Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Information Measure Based on Example-Dependent Misclassification Costs and Its Application in Decision Tree Learning

This article describes how the costs of misclassification given with the individual training objects for classification learning can be used in the construction of decision trees for minimal cost instead of minimal error class decisions. This is demonstrated by defining modified, cost-dependent probabilities, a new, cost-dependent information measure, and using a cost-sensitive extension of the CAL5 algorithm for learning decision trees. The cost-dependent information measure ensures the selection of the (local) next best, that is, cost-minimizing, discriminating attribute in the sequential construction of the classification trees. This is shown to be a cost-dependent generalization of the classical information measure introduced by Shannon, which only depends on classical probabilities. It is therefore of general importance and extends classic information theory, knowledge processing, and cognitive science, since subjective evaluations of decision alternatives can be included in entropy and the transferred information. Decision trees can then be viewed as cost-minimizing decoders for class symbols emitted by a source and coded by feature vectors. Experiments with two artificial datasets and one application example show that this approach is more accurate than a method which uses class dependent costs given by experts a priori.
Electrochemical Characterization of the Marine Antioxidant Gadusol

The electrochemical properties of gadusol, a metabolite extracted from fish roes, were determined for the first time by cyclic- and square-wave voltammetries on a glassy carbon electrode in buffered aqueous solutions. The aims of the work were characterization of the redox behavior and assessment of the mechanism underlying the antioxidant capacity of the compound. Anodic waves with peak potentials of 710 ± 5 mV and 601 ± 9 mV vs. Ag/AgCl were obtained for gadusol and its anion gadusolate, respectively. The voltammograms point to the irreversible nature of the oxidation process and reveal better antioxidant properties for the compound under physiological pH, with a moderate reductive power, but improved stability under atmospheric oxidation in comparison with other natural antioxidants such as ascorbic acid. The presence of direct ionic micelles prepared with sodium dodecyl-sulfate or cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride yielded no significant differences regarding homogeneous medium in the cyclic voltammetry of gadusolate. The results provide evidence of the electron transfer mechanism for the quenching reaction of standard-reactive species by gadusolate and support it as a promising candidate to be tested as an antioxidant additive to food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulas. The direct analysis of the metabolite in biological systems and natural extracts by electrochemical methods is also envisaged.
Cloning and Nucleotide Sequencing of a Novel 73-( 4-Carboxybutanamido ) cephalosporanic Acid Acylase Gene of Bacillus laterosporus and Its Expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

enzyme preparations purified from either recombinant strain of E. coli or B. subtilis were shown to be identical with each other as regards the profile of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were composed of a single peptide with the molecular size of 70 kDa. Determination of the amino-terminal sequence of the two enzyme preparations revealed that both amino-terminal sequences (the first nine amino acids) were identical and completely coincided with residues 28 to 36 of the open reading frame. Extracellular excretion of the enzyme was observed in a recombinant strain of B. subtilis.
Admission Data Predict High Hospital Readmission Risk

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify data available at the time of hospital admission that predict readmission risk. Methods: We performed a retrospective multiple regression analysis of 958 adult, nonpregnant patients admitted to the Family Medicine Service between June 2012 and October 2013. Data were abstracted from hospital administrative sources and electronic medical records. The outcome was 30-day hospital readmission. Candidate readmission predictors included polypharmacy (≥6 medicines), Charlson comorbidity index, age, sex, insurance status, emergency department use, smoking, nursing report of cognitive issues, patient report of social support or financial issues, and a history of heart failure, pneumonia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results: Patients at the Family Medicine Service had a 14% readmission risk. Bivariate analysis showed that high Charlson scores (≥5), polypharmacy, heart failure, pneumonia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease each increased readmission risk (P < .05). A logistic model showed an estimated odds ratio for readmission for high Charlson scores of 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.1–2.6) and of 2.1 for polypharmacy (95% confidence interval, 1.3–3.7). The model yielded a readmission risk estimate of 6% if neither a high Charlson score nor polypharmacy was present, 9% if only the Charlson score was high, 12% if only polypharmacy was present, and 19% if both were present. The receiver operating characteristics curve for the 2-factor model yielded an estimated area under the curve of 85%. Cross-validation supported this result. Conclusions: Polypharmacy and higher Charlson score at admission predict readmission risk as well as or better than published risk prediction models. The model could help to conserve limited resources and to target interventions for reducing readmission among the highest-risk patients.
Postmenopausal estrogen use affects risk for Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND Although estrogen therapy has been associated with improved cognitive functioning, a reduced risk of dementia in women with Parkinson disease (PD), and a decreased risk of Alzheimer disease, estrogen therapy has not affected the risk of PD per se. OBJECTIVE To determine whether postmenopausal women with PD differed from control subjects with regard to estrogen exposure.Design, Setting, and Patients A case-control design was used, abstracting questionnaire data obtained via interview from 133 female PD cases and 128 female controls during routine outpatient clinic visits in 1999 at a mid-Atlantic tertiary care referral center. There were 140 subjects (68 PD cases and 72 controls) who met the inclusion criteria. Main Outcome Measure Use of postmenopausal estrogen therapy. RESULTS More women in the control group than in the PD group took postmenopausal estrogen (36 [50%] of 72 women vs 17 [25%] of 68 women; P<.003), and women who had taken postmenopausal estrogen were less likely to develop PD than those who had not (odds ratio, 0.40 [95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.84]; P<.02). Among PD cases only, postmenopausal estrogen use was not associated with age of onset. CONCLUSION Postmenopausal estrogen therapy may be associated with a reduced risk of PD in women.
Comparative pharmacokinetics and safety of a novel lyophilized amphotericin B lecithin-based oil-water microemulsion and amphotericin B deoxycholate in animal models.

Amphotericin B (AmB) has been a most effective systemic antifungal agent, but its use is circumscribed by the dose-limiting toxicity of the conventional micellar dispersion formulation Fungizone (D-AmB). To lower AmB-associated toxicity, AmB may be integrated into oil-in-water lecithin-based microemulsions. The present study compares the pharmacokinetic characteristics of D-AmB with the alternative formulation of AmB in microemulsion (M-AmB), which has proved effective in a murine candidiasis model. Both formulations were given by intravenous bolus: D-AmB 1 mg/kg, and M-AmB 0.5, 1 or 2 mg/kg. The pharmacokinetics of D-AmB and M-AmB have several differences, specifically with regard to the respective Cmax and AUC0- infinity values. Elimination of AmB from serum was biphasic for both M-AmB and D-AmB. Single-dose D-AmB (1 mg/kg) achieved a Cmax of 3.89 +/- 0.48 mg/L and an AUC0- infinity of 32.28 +/- 7.31 mg.h/L, whereas single-dose M-AmB (1 mg/kg) by comparison achieved a lower Cmax (2.92 +/- 0.54 mg/L) and a lower AUC0- infinity (21.89 +/- 5.17 mg.h/L). To evaluate the safety of M-AmB, a multiple-dose toxicity study was performed in groups of 10 mice, each receiving D-AmB 1 mg/kg, or M-AmB 1, 1.5, 2 or 3 mg/kg. The findings suggest that, in comparison with D-AmB, M-AmB produces no histologically demonstrable renal lesions, or changes in clinical chemistry.
VIRUSES AND THE TYPE I INTERFERON ANTIVIRAL SYSTEM: INDUCTION AND EVASION

The type I interferon (IFN) system responds to viral infection and induces an "antiviral state" in cells, providing an important first line of defense against virus infection. Interaction of type I IFNs (IFNα and IFNβ) with their receptor induces hundreds of cellular genes. Of the proteins induced by IFN, the antiviral function of only a few is known, and their mechanisms of action are only partly understood. Additionally, although viral-encoded mechanisms that counteract specific components of the type I IFN response have been known for some time, it has recently become clear that many (if not most) viruses encode some form of IFN-antagonist. Understanding the interplay between viral-encoded IFN antagonists and the interferon response will be essential if the therapeutic potential of IFNs is to be fully exploited.
The Os Coxae of a Digging Form of the Northern Water Vole, Arvicola terrestris (Rodentia, Arvicolidae)

Data on the morphology, relative growth and sexual dimorphism of the os coxae of a digging form of the northern water vole Arvicola terrestris (A. t. monticola) are given. Two hundred ninety‐nine specimens (146 males and 153 females) caught in the Aran Valley (Spanish Pyrenees) were analyzed. The specimens were distributed into six classes of relative age, according to the skull morphology, kind of coat, moulting state, weight and sexual state.
Simultaneous Analysis of New Designer Drug, Methylone, and Its Metabolites in Urine by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography- Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

In order to prove the intake of a newly encountered designer drug, Methylone, a sensitive and useful method, which allows us to simultaneously detect Methylone and its metabolites in human urine, has been established by means of a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI MS). GC-MS accompanied with trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivatization and LC-MS analyses were performed following acid hydrolysis and liquid-liquid extraction with a chloroform-2-propanol mixture (3:1, v/v). Methylone and its metabolites, 3,4-methylenedioxycathinone (MDC), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethcathinone (HMMC) and 3-hydroxy-4-methoxymethcathinone (3-OH-4-MeO-MC) could be satisfactorily separated on a semi-micro ODS column using linear gradient elution with a binary mobile phase of methanol and 10 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH 3.5). The detection limits of the four analytes by GC-MS were over the range of 5-25 ng/ml in a scan mode, and 0.5-2.5 ng/ml in a selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Upon applying the LC-ESI MS technique, the linear calibration curves were obtained using the SIM mode in the range of 25-500 ng/ml for Methylone, HMMC and 3-OH-4-MeO-MC, and 50-1000 ng/ml for MDC. The detection limits were over the range of 25-100 ng/ml in the scan mode, and 2.5-25 ng/ml in the SIM mode. Because of its high sensitivity, this analytical procedure will be applicable for proof of Methylone intake in forensic toxicology and clinical chemistry.
Strategies for replica consistency in data grid – a comprehensive survey

Data grid provides an efficient solution for data‐oriented applications that need to manage and process large data sets located at geographically distributed storage resources. Data grid relies on data replicas to enhance the performance and to ensure the fault tolerant results to the users. Replicas are developed to increase the availability of data and to provide better data access. Replicas have their own advantages, but there are a number of issues that must be resolved. Among various existing issues, the critical concern is replica consistency. Various replica consistency strategies are available in the literature. These strategies rationalize and investigate various parameters like bandwidth consumption, access cost, scalability, execution time, storage consumption, staleness, and freshness of replicas. In this paper, several asynchronous replica consistencies are classified and analyzed based on various strategies such as topology, level of abstraction, update propagation, and locality. Some other strategies are also discussed and analyzed like adaptive consistency, quorum‐based consistency, load balancing, and agent‐based economically efficient, check‐pointing, fault tolerance, and conflict management. Parameters on which these strategies are analyzed are methodology, replication classification, consistency, grid topology, environment, evaluation parameters, and performance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of peg-interferon, ribavirin plus telaprevir vs simeprevir by propensity score matching.

AIM To compare efficacy of telaprevir (TVR) and simeprevir (SMV) combined with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) while treating chronic hepatitis C (CHC). METHODS In all, 306 CHC patients were included in this study. There were 159 patients in the TVR combination therapy group and 147 patients in the SMV combination therapy group. To evaluate pretreatment factors contributing to sustained virological response at 12 wk (SVR12), univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in TVR and SMV groups. To adjust for patient background between TVR and SMV groups, propensity score matching was performed. Virological response during treatment and SVR12 were evaluated. RESULTS Overall rates of SVR12 [undetectable serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels] were 79.2% and 69.4% in TVR and SMV groups, respectively. Patients in the SMV group were older, had higher serum HCV RNA levels, lower hemoglobin, higher prevalence of unfavorable interleukin-28B (IL28B) genotype (rs8099917), and poorer response to previous PEG-IFN and RBV treatment. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for backgrounds (n = 104) and demonstrated SVR12 rates of 74.0% and 73.1% in the TVR and SMV groups, respectively. In the TVR group, discontinuation rates were higher because of adverse events; however, breakthrough and nonresponse was more frequent in the in SMV group. Multivariate analysis revealed IL28B genotype (rs8099917) as the only independent predictive factor of SVR12 in both groups. CONCLUSION SVR12 rates were almost identical following propensity score matching.
A new method to evaluate volumetric changes in sinus augmentation procedure.

BACKGROUND In sinus augmentation procedure, the assessment of volume changes of grafted materials is important both in the clinical practice and in dental research to evaluate the features of filling materials. PURPOSE In this study, we assessed the repeatability of a new method proposed to evaluate volumetric changes following sinus lift augmentation procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 10 patients, maxillary sinus augmentation procedure with simultaneous implant placement was performed. Maxillary cone beam computer tomographies were taken 1 week after surgery (T1) and 6 months after surgery (T2). At each evaluation the gap inside the implant between the fixture and the bottom of the screw was used as reference point (Rp), and a standardized volume of interest (VOI) centered on the Rp was selected. Masks were chosen to select the graft and bone tissue within the VOI; the volume at T1, T2, and the difference of volume between T1 and T2 were computed. Expert and non-expert operators performed the analysis. Method errors were computed. RESULTS The error of the method was 1% for both intra-operator and inter-operator measurements. Tissue contraction at T2 was 19 ± 4% of the total initial volume. CONCLUSIONS The standardization of the method allows to obtain repeatable measurements.
Experiments on the Development of the Head of the Chick Embryo

1. Experiments were made on the development of the head of chicken embryos cultivated in vitro . 2. Defects in the presumptive head region of primitive streak embryos are regulated completely if the wound fills up before the histogenesis of neural tissue begins in the head-process stage. Different methods by which the hole is filled are described. 3. No repair occurs in the head-process and head-fold stages, and in this period two masses of neural tissue cannot heal together. 4. Median defects, even if repaired as regards neural tissue, cause a failure of the ventral closure of the foregut. The lateral evaginations of the gut develop typically in atypical situations. The headfold may break through and join up with the endoderm in such a way that the gut acquires an anterior opening. 5. The paired heart rudiments may develop separately. The separate vesicles begin to contract at a time appropriate to the development of the embryo as a whole. The two hearts are mirror images, the left one having the normal curvature, but the embryos do not survive long enough for the hearts to acquire a very definite shape. 6. The forebrain has a considerable capacity for repair in the early somite stages (five to twenty-five somites). One-half of the forebrain can remodel itself into a complete forebrain. In some cases the neural plate and epidermis grow together over the wound, in others the epidermis and mesenchyme make the first covering, leaving a space along the inside of which the neural tissue grows. The neural tissue may become a very thin sheet. 7. The repaired forebrain may induce the formation of a nasal placode from the non-presumptive nasal epidermis which covers the wound. 8. If the optic vesicle is entirely removed, a new one is not formed, but parts of the vesicle can regulate to complete eye-cups, either when still attached to the forebrain or after being isolated in the extra-embryonic regions of another embryo. 9. Injured optic vesicles induce lenses from the non-presumptive epidermis which grows over the wound. Transplanted optic neural tissue from embryos of about five somites induces the formation of lentoids from extra-embryonic ectoderm, but only in a small proportion of cases. 10. The presumptive lens epidermis can produce a slight thickening even when contact with the optic cup is prevented. 11. The significance of periods of minimum regulatory power for the concept of determination is discussed. 12. The data concerning lens formation are discussed in terms of the field concept.
Special peptidyl-tRNA molecules can promote translational frameshifting without slippage

Recently we described an unusual programmed +1 frameshift event in yeast retrotransposon Ty3. Frameshifting depends on the presence of peptidyl-tRNA(AlaCGC) on the GCG codon in the ribosomal P site and on a translational pause stimulated by the slowly decoded AGU codon. Frameshifting occurs on the sequence GCG-AGU-U by out-of-frame binding of a valyl-tRNA to GUU without slippage of peptidyl-tRNA(AlaCGC). This mechanism challenges the conventional understanding that frameshift efficiency must correlate with the ability of mRNA-bound tRNA to slip between cognate or near-cognate codons. Though frameshifting does not require slippery tRNAs, it does require special peptidyl-tRNAs. We show that overproducing a second isoacceptor whose anticodon had been changed to CGC eliminated frameshifting; peptidyl-tRNA(AlaCGC) must have a special capacity to induce +1 frameshifting in the adjacent ribosomal A site. In order to identify other special peptidyl-tRNAs, we tested the ability of each of the other 63 codons to replace GCG in the P site. We found no correlation between the ability to stimulate +1 frameshifting and the ability of the cognate tRNA to slip on the mRNA--several codons predicted to slip efficiently do not stimulate frameshifting, while several predicted not to slip do stimulate frameshifting. By inducing a severe translational pause, we identified eight tRNAs capable of inducing measurable +1 frameshifting, only four of which are predicted to slip on the mRNA. We conclude that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, special peptidyl-tRNAs can induce frameshifting dependent on some characteristic(s) other than the ability to slip on the mRNA.
Fungus-Growing Ants

Fungus-growing ants (Attini) are in reality unique fungus-culturing insects.There are several hundred species in some dozen genera, of which Acromyrmex and Atta are the conspicuous leaf-cutters. The center of their activities is the fungus garden, which is also the site of the queen and brood. The garden, in most species, is made from fresh green leaves or other vegetal material. The ants forage for this, forming distinct trails to the vegetation that is being harvested. The cut leaves or other substrate are brought into the nest and prepared for the fungus. Fresh leaves and flowers are cut into pieces a millimeter or two in diameter; the ants form them into a pulpy mass by pinching them with the mandibles and adding saliva. Anal droplets are deposited on the pieces, which are then forced into place in the garden. Planting of the fungus is accomplished by an ant's picking up tufts of the adjacent mycelium and dotting the surface of the new substrate with it. The combination of salivary and anal secretions, together with the constant care given by the ants, facilitates the growth of the ant fungus only, despite constant possibilities for contamination. When the ants are removed, alien fungi and other organisms flourish. A mature nest of Atta Sexdens may consist of 2000 chambers, some temporarily empty, some with refuse, and the remainder with fungus gardens. Thousands of kilograms of fresh leaves will have been used. A young laboratory colony of Atta cephalotes will use 1 kilogram of fresh leaves for one garden. The attines are the chief agents for introducing organic matter into the soil in tropical rain forests; this matter becomes the nucleus for a host of other organisms, including nematodes and arthropods, after it is discarded by the ants. One ant species cultures a yeast; all others grow a mycelium. In the higher species the mycelium forms clusters of inflated hyphae. Mycologists accept as valid two names for confirmed fruiting stages: Leucocoprinus ( or Leucoagaricus) gongylophora (Moeller 1893) and Lepiota n. sp.