceleration) are considered. Verification errors show that no algorithm consistently outperforms the others in all circumstances. >
Serum lipoprotein(a) concentrations and alcohol consumption in hypertension: possible relevance for cardiovascular damage

Objectives To evaluate the relationships between alcohol intake and serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a powerful predictor of organ damage, in patients with essential hypertension with a wide range of alcohol intake, and to investigate whether the association between alcohol intake and serum Lp(a) concentrations occurs over the entire spectrum of apo(a) phenotypes. Design Cross-sectional study of a case series. Setting University medical centre. Patients Four hundred and two patients with untreated essential hypertension recruited at a hypertension clinic. Main outcome measures Serum Lp(a) concentrations, apo(a) isoforms, alcohol consumption, smoking habits and cardiovascular status. Results No difference in Lp(a) concentrations was observed between teetotalers and occasional drinkers. Light drinkers (1–20 g/day ethanol), moderate drinkers (21–50 g/day), and heavy drinkers (>50 g/day) had, respectively, 21, 26 and 57% lower median Lp(a) concentrations than teetotalers and occasional drinkers. Similar findings were obtained when male and female patients were analysed separately. Log Lp(a) concentrations were inversely and independently correlated with alcohol consumption in both men and women with hypertension. The frequency distributions of apo(a) isoforms and liver function parameters were comparable across the different alcohol intake groups. Patients with evidence of cardiovascular damage had greater concentrations of serum Lp(a) and higher frequency of low-molecular weight apo(a) isoforms as compared with patients without such evidence. Conclusions Serum Lp(a) is inversely and dose-dependently related with alcohol intake in patients with hypertension, and this relationship is independent of the size distribution of apo(a) isoforms. Reduction of Lp(a) concentrations by regular consumption of alcohol might favourably affect the atherosclerotic risk profile of patients with hypertension and thereby decrease cardiovascular morbidity.
Consive Review: Analysis of Ordinal Dental Data: Evaluation of Conflicting Recommendations

Although recommendations for the appropriate analysis of non-normal and ordinal-scaled data have appeared in the dental research literature for many years, there is no consensus. When one is conducting statistical tests for differences between groups, the central concern is whether it is safe to use parametric tests (e. g., analysis of variance), or if only non-parametric ranking tests should be considered. Relevant statistical and scientific issues associated with non-normality and measurement scale are reviewed, and three conclusions are reached regarding the analysis of dental data: (1) Parametric tests are sufficiently robust relative to typical violations of normality; (2) presumed statistical prohibitions against the application of parametric methods to ordinal data do not actually exist; and (3) 'ordinal' dental indices have sufficient quantitative meaning to be considered quasi-interval. For these reasons, parametric tests should not be avoided; they will be valid and usually more powerful and more easily applied to complex designs than nonparametric alternatives.
Hemispherical anisotropic patterns of the Earth’s inner core

It has been shown that the Earth’s inner core has an axisymmetric anisotropic structure with seismic waves traveling ∼3% faster along polar paths than along equatorial directions. Hemispherical anisotropic patterns of the solid Earth’s core are rather complex, and the commonly used hexagonal-close-packed iron phase might be insufficient to account for seismological observations. We show that the data we collected are in good agreement with the presence of two anisotropically specular east and west core hemispheres. The detected travel-time anomalies can only be disclosed by a lattice-preferred orientation of a body-centered-cubic iron aggregate, having a fraction of their [111] crystal axes parallel to the Earth’s rotation axis. This is compelling evidence for the presence of a body-centered-cubic Fe phase at the top of the Earth’s inner core.
The ADF homology (ADF-H) domain: a highly exploited actin-binding module.

Genome sequencing projects have dramatically increased the amount of sequence data available in public databases, providing an opportunity to identify new protein families. The definition of new protein families allows knowledge from studies of one or a few members of a protein family to be applied to many other proteins in the family. The analysis presented here defines an actin-binding module, the actin-depolymerizing factor homology (ADF-H) domain, which is present in each member of a newly identified, extensive protein family. This family consists of three phylogenetically distinct classes: the ADF/cofilins, the twinfilins, and the drebrin/Abp1s. Each class has been used by eukaryotic organisms for more than 1 billion years, since before the divergence of fungi and animals. The ADF-H domain can be considered a functional building block that is arranged differently in each of the three protein classes in the family. In addition to being evolutionarily distinguishable, proteins in each class seem to possess distinct biochemical properties. Thus, ancient duplication of the ADF-H domain allowed the development of functional diversity.
Decoupling and Police Organizational Structure

The paradox of police organization structure is that while the high-risk environment demands strict bureaucratic control, the devolution of authority and response to environmental changes necessary for street-level decision-making is counter to the rational bureaucracy. This article posits that loose coupling is both a beneficial and a healthy attribute for police organizations in that it allows for greater devolution of authority and supports the level of discretion that is placed at the street level. Loose coupling maintains ties between the primary organization and the subunit, while also supporting an organic connection that allows for street-level decision-making. However, loose coupling is tenuous, and, if not strictly maintained, can lead to a decoupled state. Through the process of decoupling, members of the police organization can exist without proper supervision, form deviant subcultures, or develop a separate suborganization. This article examines the theoretical foundations of coupling theory and applies the theory to police organizations.
A Preliminary Study on the Impact of a Pedometer-Based Intervention on Daily Steps

Purpose. To investigate the effects of an 8-week, pedometer-based lifestyle physical activity intervention on physical activity levels. Methods. Participants were 37 college employees who volunteered to participate in the study. The intervention consisted of goal setting, pedometer use, self-monitoring, and weekly e-mail reminders. Physical activity measures (pedometer, survey) were taken at baseline and immediately following the intervention. A t-test for paired samples was used to determine significant changes in measures. Results. Results indicate a significant increase in average daily steps (p < .01), from 8565 (± 3121) steps at baseline to 10,538 (± 3681) steps after the program. Participants who averaged fewer than 6000 steps and obese participants experienced the greatest increase. Discussion. Although preliminary, this study indicates that the minimal contact, self-managed, pedometer-based lifestyle intervention was effective in increasing the daily physical activity of participants. Given the combination of behavioral techniques used, a recommendation for future studies would be to examine the impact of individual behavioral techniques on daily physical activity.
Neuropsychological Predictors of Adaptive Kitchen Behavior in Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatients

This study examined the degree to which demographic variables, psychiatric diagnosis, depression rating, and neuropsychological test performance predict adaptive kitchen behavior in geriatric psychiatry patients and normal elderly volunteers. A mixed group of 27 participants including 8 normal volunteers and 19 geriatric psychiatry inpatients underwent psychiatric evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and a kitchen skills assessment conducted in a natural setting. Both depression and dementia were prevalent among patients. The kitchen skills assessment was abnormal in 69% of patients, compared to none of the normal volunteers. Estimated premorbid IQs, psychiatric diagnosis, and neuropsychological test scores significantly predicted the pass/fail status on the kitchen skills assessment, but there was no effect for age, education, gender, or depression. The discriminant function analysis classified 92% of cases, and the canonical correlation coefficient was . 84. Of the neuropsychological tests employed in the study, two tests involving visuospatial processing and attention were retained in the discriminant function analysis. The results are consistent with previous studies that suggest that visuospatial tasks are more predictive of instrumental activities of daily living than are cognitive tasks emphasizing verbal and memory abilities. In addition, we conclude that neuropsychological test data are useful and valid for the purpose of guiding clinical judgments regarding activities of daily living in geriatric psychiatry patients.
Flexible shrinkage estimation of subgroup effects through Dirichlet process priors

ABSTRACT The paradigm shift towards precision medicine reignited interest in determining whether there are differential treatment effects in subgroups of trial participants. Intrinsic to this problem is that any assessment of a differential treatment effect is predicated on being able to estimate the treatment response accurately while satisfying constraints of balancing the risk of overlooking an important subgroup with the potential to make a decision based on a false discovery. While shrinkage models have been widely used to improve accuracy of subgroup parameter estimates by leveraging the relationship between them, there is still a possibility that it can lead to excessively conservative or anti-conservative results. This can possibly be due to the use of the normal distribution as prior, which forces outlying subjects to have their means over-shrunk towards the population mean, and the data from such subjects may be excessively influential in estimation of both the overall mean response and the mean response for each subgroup, or a model misspecification due to unaccounted variation or clustering. To address this issue, we investigate the use of nonparametric Bayes, particularly Dirichlet process priors, to create a flexible shrinkage model. This model represents uncertainty in the prior distribution for the overall response while accommodating heterogeneity among individual subgroups. We simulated data to compare estimates when there is no differential subgroup effect and when there is a differential subgroup effect. In either of these scenarios, the flexible shrinkage model does not force estimates to shrink excessively when similarity of treatment effects is not supported but still retains the attractiveness of improved precision given by the narrower credible intervals. We also applied the same method to a dataset based on trials conducted for an antimicrobial therapy on several related indications.
Leaf Recognition using Texture Features for Herbal Plant Identification

This research investigates the application of texture features for leaf recognition for herbal plant identification. Malaysia is rich with herbal plants but not many people can identify them and know about their uses. Preservation of the knowledge of these herb plants is important since it enables the general public to gain useful knowledge which they can apply whenever necessary. Leaf image is chosen for plant recognition since it is available and visible all the time. Unlike flowers that are not always available or roots that are not visible and not easy to obtain, leaf is the most abundant type of data available in botanical reference collections. A comparative study has been conducted among three popular texture features that are Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG), Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) with multiclass Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. A new leaf dataset has been constructed from ten different herb plants. Experimental results using the new constructed dataset and Flavia, an existing dataset, indicate that HOG and LBP produce similar leaf recognition performance and they are better than SURF.