Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analytical Study for Optimal Time Parameter in Cellular Communication Data analysis

In this research we will try to determine time quantization periods which could be used for cellular data analysis to reduce cost and time in processing such huge data. The research try to answer such questions as, What is the excite time quantization value required to perform network and user analysis? It is possible to eliminate any periods of time without effecting the quality of obtained result? Does it worth to eliminate such data(what is the gain for such elimination)?
Viable hypomorphic signaling mutant of the Met receptor reveals a role for hepatocyte growth factor in postnatal cerebellar development

Cerebellar development occurs mainly postnatally and implies cell proliferation and migration. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and Met are involved in mediating these responses in other tissues and are coexpressed in the cerebellum. Here we show that Met is localized in granule cell precursors and that cultures of these cells respond to HGF with proliferation. To study the role of HGF and Met in the cerebellum in vivo, we produced a viable hypomorphic Met mutant by knocking in the met locus a point mutation to abrogate the receptor Grb2-binding site. A similar mutant was previously described as perinatal lethal. In this “first-generation” knock-in the recombinant locus retained the Neo cassette (Metgrb2/grb2neo+). In the knock-in presented here Neo was Loxed and excised by Cre recombinase, which led to higher tissue levels of Metgrb2 protein, sufficient to rescue viability. In Metgrb2/grb2neo− mice the size of the cerebellum was reduced and foliation defects were evident, especially in the central and posterior half of the vermis. Proliferation of granule precursors in vivo was 25% lower than in controls. In cultures of mutant granule cells HGF-induced microtubule-associated protein kinase activation was reduced and transient. Behavioral tests indicated a balance impairment in Metgrb2/grb2neo− mice. Altogether these data indicate that normal cerebellar development and, possibly, function, require HGF and Met, and that proliferation of granule cells in the cerebellum critically depends on full HGF/Met signaling.
The reliability and validity of the 20-meter shuttle test in American students 12 to 15 years old.

The purpose of this study was threefold: to determine (a) the test-retest reliability of the 20-m shuttle test (20 MST) (number of laps), (b) the concurrent validity of the 20 MST (number of laps), and (c) the validity of the prediction equation for VO2max developed by Léger, Mercier, Gadoury, and Lambert (1988) on Canadian children for use with American children 12-15 years old. An intraclass coefficient of . 93 was obtained on 20 students (12 males; R = .91 and 8 females; R = .87) who completed the test twice, 1 week apart (MT1 = 47.80 +/- 20.29 vs. MT2 = 50.55 +/- 22.39 laps; p > or = .13). VO2peak was obtained by a treadmill test to volitional fatigue on 48 subjects. The number of laps run correlated significantly with VO2peak in males (n = 22; r = .65; F [1, 20] = 14.30 p < or = .001), females (n = 26; r = .51; F [1, 24] = 8.34; p < or = .01), and males and females = (r = .69; F [1, 46] = 42.54, p < or = .001). When the measured VO2peak (M = 49.97 +/- 7.59 ml.kg-1.min-1) was compared with the estimated VO2max (M = 48.72 +/- 5.72 ml.kg-1.min-1) predicted from age and maximal speed of the 20 MST (Léger et al., 1988) no significant difference was found, t (47) = -1.631; p > or = . 11, between the means; the r was . 72 and SEE was 5.26 ml.kg-1.min-1. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Analysing covariates with spike at zero: A modified FP procedure and conceptual issues

In epidemiology and in clinical research, risk factors often have special distributions. A common situation is that a proportion of individuals have exposure zero, and among those exposed, we have some continuous distribution. We call this a ‘spike at zero’. Examples for this are smoking, duration of breastfeeding, or alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the empirical distribution of laboratory values and other measurements may have a semi‐continuous distribution as a result of the lower detection limit of the measurement. To model the dose–response function, an extension of the fractional polynomial approach was recently proposed. In this paper, we suggest a modification of the previously suggested FP procedure. We first give the theoretical justification of this modified procedure by investigating relevant distribution classes. Here, we systematically derive the theoretical shapes of dose–response curves under given distributional assumptions (normal, log normal, gamma) in the framework of a logistic regression model. Further, we check the performance of the procedure in a simulation study and compare it to the previously suggested method, and finally we illustrate the procedures with data from a case–control study on breast cancer.
Opioids, Exertion, and Dyspnea

The aim of this paper is to review the evidence for a role for opioids as an intervention for exertion induced breathlessness with regard to exercise tolerance and breathlessness intensity. Current knowledge about exogenous opioids in exertion-induced breathlessness due to disease comes from a variety of phase 2 feasibility or pilot designs with differing duration, doses, drugs, exercise regimes, underlying aetiologies, and outcome measures. They provide interesting data but firm conclusions for either breathlessness severity or exercise endurance cannot be drawn. There are no adequately powered phase 3 trials of opioids which show improved exercise tolerance and/or exertion induced breathlessness. Low dose oral morphine seems well tolerated by most, and is beneficial for breathlessness intensity. Current work to investigate the effect on exercise tolerance is ongoing.
Online SLU model adaptation with a partial oracle

Deployed Spoken Dialog Systems (SDS) evolve quickly while new services are added or dropped, and while users’ behaviour change. This dynamic aspect of SDS justiﬁes the need for a process allowing the system to keep up to date the Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and the Spoken Language Understanding (SLU) models. This process usually consists in collecting new data from the deployed system, transcribing and annotating them, then adding these new examples to the ASR and SLU training corpora in order to retrain the models. This strategy, even when used with an active learning scheme, is costly as the transcription and annotation processes of the new collected samples has to be done manually. This paper proposes a supervised approach for updating the SLU models of a deployed SDS which doesn’t need any additional manual transcription or annotation processes. The limited supervision needed for this alternative approach is given by the users calling the SDS: each user can be seen as a partial Oracle who could conﬁrm if a system prediction is right or wrong.
The Crystal Structure of Shiga Toxin Type 2 with Bound Disaccharide Guides the Design of a Heterobifunctional Toxin Inhibitor*

Background: E. coli Shiga like toxin type 2 (Stx2a) is responsible for serious clinical outcomes. Results: The crystal structure of Stx2a with bound disaccharide was solved and used to design a potent toxin inhibitor. Conclusion: The primary binding site of Stx2a is able to accommodate extended structural elements. Significance: Knowledge of the toxin binding site can guide discovery of therapeutics to treat E. coli food poisoning. Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2a) is clinically most closely associated with enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7-mediated hemorrhagic colitis that sometimes progresses to hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The ability to express the toxin has been acquired by other Escherichia coli strains, and outbreaks of food poisoning have caused significant mortality rates as, for example, in the 2011 outbreak in northern Germany. Stx2a, an AB5 toxin, gains entry into human cells via the glycosphingolipid receptor Gb3. We have determined the first crystal structure of a disaccharide analog of Gb3 bound to the B5 pentamer of Stx2a holotoxin. In this Gb3 analog, α-GalNAc replaces the terminal α-Gal residue. This co-crystal structure confirms previous inferences that two of the primary binding sites identified in the B5 pentamer of Stx1 are also functional in Stx2a. This knowledge provides a rationale for the synthesis and evaluation of heterobifunctional antagonists for E. coli toxins that target Stx2a. Incorporation of GalNAc Gb3 trisaccharide in a heterobifunctional ligand with an attached pyruvate acetal, a ligand for human amyloid P component, and conjugation to poly[acrylamide-co-(3-azidopropylmethacrylamide)] produced a polymer that neutralized Stx2a in a mouse model of Shigatoxemia.
The molecular basis of cystic fibrosis in South Africa

The spectrum of CFTR mutations in three South African populations is presented. To date, a total of 192 white patients (384 chromosomes) with confirmed CF have been tested. ΔF508 accounts for 76% of the CF chromosomes in this group, with 3272−26A→G, 394delTT and G542X occurring at the following frequencies: 4, 3.6 and 1.3%, respectively. A further 11 mutations account for 6% of CF chromosomes. A total of 91% of the CF‐causing mutations can now be detected in the South African white population. Haplotype analysis suggests a founder effect in South Africans of European origin for the two common CFTR mutations, 3272−26A→G and 394delTT. The diagnosis of CF has been confirmed in 14 coloured and 12 black CF patients. In the coloured population, both the ΔF508 and 3120+1G→A mutations occur at appreciable frequencies of 43 and 29%, respectively. In the black population, the most common CF‐causing mutation, the 3120+1G→A mutation, occurs at an estimated frequency of 46%. Four other mutations have been detected, resulting in the identification of a total of 62.5% of mutations in this population.
Model of Factors Related to Tendencies to Discriminate against People with AIDS

This study was done to integrate previous work on discriminatory tendencies against those who have AIDS and the possible role of two new variables, perceived responsibility and God's retribution. Using interview data from 205 randomly selected respondents from “Middletown” (Muncie, Indiana), an empirical model was developed. Ratings on homosexual intolerance had the biggest influence on tendencies toward discrimination against AIDS. This type of intolerance was confirmed as a part of a traditional and politically conservative perspective in which the ideas that those with AIDS are responsible for their predicament and God punishes those who sin play an important role.
Clinical presentation and genotype of hepatitis delta in Karachi.

AIM To assess the clinical presentation and genotypes of delta hepatitis in local population. METHODS In this prospective study, 39 consecutive patients who were positive for HBsAg and hepatitis D virus (HDV) antibody were included. The patients were divided in two groups on the basis of presence or absence of HDV RNA and a comparative study was done. Genotype of HDV was determined in PCR positive patients. RESULTS Overall there is male dominance, in which 34 patients out of 39 (87.2%) were male. Twenty (51%) patients were from the adjacent areas of three provinces; Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan indicating the higher prevalence of delta hepatitis in this mid region of Pakistan. Patients of all age groups were affected with delta hepatitis (median 31.5 years, range 12-75). HDV RNA was detectable in 23 patients (59%). All the HDV strains belonged to genotype I. HBV DNA was detectable only in 3 cases who were also HBeAg and HDV RNA positive. Patients with detectable HDV RNA were younger than patients with undetectable RNA; mean age 29.7 +/- 12.8 years vs 36.8 +/- 15.2. There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical presentation and routine biochemical profile of patients with detectable or undetectable HDV RNA. Clinical cirrhosis was present in 19 (49%) patients; 12 with detectable RNA and 7 with undetectable HDV RNA (P = 0.748). Decompensated disease was seen in eight patients; five and three respectively from each group. Four patients with undetectable RNA and two patients with detectable RNA had normal ALT and ultrasound abdomen. CONCLUSION HDV may infect at any age, usually young adult males. Genotype I is prevalent. With time some of the patients become HDV RNA negative or asymptomatic carrier. Most of the patients have suppressed HBV DNA replication. Significant numbers of patients have cirrhosis.
The outcomes of an intervention study to reduce the barriers experienced by people with intellectual disabilities accessing primary health care services.

BACKGROUND People with intellectual disabilities (IDs) experience significant health inequalities compared with the general population. The barriers people with IDs experience in accessing services contribute to these health inequalities. Professionals' significant unmet training needs are an important barrier to people with IDs accessing appropriate services to meet their health needs. METHOD A three group, pre- and post-intervention design was used to test the hypothesis that a training intervention for primary health care professionals would increase the knowledge and self-efficacy of participants. The intervention had two components - a written training pack and a 3-hour face-to-face training event. One group received the training pack and attended the training event, a second group received the training pack only, and a third group did not participate in the training intervention. Research measures were taken prior to the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. Statistical comparisons were made between the three groups. RESULTS The participants in the training intervention reported that it had a positive impact upon their knowledge, skills and clinical practice. As a result of the intervention, 35 (81.4%) respondents agreed that they were more able to meet the needs of their clients with IDs, and 33 (66.6%) reported that they had made changes to their clinical practice. The research demonstrated that the intervention produced a statistically significant increase in the knowledge of participants (F = 5.6, P = 0.005), compared with the group that did not participate in the intervention. The self-efficacy of the participants that received both components of the intervention was significantly greater than the group that did not participate in the training (t = 2.079, P = 0.04). Participation in the two components of the training intervention was associated with significantly greater change in knowledge and self-efficacy than those receiving the training pack alone. CONCLUSION This intervention was effective in addressing the measured training needs of primary health care professionals. Future research should directly evaluate the positive benefits of interventions on the lives of people with IDs.
A Versatile RNA Vector for Delivery of Coding and Noncoding RNAs

ABSTRACT The discovery that RNA viruses, lacking any DNA intermediate, can be engineered to express both coding and noncoding RNAs suggests that this platform may have therapeutic value as a delivery vehicle. Here we illustrate that a self-replicating, noninfectious RNA, modeled on influenza virus, provides one such example of a versatile in vivo delivery system for silencing and/or expressing a desired RNA for therapeutic purposes.
Direct coronary stenting without balloon predilation of lesions requiring long stents: Immediate and 6‐month results of a multicenter prospective registry

To assess the outcomes of direct coronary stenting (DS) using long stents and examine predictive factors of DS failure, this prospective multicenter registry included 128 consecutive patients who underwent the implantation of stents ≥ 18 mm in length without balloon predilation for de novo coronary artery stenoses. Mean lesion and stent lengths were 20.7 ± 5.4 and 21.4 ± 3.8 mm, respectively. Rates of DS success, lesion success, and primary success were 82%, 99%, and 97.7%, respectively. At 6 months, rates of MACE and TVR were 12.5% and 6.3%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, factors predictive of DS failure vs. DS success were presence of calcifications (78% vs. 45%; P = 0.004) and reference vessel diameter (2.77 ± 0.4 vs. 3.13 ± 0.42 mm; P = 0.0002). DS of complex lesions with stents ≥ 18 mm in length was performed safely and with a high success rate. This strategy was less successful in the treatment of small vessels and in presence of calcifications. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2003;58:51–58. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
C. elegans homologs of insect clock proteins: a tale of many stories

As a consequence of the Earth's axial rotation, organisms display daily recurring rhythms in behavior and biochemical properties, such as hormone titers. The neuronal system controlling such changes is best studied in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, most homologs of these genes function in the heterochronic pathway controlling the (timing of) developmental events. Recent data indicate that in the worm at least one of the genes involved in developmental timing is also active in circadian rhythm control, thereby opening up new perspectives on a central (neuronal) timer interfering with many processes. Also, new neuropeptidergic clock homologs have been identified in nematodes, supporting the idea of a broad range of clock‐regulated targets. We will describe the current knowledge on homologous clock genes in C. elegans with a focus on the recently discovered pigment dispersing factor gene homologs. Similarities between developmental and daily timing are discussed.
Characterization of antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties of the HSV‐1 immediate‐early ICP0 protein

The identification of novel proteins displaying cytostatic and/or cytotoxic actions that could eventually be used for gene therapy is a major issue in cancer research. Data from the literature suggested that the immediate‐early ICP0 protein from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) could fulfill these properties as it had been observed that this protein is involved in arrest of cell growth at the G1/S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle and that deletion of ICP0 from HSV‐1 or HSV‐1‐recombinant vectors significantly reduced their cytotoxicity. The molecular basis of its action is likely related to the ability of ICP0, which possesses E3‐ubiquitin ligase activity, to target destruction of key cellular proteins, including centromeric proteins, resulting in abnormal chromosome segregation, unusual cytokinesis, and emergence of nuclear morphological aberrations. However, neither the gene therapy potential of ICP0 on its own nor its action on primary quiescent cells has been assessed to date. The aim of this work was therefore to evaluate the antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties of ICP0 on a human glioblastoma cell line and on quiescent primary cells, and to explore whether this protein has a potential for gene therapy of cancer.
The role of Lp-PLA2 and biochemistry parameters as potential biomarkers of coronary artery disease in Asian South-Indians: a case-control study.

Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an emerging biomarker for inflammation that has shown association with CAD. Its significance in the Asian Indian population is not clearly known. We sought to compare the possible association of various biomarkers of atherosclerosis along with Lp-PLA2, in symptomatic individuals with CAD vs. healthy controls in Asian South-Indians. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional case control study at three centers in a South Indian population. A total of 100 CAD patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 100 age and gender matched healthy controls participated, of which, 166 subjects or 83 case-control pairs with complete data for both participants were identified for the statistical analysis. Lp-PLA2 concentration and activity were measured using PLAC test and PLAC activity assay respectively (diaDexus Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA), while all other parameters were measured using standard commercially available kits. Results We enrolled a total of 200 subjects (mean age 50.7±9.6 years, 87.5% males). A total of 83 subjects completed the study in the CAD group (mean age 51 ±8.9 years, 85% males) and 83 subjects in the control group (mean age 50±8.9 years, 86.5% males). In the CAD group, Lp-PLA2 concentration positively correlated with TC (ρ=0.19, P=0.02), non-HDL-C (ρ=0.20, P=0.02), Lp-PLA2 activity (ρ=0.27, P=0.001) and Lp(a) (r=0.25, P=0.02). Lp-PLA2 activity correlated positively with TC (ρ=0.28, P=0.001), LDL-C (ρ=0.30, P<0.001), non-HDL-C (ρ=0.35, P<0.001), ApoB (ρ=0.35, P<0.001) and negatively correlated to HDL-C (ρ=-0.24, P=0.004). Cox proportionality hazards model revealed Lp-PLA2 concentration (β=0.006, SE =0.002, P=0.009) to have positive association with the event of CAD, while negative association was observed for ApoA1 (β=-0.06, SE =0.02, P=0.001). ROC analysis revealed that the highest quartile of Lp-PLA2 concentration to have area under curve (AUC) of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.65-0.9; P<0.001) with cut off value of >427 ng/mL and ApoA1 with AUC of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.70-0.85; P<0.001) with cut off value of ≤129.6 mg/dL with the optimum balance of sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions In this study population, circulating plasma Lp-PLA2 was found to be elevated in CAD group. ApoA1 showed negative association and Lp-PLA2 concentration showed positive association with risk for CAD. In the highest quartile, Lp-PLA2 concentration had the best diagnostic utility. Our results support the hypothesis that Lp-PLA2 may be a potential risk marker for CAD in Asian Indians.
Attention on Inattention: The Differential Effect of Caregiver Education on Endorsement of ADHD Symptoms

ABSTRACT. The impact of caregiver education level on endorsement of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms for inattention (IA) and hyperactivity-compulsivity (HA) in a sample of high-risk youths was examined. Participants were 1347 caregivers of varying educational backgrounds who completed the ADHD module of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV. The relationship of caregiver education to ADHD symptom endorsement was examined in three sets of analyses in which IA and HA symptoms were simultaneously regressed on caregiver years of education. Both multivariate analysis of covariance and logistic regression analyses revealed significantly lower rates of IA symptom endorsement by caregivers with less education, while there was no effect for HA symptoms. A multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) model analysis also revealed that caregiver years of education was significantly positively associated with IA but not with HA symptoms, even when other demographic factors were controlled. There is a clear effect of caregiver education on ADHD symptom endorsement patterns, raising concerns that demographic factors related to symptom measurement may contribute to discrepancies in the assessment and treatment of ADHD.
Interpretation of loudness recruitment tests – some new concepts and criteria

IN investigation of sensori-neural hearing loss, there is a widespread misconception that the presence of recruitment means that the lesion is in the cochlea. * In fact, the mere presence of recruitment means very little diagnostically. In a preliminary analysis (Table I) of 106 patients with sensori-neural hearing loss, Priede (1973) found some degree of recruitment to be present in forty-four (85 per cent) loudness balance tests performed on thirty-one patients with primary neural lesions. Fourteen per cent showed complete recruitment according to Jerger's (1962) criterion, and 6 per cent by Hood's (1969). Conversely, 83 per cent of tests on primary cochlear cases showed less than Hood's criterion of complete recruitment.