Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technetium-99m-labeled stealth pH-sensitive liposomes: a new strategy to identify infection in experimental model

The diagnosis of inflammatory and infectious processes is an important goal in medicine. The use of radiopharmaceuticals for identification of inflammation and infection foci has received considerable attention. The aim of this work was to evaluate the uptake and the imaging potential of stealth pH-sensitive liposomes radiolabelled with 99mTechnetium (99mTc) to identify infection sites in mice. The liposomes containing glutathione were labeled with 99mTc-Hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) complex. The 99mTc-labeled stealth pH-sensitive liposomes (99mTc-SpHL) were injected in mice bearing infection in the right thigh muscle induced by Staphylococcus aureus. Biodistribution studies and scintigraphic imaging were performed at different times after injection of radiopharmaceutical. The 99mTc-SpHL was significantly uptaken by abscess when compared to the respective control. The abscess was visualized as early as 0.5 hours after injection of 99mTc-SpHL becoming more prominent with the time. These results indicate that 99mTc-SpHL is a promising radiopharmaceutical for visualizing infection foci in patients.
An indirect comparison and cost per responder analysis of adalimumab, methotrexate and apremilast in the treatment of methotrexate-naïve patients with psoriatic arthritis

Abstract Objective Apremilast was recently approved for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, no studies compare apremilast with methotrexate or biologic therapies, so its relative comparative efficacy remains unknown. This study compared the response rates and incremental costs per responder associated with methotrexate, apremilast, and biologics for the treatment of active PsA. Methods A systematic literature review was performed to identify phase 3 randomized controlled clinical trials of approved biologics, methotrexate, and apremilast in the methotrexate-naïve PsA population. Using Bayesian methods, a network meta-analysis was conducted to indirectly compare rates of achieving a ≥20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology component scores (ACR20). The number needed to treat (NNT) and the incremental costs per ACR20 responder (2014 US$) relative to placebo were estimated for each of the therapies. Results Three trials (MIPA for methotrexate, PALACE-4 for apremilast, and ADEPT for adalimumab) met all inclusion criteria. The NNTs relative to placebo were 2.63 for adalimumab, 6.69 for apremilast, and 8.31 for methotrexate. Among methotrexate-naïve PsA patients, the 16 week incremental costs per ACR20 responder were $3622 for methotrexate, $26,316 for adalimumab, and $45,808 for apremilast. The incremental costs per ACR20 responder were $222,488 for apremilast vs. methotrexate. Conclusion Among methotrexate-naive PsA patients, adalimumab was found to have the lowest NNT for one additional ACR20 response and methotrexate was found to have the lowest incremental costs per ACR20 responder. There was no statistical evidence of greater efficacy for apremilast vs. methotrexate. A head-to-head trial between apremilast and methotrexate is recommended to confirm this finding.
Cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha A Promoter Gene Polymorphism at Position −308 G→A and Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Implications in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease

Objectives: Our pilot study aimed to determine the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-&agr;) 308 G→A promoter single-nucleotide polymorphism in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), its influence on inflammatory activity and the clinical manifestations. Methods: We obtained genomic DNA from 164 subjects, 82 with long-standing IBD aged 8 to 18 years: 46 with Crohn disease (CD) and 36 with ulcerative colitis (UC). Eighty-two healthy children served as the control population. Genotyping was determined by using a restriction enzyme-based assay. TNF-&agr; 308 G→A polymorphism was assessed in terms of inflammatory (C-reactive protein [CRP]) and disease activity. The latter was assessed by the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) and the Truelove index for CD and UC, respectively. Results: Significant differences in TNF-&agr; 308 A polymorphism were found between the IBD group and controls (P < 0.05) and the UC group and controls (P < 0.001). No differences were noted between TNF-&agr; 308 A polymorphism and clinical characteristics in UC. The frequency of the −308 A allele of TNF was not different in CD compared with that in the control group. The frequency of TNF-&agr; 308 A genotype was significantly higher in CD patients with predominantly stenosing/penetrating disease compared with patients without complications (P < 0.001) and healthy controls (P < 0.01). In CD patients, those carrying TNF −308 A had a significant increase in CRP (P < 0.05) and the PCDAI (P < 0.05). In CD, CRP levels strongly correlated with the PCDAI (r = 0.6150, P < 0.001). In UC, significant differences among the mean levels of CRP (P < 0.05) and disease activity (P < 0.001) related to TNF-&agr; 308 A polymorphism were found. Allele distribution (odds ratio, 12.9; CI, 1.18-140.81, P < 0.001) and CRP serum levels (odds ratio, 1.020; CI, 1.00-1.04, P < 0.001) were independently associated with CD complications. Conclusions: Although not necessarily dictating IBD initiation, the TNF-&agr; 308 A polymorphism may play a role in modifying the CD phenotype. The polymorphism may influence disease activity as well as more intense inflammatory activity in both forms of IBD and may modify the progression of chronic digestive tract inflammation.
Correlation Studies of P300 and EEG Rhythms Using dVCA

Analysis of single-trial mental EEG may potentially reveal more information about for brain dynamics investigating than simple averaging methods. However, Traditional EEG analysis relies on the averaging methods to increase event related potentials and basic rhythms extraction from EEG, which face many signal processing challenges, such as trial-to-trial variability in latencies, amplitudes of event-related response(ERP), and separation of evoked EEG and spontaneous EEG which is a serious problem for EEG interpretation and analysis. Here, we introduce differentially variable component analysis (dVCA) method to estimate the P300 amplitude in each trial, and extract theta rhythm from spontaneous EEG free of ERPs, which allows the interaction between ERPs and the ongoing EEG to be investigated directly. We test our methods on dataset from Eriksen flanker experiments. Our result shows that the method using dVCA can perform well to extract ERP variables and remove ERP from spontaneous EEG. In addition, the results also show that the approach can identify the correlation between theta rhythm energy and amplitudes in single-trial EEG signals, and proving the approach is an effective and efficient method to study the brain dynamics.
Distributed SAGA: Maintaining linear convergence rate with limited communication

In recent years, variance-reducing stochastic methods have shown great practical performance, exhibiting linear convergence rate when other stochastic methods offered a sub-linear rate. However, as datasets grow ever bigger and clusters become widespread, the need for fast distribution methods is pressing. We propose here a distribution scheme for SAGA which maintains a linear convergence rate, even when communication between nodes is limited.
DEN PARADOKSALE LIVSTILFREDSHED I ALDERDOMMEN

Empiriske studier har vist, at de fleste aeldre foretraekker en tidligere periode i livet frem for alderdommen. Men undersogelser ogsa har vist, at hojere alder ikke nodvendigvis er forbundet med storre utilfredshed med tilvaerelsen; tvaertimod angiver aeldre at vaere lige sa tilfredse med livet som yngre. Dette tilsyneladende paradoks undersoges ud fra forskellige teoretiske tilgange til livstilfredshed. Konklusionen er, at livstilfredshed i alderdommen kan vaere et resultat af adaptive psykologiske processer, der anvendes af den aldrende person til at tilpasse sine forventninger til betingelserne i alderdommen. Disse processer udvikles over livslobet, og livstilfredshed kan derfor anskues som et dynamisk begreb.
Whole-Genome Sequence of a Beak and Feather Disease Virus Isolate from a Fledgling Red-Capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius)

ABSTRACT The complete genome sequence of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) from a fledgling red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius) was assembled and characterized. The genome consists of 1,995 nucleotides and encodes two major proteins in opposing directions. This is the first evidence of BFDV infectivity and a complete genome sequence for this novel host.
Research issues in scientific visualization

As an emerging research discipline, scientific visualization is developing those trappings that demonstrate growth. New algorithms are just beginning to effectively handle the recurring scientific problem of data collected at nonuniform intervals. Volume visualization today is being extended from examining scientific data to reconstructing scattered data and representing geometrical objects without mathematically describing surfaces. Fluid dynamics visualization affects numerous scientific and engineering disciplines. It has taken its place with molecular modeling, imaging remote-sensing data, and medical imaging as a domain-specific visualization research area. Recently, much progress has come from using algorithms with roots in both computer graphics and machine vision. One important research thread has been the topological representation of important features. Volume and hybrid visualization now produce 3D animations of complex flows. However, while impressive 3D visualizations have been generated for scalar parameters associated with fluid dynamics, vector and especially tensor portrayal has proven more difficult. Seminal methods have appeared, but much remains to do. Great strides have also occurred in visualization systems. The area of automated selection of visualizations especially requires more work. Nonetheless, the situation has much improved, with these tools increasingly accessible to scientists and engineers. <<ETX>>
Can smart plugs predict electric power consumption?: a case study

The Internet of Things will encompass a rich variety of sensing systems including mobile phones, embedded sensor and actuator platforms, and even smart electricity meters. Through their collaborative operation, billions of such devices will realize the vision of smart homes, smart cities, and beyond. Smart electricity meters can, e.g., already help utilities monitor the stability of the power grid by periodically reporting each connected household's energy consumption. Even more sophisticated services can be realized when data is available at higher spatio-temporal resolutions, e.g., when distributed smart power meters (sometimes referred to as smart plugs) are deployed. In this paper, we present one such novel service for the smart home, namely making projections of an appliance's future energy demand based on previously observed power consumption data. In a first step, our system identifies and isolates unique characteristic signatures from collected power consumption traces. Subsequently, time series pattern matching is applied to detect these signatures in real-time data. Based on the occurrences of the extracted signatures in real-time data, the appliance's future power demand is predicted. We evaluate our approach with more than 2,500 appliance activity segments collected from 15 different appliance types, and show that accurate forecasts can be made in many cases.
Conservation and transformation of energy by bacterial membranes.

INTRODUCTION . A NOTE ONTERMINOLOGY. ENERGY TRANSDUCTIONS IN MITOCHONDRIA . Theories of Energy Conservation . Chemical coupling hnpothesis . Conformational coupling . Chemiosmotic hypothesis . Point and Counterpoint . Permeability of the mitochondrial membrane to protons . Vectorial organization of respiratory catalysts . Proton extrusion and the generation of a membrane potential . The coupling device: ATPase and ion translocation . Uncoupling and proton conduction . Fluorescent molecules as probes of the energized state . Metabolite Transport by Mitochondria . Accumulation of calcium . Accumulation of potassium . Transport of phosphate and substrate anions . Summary: Energy Transductions in Mitochondria . ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS IN BACTERIAL MEMBRANES. Structural Basis . Oxidative Phosphorylation . General features of respiration and phosphorylation . Coupling factors: the role of ATPase . Nature of phosphorylating particles from bacterial membranes . Coupling of respiration to phosphorylation . Photosynthetic Phosphorylation . Coupling of Metabolism to Transport . Transport systems and carriers . Group translocation . Kinetic approach to energy coupling . Coupling of transport to the respiratory chain in membrane vesicles. Ion gradients and energy coupling . Role of the Membrane in Motility . Bacteriocins and the Energized State . SUMMARY AND PROSPECT . LITERATURE CITED . 172 174 175 175 176 176 177 180 180 180 181 182 183 184 185 185 186 188 189 190 191 193 193 195 196 199 200 201 201 202 205 207 210 214 215 216 216
Mec 1 p is essential for phosphorylation of the yeast DNA damage checkpoint protein Ddc 1 p , which physically interacts with Mec 3 p

Checkpoints prevent DNA replication or nuclear division when chromosomes are damaged. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae DDC1 gene belongs to the RAD17, MEC3 and RAD24 epistasis group which, together with RAD9, is proposed to act at the beginning of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway. Ddc1p is periodically phosphorylated during unperturbed cell cycle and hyperphosphorylated in response to DNA damage. We demonstrate that Ddc1p interacts physically in vivo with Mec3p, and this interaction requires Rad17p. We also show that phosphorylation of Ddc1p depends on the key checkpoint protein Mec1p and also on Rad24p, Rad17p and Mec3p. This suggests that Mec1p might act together with the Rad24 group of proteins at an early step of the DNA damage checkpoint response. On the other hand, Ddc1p phosphorylation is independent of Rad53p and Rad9p. Moreover, while Ddc1p is required for Rad53p phosphorylation, it does not play any major role in the phosphorylation of the anaphase inhibitor Pds1p, which requires RAD9 and MEC1. We suggest that Rad9p and Ddc1p might function in separated branches of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway, playing different roles in determining Mec1p activity and/or substrate specificity.
A system of two piezoelectric transducers and a storage circuit for wireless energy transmission through a thin metal wall

A system to wirelessly convey electric energy through a thin metal wall is proposed in the paper, where 2 piezoelectric transducers are used to realize energy transformation between electric and mechanical, and a rechargeable battery is employed to store the transmitted energy. To integrate them as a whole, an interface of a modulating circuit is applied between the transducer system and the storage battery. In addition, a synchronized switch harvesting on inductor in parallel with the transducer system is introduced to artificially extend the closed interval of the modulating circuit. The process of transmitting energy is computed, and the performance of the transducer system is optimized in detail for a prescribed external electric source. The results obtained are useful for understanding and designing wireless energy supply systems.
The handbook of Pidgin and Creole studies

List of Abbreviations. 1 Introduction (Silvia Kouwenberg and John Victor Singler). Part I Properties of Pidgins and Creoles. 2 Atlantic Creole Syntax (Donald Winford). 3 Forging Pacific Pidgin and Creole Syntax: Substrate, Discourse, and Inherent Variability (Miriam Meyerhoff). 4 Pidgin and Creole Morphology (Terry Crowley). 5 Creole Phonology (Norval S. H. Smith). 6 Pidgins versus Creoles and Pidgincreoles (Peter Bakker). 7 Non-Indo-European Pidgins and Creoles (Kees Versteegh). Part II Perspectives on Pidgin/Creole Genesis. 8 Pidgins/Creoles, and Second Language Acquisition (Jeff Siegel). 9 Creole Genesis: The Impact of the Language Bioprogram Hypothesis (Tonjes Veenstra). 10 Pidgins/Creoles and Historical Linguistics (Sarah G. Thomason). 11 Pidgins/Creoles and Contact Languages: An Overview (Rajend Mesthrie). 12 Creole Studies and Multilingualism (Pieter Muysken). 13 A Demographic Perspective on Creole Formation (Jacques Arends). 14 The Sociohistorical Context of Creole Genesis (John Victor Singler). 15 The Cultural in Pidgin Genesis (Christine Jourdan). Part III Pidgins/Creoles and Linguistic Explanation. 16 Grammaticalization in Pidgins and Creoles (Adrienne Bruyn). 17 Creoles, Markedness, and Default Settings: An Appraisal (Alain Kihm). 18 Semantic Evidence in Pidgin and Creole Genesis (George Huttar). 19 Pidgins, Creoles, and Variation (Peter L. Patrick). Part IV Pidgins/Creoles and Kindred Languages. 20 The Case of Signed Languages in the Context of Pidgin and Creole Studies (Judy Kegl). 21 Pidgins/Creoles and African American English (Arthur K. Spears). 22 Spanish-Based Creoles in the Caribbean (John M. Lipski). Part V Pidgins/Creoles in Society. 23 Pidgins/Creoles and Discourse (Genevieve Escure). 24 Pidgins/Creoles and Education (Dennis Craig). 25 Language Planning in Pidgins and Creoles (Hubert Devonish). 26 Literary Representations of Creole Languages: Cross-Linguistic Perspectives from the Caribbean (Helene Buzelin and Lise Winer). Author Index. Language Index. Subject Index.
An Improved Alternating-Projection Demosaicing Algorithm

To improve PSNR performance of alternating-projection demosaicing algorithm, the estimated initialization of alternating-projection algorithm that based on pre-estimating the minimum square error is meliorated in this paper. The improved algorithm is compared with other typical demosaicing approaches by testing the twenty-four Kodak set (6) images. The PSNR of the improved algorithm is better than other typical methods, and the interpolated artifact is found to be less. The experimental results prove that the improved algorithm is with best PSNR and the least interpolated artifact. The performance of alternating-projection algorithm can be improved by mending the initialization.
Complex Genetic Architecture Revealed by Analysis of HDL in Chromosome Substitution Strains and F 2 Crosses

Intercrosses between inbred lines provide a traditional approach to analysis of polygenic inheritance in model organisms. Chromosome substitution strains (CSS) have been developed as an alternative to accelerate the pace of gene identification in quantitative trait mapping. We compared a classical intercross and three CSS intercrosses to examine the genetic architecture underlying plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels in the C57BL/6J (B) and A/J (A) mouse strains. The BxA intercross revealed significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for HDL on chromosomes 1, 4, 8, 15, 17, 18 and 19. A CSS survey revealed that many have significantly different HDL levels compared to the background strain B, including chromosomes with no significant QTL in the intercross and, in some cases (CSS-1, CSS-17), effects that are opposite to those observed in the BxA intercross population. Intercrosses between B and three CSSs (CSS-3, CSS-11 and CSS8) revealed significant QTL but with some unexpected differences from the BxA intercross. Our inability to predict the results of CSS intercrosses suggests that additional complexity will be revealed by further crosses and that the CSS mapping strategy should be viewed as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, classical intercross mapping.
High Wind Vector Retrieved from SSM/I

Based on the SSM/I brightness temperature data, a new Compound Multi-parameter Artificial Neural Network (CMANN) algorithm, is built to retrieve the global ocean surface wind speed at real time in this paper. The result shows that, by adding the brightness temperature of the 85GHz vertical and horizontal polarization channels to the neural networks, the retrieval accuracy of the ocean surface wind speed is improved. The rms error of CMANN decreases with the increasing of the wind speed and therefore there is a better performance at the high wind speed (>15m/s) than at the low wind speed. Compared with the buoy wind, the rms errors are 1.61m/s and 1.46m/s under mixture weather conditions and clear conditions, respectively. For high wind, the wind direction may be given in our paper. An example that high wind vector retrieved from SSM/I data and a comparison with scatterometer are shown.
Psychometric Properties and United States National Norms of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale ( EBPAS )

The Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) assesses mental health and social service provider attitudes toward adopting evidence-based practices. Comprised of four subscales (i.e., Appeal, Requirements, Openness, and Divergence) and a total scale score, preliminary studies have linked EBPAS scores to clinic structure and policies, organizational culture and climate, and first-level leadership. EBPAS scores are also related to service provider characteristics including age, education level, and level of professional development. The present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and norms of EBPAS scores in a sample of 1089 mental health service providers from a nationwide sample drawn from 100 service institutions in 26 states in the United States. The study also examines associations of provider demographic characteristics with EBPAS subscale and total scores. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a second-order factor model, and reliability coefficients for the subscales ranged from . 91-. 67 (total scale = .74). The study establishes national norms for the EBPAS so that comparisons can be drawn for United States local and international studies of attitudes toward evidence-based practices. The results suggest that the factor structure and reliability are likely generalizable to a variety of service provider contexts and different service settings and that EBPAS scales are associated with provider characteristics. Directions for future research are discussed. Correspondence concerning this article may be addressed to Correspondence to: Gregory A. Aarons, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, 9500 Gilman Dr. #0812, La Jolla, CA 92093-0812. Publisher's Disclaimer: The following manuscript is the final accepted manuscript. It has not been subjected to the final copyediting, fact-checking, and proofreading required for formal publication. It is not the definitive, publisher-authenticated version. The American Psychological Association and its Council of Editors disclaim any responsibility or liabilities for errors or omissions of this manuscript version, any version derived from this manuscript by NIH, or other third parties. The published version is available at www.apa. org/ pubs/journals/pas. NIH Public Access Author Manuscript Psychol Assess. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2013 November 26. Published in final edited form as: Psychol Assess. 2010 June ; 22(2): . doi:10.1037/a0019188. N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript
Camera Motion Estimation by Geometric AIC for Factorization with Missing Data

Estimating missing data of feature point tracking is one of the important task in computer vision. For this, many methods have been proposed. Many of them fit an affine space to feature point trajectories, or factorize the input data with missing data into a low-rank matrix. We focus on the fact that the dimension of an affine space and the rank of a factorized matrix varies according to camera motions. We propose a method for estimating camera motions by using the geometric AIC and optimally estimate missing data according to camera motions.