Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical warning signs for intra-abdominal hypertension in septic shock patients.

BACKGROUND The latest World Society of the Abdominal Compartment (WSACS) guideline published in 2013 states that risk factors are the most reliable predictors for the diagnosis of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and the bottom line to guide propaedeutic and clinical practice. The objective of this study is to search for clinical, laboratory, and ventilator-associated factors in order to warn medical staff for prompt IAH diagnosis in septic shock patients beyond risk factors simply. METHODS This is a prospective, observational study, involving all admitted intensive care unit septic shock patients of a single teaching hospital between April and October 2016. All enrolled patients met Sepsis III and Surviving Sepsis Campaign diagnostic criteria. Patients with primary abdominal conditions were excluded, in order to avoid possible bias. Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was measured every 6 hours in accordance with WSACS guidelines. RESULTS 25 sequential patients were included and followed for 10 days after admission. Median age was 51.13 ± 16.52 years old, 64% male. Pulmonary infection was the most frequent etiology of sepsis, representing 76% of the cases. Elevated IAP correlated with higher central venous pressure (CVP) (P = 0.0421); positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) (P = 0.0056); elevated airway pressure (P = 0.0015); accumulated fluid balance (P = 0.0273), and elevated SOFA (P = 0.0393) in all septic patients. Reduction of acidosis (P = 0.0096) and increase of serum bicarbonate (P = 0.0247) correlated with lower IAP values. CONCLUSIONS Elevated CVP, PEEP, SOFA, airway pressure and accumulated fluid balance are correlated with elevated IAP in septic shock patients. Acidosis correction appears to decrease the risk for IAH. Multicentric randomized studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis in a large population.
A Real-Time, Non-Contact Method for In-Line Inspection of Oil and Gas Pipelines Using Optical Sensor Array

Corrosion is considered as one of the most predominant causes of pipeline failures in the oil and gas industry and normally cannot be easily detected at the inner surface of pipelines without service disruption. The real-time inspection of oil and gas pipelines is extremely vital to mitigate accidents and maintenance cost as well as to improve the oil and gas transport efficiency. In this paper, a new, non-contact optical sensor array method for real-time inspection and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of pipelines is presented. The proposed optical method consists of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and light dependent resistors (LDRs) to send light and receive reflected light from the inner surface of pipelines. The uniqueness of the proposed method lies in its accurate detection as well as its localization of corrosion defects, based on the utilization of optical sensor array in the pipeline, and also the flexibility with which this system can be adopted for pipelines with different services, sizes, and materials, as well as the method’s economic viability. Experimental studies are conducted considering corrosion defects with different features and dimensions to confirm the robustness and accuracy of the method. The obtained data are processed with discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for noise cancelation and feature extraction. The estimated sizes of the corrosion defects for different physical parameters, such as inspection speed and lift-off distance, are investigated and, finally, some preliminary tests are conducted based on the implementation of the proposed method on an in-line developed smart pipeline inspection gauge (PIG) for in-line inspection (ILI) application, with resulting success.
Mapping human mobility during the third and second millennia BC in present-day Denmark

We present results of the largest multidisciplinary human mobility investigation to date of skeletal remains from present-day Denmark encompassing the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Through a multi-analytical approach based on 88 individuals from 37 different archaeological localities in which we combine strontium isotope and radiocarbon analyses together with anthropological investigations, we explore whether there are significant changes in human mobility patterns during this period. Overall, our data suggest that mobility of people seems to have been continuous throughout the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. However, our data also indicate a clear shift in mobility patterns from around 1600 BC onwards, with a larger variation in the geographical origin of the migrants, and potentially including more distant regions. This shift occurred during a transition period at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age at a time when society flourished, expanded and experienced an unprecedented economic growth, suggesting that these aspects were closely related.
A Global Look at Mercury Exposures: Supporting the Goals of the Minamata Convention

The Minamata Convention on Mercury sets guidelines for limiting human exposure to this environmental toxicant. Article 22 of the Minamata Convention, which entered into force in August 2017, calls for parties to monitor mercury in the environment as well as in people as a way of assessing the effectiveness of the convention. Investigators have now conducted the first state-ofthe-science systematic review of mercury biomonitoring data, which was published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The new review was conducted to support the 2018 Global MercuryAssessment, published by theUnited Nations Environment Programme. But it goes hand in hand with the Minamata Convention to help identify background exposures, explains study leader Niladri Basu, who holds a Canada Research Chair in environmental health sciences at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. “It is still unclear how the Minamata Convention will affect people, but we hope it has a positive effect in the future,” Basu says. After screening more 9,000 articles, the review team selected 312 papers that reported relevant mercury biomarker measurements in human hair, blood, urine, or cord blood. The selected papers comprised three study types: 15 national biomonitoring studies, 32 longitudinal birth cohort studies, and 265 cross-sectional studies. In choosing cross-sectional studies, the researchers focused on four groups: general populations, people exposed to point sources of mercury (such as artisanal gold mining operations), people who have high dietary exposures to mercury, and populations that are especially vulnerable to fetal exposures. The studies included in the review provided a wealth of mercury biomarker data points—424,858 measurements from 335,991 people living in 75 countries. Using a modified version of an approach described in 2014, the authors pooled data across relevant studies to obtain two summary distributions (central and upper) for each biomarker. The authors estimated average mercury levels for general populations to be less than 5 lg=L in blood, less than 2 lg=g in hair, and less than 3 lg=L in urine. In countries where data were available, adults had higher blood mercury levels, on average, than children, and levels increased with age in adulthood. After
Criminogenic or criminalized? Testing an assumption for expanding criminogenic risk assessment.

OBJECTIVES Proponents of criminogenic risk assessment have called for its widespread expansion throughout the criminal justice system. Its success in predicting recidivism is taken as evidence that criminogenic risks tap into the causes of criminal behavior, and that targeting these factors can reduce correctional supervision rates and even prevent crime. This study challenges these assertions, by testing the implicit assumption that populations in which recidivism risk factors were identified are interchangeable with populations experiencing the onset/duration of exposure to the criminal justice system. HYPOTHESES Exposure to the criminal justice system increases some of the risk factors used to predict recidivism; therefore, risk factors for recidivism and onset/duration of exposure to the criminal justice system are not interchangeable. METHOD Secondary analysis of data from 503 boys followed prior to first arrest through early adulthood. Inverse-probability-of-exposure-weighted marginal structural models and fixed effects models were employed to test whether arrests and convictions increase antisocial attitudes, behaviors, and peers. RESULTS Being arrested or convicted resulted in subsequently higher levels of antisocial attitudes, behaviors, and peers. Risks for recidivism, which include the effect of exposure to the criminal justice system, are not identical to the risks of exposure to the criminal justice system. CONCLUSIONS Results caution against the uncritical expansion of criminogenic risk assessment from community corrections to policing, pretrial, and sentencing. Researchers and policymakers should engage with the social conditions that put people at risk of criminogenic risks and more cautiously communicate the scope of reform that criminogenic risk assessment can deliver. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Recent advances in amphotericin B delivery strategies for the treatment of leishmaniases

ABSTRACT Introduction: Among the drugs in clinical use for the treatment of leishmaniases, amphotericin B (AmB) is the most effective and has been the most extensively studied for the development of drug delivery strategies. Liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome®) still represents the best therapeutic option for leishmaniases, however, its clinical efficacy depends on the patient immunological status and the endemic region. Moreover, the need for parenteral administration, its side effects and high cost significantly limit its use in developing countries. Areas covered: This article provides insight into the novel drug delivery strategies that were investigated for AmB over the last 5 years and a final critical selection of emerging concepts and most promising approaches, based on the significance of preclinical antileishmanial and toxicity data. Expert opinion: The feasibility of oral and topical delivery of AmB has been established in experimental models of leishmaniases. Highly effective AmB nanocarriers containing active targeting ligand and/or immunomodulatory component have also emerged. Translating these advances to the clinic still relies on the full demonstration of safety and efficacy in humans and on the viability and cost-effectiveness of large-scale industrial production.
Immune enhancement effects of Codium fragile anionic macromolecules combined with red ginseng extract in immune-suppressed mice.

Codium fragile is an edible seaweed in Asian countries that has been used as a thrombolytic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulatory agent. Ginseng has also been known to maintain immune homeostasis and to regulate the immune system via enhancing resistance to diseases and microorganisms. In this study, anionic macromolecules extracted from C. fragile (CFAM) were orally administered with red ginseng extract (100 mg/kg body weight) to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed male BALB/c mice to investigate the immune-enhancing cooperative effect of Codium fragile and red ginseng. Our results showed that supplementing CFAM with red ginseng extract significantly increased spleen index, T- and B-cells proliferation, NK cell activity, and splenic lymphocytes immune-associated genes expression compared to those with red ginseng alone, even though a high concentration of CFAM with red ginseng decreased immune biomarkers. These results suggest that CFAM can be used as a co-stimulant to enhance health and immunity in immunosuppressed conditions.
Enhanced Subcellular Trafficking of Resveratrol Using Mitochondriotropic Liposomes in Cancer Cells

Mitochondria are membrane-enclosed organelles present in most eukaryotic cells, described as “power houses of the cell”. The mitochondria can be a target for inducing cancer cell death and for developing strategies to bypass multi drug resistance (MDR) mechanisms. 4-Carboxybutyl triphenylphosphonium bromide-polyethylene glycol-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (TPP-DSPE-PEG) and dequalinium-polyethylene glycol-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DQA-DSPE-PEG) were synthesized as mitochondriotropic molecules. Mitochondria-targeting liposomes carrying resveratrol were constructed by modifying the liposome’s surface with TPP-PEG or DQA-PEG, resulting in TLS (Res) and DLS (Res), respectively, with the aim to obtain longer blood circulation and enhanced permeability and retention (EPR). Both TLS (Res) and DLS (Res) showed dimensions of approximately 120 nm and a slightly positive zeta potential. The enhanced cellular uptake and selective accumulation of TLS (Res) and DLS (Res) into the mitochondria were demonstrated by behavioral observation of rhodamine-labeled TLS or DLS, using confocal microscopy, and by resveratrol quantification in the intracellular organelle, using LC–MS/MS. Furthermore, TLS (Res) and DLS (Res) induced cytotoxicity of cancer cells by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and by dissipating the mitochondrial membrane potential. Our results demonstrated that TLS (Res) and DLS (Res) could provide a potential strategy to treat cancers by mitochondrial targeting delivery of therapeutics and stimulation of the mitochondrial signaling pathway.
Angle coverage in wireless sensor networks

of the thesis entitled Angle Coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks Submitted by Chow Kit Yee for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in July 2007 Wireless sensor networks have become an emerging technology for surveillance, disaster management, habitat monitoring, etc. The problem of coverage in sensor networks has been studied in a variety of contexts. Most of the previous works focus on area or target coverage problem, that is, to make sure every point or target in the network is sufficiently monitored. The current studies of target coverage problem assume that a target can covered by a single sensor. However, there are situations where a sensor can only monitor a certain portion of the object. Examples include image capturing and coastline monitoring. In this research, we consider a tracking system where an object of interest is monitored by the sensors surrounding it. We study the angle coverage problem, that is, to make sure the target’s perimeter is completely covered by the sensors. We define the Minimum Cover problem as identifying a set of sensors which preserve the full angle coverage with minimum number of sensors. A distributed algorithm with small overhead is developed to solve this problem. Furthermore, we develop a Minimum Cost Cover algorithm to identify a set of sensors which preserve the angle coverage of the target with minimum cost. We formally proved that this problem can be reduced to the well-known shortest path problem. When different cost functions for the sensors are used, covers with different optimization objectives can be identified. Other than coverage problem, network lifetime is another important concern in wireless sensor networks. Due to the stringent power budget, the energy resources of every sensor should be carefully utilized in order to prolong the network lifetime. We study the scheduling problem to monitor a target continuously with full angle coverage. Several scheduling schemes are developed by using different cost functions for selecting the sensors and they are evaluated through extensive simulations. The simulation results show that our proposed Conditional Scheduling metric can help to improve the network lifetime as well as the time to the first node failure. An abstract of exactly 328 words Angle Coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks
Invasive left ventricle pressure–volume analysis: overview and practical clinical implications

Abstract Ventricular pressure–volume (PV) analysis is the reference method for the study of cardiac mechanics. Advances in calibration algorithms and measuring techniques brought new perspectives for its application in different research and clinical settings. Simultaneous PV measurement in the heart chambers offers unique insights into mechanical cardiac efficiency. Beat to beat invasive PV monitoring can be instrumental in the understanding and management of heart failure, valvular heart disease, and mechanical cardiac support. This review focuses on intra cardiac left ventricular PV analysis principles, interpretation of signals, and potential clinical applications.
Chromosomics: Bridging the Gap between Genomes and Chromosomes

The recent advances in DNA sequencing technology are enabling a rapid increase in the number of genomes being sequenced. However, many fundamental questions in genome biology remain unanswered, because sequence data alone is unable to provide insight into how the genome is organised into chromosomes, the position and interaction of those chromosomes in the cell, and how chromosomes and their interactions with each other change in response to environmental stimuli or over time. The intimate relationship between DNA sequence and chromosome structure and function highlights the need to integrate genomic and cytogenetic data to more comprehensively understand the role genome architecture plays in genome plasticity. We propose adoption of the term ‘chromosomics’ as an approach encompassing genome sequencing, cytogenetics and cell biology, and present examples of where chromosomics has already led to novel discoveries, such as the sex-determining gene in eutherian mammals. More importantly, we look to the future and the questions that could be answered as we enter into the chromosomics revolution, such as the role of chromosome rearrangements in speciation and the role more rapidly evolving regions of the genome, like centromeres, play in genome plasticity. However, for chromosomics to reach its full potential, we need to address several challenges, particularly the training of a new generation of cytogeneticists, and the commitment to a closer union among the research areas of genomics, cytogenetics, cell biology and bioinformatics. Overcoming these challenges will lead to ground-breaking discoveries in understanding genome evolution and function.
VHL Synthetic Lethality Signatures Uncovered by Genotype-specific CRISPR-Cas9 Screens

Background Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 essentiality screening represents a powerful approach to identify genetic vulnerabilities in cancer cells. Here, we applied this technology and designed a strategy to identify target genes that are synthetic lethal (SL) with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene. Inactivation of VHL has been frequently found in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Its SL partners serve as potential drug targets for the development of targeted cancer therapies. Results We performed parallel genome-wide CRISPR screens in two pairs of isogenic ccRCC cell lines that differ only in the VHL status. Comparative analyses of screening results not only confirmed a well-known role for mTOR signaling in renal carcinoma, but also identified DNA damage response and selenocysteine biosynthesis pathways as major SL targets in VHL-inactivated cancer cells. Follow-up studies provided cellular and mechanistic insights into SL interactions of these pathway genes with the VHL gene. Conclusions Using isogenic CRISPR screening approach, we uncovered novel biological processes that are SL with VHL, which can be exploited for drug development for ccRCC. Our CRISPR and RNA-seq datasets provide a rich resource for future investigation of the function of the VHL tumor suppressor protein. Our work demonstrates the efficiency of CRISPR-based synthetic lethality screening in human isogenic cell pairs. Similar strategies could be employed to unveil SL partners with other oncogenic drivers.
Automatic thematic and semantic classification of 3D city models

Developments in remote sensing created new possibilities to capture the human environment on a large scale. This data is used in the generation of large scale Three dimensional (3D) city models, which has led to a higher demand for 3D city models in a wide range of fields. The lack of semantic information in many 3D city models is a considerable limiting factor in their use, as a lot of applications rely on semantic information. This research is a first step in creating an automatic workflow, that semantically labels a plain 3D city model, with level of detail 1 or 2, represented by a triangulated polygon mesh, with semantic and thematic information as defined in the CityGML standard. The first step in this labelling process is the reconstruction of the building entities and (parts of) the terrain: the thematic features. Next, two methods are proposed to semantically label the surfaces in the previously defined building entities. The first implemented method is a best practice of methods that are tested, which aim at labelling the 3D city model with the classes WallSurface, Roof- Surface, and GroundSurface. The second method is an explorative approach and a proposal that additionally recognises the classes OuterCeilingSurface and OuterFloorSurface. In this approach, an proposal is made that extends the current class definitions of a RoofSurface and a WallSurface in CityGML. This research shows that by extending these defintions, a CityGML file with Level of Detail 1 and 2 can be semantically labelled automatically. The results show that a high semantic classification accuracy is possible. The accuracy depends on a number of factors, floating point precision errors is the biggest limitation factor in the thematic and the semantic labelling.
Insights into the Phylogeny and Evolution of Cold Shock Proteins: From Enteropathogenic Yersinia and Escherichia coli to Eubacteria

Psychrotrophic foodborne pathogens, such as enteropathogenic Yersinia, which are able to survive and multiply at low temperatures, require cold shock proteins (Csps). The Csp superfamily consists of a diverse group of homologous proteins, which have been found throughout the eubacteria. They are related to cold shock tolerance and other cellular processes. Csps are mainly named following the convention of those in Escherichia coli. However, the nomenclature of certain Csps reflects neither their sequences nor functions, which can be confusing. Here, we performed phylogenetic analyses on Csp sequences in psychrotrophic enteropathogenic Yersinia and E. coli. We found that representative Csps in enteropathogenic Yersinia and E. coli can be clustered into six phylogenetic groups. When we extended the analysis to cover Enterobacteriales, the same major groups formed. Moreover, we investigated the evolutionary and structural relationships and the origin time of Csp superfamily members in eubacteria using nucleotide-level comparisons. Csps in eubacteria were classified into five clades and 12 subclades. The most recent common ancestor of Csp genes was estimated to have existed 3585 million years ago, indicating that Csps have been important since the beginning of evolution and have enabled bacterial growth in unfavorable conditions.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults' Experiences With Elder Abuse and Neglect

Little is known about elder abuse and neglect in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community; however, this population faces a greater risk of abuse and likely experiences abuse differently and needs different resources. We conducted focus groups to investigate LGBT older adults' perspectives on and experience with elder mistreatment.