Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prepregnancy weight, inappropriate gestational weight gain, and smoking: Relationships to birth weight

This study was designed to test predictors of infant birth weight based on categories of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, and smoking. Data were collected retrospectively from records of 233 mother‐infant pairs enrolled in the Siouxland Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program in Sioux City, Iowa. Prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain were coded according to Institute of Medicine guidelines. Smoking behavior was coded based on reported smoking during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Multiple regression analysis was used to test predictors of infant birth weight. Forty‐two percent of women gained more weight than recommended, and 16% gained less than recommended. Based on prepregnancy BMI, women were classified as underweight (12%), overweight (16%), or obese (31%). Twenty‐four percent of mothers reported smoking late in gestation. Higher birth weight was predicted by prepregnancy obesity (+144 g). Lower infant birth weight was predicted by lower (−162 g) and higher (−153 g) than recommended weight gain, and by lower (−299 g) and higher (−168 g) levels of smoking. Depression of birth weight among women who gained excess weight may relate to inadequate early weight gain or pregnancy complications. More research is needed regarding physiological consequences of these maternal factors and their associated demographic risk factors.Am. J. Hum. Biol. 19:305–310, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Coding gain optimized finite impulse response (FIR) Paraunitary (PU) filter banks

Filter bank optimization for coding gain maximization for given input statistics has been well studied before. Principal Component Filter Banks (PCFB) have proven to be optimal whenever the minimization objective is a concave function of the subband variances produced by the filter bank. However PCFBs are known to exist for only three special classes of orthonormal filter banks(FBs): Any class of two channel FBs, the transform coder class and the unconstrained order subband coder class. This paper explores the design of FIR Paraunitary(PU) FBs for special case of uniform 3-band subband coder class, giving a detailed analysis of the design method. This method directly maximizes the coding gain. Results have been compared to the PCFB approximation algorithm by Peter Vouras and Trac D. Tran which uses complete parameterization of FIR PU FBs in terms of Givens rotation building blocks.
Chemotherapeutic Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer Cells by 2 Down-regulating RAB 22 A 3 4

4 Yuan Yin, Binbin Zhang,Weili Wang, Bojian Fei, Chao Quan, Jiwei Zhang, Mingxu Song, 5 Zehua Bian, Qifeng Wang, Shujuan Ni, Yaling Hu, Yong Mao, Leyuan Zhou, Yugang Wang, Jian 6 Yu, Xiang Du, Dong Hua, Zhaohui Huang* 7 8 Wuxi Oncology Institute, the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 9 214062, China. 10 Oncology Institute, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 11 214062, China. 12 Department of Surgical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 13 Jiangsu, 214062, China. 14 Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, 15 China 16 Department of Urology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann 17 Arbor, MI 48109-5942, USA 18 State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, 19 Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032,China 20 21 † These authors contributed equally to this work. 22 23 *Corresponding Author: Zhaohui Huang. Wuxi Oncology Institute, the Affiliated Hospital of 24 Jiangnan University, 200 Huihe Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214062, China. Tel: +86 510 25 88682087; Fax: +86 510 88682087; Email: hzhwxsy@126.com 26 27 Running Title: miR-204-5p targets RAB22A in colorectal cancer 28
Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on Methane Production Potential from Corn Ethanol Coproducts

This article addresses the biochemical methane potential (BMP) production from anaerobic digestion of corn-ethanol coproducts including dried distiller grain with solubles (DDGS), distiller's wet grains (DWG), thin stillage, and condensed distiller's solubles (CDS) as well as evaluating the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on methane production from these feedstocks. Ultrasonic pretreatment was applied with three amplitude settings of 33% (52.8 µmpp), 66% (105.6 µmpp), and 100% (160 µmpp) as well as five time settings (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 s) to each of the four coproducts prior to conducting benchtop BMP trials. Ultrasonic pretreatment reduced mean particle size of DDGS and DWG by 45% and 43%, respectively. Without ultrasound pretreatment, CDS had the highest methane production potential (407 mL g-1 VS added) compared to the other coproducts. Ultrasonic pretreatment of DWG co-products (DDGS and DWG) resulted in greater increases in methane production than on liquid coproducts (CDS and thin stillage). Methane yields were increased by 25% and 12% for the ultrasound pretreated DDGS and DWG, respectively, compared with untreated samples. An energy balance for the DWG, thin stillage, and CDS coproducts indicated that ultrasonic pretreatment required more energy than was generated by the process in terms of additional biogas production. However, an energy balance for ultrasonic pretreatment of DDGS provided 70% more energy than was required to operate the ultrasonic unit.
Tissue interactions with underlying dura mater inhibit osseous obliteration of developing cranial sutures

Cranial sutures play a critical role in calvarial morphogenesis, serving as growth centers during skull development. Both biomechanical tensile forces originating in the cranial base and biochemical factors present in dura mater have been postulated as determinants of suture morphogenesis and patency. A rat transplant model free of the putative biomechanical influence of the dura and cranial base was used to investigate the role of the dura mater in both the initial morphogenesis and maintenance of sutures during skull growth. Day 19 fetal presumptive (F19) and day 1 neonatal differentiated (N1) coronal sutures, including associated frontal and parietal bones, were transplanted with or without underlying dura mater to the center of adult parietal bones. After 1, 2, and 3 weeks, transplanted tissues were examined histologically and histomorphometrically to determine whether sutures formed and whether they were obliterated by ossification in the absence of dura mater. Both F19 and N1 sutures remained patent for 2 weeks either in the presence or the absence of transplant dura mater. However, at 3 weeks, in the absence of transplant dura mater, sutures were obliterated by bone, while in the presence of dura mater sutures resisted ossification, demonstrating an essential requirement for interactions with the transplant dura mater in maintaining functional sutures. Both F19 and N1 transplants showed comparable bone growth (cross‐sectional surface area), regardless of the presence of transplant dura mater. These experiments suggest that tissue interactions of a biochemical nature, rather than biomechanical forces generated through the cranial base, are required to maintain the suture as a non‐ossified growth center. Furthermore, while the presence of dura mater was essential for maintenance of suture patency, fetal dura mater was not required for initial suture formation. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Steganalytic attack for an adaptive steganography using support vector machine

Steganographic techniques have been used for centuries. Using steganography, secret messages can be embedded inside a piece of unsuspicious information and sending it without anyone's knowledge about the existence of the secret message. Steganalysis is the mechanism of detecting the presence of hidden information in the stego media and it can lead to the prevention of disastrous security incidents. Steganalysis can be a targeted steganalysis or a blind steganalysis. In the existing method, adaptive steganography algorithm is used to provide larger embedding capacity based on image contrast. In this paper, a new technique is implemented to calculate the length of embedded message using Support Vector Machine to classify the cover and stego images with extremely low computational cost of comparing the bit positions.
The effects of splenic artery embolization on nonoperative management of blunt splenic injury: a 16-year experience.

INTRODUCTION Nonoperative management (NOM) of blunt splenic injury has become the preferred treatment for hemodynamically stable patients. The application of splenic artery embolization (SAE) in NOM has been controversial. We hypothesized that incorporation of initial use of SAE into a practice protocol for patients at high risk for NOM failure (contrast extravasation or pseudoaneurysm on computed tomography, grade 3 injury with large hemoperitoneum, grade 4 injuries) would improve patient outcomes. METHODS A retrospective analysis of three continuums of practice was performed: group I (January 1991-June 1998), SAE not part of routine NOM; group II (July 1998-December 2001), introduction and discretionary use of SAE; and group III (January 2002-June 2007), standardized use of initial SAE for patients considered at high risk of nonoperative failure. The primary outcome measure was the success of NOM. Failure of NOM was defined as the need for abdominal operation. Secondary outcomes were mortality, length of stay, and splenic salvage. RESULTS Over 16 years, 815 patients with blunt splenic injury were treated at our level 1 trauma center. There were 222 patients in group I, 195 in group II, and 398 in group III. There was an increase in the use of SAE over time with a significant improvement in the utilization of NOM (61% in group I; 82% in group II; 88% in group III; p < 0.05). This was associated with an increase in successful NOM (77%, group I; 94%, group II; 97%, group III; p < 0.0001 group I vs. group II and III). Mortality, length of stay, and splenic salvage were similar in groups II and III but significantly improved when compared with group I. CONCLUSIONS The increased use of initial SAE in high-risk patients expanded the successful use of NOM but was not associated with other incremental improvements.
Detection of Ridges and Ravines Based on Caustic Singularities

A new concept of ridges, ravines and related structures (skeletons) associated with a surface in three-dimensional space is introduced. The concept is based on the investigation of relationships between the singularities of the distance function from the surface and singularities of caustic of the normals to the surface. It involves both local and global geometric surface properties and leads to the effective procedure for ridges and ravines recognition.
Benefit of Atrasentan in Men with Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer Metastatic to Bone.

4687 Background: Bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) predicts time to progression (TTP) and survival in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). We tested 2 hypotheses: a) BAP at baseline is predictive of both TTP and survival in HRPC patients with bony metastases only and b) BAP predicts response to atrasentan therapy in these men. METHODS Data were analyzed from 474 men with HRPC metastastic only to bone from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial of atrasentan 10 mg QD. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methodologies were used to compare TTP (a composite of radiological and clinical outcomes) between treatments. Values from 451 patients with baseline BAP values were analyzed. Data from treatment arms were pooled and stratified by baseline BAP < and >/= the median value. TTP and survival and the effect of treatment within the 2 groups were compared using Kaplan-Meier methodology. RESULTS 253 patients received atrasentan, 221 received placebo; atrasentan resulted in a significant delay in TTP versus placebo (p=0.026). The median baseline BAP value was 31.5 ng/mL. Median TTP for patients whose baseline BAP < median was 168 days versus 85 days for patients with baseline BAP >/= median (p<0.001) and median time to death was 741 days vs 461 days for patients with BAP < median and >/= median, respectively (p<0.001). In patients with a baseline BAP >/= median, atrasentan significantly delayed TTP versus placebo, while in patients with baseline BAP < median, treatment effect did not reach significance (table). CONCLUSIONS These data confirm that high baseline BAP is predictive of early disease progression and reduced survival in HRPC patients with only bone metastases, independent of therapy. Atrasentan therapy significantly delayed TTP versus placebo in subjects with bone metastases only. It also significantly increased TTP in bony metastatic HRPC patients with a high baseline BAP. [Figure: see text] [Table: see text].
Matrix computation on Connex Parallel Architecture

The parallel Connex Architecture has specific features imposed in order to improve GIPS/Watt and GIPS/mm2. It is designed for embedded computation in systems on chip design. Its validation supposes exploring by turn different application domains to see how the specific architectural and design assumptions affected the actual performance. In this paper the domain of matrix computation is preliminary investigated.
Effect of Puberty on Initial Kidney Growth and Rise in Kidney IGF-I in Diabetic Rats

Prepubertal subjects have a low incidence of diabetic nephropathy compared with duration-matched postpubertal subjects. At puberty, there is an increase in insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I) levels, and because IGF-I has been implicated in the early kidney enlargement of experimental diabetes, we studied the development of kidney enlargement and kidney IGF-I levels in prepubertal (aged 5 wk) and postpubertal (aged 13 wk) Sprague-Dawley rats during the 7 days after induction of diabetes with streptozocin. Kidney weight in postpubertal diabetic animals was significantly greater than in postpubertal controls by day 2 (1.46 ± 0.06 vs. 1.16 ± 0.09 g, P < 0.05), and by day 7, kidney weight had increased by 36% (1.61 ± 0.07 vs. 1.18 ± 0.08 g, P < 0.001). Despite comparable blood glucose levels in the prepubertal and postpubertal diabetic rats, kidney weight in prepubertal diabetic animals was significantly greater than in prepubertal controls by 14% on day 7 only (0.84 ± 0.01 vs. 0.73 ± 0.03 g, P < 0.05). Kidney IGF-I content was significantly elevated in diabetic postpubertal rats, peaking on day 1 (diabetic vs. control, 1082 ±156 vs. 543 ± 21 ng/g, P < 0.001) and day 2 but not in prepubertal diabetic rats. Thus, prepubertal diabetic rats have reduced and retarded kidney growth and attenuated kidney IGF-I levels, suggesting that local IGF-I accumulation may play an important role in diabetes-associated kidney enlargement.
Psychological distress, job dissatisfaction, and somatic symptoms in office workers in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwest.

BACKGROUND Researchers examined office worker characteristics and reports of non-specific somatic symptoms in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwestern United States. METHODS We assessed office workers for demographic characteristics and somatic symptoms that occurred in the workplace. Sampling was conducted over a 1-week period in each building over 4 seasons. Our team administered the Medical Outcome Survey questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Job Content Questionnaire to individuals at each site, comparing office workers reporting no symptoms to those reporting ≥4 symptoms. RESULTS Self-reported nonspecific somatic symptoms were frequent in office workers in non-problem buildings. High symptom levels were associated with younger age, female sex, psychological distress, impaired quality of life, and poor job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that office workers frequently report somatic symptoms they believe are related to the workplace even in buildings considered non-problematic. People with high symptom levels perceived as related to the workplace are psychologically distressed, have impaired quality of life, and feel dissatisfied and powerless in the workplace.
In-depth neuroplasticity , lifelong learning , adult education , ageing , neuroscience Tags Author

Participation tends to decrease concomitantly with increasing age: the major difficulty that elderly people have in learning is due to a deterioration of brain function, causing a progressive weakening of concentration, memory and mental flexibility. Today, advanced researches in neuroscience show that brain ageing may be reversible: the brain is plastic in all stages of life, and its maps can restructure themselves through learning experiences.
Temperature Dependence of the Biotin−Avidin Bond-Rupture Force Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy

We report for the first time an atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigation of the dependence of unbinding force on temperature at controlled loading rate. AFM force measurements of biotin−avidin interactions were acquired at various temperatures ranging from 13 to 37 °C using force loading rates that are slow enough to ignore dissipative friction and to assume thermal equilibrium. With our established Poisson statistical analysis method, the unbinding force at a fixed loading rate between an individual biotin−avidin pair was extracted and was found to decrease by ∼5-fold with increasing temperature over this range. On the basis of a thermodynamic model similar to that of Bell, but developed here with additional insights, the bond stiffness, effective unbinding length, and the critical unbinding energy per biotin−avidin complex were estimated. This work takes quantitative AFM studies to the next level by allowing energies to be determined from force measurements.
A model of naming for fine-grained service specification in distributed systems

A syntax-oriented model for naming feature-based specification of services is provided. The model allows a service to evolve or reconfigure in functionality by adding and removing features and still coexist with its previous versions. The model's two aspects are examined. With this model for specifying services, name server functions may be factorized from service specific functions and implemented in a generic fashion in terms of parse and match operations and function invocations. This model can provide significant extension to such naming schemes as X.500 and the Universal Naming Protocol in supporting feature-based service interfaces. <<ETX>>
Long-term evaluation of partial splenic embolization followed by interferon therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVE Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia are often excluded from receiving interferon therapy because the treatment results in severe platelet depletion. Surgical splenectomy or partial splenic embolization (PSE) is a promising procedure for increasing the platelet count before interferon therapy. We performed PSE and evaluated the long-term clinical course in HCV cirrhotic patients. METHODS Patients with HCV cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia were included (n=108) in this study. The straight-coiled PSE procedure (Takatsuka method) was performed. The platelet count, hemodynamic changes, rate of a sustained virological response (SVR) and prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were evaluated. RESULTS PSE resulted in a significant increase in the platelet count (before PSE: 7.9±2.3×10(4)/μL, two weeks after PSE: 16.7±6.6×10(4)/μL (p<0.001). Therefore, all participants were started on regular-dose interferon therapy. The SVR rate was 24% for serotype 1 and 62% for serotype 2. In the biochemical responders (BR) with SVR, the overall survival rate was 94.6% over five years and 89.3% over 10 years. In the non-responders (NR), the overall survival rate was 78.7% over five years and 62.2% over 10 years. The overall survival rate of the patients with SVR+BR was significantly higher than that observed in the patients with NR (p=0.0082). There were no differences in the prevalence of HCC between the patients with SVR+BR and NR. CONCLUSION PSE enabled the induction of regular-dose interferon therapy in patients with HCV cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia. Although the prevalence of HCC did not differ between the SVR+BR and NR patients, there was a significant survival benefit in the patients with SVR+BR.
Very Large-Scale Singular Value Decomposition Using Tensor Train Networks

We propose new algorithms for singular value decomposition (SVD) of very large-scale matrices based on a low-rank tensor approximation technique called the tensor train (TT) format. The proposed algorithms can compute several dominant singular values and corresponding singular vectors for large-scale structured matrices given in a TT format. The computational complexity of the proposed methods scales logarithmically with the matrix size under the assumption that both the matrix and the singular vectors admit low-rank TT decompositions. The proposed methods, which are called the alternating least squares for SVD (ALS-SVD) and modified alternating least squares for SVD (MALS-SVD), compute the left and right singular vectors approximately through block TT decompositions. The very large-scale optimization problem is reduced to sequential small-scale optimization problems, and each core tensor of the block TT decompositions can be updated by applying any standard optimization methods. The optimal ranks of the block TT decompositions are determined adaptively during iteration process, so that we can achieve high approximation accuracy. Extensive numerical simulations are conducted for several types of TT-structured matrices such as Hilbert matrix, Toeplitz matrix, random matrix with prescribed singular values, and tridiagonal matrix. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods compared with standard SVD algorithms and TT-based algorithms developed for symmetric eigenvalue decomposition.
Influence of Inorganic Nitrogen Management Regime on the Diversity of Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria in Agricultural Grassland Soils

ABSTRACT To assess links between the diversity of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in agricultural grassland soils and inorganic N fertilizer management, NOB communities in fertilized and unfertilized soils were characterized by analysis of clone libraries and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene fragments. Previously uncharacterized Nitrospira-like sequences were isolated from both long-term-fertilized and unfertilized soils, but DGGE migration patterns indicated the presence of additional sequence types in the fertilized soils. Detailed phylogenetic analysis of Nitrospira-like sequences suggests the existence of one newly described evolutionary group and of subclusters within previously described sublineages, potentially representing different ecotypes; the new group may represent a lineage of noncharacterized Nitrospira species. Clone libraries of Nitrobacter-like sequences generated from soils under different long-term N management regimes were dominated by sequences with high similarity to the rhizoplane isolate Nitrobacter sp. strain PJN1. However, the diversity of Nitrobacter communities did not differ significantly between the two soil types. This is the first cultivation-independent study of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in soil demonstrating that nitrogen management practices influence the diversity of this bacterial functional group.