Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microarray data-based prioritization of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease susceptibility genes.

One limitation of genome-wide linkage screens aiming to identify disease-susceptibility genes is the resolution at which they define individual candidates. Fine mapping of linked loci can often be laborious, protracted, and poorly directed. We reasoned that an integrative genomics approach could help to expedite candidate gene identification. We tested this hypothesis by prioritizing genes within three linkage regions (chromosomes 2q33-36, 8pter-22, and 12p13-12) previously identified in the Boston Early-Onset COPD cohort (1), using two independent microarray data sets. Genes within previously defined linkage regions were identified using Golden Path (University of California Santa Cruz, http://genome.ucsc.edu), and associated probes were assigned using NetAffx (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Probe sets were filtered by sequence verification using The Lung Transcriptome (http://lungtranscriptome.bwh.harvard.edu). The first microarray data set studied consists of whole lung tissue samples derived from 20 patients who had undergone lung volume reduction surgery with severe emphysema and from 14 control subjects with mild to moderate obstruction (2). The second data set consists of whole lung tissue samples (uninvolved margin) derived from 31 patients undergoing surgery for solitary pulmonary nodules, with varying degrees of airflow obstruction (FEV1% predicted: mean, 72; range, 10–133), and has not been previously described. Signal intensities were derived using both MAS5 and RMA algorithms. Unsupervised clustering with the nonparametric bootstrap was applied to check for undesirable and unanticipated structure or associations among the samples. Pearson and Spearman correlations were used to test for significant associations between gene expression and continuous phenotypic variables (e.g., TLC, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, DlCO, FEF25–75, smoking history). All analysis methods were exhaustively repeated for each gene/probe set and each data set. For each gene/probe set, analysis results were summarized where data implicated an association between gene expression and the disease variable. Finally, genes were rank-prioritized based upon their frequency of significant association. A number of genes within each locus were repeatedly associated with multiple phenotypic variables in each data set. As has been previously noted, there was limited consistency between data sets, which in this case may be due to distinctions in patient populations and/or technical limitations. However, this approach consistently identified a small number of genes, including the recently implicated candidate susceptibility gene SERPINE2, as targets for further study. We believe this provides a rational approach that is applicable to many diseases and model systems for which data may already exist. However, further investigation is necessary to assert causation between prioritized candidates and the phenotype being investigated.
N-(3-Chlorobenzoyl)-2-nitrobenzenesulfonamide

In the title compound, C13H9ClN2O5S, the N—C bond in the C—SO2—NH—C segment has a gauche torsion with respect to the S=O bonds. The conformation between the N—H bond and the ortho-nitro group in the sulfonyl benzene ring is syn, and that between the C=O and the meta-Cl atom in the benzoyl ring is anti. The molecule is twisted at the S—N bond, with a torsion angle of 65.41 (38)°. The dihedral angle between the sulfonyl benzene ring and the –SO2—NH—C—O segment is 75.0 (1)°, and that between the sulfonyl and the benzoyl benzene ring is 89.1 (1)°. The crystal structure features inversion-related dimers linked by pairs of N—H⋯O(S) hydrogen bonds.
A Face Recognition System for Automated Door Opening with parallel Health Status Validation Using the Kinect v 2

Nowadays it is said that extending the healthy life expectancy is important in the aging society target group. Of course it is important for every singleperson household to be regularly checked upon their safety, but especially for elderly people the importance is higher at the point of healthy living, because this particular target group comprises a higher accidents rate. Therefore, the authors here propose the design and implementation of an unobtrusive vision system for single-person households, particularly for elderly people, based on the Microsoft Kinect v2. The entrance area of the home environment is here considered, where the monitoring system is activated upon while the user approaches, in order to first detect and calculate the user’s fatigue levels, as well as to secondly identify the user by facial recognition, in order to actuate a door opening mechanism. The proposed system algorithm is divided into two distinct phases. The first phase concerns the acquisition of the user knee position while walking up a staircase in order to calculate fatigue. The second phase comprises the face recognition based door opening method. The proposed system has been successfully tested, and it could undoubtedly comprise an unobtrusive health status validation and automated door opening solution for elderly people in single-person households.
Real Effects of Workers' Financial Distress: Evidence from Teacher Spillovers

This paper studies the effects of financial distress on the productivity of workers. Using detailed data from the public school system in Texas, which allows us to exploit within-teacher variation and to control for a student's economic environment, we show that student performance decreases by 1.6% following a declaration of bankruptcy by their teacher. The effect of financial distress increases with the complexity of the task: Students designated as "at-risk" experience a 5.7% decrease in performance after their teacher files for bankruptcy. Overall, our results indicate that household financial distress can have important consequences for the economy.
Activity of Hydroxyurea against Leishmania mexicana

ABSTRACT Leishmania mexicana is a protozoan parasite that causes a disease in humans with frequent relapses after treatment. It is also highly resistant to the currently available drugs. For this reason, there is an urgent need for more effective antileishmanial drugs. Hydroxyurea, an anticancer drug, is toxic to replicating eukaryotic cells and has been proven to be effective in arresting the Leishmania major cell cycle. In this study, hydroxyurea was tested in an in vitro model of intracellular Leishmania infection in macrophages. The parasite density in infected macrophages was measured by microscopy after incubation for various times and treatment with hydroxyurea at different concentrations. Viable parasites that could be transformed into promastigotes by shifting the temperature to 26°C were counted every other day after the replacement of hydroxyurea with fresh medium. Meglumine antimoniate, the standard drug treatment for Leishmania mexicana, was used as a reference drug under the same experimental conditions. Hydroxyurea completely eliminated Leishmania parasites when it was used at a dosage of 10 or 100 μg/ml. Differences in the length of treatment needed to achieve elimination were as follows: the 10-μg/ml doses required 9 days, while 3 days was sufficient when 100 μg/ml was used. Hydroxyurea had a 50% effective dose of 0.015 μg/ml in vitro, which was observed on day 6 after exposure. Hydroxyurea is highly effective in killing intracellular amastigotes in vitro.
The effect of changing the internal solution on sodium inactivation and related phenomena in giant axons.

This paper is concerned with the inactivation of the sodium system in perfused giant axons. Earlier experiments on perfused axons showed that when the artificial axoplasm was diluted with an isotonic sugar solution, action potentials could be obtained in the presence of little or no resting potential (Tasaki & Shimamura, 1962; Baker, Hodgkin & Shaw, 1962; Narahashi, 1963; Baker, Hodgkin & Meves, 1964). This is due to the fact that dilution of the internal potassium solution with a non-electrolyte causes both the inactivation curve and the relation between sodium conductance and membrane potential to shift in the direction of a more positive internal potential (Narahashi, 1963; Baker et al. 1964; Moore, Narahashi & Ulbricht, 1964). Baker et al. (1964) obtained some evidence that the shift in the inactivation, and probably the conductance, was due to the decrease in ionic strength rather than to the decrease in potassium concentration. The voltage clamp experiments presented in this paper support this conclusion. They show that the shift in the inactivation curve which occurs when the KCI is diluted with isotonic sucrose is absent when the KCI is diluted with NaCl, choline Cl or RbCl. This effect of ionic strength can be explained quantitatively by assuming a layer of fixed negative charges on the inside of the membrane. A preliminary report of some of these experiments has been given by Chandler & Meves (1964).
Assessment of Postoperative Analgesic Drug Efficacy: Method of Data Analysis Is Critical

BACKGROUND: Pain intensity ratings and opioid consumption (OC) are ubiquitous indicators of pain in postoperative trials of the efficacy of interventional procedures. Unfortunately, consensus on the appropriate statistical handling of these outcomes has not been reached. The aim of this article was, therefore, to reexamine original data obtained from a postoperative analgesic drug trial, applying a collection of standard statistical methods in analgesic outcome assessments. Furthermore, a modified integrated assessment method of these outcomes was evaluated. METHODS: Data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigating the analgesic efficacy of a regional anesthetic block following a major elective surgical procedure were analyzed. The original data included measurements of pain intensity (visual analog scale [VAS]) at rest and during coughing (VAS0/2/4/6/12/18/24 h) and OC0–6/0–24 h administered by patient-controlled analgesia. The statistical analyses included comparisons of discrete pain intensity scores (VAS0/2/4/6/12/18/24 h), summary measures of pain intensity ratings (area under the curve [AUC]-VAS0–6/0–24 h; mean VAS0–6/0–24 h), and OC0–6/0–24 h. Finally, the analyses also included an integrated assessment of longitudinally measured pain intensity and opioid consumption (PIOC0–6/0–24 h). Also, estimation of effect size, generalized odds ratio of the individual analgesic outcome variables was performed. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were included in the final data analysis. Discrete pain intensity ratings differed significantly between the treatment groups at specific postoperative time points, but appropriate correction for multiple comparisons eliminated some of these differences. AUC-VAS0–6 h differed significantly at rest and during coughing, while no difference was found for AUC-VAS0–24 h. In contrast, mean VAS0–6 h and VAS0–24 h differed significantly between treatment groups at rest and during coughing. OC0–6/0–24 h differed significantly between the treatment groups. Finally, also PIOC0–6/0–24 h differed significantly at rest and during coughing. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses demonstrate that the applied statistical method may alter the statistical significance and estimates of effect size of analgesic outcome variables in postoperative pain trials. Our findings underline the importance of defining valid statistical methods for future analgesic drug trials. We propose an integrated assessment of longitudinally measured pain intensity and opioid consumption (PIOC). The method combines two interdependent analgesic outcomes, lowers the risk of mass significance, and provides more accurate representation of the dynamic nature of postoperative pain and analgesic drug efficacy.
The annual Papanicolaou test

The merits of an annual Papanicolaou (Pap) test continue to incite debate and controversy. Recommendations for Pap test screening intervals vary. The annual Pap test still is widely supported by many organizations, but was criticized by others 20 years ago and again more recently. To our knowledge, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Statement on Cervical Cancer does not support the practice of annual testing fully. The NIH Statement reiterates the American Cancer Society’s recommendations for annual Pap screening beginning at the onset of sexual activity or age 18 years for 3 consecutive normal examinations; thereafter, the interval between screenings may increase at the discretion of the physician and patient. In contrast, triennial screening (or longer) generally is recommended in Canada and in Europe after initial entry Pap test. Mathematic models of cervical screening have provided opportunities to examine this issue. These models simulate results that otherwise could take decades to produce in an experimental program. Key parameters are drawn from data from a variety of screening programs and used to build detailed analytic models. The conclusions from these models can be used to assess the desirability of the annual Pap test. An appreciation of these modeling studies is important to understand the impact of an annual Pap smear in each individual woman. Available modeling studies come from international, American, and Canadian sources. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) examined data from eight European countries and Canadian provinces and estimated the risk of cervical carcinoma associated with different screening policies. The study concluded 81 CANCER CYTOPATHOLOGY
Anticipatory Learning for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

This paper is a methodological contribution to emerging debates on the role of learning, particularly forward-looking (anticipatory) learning, as a key element for adaptation and resilience in the context of climate change. First, we describe two major challenges: understanding adaptation as a process and recognizing the inadequacy of existing learning tools, with a specific focus on high poverty contexts and complex livelihood-vulnerability risks. Then, the article examines learning processes from a dynamic systems perspective, comparing theoretical aspects and conceptual advances in resilience thinking and action research/learning (AR/AL). Particular attention is paid to learning loops (cycles), critical reflection, spaces for learning, and power. Finally, we outline a methodological framework to facilitate iterative learning processes and adaptive decision making in practice. We stress memory, monitoring of key drivers of change, scenario planning, and measuring anticipatory capacity as crucial ingredients. Our aim is to identify opportunities and obstacles for forward-looking learning processes at the intersection of climatic uncertainty and development challenges in Africa, with the overarching objective to enhance adaptation and resilient livelihood pathways, rather than learning by shock.
Strategic Management in City Government: Integrating Information Communication Technologies and Marketing in a Causal Model to Drive Stakeholder Satisfaction and Economic Development

Integrating information communication technologies (ICTs) and marketing in strategic management of city government is critical to achieving stakeholder satisfaction and economic development. As a result of the rapid growth in computer networks and access to online services, the use of ICTs, for example, Internet and Intranet, as a communication and marketing platform can provide a city with a global advantage. City marketing focuses on promoting the attributes of a location to prospective stakeholders so that these individuals, businesses, and investors are attracted to visit, locate, or invest in the city. A causal model is presented where ICT is used to not only to deliver services to internal stakeholders, but also to market a city to external stakeholders. To be successful, managers need to be skilled in current technologies and marketing practices. Case study applications are discussed as well as the questions to address in future research to most effectively integrate ICTs and marketing in city management.
A human breathing lung‐on‐a‐chip

Here we describe a biomimetic microsystem that reconstitutes the critical functional alveolar‐capillary interface of the human lung and exposes it to cyclic mechanical strain and fluid dynamic forces that mimic breathing and blood flow. This microdevice reproduces complex integrated organ‐level responses to bacteria and inflammatory cytokines introduced into the alveolar space by inducing expression of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) on the microvascular endothelium surface, adhesion of circulating blood‐borne neutrophils, their transmigration across the capillary‐alveolar interface, and phagocytosis of the infectious pathogens, which can be visualized using real‐time, high‐resolution microscopy. Using this approach, we developed novel nanotoxicology models and revealed that physiological cyclic mechanical strain greatly accentuates toxic and inflammatory responses of the lung to silica nanoparticles by promoting rapid release of toxic reactive oxygen species by alveolar epithelial cells and upregulating endothelial ICAM‐1 expression. Mechanical strain also enhances nanoparticle uptake by the epithelial cells and stimulates their transport into the underlying microvasculature. This mechanically active biomimetic microsystem represents valuable new model systems for in vitro analysis of various physiological functions and disease processes, in addition to providing low‐cost alternatives to animal and clinical studies for drug screening and toxicology applications. This work was supported by grants from NIH and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.
Novel SISO Detection Algorithms for Nonlinear Satellite Channels

We propose novel detection algorithms for linear modulations transmitted over nonlinear satellite channels, also impaired by additive white Gaussian noise. These algorithms are derived by using a Volterra-series expansion of the useful signal and by applying the sum-product algorithm to a suitably-designed factor graph. Being soft-input soft-output (SISO) in nature, the proposed detectors can be adopted in turbo processing without additional modifications. Typical linear modulations employed in satellite transmissions are considered in the numerical results. When compared with the optimal detection algorithm for these channels, whose complexity is exponential in the channel memory, the proposed schemes result very appealing in terms of tradeoff between performance and computational complexity. Particularly, the proposed schemes can approach the optimal performance with a complexity only linear in the channel memory.
A dissociation between causal judgement and the ease with which a cause is categorized with its effect

The associative view of human causal learning argues that causation is attributed to the extent that the putative cause activates, via an association, a mental representation of the effect. That is, causal learning is a human analogue of animal conditioning. We tested this associative theory using a task in which a fictitious character suffered from two allergic reactions, rash (O1) and headache (O2). In a conditioned inhibition design with each of these two outcomes (A–O1/AX– and B–O2/BY–), participants were trained that one herbal remedy (X) prevented O1 and that the other (Y) prevented O2. These inhibitory properties were revealed in a causal judgement summation test. In a subsequent categorization task, X was most easily categorized with O1, and Y with O2. Thus, the categorization data indicated an excitatory X–O1 and Y–O2 association, the reverse of the inhibitory relationship observed on the causal judgement measure. A second experiment showed that this pattern of excitation and inhibition is dependent on intermixed A–O1 and AX– trials. These results are problematic for the standard application of associative activation theories to causal judgement. We argue instead that the inhibition revealed in the causal judgement task reflects inferential reasoning, which relies, in part, on the ability of the cue in question to excite a representation of the outcome, as revealed in the categorization test.
The Turnnet concept: routing in feed-forward networks with prohibited turns

The application of queuing theory to communication systems often requires that the respective networks are of a feed-forward nature, that is they have to be cycle-free. An effective way to ensure this property is to prohibit the use of a certain set of turns, where a turn is a combination of two adjacent, consecutive links. Unfortunately, current routing algorithms are usually not equipped to handle forbidden turns and the required extensions are far from being trivial. In this paper we discuss the relevant issues for the example of the widely deployed Dijkstra algorithm. Then, we address the general case and present our Turnnet concept, which supports arbitrary combinations of routing algorithms with turn-prohibiting feed-forward mechanisms.
Modified Equation of Shock Wave Parameters

Among the various blast load equations, the Kingery-Bulmash equation is applicable to both a free-air burst and a surface burst that enables calculations of the parameters of a pressure-time history curve. On the other hand, this equation is quite complicated. This paper proposes a modified equation that may replace the conventional Kingery-Bulmash equation. The proposed modified equation, which was constructed by performing curve-fitting of this equation, requires a brief calculation process with a simpler equation compared to the original equation. The modified equation is also applicable to both types of bursts and has the same calculable scaled distance range as the conventional equation. The calculation results obtained using the modified equation were similar to the results obtained from the original equation with a less than 1% difference.
Interference effects in femtosecond spectroscopy

This article aims to provide a short synopsis of interference effects connected with ultrafast laser pulses, where ‘ultrafast’ is defined as ca. 100 fs or faster. The discussion is divided into three parts: the first shows how interference between waves is responsible for generation of light pulses in the femtosecond and attosecond time domains; the second describes characterization of ultrafast pulses by different interferometric techniques, including diffraction of femtosecond light by a double slit; and the final section discusses selected measurements of interference phenomena created and probed with femtosecond time resolution, with an emphasis on experiments in atomic physics. The article attempts to illustrate how wave–like interference is a unifying concept that pervades much of physics on a femtosecond time–scale.
The influence of emotions on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and consumer loyalty

Research on the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in consumer loyalty has become increasingly important in recent academic literature. In this context, it has been suggested that emotions can turn into the mechanism which properly explains the reactions of consumers towards CSR. However, so far, the studies that analyze the role of the affective and emotional variables in this process are practically inexistent. This work aims to contribute to the literature by analyzing the influence of CSR initiatives in consumer loyalty considering a variable of an emotional nature, that is, the admiration for the company. The information provided by 252 consumers confirms that CSR practices are positively related to consumer’s loyalty to the company, both directly and indirectly, through the impact on perceived organizational reputation and admiration.