Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concepts of interaction.

Readers of the American Journal of Epidemiology have seen a lively discourse on the topic of synergy, a major conceptual area in epidemiology for which there exists fundamental controversy as to definitions. In 1974, one of us (KJR) (1) proposed that synergy (or its negative counterpart, antagonism) between two or more causes of disease ought to be evaluated in reference to a specific yardstick. The reference point was one that equated independence of the causes with the situation in which the joint effect was equal to the sum of the separate effects, with effect defined as excess risk. Rothman emphasized the distinction between biologic and statistical interaction, arguing that biologic interaction, unlike statistical interaction, could not be defined with arbitrariness in the choice of scale of measurement.
Building Arabic Polarizerd Lexicon from Rated Online Customer Reviews

Building a polarized lexicon is an essential step towards a reliable opinion mining engine. In this paper we are presenting an approach and describing an experiment to build an Arabic polarized lexicon from analyzing online customer reviews. These reviews are written in Modern Standard Arabic and Palestinian/Jordanian dialect. Therefore, the produced lexicon compromises casual slangs and dialectic entries used by the online community, which is useful for sentiment analysis of informal social media microblogs. We have extracted 28000 entries from processing 15100 reviews and by expanding the initial lexicon with through google translate. Each entry was given a polarity tag and a confidence score. High confidence scores have increased the precision of the polarization process.
Functional domains of necdin for protein–protein interaction, nuclear matrix targeting, and cell growth suppression

Necdin is a growth suppressor expressed predominantly in postmitotic neurons. The necdin gene is involved in the etiology of the genomic imprinting‐associated neurodevelopmental disorder Prader–Willi syndrome and belongs to the MAGE gene family. All the MAGE family proteins contain a large homology domain termed the MAGE homology domain (MHD). We here characterize the regions of necdin required for the protein–protein interaction, nuclear matrix targeting, and cell growth suppression. The region including entire MHD (amino acids 116–280) of necdin was required for its interaction with p53, while the regions amino acids 144–184 and 191–222 within the MHD were required for both the nuclear matrix targeting and the cell growth suppression of osteosarcoma SAOS‐2 cells. The amino‐terminal proline‐rich acidic region (amino acids 60–100) was also necessary for cell growth suppression. Tetracycline‐regulatable overexpression of necdin induced growth arrest of SAOS‐2 cells in a reversible manner, and the necdin‐overexpressing cells showed a large, flattened morphology with double nuclei. In contrast, a necdin mutant lacking amino acids 191–222 did not induce such changes. These findings suggest that different functions of necdin are mediated via its distinct domains. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stability and in vitro DNA packaging of bacteriophages: effects of dextrans, sugars, and polyols

Attempts were made to increase the efficiency of infectious particle formation during the in vitro assembly of bacteriophage T7 from procapsids and DNA. It was found that dextrans and some smaller, related compounds (sucrose and sorbitol) increase this efficiency by a factor of 8 to 50. Dextrans also inhibited elevated temperature-induced emptying of DNA from bacteriophages T7, P22, and T4, suggesting that the stimulation of assembly is caused, at least in part, by the stabilization of packaged DNA in capsids. The data indicated that the sugars and polyols can slow DNA emptying from bacteriophages at elevated temperature whether they permeate the bacteriophage capsid or not. In contrast, the data suggested that permeation of some particle, probably a capsid, results in inhibition of in vitro T7 assembly.
A Front Tracking Method for Computational Modeling of Temperature and Species Gradient Based Phase Change

A front tracking method is developed to simulate the liquid-gas phase change phenomenon during vaporization/evaporation process. One eld formulation of the governing ow, energy and species equations are solved on an Eulerian grid with suitable jump conditions. Both phases are assumed to be incompressible; however, the divergence-free velocity eld condition is modi ed to account for the phase change/mass transfer at the interface. Interface/front separates the phases and is composed of connected marker points that are tracked explicitly. Temperature gradient based phase change model calculates the heat source/sink at the interface by applying the energy conservation principle. For the species gradient driven phase change model, the Clausius-Clapeyron relation is used to nd vapor mass fraction at the interface, which is subsequently used to nd the mass ux and heat ux across interface. The implementation is validated against standard test cases such as 1D Stefan problem and the evaporation of a 2D static droplet. The non-dimensional evaporation mass ux across the interface is validated against an analytical model, assuming the interface temperature constant throughout the evaporation process. For a water droplet evaporating in air, the numerical results of wet bulb temperatures are compared with the psychrometric chart values and a good agreement is observed. Finally, 2D planar moving and deforming droplets are made to evaporate for di erent Eotvos (Eo) and Morton (Mo) Numbers. The implementation is grid convergent and mass is globally conserved for all the studied cases. The next step will be to incorporate chemical reactions into the present computational method using nite-rate chemical kinetic models.
Novel AMI architecture for real-time Smart Metering

The proposed architecture of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), presented in this paper, introduces new hierarchical layers in the Smart Metering System. This implies distributed implementation of the traditional data-concentrator functions as basic functionalities and advanced Smart Metering functions in the form of Transformer Station Data Concentrator (TSC) and Local Metering Concentrator (LMC) system components. This concept provides the support for real-time applications, services and algorithms. The introduction of LMC layer in the form of independent embedded system component enables on one side the real time two way command-response communication mechanism with the higher layers of AMI, while on the other side performs communication with locally connected electrical meters over standard serial communication interface. The proposed concept improves the communication dynamics with the traditional and smart electrical meters, while providing support for more complex AMI network topology. The introduced LMC layer enables real-time load profiling, energy diagnostic, and simple integration with energy management system. Interoperability, scalability and modularity are in the line with general smart grid concepts.
PCL–gelatin composite nanofibers electrospun using diluted acetic acid–ethyl acetate solvent system for stem cell-based bone tissue engineering

Composite nanofibrous scaffolds with various poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/gelatin ratios (90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50 wt.%) were successfully electrospun using diluted acetic and ethyl acetate mixture. The effects of this solvent system on the solution properties of the composites and its electrospinning properties were investigated. Viscosity and conductivity of the solutions, with the addition of gelatin, allowed for the electrospinning of uniform nanofibers with increasing hydrophilicity and degradation. Composite nanofibers containing 30 and 40 wt. % gelatin showed an optimum combination of hydrophilicity and degradability and also maintained the structural integrity of the scaffold. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) showed favorable interaction with and proliferation on, the composite scaffolds. hMSC proliferation was highest in the 30 and 40 wt. % gelatin containing composites. Our experimental data suggested that PCL–gelatin composite nanofibers containing 30–40 wt. % of gelatin and electrospun in diluted acetic acid–ethyl acetate mixture produced nanofiber scaffolds with optimum hydrophilicity, degradability, and bio-functionality for stem cell-based bone tissue engineering.
Shallow dark matter cusps in galaxy clusters

We study the evolution of the stellar and dark matter components in a galaxy cluster of 10 15 M⊙ from z = 3 to the present epoch using the high-resolution collisionless simulations of Ruszkowski & Springel (2009). At z = 3 the dominant progenitor halos were populated with spherical model galaxies with and without accounting for adiabatic contraction. We apply a weighting scheme which allows us to change the relative amount of dark and stellar material assigned to each simulation particle in order to produce luminous properties which agree better with abundance matching arguments and observed bulge sizes at z = 3. This permits the study of the effect of initial compactness on the evolution of the mass-size relation. We find that for more compact initial stellar distributions the size of the final Brightest Cluster Galaxy grows with mass according to r / M 2 , whereas for more extended initial distributions, r / M. Our results show that collisionless mergers in a cosmological context can reduce the strength of inner dark matter cusps with changes in logarithmic slope of 0.3 to 0.5 at fixed radius. Shallow cusps such as those found recently in several strong lensing clusters thus do not necessarily conflict with CDM, but may rather reflect on the initial structure of the progenitor galaxies, which was shaped at high redshift by their formation process.
Comparison of Medium Voltage IGBT-based 3L-ANPC-VSCs

Recently the 3L-ANPC-VSC was introduced to overcome the unequal loss distribution and the resulting unsymmetrical semiconductor junction temperature distribution as main structural drawback of the 3L-NPC-VSC. This paper compares conventional 3L-NPC-VSCs with 3L-ANPC-VSCs using 3.3 kV, 4.5 kV, and 6.5 kV IGBT modules for industrial Medium Voltage Drives for rated converter output voltages of VLL = 2.3 kV, 3.3 kV, and 4.16 kV in a switching frequency range of fs = 300 Hz to 1050 Hz. Maximum achievable converter power, converter efficiency, switch utilization, active silicon area and material costs are determined and compared for given IGBT and diode modules. The comparison is the basis for a derivation of advantageous operating conditions of 3L-NPC-VSCs and 3L-ANPC-VSCs.
Effect of age at disease onset in the clinical profile of spondyloarthritis: a study of 1424 Brazilian patients.

OBJECTIVES To analyse demographic and clinical variables in patients with disease onset before and after 40, 45 and 50 years in a large series of Brazilian SpA patients. METHODS A common protocol of investigation was prospectively applied to 1424 SpA patients in 29 centres distributed through the main geographical regions in Brazil. The mean age at disease onset was 28.56 ± 12.34 years, with 259 patients (18.2%) referring disease onset after 40 years, 151 (10.6%) after 45 years and 81 (5.8%) after 50 years. Clinical and demographic variables and disease indices (BASDAI, BASFI, BASRI, MASES, ASQoL) were investigated. Ankylosing spondylitis was the most frequent disease (66.3%), followed by psoriatic arthritis (18%), undifferentiated SpA (6.7%), reactive arthritis (5.5%), and enteropathic arthritis (3.5%). RESULTS Comparing the groups according to age of disease onset, those patients with later onset presented statistical association with female gender, peripheral arthritis, dactylitis, nail involvement and psoriasis, as well as negative statistical association with inflammatory low back pain, alternating buttock pain, radiographic sacroiliitis, hip involvement, positive familial history, HLA-B27 and uveitis. BASDAI, BASFI and quality of life, as well as physicians and patient's global assessment, were similar in all the groups. Radiographic indices showed worse results in the younger age groups. CONCLUSIONS There are two different clinical patterns in SpA defined by age at disease onset: one with predominance of axial symptoms in the group with disease onset ≤ 40 years and another favouring the peripheral manifestations in those with later disease onset.
Codon‐improved Cre recombinase (iCre) expression in the mouse

Summary: By applying the mammalian codon usage to Cre recombinase, we improved Cre expression, as determined by immunoblot and functional analysis, in three different mammalian cell lines. The improved Cre (iCre) gene was also designed to reduce the high CpG content of the prokaryotic coding sequence, thereby reducing the chances of epigenetic silencing in mammals. Transgenic iCre expressing mice were obtained with good frequency, and in these mice loxP‐mediated DNA recombination was observed in all cells expressing iCre. Moreover, iCre fused to two estrogen receptor hormone binding domains for temporal control of Cre activity could also be expressed in transgenic mice. However, Cre induction after administration of tamoxifen yielded only low Cre activity. Thus, whereas efficient activation of Cre fusion proteins in the brain needs further improvements, our studies indicate that iCre should facilitate genetic experiments in the mouse. genesis 32:19–26, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compact tapers for silicon grating fibre-chip couplers in O, C and L band

Grating fiber-chip coupler (GC) is a versatile scheme to couple light into submicron waveguides, particularly in SOI platform [1]. Typical GC is defined within a footprint of 10 × 10 μm to match the fiber mode field. The 10 μm wide waveguide is then adiabatically tapered (length ∼ 500 μm) down to a 400/500 nm single-mode waveguide. To reduce the taper length, focusing type grating was introduced and widely used [2]. One of the major issues with the focusing GC is the alignment tolerance and bandwidth limitation compared to linear GC. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate an ultra-compact taper structure with coupling efficiency of ∼92% for 1550 nm and 89% for 1310 nm and broad band operation.
The cardiovascular benefits of indiscriminate supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids; meta-analysis and decision-making approach

Abstract Aim: The meta-analysis was conducted to estimate of the cardiovascular benefits of indiscriminate supplementation of omega-3 capsules. The results, expressed in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALY) intuitively understood by the general public, can be the basis for the (personal) decision on whether to take omega-3 supplements. Methods: The results of meta-analysis of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials are expressed in terms of QALY, using the Markov model and Monte Carlo simulations. Results: Omega-3 supplementation results in a 8% decrease of the risk of cardiac death, unless the patients are treated by statins. Results indicate that omega-3 supplementation may prolong QALY by about a month. Old people gain less, whereas DM-2 patients and people with history of CV events gain more. Discussion: Our analysis yielded an algorithm for estimating benefit from omega-3 supplementation, based on the age and the individual risk of CV events of the patient.
A comparison of image registration techniques for the correlation of radiolabelled antibody distribution with tumour morphology

Image registration is a powerful tool for correlating functional images with images of anatomical structure. This facilitates more accurate quantitation of regional radiopharmaceutical uptake. Similarly, registration of images of radiolabelled antibody distribution, in tissue sections, with the equivalent histological images allows the comparison and measurement of radiopharmaceutical distribution with morphological structure. The images used were obtained by storage phosphor plate technology, for the radiopharmaceutical distribution, and by digitization of the stained histological sections. Here we compare four fully automatic registration techniques and one manual technique in terms of their spatial accuracy. We have found that there was no difference in accuracy between cross-correlation, minimization of variance and mutual information. These techniques were more accurate than principal axes and the manual technique. However, minimization of variance and mutual information were more time-consuming than the other methods. Consequently, cross-correlation is the method of choice for automatic registration of large numbers of these image pairs.
Safety and Feasibility of a Lower Dose Intravenous TPA Therapy for Ischemic Stroke beyond the First Three Hours

Background: The most common reason that patients do not receive intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) is the inability to meet the strict 3-hour treatment window. The risk/benefit ratio is more unfavorable beyond this time, but some patients might still benefit. We designed a pilot study with the hypothesis that lower dose TPA might be safe in selected patients treated beyond 3 h. Subjects and Methods: To determine the range of symptomatic hemorrhage and good outcome, we prospectively gave IV TPA 0.6 mg/kg up to 60 mg (15% bolus, 85% infusion over 30 min) to patients with ischemic stroke beyond the first 3 h after last known to be normal. Other eligibility criteria were: NIH Stroke Scale ≧4, normal head CT scan, and clinical suspicion or transcranial Doppler (TCD) evidence of a proximal arterial occlusion. Results: 28 patients were treated, median age 65 (range 24–88) years, median baseline NIHSS score 18 (range 7–34) points. TPA bolus was given 372 ± 158 min after stroke onset (range 189–720). Symptomatic hemorrhage occurred in 3/28 (11%) patients, including 1 fatal bleed. Overall mortality was 6/28 (21%). Partial or complete recanalization was found in 8/20 (40%) TCD monitored patients within 2 h after TPA bolus. Early major improvement occurred in 4/28 (14%) patients. Conclusions: Lower dose IV TPA in patients presenting beyond 3 h carries a risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. However, recanalization with dramatic recovery can still occur.
Pore‐forming and haemolytic properties of the Gardnerella vaginalis cytoiysin

The pleomorphic bacterium Gardnerella vaginalis releases in the culture broth a haemolytic exotoxin (Gvh) which is probably a virulence determinant of this unique bacterium, implicated in gynaecological and urological disorders. This 59kDa cytolysin was purified to homogeneity in just one chromatographic step directly from the culture supernatant, a final specific activity up to 1.9 × 106 HU mg−1 being obtained. The toxin‐induced lesion on human erythrocytes results from the formation of a pore whose radius is approximately 2.4 nm. The damage is inhibited by osmotic protectants and shows a sigmoidal dose‐response profile suggesting an aggregation process of haemolysin molecules on the target membrane to create the functional lesion. The extent and the kinetics of haemolysis are strongly dependent on temperature and an activation energy of 64.0 kJ mol−1 has been derived. Lipid membranes can be very efficient inhibitors of Gvh‐haemolysis, being able to bind the toxin quite avidly. The inhibitory effect requires the presence of cholesterol and it is stronger when cholesterol is mixed with negatively charged phospholipids rather than with zwitterionic phospholipids, suggesting that a negative surface potential increases the affinity of the toxin for the lipid bilayer. The functional properties of Gvh have been compared with those of Clostridium perfringens theta‐toxin (PFO) and Escherichia coli haemolysin (HlyA), which are representative of widespread haemolysins produced by Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, respectively. The toxin shares several features with the family of the so‐called ‘sulphydryl‐activated’ cytolysins produced by Gram‐positive bacteria, although Gvh does not truly belong to this family, being deactivated by β‐mercaptoethanol and being antigenically distinct from them. We report here for the first time the detection in the vaginal fluid of infected women of a specific IgA response against the toxin.
How common is domestic violence against women? The definition of partner abuse in prevalence studies

Abstract: We systematically reviewed studies of the prevalence of domestic violence. Selected overseas community studies were compared with all Australian prevalence studies found to be published. Twelve‐month prevalence estimates of partner abuse in Australia varied from 2.1 per cent to 28.0 per cent, depending mainly on the definition of domestic violence used in each study. Implications of the lack of a precise definition result in varying operationalised definitions of partner abuse, from all types of violence in relationships (including a single minor violent incident), through to only those violent incidents that are classified as a crime. Recommendations for any future prevalence studies in this field include the need to collect frequency data which reflected the fact that partner abuse against women is a complex behavioural phenomenon involving emotional, physical and sexual abuse against a partner, not just simply physical incidents. (Aust N Z J Public Health 1998; 22: 49–54)
Covariation of residues in the homeodomain sequence family

Homeodomains are 60 amino acid DNA binding domains found in numerous eukaryotic transcription factors. The homeodomain family is a useful system for studying sequence‐structure relationships because several hundred sequences are known and the structures of several homeodomains have been determined. Covariation of amino acid residues in the homeodomain family has been investigated to see whether strongly covariant residue pairs can be understood in terms of the structure and function of these domains. Among 16 strongly covariant pairs examined, 2 are explained by the ability to form salt bridges, and 9 appear related to the DNA binding function of the proteins. For the remaining 5 pairs, the rationale for covariance remains unclear and the likelihood of artifactual correlations is discussed in the context of experimental and evolutionary biases in the selection of sequences. No significant correlation was found between covariance and structural proximity in the hydrophobic core.
Cervicofacial Hemangioma and a Minor Sternal Malformation: Inclusion in PHACES Syndrome?

Abstract: Hemangiomas are frequent in childhood, but those associated to dysmorphic anomalies are rare. We report a young girl with hemangiomas of the face, neck, and upper trunk, severe laryngeal dyspnea, and sternal atrophic skin without sternal nonunion, probably corresponding to a minor form of PHACES syndrome.