Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Whole mouse blood microRNA as biomarkers for exposure to 𝛄-rays and 56Fe ions

Purpose: Biomarkers of ionising radiation exposure are useful in a variety of scenarios, such as medical diagnostic imaging, occupational exposures, and spaceflight. This study investigates to what extent microRNA (miRNA) expression signatures in mouse peripheral blood can be used as biomarkers for exposures to radiation with low and high linear energy transfers. Materials and methods: Mice were irradiated with doses of 0.5, 1.5, or 5.0 Gy γ-rays (dose rate of 0.0136 Gy/s) or with doses of 0.1 or 0.5 Gy 56Fe ions (dose rate of 0.00208 Gy/s). Total RNA was isolated from whole blood at 6 h or 24 h after irradiation. Three animals per irradiation condition were used. Differentially expressed miRNA were determined by means of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: miRNA expression signatures were radiation type-specific and dose- and time-dependent. The differentially expressed miRNA were expressed in either one condition (71%) or multiple conditions (29%). Classifiers based on the differentially expressed miRNA predicted radiation type or dose with accuracies between 75% and 100%. Gene-ontology analyses show that miRNA induced by irradiation are involved in the control of several biological processes, such as mRNA transcription regulation, nucleic-acid metabolism, and development. Conclusion: miRNA signatures induced by ionising radiation in mouse blood are radiation type- and radiation dose-specific. These findings underline the complexity of the radiation response and the importance of miRNA in it.
The Relationship between R-D Expenditures and Economic Growth: A Case of the Central Asian Republics and Turkey

Research and Development (R-D), which means of new technology, new information, new production technics and new product is one of the most important resources of human capital. In endogenously growth theories, the relationship between R-D expenditure and economic growth that was developed by Romer, Grossman-Helpman and Aghion-Howitt, has directed a lot of studies nowadays. Enterprises have to seeking innovation to obtain. This seeking innovation, will raise efficiency and contribute the economic growth. Multiple countries which provide competitive power in science and technology and product technology and information based products, are inside the developed countries today. In this study, the relationship between R-D expenditures and economic growth was tested with panel data analysis for the four Central Asian Republic (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan) and for Turkey. General theory shows that there is a positive relationship between R-D and economic growth. This relationship will analyzed for the this five country. In this context, to test the data’s stability, we made Levin-Lin and Chu (LLC) Panel Unit Root Test. After that, we made Pedroni Cointegration and Panel Granger Causality tests. In the conclusion of the analysis it has been reached that there is a one-sided causal relation from economic growth to R-D expenditures. On the other hand there is no causal relation from R-D expenditures to economic growth.
Identifying Functional Connectivity in Large-Scale Neural Ensemble Recordings: A Multiscale Data Mining Approach

Identifying functional connectivity between neuronal elements is an essential first step toward understanding how the brain orchestrates information processing at the single-cell and population levels to carry out biological computations. This letter suggests a new approach to identify functional connectivity between neuronal elements from their simultaneously recorded spike trains. In particular, we identify clusters of neurons that exhibit functional interdependency over variable spatial and temporal patterns of interaction. We represent neurons as objects in a graph and connect them using arbitrarily defined similarity measures calculated across multiple timescales. We then use a probabilistic spectral clustering algorithm to cluster the neurons in the graph by solving a minimum graph cut optimization problem. Using point process theory to model population activity, we demonstrate the robustness of the approach in tracking a broad spectrum of neuronal interaction, from synchrony to rate co-modulation, by systematically varying the length of the firing history interval and the strength of the connecting synapses that govern the discharge pattern of each neuron. We also demonstrate how activity-dependent plasticity can be tracked and quantified in multiple network topologies built to mimic distinct behavioral contexts. We compare the performance to classical approaches to illustrate the substantial gain in performance.
A location-aware discrete region approach for spatial access opportunity analysis in cognitive radio networks

Spectrum access is an important research topic in cognitive radio networks, in which secondary users (SUs) manage to utilize the licensed spectrum bands of primary users opportunistically. However, there is a tradeoff between the access opportunities for SUs and communication constraints from primary networks. Moreover, considering the interplay among SUs sharing the limited spatial access resources, how much the access opportunity a SU can derive become complex to determine. In this paper, to protect the primary users(PUs) from the interference caused by SUs, a location-aware discrete region model for spatial spectrum access opportunities of SUs is highlighted, in which the exact value of access opportunity is quantitative as the expected allowed-transmitting number (EATN) of SUs surrounding a PU. Considering the impact of SUs transmission probability and mobility, a probabilistic analysis and a finite-state Markov chain is undertaken. Simulation results show the change rules of SUs access opportunities with parameters of primary and secondary networks, which is full of conductive in determining the deployment and operation of secondary network.
Nigerian Internet Fraud: Policy/Law Changes That Can Improve Effectiveness

Nigerian Internet Fraud: Policy/Law Changes That Can Improve Effectiveness. This paper presents research about Nigerian Internet fraud and the policy/law changes that can help to prevent it. The paper will further examine some of the relevant legal measures available to help combat cyber fraud in Nigeria. It further highlights the Nigeria 419 scam, which became a major concern for the international community. It is noteworthy that the introduction, growth, and use of the Internet has come with numerous benefits but has also been accompanied by an increase in Internet fraud and other illegal activities. Cyberspace provides numerous opportunities where hijacked emails, anonymous servers and fake websites are being used by scammers to carry out fraudulent activities. The international revolution in ICTs (Information and Communications Technology) has been affected by Nigerian advanced fee fraud on the Internet. Such forms of criminal activities also cover lottery romance and charity scams. Estimates of the losses accrued as a result of cyber fraud are enormous and vary widely. All the Internet frauds are considered as cross-border crime and this paper considers Nigeria as a research study. The paper will conclude by highlighting or discussing some of the measures to monitor or fight the Internet use in illegal activities.
FESP: Fast and Energy Efficient Service Provisioning in 6LoWPAN

In this paper we propose a fast and energy efficient service provisioning approach. In our work, we focus towards the management of already discovered services. We assert that if the sensor nodes share the important service information among each other, then the service re-discovery can be reduced at greater extent. Hence a significant amount of Service Discover (SD) time and the network energy cost can be saved. We propose the threshold-based technique by devising the formula that determines the importance of the service, and a mechanism of sharing that service through the proposed scheme. We also discuss the performance of different SD protocols with and without implementation of proposed Fast and Energy Efficient Service Provisioning (FESP).
Cardiorespiratory Disease in Men and Women in Urban Scotland: Baseline Characteristics of the Renfrew/Paisley(Midspan) Study Population

Study objective: To describe the distribution of risk factors, risk behaviours, symptoms and the prevalence of cardiorespiratory disease in men and women in an urban area with high levels of socioeconomic deprivation. A cross-sectional survey of 15,411 men and women aged 45–64, comprising an 80% response rate from the general population in Paisley and Renfrew, Scotland Main results: The main characteristics of the male Renfrew/Paisley population, compared to previous British studies, were shorter stature, higher blood pressure, a higher proportion of smokers who continue to smoke, lower FEV1 and higher levels of reported angina, breathlessness on effort and chronic bronchitis. In comparison with men, the main characteristics of the female Renfrew/Paisley population were shorter stature, higher plasma cholesterol, lower FEV1′ fewer current and ex-smokers, and a higher prevalence of breathlessness on effort. There were only small differences between men and women in the prevalence of angina, ECG evidence of myocardial ischaemia and chronic bronchitis. Conclusions: Middle-aged men and women in an urban area with high levels of socio-economic deprivation have different cardio- respiratory risk and disease profiles compared to previous population studies in the UK, based on occupational groups and random national samples.
Traceable $\hbox{CO}_{2}\hbox{-}{\rm R}(12)$  Line Intensity for Laser-Spectroscopy-Based Gas Analysis Near 2 $\mu \hbox{m}$

The authors determined the CO2-R(12) line intensity (region) employing direct absorption spectroscopy improved by several high-accuracy-oriented new developments, with a relative uncertainty of 0.5%, k = 1. All the input quantities are traceable and the uncertainty was evaluated Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement compliant. The result for the line intensity is in agreement with the high-resolution transmission molecular absorption database value but 1.4% smaller. It was applied to partial pressure measurements of CO2 in N2 for samples of gravimetric-traceable known amount of CO2 fractions. The differences of the results obtained from direct absorption spectroscopy and the gravimetric values were 0.4% or less
Biological screening of araripe basin medicinal plants using Artemia salina Leach and pathogenic bacteria

Background: Many medicinal plant species from the Araripe Basin are widely known and used in folk medicine and for commercial manufacturing of phytotherapeutic products. Few ethnobotanical and pharmacological studies have been undertaken in this region, however, in spite of the great cultural and biological diversity found there. Materials and Methods: Extracts of 11 plant species collected from Ceará state, Brazil, were subjected to the brine shrimp lethality test in order to detect potential sources of novel cytotoxic, antitumor compounds. The larvicidal activity, based on the percentage of larval mortality, was evaluated after 24 h exposure to the treatments. Results: All species tested showed good larvicidal activity as compared to a reference compound and literature data. The extract from Vanillosmopsis arborea was the most active with an LC50 of 3.9 μg/ml. Best results were shown by Lantana montevidensis against Pseudomonas aeruginosa [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 8μg/ml] and Escherichia coli (MIC 32 μg/ml), Zanthoxylum rhoifolium against E. coli (MIC, 256 μg/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 64 μg/ml) and Croton zenhtneri against S. aureus (MIC 64 μg/ml). Conclusion: Chemical tests indicated that a wide variety of natural product classes was present in those extracts that showed significant activities in the bioassays.
Use of the Extended-Pedicle Vastus Lateralis Free Flap for Lower Extremity Reconstruction

Background: Soft-tissue coverage in the lower extremity usually requires a flap with a long pedicle, low donor-site morbidity, and versatility in terms of shape and volume. The extended-pedicle free vastus lateralis muscle flap has previously been described for head and neck cancer, and it fulfills these requirements. Methods: Twelve patients with lower extremity defects underwent reconstruction with an ipsilateral free vastus lateralis muscle flap. The flap included a segment of the distalmost part of the muscle, distal to the entry point of the motor nerve to the vastus lateralis, based on the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex vessels. Up to 20 cm of vascular pedicle with a large caliber was obtained. In three cases, a combined distal vastus lateralis and anterolateral thigh flap was used as a chimeric flap. Results: All flaps were successful. Infection developed in two cases and required flap reelevation and new wound débridement. There was no substantial subjective donor-site morbidity. Conclusions: Elevation of the flap can be performed with the patient in the supine position and is extremely fast and straightforward, without the added difficulty of anatomical variation or extensive intramuscular vascular dissection. The pedicle is long and of large caliber. Although the series is short, the authors conclude that this is a useful free flap for lower extremity reconstruction.
Haemostasis management of massive bleeding

Summary Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is a frequent complication of severely injured patients. The etiology of TIC is complex. Contributing factors include overwhelming generation of thrombin and activated protein C, consumption of coagulation factors and platelets, hyperfibrinolysis, and dilution of clotting factors through administration of fluids. In addition, hypothermia and shock-associated metabolic acidosis augment the clotting dysfunctions. The occurrence of TIC has been shown to be an independent risk factor for death after trauma warranting aggressive treatment. On admission to the emergency room patients with massive blood loss should be employed on basis of clinical and diagnostic variables to identify patients at high risk of coagulopathy. Patients at high risk should be treated with tranexamic acid (1 g bolus followed by 1 g/8 h), and critical factor and platelet deficiencies should be corrected by transfusion of factor concentrates and platelet concentrates. In addition, plasma should be administered in a 1 : 1 ratio with red cells. The use of recombinant factor VIIa should be considered if major bleeding persists despite best-practive use of blood products.
Establishing an institutional therapeutic apheresis registry

Apheresis was first performed as a therapeutic procedure in the 1950s. The first national therapeutic apheresis (TA) registry was established in Canada in 1981 and other national registries followed, including two attempts at establishing an international TA registry. There is no national registry in the United States. Our large, academic, tertiary hospital has a very active TA service. We created a TA database to track all procedures performed by the apheresis service by transferring data from paper appointment logs and the electronic medical records into a Microsoft Access database. Retrospective data from each TA procedure performed at UAB from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2012 were entered, including the type of procedure, indication, date, and patient demographics. Microsoft Excel was used for data analysis. During the 10‐year period, our TA service treated 1,060 patients and performed 11,718 procedures. Of these patients, 70% received therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), 21% received extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), 4.5% received red cell exchange (RCE), 4.2% received leukocytapheresis, and 0.6% underwent platelet depletion. Among the procedures, 54% were TPEs, 44% were ECPs, 1.3% were RCEs, 0.5% were leukocytaphereses, and 0.1% were platelet depletions. According to the current literature, national and international TA use is underreported. We believe that the UAB TA registry provides useful information about TA practices in our region and can serve as a model for other institutions. Furthermore, data from multiple institutional registries can be used for clinical research to increase the available evidence for the role of TA in various conditions. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:516–522, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Management of acute kidney injury in the intensive care unit: a cost-effectiveness analysis of daily vs alternate-day hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND Although evidence suggests that a higher hemodialysis dose and/or frequency may be associated with improved outcomes, the cost-effectiveness of a daily hemodialysis strategy for critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) is unknown. METHODS We developed a Markov model of the cost, quality of life, survival, and incremental cost-effectiveness of daily hemodialysis, compared with alternate-day hemodialysis, for patients with AKI in the intensive care unit (ICU). We employed a societal perspective with a lifetime analytic time horizon. We modeled the efficacy of daily hemodialysis as a reduction in the relative risk of death on the basis of data reported in the 2004 clinical trial published by Schiffl et al. We performed 1- and 2-way sensitivity analyses across cost, efficacy, and utility input variables. The main outcome measure was cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). RESULTS In the base case for a 60-year-old man, daily hemodialysis was projected to add 2.14 QALYs and $10,924 in cost. We found that the cost-effectiveness of daily hemodialysis compared with alternate-day hemodialysis was $5084 per QALY gained. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio became less favorable (>$50,000 per QALY gained) when the maintenance hemodialysis rate of the daily hemodialysis group was varied to more than 27% and when the difference in 14-day postdischarge mortality between the alternatives was varied to less than 0.5%. CONCLUSION Daily hemodialysis is a cost-effective strategy compared with alternate-day hemodialysis for patients with severe AKI in the ICU.
ProCCA: Protective Clear Channel Assessment in IEEE 802.11 WLANs

In wireless local area network, all transmissions are preceded by clear channel assessment (CCA), which determines the availability of wireless medium. Ideally, CCA should enable concurrent transmissions, whenever possible, to improve network capacity via spatial reuse. However, current CCA method is inherently limited in exploiting spatial reuse. Only the received signal strength of an incoming frame is utilized for CCA, and hence, the feasibility of a concurrent transmission should be determined without the knowledge of the frame's transmitter, the corresponding receiver, etc. In this letter, we propose a novel CCA method which utilizes additional information delivered in the physical layer header to properly determine the feasibility of concurrent transmissions. Simulation results show that the proposed method increases network throughput by up to 54% by promoting spatial reuse.
Effects of Aging on Antipyrine Clearance: Predictive Factors of Metabolizing Capacity

The purpose of this study was to identify variables that can account for the decline of antipyrine clearance (ClAP) in elderly adults and that may help predict a reduction in metabolizing capacity. For comparison, ClAP was determined in 177 elderly (mean age 82 years) and 25 young (mean age 29 years) volunteers. Antipyrine (1 g) was administered orally and ClAP was determined by the one‐sample saliva method. Mean ClAP was reduced by 38% and antipyrine half‐life increased by 64% in old subjects. Multiple regression analysis of ClAP revealed an independent value for age, serum aspartate transaminase (AST), and height in the elderly. The independent variables collectively accounted for 27% of the variance explained. Age, high serum AST, use of diuretics, and no consumption of drugs known to stimulate oxidative metabolism were selected by multivariate analysis (logistic model) as independent predictors of a low metabolizing capacity. The findings indicate that factors other than age may contribute to impaired hepatic oxidative metabolism in the elderly.
Biological Activity of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Lipopolysaccharides Evaluated via Interleukin-8 Secretion by Caco-2 Cells

Background: Although Desulfovibrio desulfuricans species, besides existing in the natural environment, is also found in the human digestive tract, no information is currently available on its role in the intestinal ecosystem and its activity in regard to the intestinal mucosa. Bacterial products (lipopolysaccharides, LPSs) are generally known for their ability to trigger inflammatory response by stimulating cytokine expression, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8). Methods: Colonic Caco-2 cells were exposed to LPSs isolated from the soil type and intestinal wild strains of D. desulfuricans bacteria. The amount of IL-8 secreted was measured by ELISA. The effects of sodium butyrate and cell preincubation with sodium butyrate on the IL-8 secretion in response to LPSs were also analysed. Results: LPSs from D. desulfuricans down-regulated IL-8 secretion by the cells. Incubation of these cells with butyrate alone resulted in a dose-dependent stimulation of IL-8 release. Butyrate also modulated IL-8 secretion by cells stimulated with LPSs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest the lack of inflammatory response of intestinal mucosa in the presence of LPSs of D. desulfuricans. This response can be conditioned by the natural bacterial product, butyrate, which exerts a stimulatory effect on the IL-8 secretion and modulates its release in response to LPSs.
Impacts of Unsustainable Mahogany Logging in Bolivia and Peru

Although bigleaf mahogany [Swietenia macrophylla King (Meliaceae)] is the premier timber species of Latin America, its exploitation is unsustainable because of a pattern of local depletion and shifting supply. We surveyed experts on the status of mahogany in Bolivia and Peru, the world's past and present largest exporters. Bolivia no longer has commercially viable mahogany (trees > 60 cm diameter at breast height) across 79% of its range. In Peru, mahogany's range has shrunk by 50%, and, within a decade, a further 28% will be logged out. Approximately 15% of the mahogany range in these two countries is protected, but low densities and illegal logging mean that this overestimates the extent of mahogany under protection. The international community can support mahogany conservation by funding park management and by encouraging independent verification of the legality of mahogany in trade. Our findings demonstrate that a systematic expert survey can generate reliable and cost-effective information on the status of widespread species of concern and help to inform appropriate management policy. Recommended citation: Kometter, R. F. , M. Martinez, A. G. Blundell, R. E. Gullison, M. K. Steininger, and R. E. Rice. 2004. Impacts of unsustainable mahogany logging in Bolivia and Peru. Ecology and Society 9(1): 12. [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety. org/vol9/iss1/art12