Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal genotype for the monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 A(‐2518)G promoter polymorphism is associated with the risk of spina bifida in offspring

Spina bifida, a neural tube defect (NTD [OMIM 182950]), is one of the most common congenital malformations with a prevalence of 0.5–1 per thousand births [Mitchell et al., 2004; Detrait et al., 2005]. The medical and societal costs of this condition have spurred a considerable research effort aimed at identifying the underlying causes anddeveloping risk reduction strategies. Spina bifida is a complex trait that has a multifactorial etiology encompassing both genetic and environmental components [Mitchell et al., 2004; Detrait et al., 2005]. The most compelling risk factor is maternal folate status [Daly et al., 1995]. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation reduces the risk of spina bifida recurrence and occurrence by up to 70% [MRC Vitamin Study Research Group, 1991; Czeizel and Dudas, 1992]. However, public health recommendations that women of childbearing age should take daily multivitamins containing folic acid have been only partly successful [Petrini et al., 1999]. Consequently, several countries have implemented mandatory folic acid food fortification programs, resulting in a 20–50% decline in spina bifida prevalence [Ray et al., 2002; Castilla et al., 2003; Mersereau et al., 2004]. Although the mechanism whereby improved folate status protects against spina bifida has not been established, genetic research has centered on assessing the role of functional polymorphisms in genes encoding products that are involved in folate uptake, transport, and metabolism [Mitchell et al., 2004; Detrait et al., 2005]. To date, variants of several folate-related genes, for example, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), methionine synthase (MTR), and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), have been associated with the risk of spina bifida in multiple studies; however, variants of others have been implicated only in single studies or without consistent replication [Mitchell et al., 2004; Detrait et al., 2005]. Consensus is emerging that additional candidate genes should be sought outside the few dozen that are directly related to folate. The identification of such novel genetic risk factors would likely yield insights into the etiology of spina bifida. Early first trimester hyperthermia, caused by infection/fever or use of hot tubs/saunas, is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of spina bifida [Shiota, 1982; Milunsky et al., 1992; Lynberg et al., 1994; Chambers et al., 1998; Suarez et al., 2004]. This suggests that processes related to inflammation and elevated body temperature, in particular signaling by molecules such as chemokines, may be involved in the etiology of spina bifida. We have established that the potent chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) acts in an autocrine/paracrine fashion to modulate aspects of
Enhancing web activities with information visualization

Many activities people perform on the Web are biased, including activities like reading news, searching for information and connecting with people. Sometimes these biases are inherent in social behavior (like homophily), and sometimes they are external as they affect the system (like media bias). In this thesis proposal, we describe our approach to use information visualization to enhance Web activities performed by regular people (i.e., non-experts) We understand enhancing as reducing bias effects and generating an engaging response from users. Our methodology is based on case studies. We select a Web activity, identify the biases that affect it, and evaluate how the biases affect a population from online social networks using web mining techniques, and then, we design a visualization following an interactive and playful design approach to diminish the previously identified biases. We propose to evaluate the effect of our visualization designs in user studies by comparing them with state-of-the-art techniques considering a playful experiences framework.
Electrophysiological Correlates of the Influences of Past Experience on Conscious and Unconscious Figure-Ground Perception

Figure-ground perception can be modeled as a competitive process with mutual inhibition between shape properties on opposite sides of an edge. This dissertation reports brain-based evidence that such competitive inhibition can be induced by access to preexisting object memory representations during figure assignment. Silhouette stimuli were used in which the balance of properties along an edge biased the inner, bounded, region to be seen as a novel figure. Experimental silhouettes (EXP) suggested familiar objects on their outside edges, which nonetheless appeared as shapeless grounds. Control silhouettes (CON) suggested novel shapes on the outside. In an initial task, human observers categorized masked EXP and CON silhouettes (175 ms exposure) as “novel” versus a third group of silhouettes depicting “familiar” objects on the inside. Signal detection measures verified that observers were unconscious of the familiar shapes within the EXP stimuli. Across three experiments, novel categorizations were highly accurate with shorter RTs for EXP than CON. Event-related potential (ERP) indices of observers’ brain activity (Experiments 2 and 3) revealed a Late Potential (~300 ms) to be less positive for EXP than CON, a reduction in neural activity consistent with the presence of greater competitive inhibition for EXP stimuli. After controlling for stimulus confounds (Experiment 3), the P1 ERP (~100 ms) was larger for EXP than CON conditions, perhaps reflecting unconscious access to object memories. In a second task, observers were informed about familiar shapes suggested on the outsides of the EXP silhouettes before viewing masked (Experiments 1 and 2) or unmasked (Experiment 3) EXP and CON silhouettes to report whether they saw familiar
Network adaptive round-time clustering algorithm for wireless sensor networks

In recent time, wireless sensor networks are gaining popularity among research persons. Wireless sensor networks are energy constraint networks because sensor nodes carry limited energy. Energy efficiency is the prime design issue for wireless sensor networks. Clustering algorithms increase performance of network with reduction in energy consumption of nodes. Clustering operation is performed in rounds to load balance the network. Duration of round-time is decisive for performance of clustering algorithms. Most of existing clustering algorithms have fixed round-time and do not consider network dynamics. In this paper, network adaptive variable round-time solution is presented. In proposed solution, round-time is calculated according to number of nodes alive in the network. Simulation results show that the proposed solution increases the network lifetime and data units received at base station.
Using synthetic data safely in classification

When is it safe to use synthetic training data in supervised classification? Trainable classifier technologies require large representative training sets consisting of samples labeled with their true class. Acquiring such training sets is difficult and costly. One way to alleviate this problem is to enlarge training sets by generating artificial, synthetic samples. Of course this immediately raises many questions, perhaps the first being "Why should we trust artificially generated data to be an accurate representative of the real distributions? " Other questions include "When will training on synthetic data work as well as - or better than training on real data ? ". We distinguish between sample space (the set of real samples), parameter space (all samples that can be generated synthetically), and finally, feature space (the set of samples in terms of finite numerical values). In this paper, we discuss a series of experiments, in which we produced synthetic data in parameter space, that is, by convex interpolation among the generating parameters for samples and showed we could amplify real data to produce a classifier that is as accurate as a classifier trained on real data. Specifically, we have explored the feasibility of varying the generating parameters for Knuth's Metafont system to see if previously unseen fonts could also be recognized. We also varied parameters for an image quality model. We have found that training on interpolated data is for the most part safe, that is to say never produced more errors. Furthermore, the classifier trained on interpolated data often improved class accuracy.
P2P-Based VoIP QoS Management in Heterogeneous Networks

Peer to peer (P2P) technology has dramatically transformed the landscape of the Internet traffic in recent years, which induces greatly attention and research on the deployment of P2P-based applications in heterogeneous networks. Indeed many obstacles still lie ahead. The main objective of this paper is to present a new method to deploy the most promising P2P technologies for heterogeneous networks based voice services. IMS, SIP and SOA are adopted in this work to ensure the possibility of heterogeneous communication and the scalable VoIP service in the heterogeneous environment. Because P2P VoIP traffic potentially suffers from performance issues like packet loss, delay, jitter, which greatly affect the quality of service (QoS), a QoS-aware scheme deployed on end-points is proposed in the paper. A flow diagram is presented to make clear of how the Qos-aware scheme operates. Finally, we set up a simple testbed to validate the proposed scheme.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT An Introprofessional Geriatric Medication Activity Within a Senior Mentor Program

Objective. To determine whether a required interprofessional geriatric medication activity within a senior mentor program changed pharmacy and medical students’ attitudes regarding interprofessional collaboration. Design. Interprofessional teams, consisting of 1 third-year pharmacy student and 2 second-year medical students, conducted an in-home interview and medication history with a senior mentor (geriatric patient). The team members then collaboratively analyzed and discussed the patient’s medication use and wrote an essay in which they identified the patient’s medication problems and reflected on the interprofessional experience. Assessment. Students completed a validated survey instrument to measure pharmacist-physician attitudes about interprofessional collaboration before and after the experience. Pharmacy and medical students’ already generally positive attitudes regarding interprofessional relationships were maintained and, in some instances, significantly improved. Students found the activity enhanced their geriatric training and increased their understanding of an interprofessional team. Conclusion. Incorporation of a geriatric medication activity within a senior mentor program maintained or improved pharmacy and medical students’ positive attitudes about interprofessional collaboration and enhanced geriatric training within the curriculum.
Protein phosphatase 2A impairs IFNα‐induced antiviral activity against the hepatitis C virus through the inhibition of STAT1 tyrosine phosphorylation

Mammalian cells have developed several mechanisms to sense viruses and initiate adequate responses such as production of interferons. Interferons activate the antiviral response through the Jak‐STAT signalling pathway. To establish a chronic infection, viruses need to counteract this barrier of defence. The hepatitis C and hepatitis B viruses are known to up‐regulate the expression of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). In this study, we show that PP2Ac associates with Jak1/Tyk2/STAT1 and reduces Jak1/Tyk2/STAT1 phosphorylation resulting in an impairment of the IFNα‐induced HCV antiviral response. Using the fully infectious HCV cell culture system (HCVcc), we demonstrate that the PP2A catalytic activity is not required to block the antiviral effect of IFNα, although it is needed to support HCVcc replication. Our data suggest an important contribution of virus‐induced PP2Ac up‐regulation in the establishment of a chronic infection.
Treatment of diabetic nephropathy in its early stages

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most frequent causes of end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), and, in recent years, the number of diabetic patients entering renal replacement therapy has dramatically increased. The magnitude of the problem has led to numerous efforts to identify preventive and therapeutic strategies. In normoalbuminuric patients, optimal glycemic control (HbA1c lower than 7.5%) plays a fundamental role in the primary prevention of ESRD [weighted mean relative risk reduction (RRR) ∼37% for metabolic control versus trivial renoprotection for intensive anti‐hypertensive therapy or ACE‐inhibitors (ACE‐I)]. In the microalbuminuric stage, strict glycemic control probably reduces the incidence of overt nephropathy (weighted mean RRR ∼50%), while blood pressure levels below 130/80 mmHg are recommended according to the average blood pressure levels obtained in various studies. In normotensive patients, ACE‐I markedly reduce the development of overt nephropathy almost regardless of blood pressure levels; in hypertensive patients, ACE‐I are less clearly active (weighted mean RRR ∼23% versus other drugs), whereas angiotensin‐receptor blockers (ARB) appear strikingly renoprotective. Once overt proteinuria appears, it is uncertain whether glycemic control affects the progression of nephropathy. In type 1 diabetes, various anti‐hypertensive treatments, mainly ACE‐I, are effective in slowing down the progression of nephropathy; in type 2 diabetes, two recent studies demonstrate that ARB are superior to conventional therapy or calcium channel blockers (CCB). In clinical practice, pharmacological tools are not always used to the best benefit of the patients. Therefore, clinicians and patients need to be educated regarding the renoprotection of drugs inhibiting the renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) and the overwhelming importance of achieving target blood pressure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors associated with patient activation in an Australian population with comorbid diabetes and chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study

Objective To evaluate the extent of patient activation and factors associated with activation in adults with comorbid diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Renal/diabetes clinics of four tertiary hospitals across the two largest states of Australia. Study population Adult patients (over 18 years) with comorbid diabetes and CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Main outcome measures Patients completed the Patient Activation Measure, the Kidney Disease Quality of Life and demographic and clinical data survey from January to December 2014. Factors associated with patient activation were examined using χ2 or t-tests and linear regression. Results Three hundred and five patients with median age of 68 (IQR 14.8) years were studied. They were evenly distributed across socioeconomic groups, stage of kidney disease and duration of diabetes but not gender. Approximately 46% reported low activation. In patients with low activation, the symptom/problem list, burden of kidney disease subscale and mental composite subscale scores were all significantly lower (all p<0.05). On multivariable analysis, factors associated with lower activation for all patients were older age, worse self-reported health in the burden of kidney disease subscale and lower self-care scores. Additionally, in men, worse self-reported health in the mental composite subscale was associated with lower activation and in women, worse self-reported health scores in the symptom problem list and greater renal impairment were associated with lower activation. Conclusion Findings from this study suggest that levels of activation are low in patients with diabetes and CKD. Older age and worse self-reported health were associated with lower activation. This data may serve as the basis for the development of interventions needed to enhance activation and outcomes for patients with diabetes and CKD.
Review of Electronic Decision-Support Tools for Diabetes Care: A Viable Option for Low- and Middle-Income Countries?

Context: Diabetes care is complex, requiring motivated patients, providers, and systems that enable guideline-based preventative care processes, intensive risk-factor control, and positive lifestyle choices. However, care delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is hindered by a compendium of systemic and personal factors. While electronic medical records (EMR) and computerized clinical decision-support systems (CDSS) have held great promise as interventions that will overcome system-level challenges to improving evidence-based health care delivery, evaluation of these quality improvement interventions for diabetes care in LMICs is lacking. Objective and Data Sources: We reviewed the published medical literature (systematic search of MEDLINE database supplemented by manual searches) to assess the quantifiable and qualitative impacts of combined EMR-CDSS tools on physician performance and patient outcomes and their applicability in LMICs. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Inclusion criteria prespecified the population (type 1 or 2 diabetes patients), intervention (clinical EMR-CDSS tools with enhanced functionalities), and outcomes (any process, self-care, or patient-level data) of interest. Case, review, or methods reports and studies focused on nondiabetes, nonclinical, or in-patient uses of EMR-CDSS were excluded. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted from studies by separate single reviewers, respectively, and relevant data were synthesized. Results: Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria, originating exclusively from high-income country settings. Among predominantly experimental study designs, process improvements were consistently observed along with small, variable improvements in risk-factor control, compared with baseline and/or control groups (where applicable). Intervention benefits varied by baseline patient characteristics, features of the EMR-CDSS interventions, motivation and access to technology among patients and providers, and whether EMR-CDSS tools were combined with other quality improvement strategies (e.g., workflow changes, case managers, algorithms, incentives). Patients shared experiences of feeling empowered and benefiting from increased provider attention and feedback but also frustration with technical difficulties of EMR-CDSS tools. Providers reported more efficient and standardized processes plus continuity of care but also role tensions and “mechanization” of care. Conclusions: This narrative review supports EMR-CDSS tools as innovative conduits for structuring and standardizing care processes but also highlights setting and selection limitations of the evidence reviewed. In the context of limited resources, individual economic hardships, and lack of structured systems or trained human capital, this review reinforces the need for well-designed investigations evaluating the role and feasibility of technological interventions (customized to each LMIC's locality) in clinical decision making for diabetes care.
Neurotrophin‐3 promotes cerebellar granule cell exit from the EGL

In the cerebellum, the mRNAs for neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3) and its high‐affinity tyrosine kinase receptor trkC are expressed by both the differentiated granule cells of the internal granule cell layer (IGL) and their precursors in the external germinal layer (EGL). We have investigated the effects of chronic application of exogenous NT‐3 in vivo on cerebellar granule cell genesis and differentiation. NT‐3 was applied to the posterior surface of the rat cerebellum from P6 onwards using Elvax implants. At P10 the EGL of cerebellar lobules VII and VIII was significantly reduced in thickness in NT‐3 implanted rats when compared with controls. Immunocytochemical analysis of the EGL using antibodies to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed that the number of postmitotic, premigratory (PCNA‐immunonegative) granule cell precursors was preferentially reduced in the NT‐3 implanted rats. In situ DNA fragmentation labelling confirmed that this was not accompanied by increased cell death in the EGL. These results suggest that NT‐3 promotes the differentiation of postmitotic, premigratory granule cell precursors, accelerating cell exit from the EGL.
Validating a timing simulator for the NGMP multicore processor

Timing simulation is a key element in multicore systems design. It enables a fast and cost effective design space exploration, allowing to simulate new architectural improvements without requiring RTL abstraction levels. Timing simulation also allows software developers to perform early testing of the timing behavior of their software without the need of buying the actual physical board, which can be very expensive when the board uses non-COTS technology. In this paper we present the validation of a timing simulator for the NGMP multicore processor, which is a 4 core processor being developed to become the reference platform for future missions of the European Space Agency.
Decomposing the Ins and Outs of Cyclical Unemployment

This paper analyzes the contribution of the socioeconomic and demographic composition of the pool of employed and unemployed individuals to the dynamics of the labor market in different phases of the business cycle. Using individual level data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), we decompose differences in employment status transition rates between economic upswings and downturns into composition effects and behavioral effects. We find that overall composition effects play a minor role for the cyclicality of the unemployment outflow rate, although the contribution of the duration of unemployment is significant. In contrast, composition effects dampen the cyclicality of the unemployment inflow rate considerably. We further observe that the initially positive contribution of composition effects to a higher unemployment outflow rate turns negative over the course of the recession.
The optimal path-matching problem

We describe a common generalization of the weighted matching problem and the weighted matroid intersection problem. In this context we establish common generalizations of the main results on those two problems—polynomial-time solvability, min-max theorems, and totally dual integral polyhedral descriptions. New application of these results include a strongly polynomial separation algorithm for the convex hull of matchable sets of a graph, and a polynomial-time algorithm to compute the rank of a certain matrix of indeterminates.
Spraying Respiratory Epithelial Cells to Coat Tissue-Engineered Constructs

Abstract Applying cells in a spray can overcome current hurdles in coating tissue engineered constructs with a thin layer of endo- or epithelial cells. We report here a structured study on the influences of spray application with a medical spray device on vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) and respiratory epithelial cells (RECs) with and without fibrin gel. Next to viability and cytotoxicity assays, the in vitro differentiation capacity after spray processing was analyzed. For vSMC, no influence of air pressures till 0.8 bar could be shown, whereas the viability decreased for higher pressures. The viability of RECs was reduced to 88.5% with 0.4 bar air pressure. Lactate dehydrogenase-levels in the culture medium increased the first day after spraying but normalized afterward. In the short term, no differences by means of morphology and expression-specific markers for vSMCs and RECs were seen between the control and study group. In addition, in a long-term study for 28 days with the air–liquid interface, RECs differentiated and built up an organized epithelial layer with ciliary development that was comparable to the control for cells sprayed without fibrin gel. When spraying within fibrin gel, ciliary development was lower at 28 days. Thus, spraying of vSMCs and RECs was proved to be a suitable method for tissue engineering. Especially for RECs, this application is of special significance when coating luminal structures or other unfavorable topographies.