Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single-dose liposomal amphotericin B for visceral leishmaniasis in India.

BACKGROUND Some 50% of patients with visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) worldwide live in the Indian state of Bihar. Liposomal amphotericin B is an effective treatment when administered in short courses. We wanted to determine whether the efficacy of a single infusion of liposomal amphotericin B was inferior to conventional parenteral therapy, consisting of 15 alternate-day infusions of amphotericin B deoxycholate. METHODS In this open-label study, we randomly assigned 412 patients in a 3:1 ratio to receive either liposomal amphotericin B (liposomal-therapy group) or amphotericin B deoxycholate (conventional-therapy group). Liposomal amphotericin B (at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight) was given once, and patients were discharged home 24 hours later. Amphotericin B deoxycholate, which was administered in 15 infusions of 1 mg per kilogram, was given every other day during a 29-day hospitalization. We determined the cure rate 6 months after treatment. RESULTS A total of 410 patients--304 of 304 patients (100%) in the liposomal-therapy group and 106 of 108 patients (98%) in the conventional-therapy group--had apparent cure responses at day 30. Cure rates at 6 months were similar in the two groups: 95.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.4 to 97.9) in the liposomal-therapy group and 96.3% (95% CI, 92.6 to 99.9) in the conventional-therapy group. Adverse events in the liposomal-therapy group were infusion-related fever or rigors (in 40%) and increased anemia or thrombocytopenia (in 2%); such events in the conventional-therapy group were fever or rigors (in 64%), increased anemia (in 19%), and hypokalemia (in 2%). Nephrotoxicity or hepatotoxicity developed in no more than 1% of patients in each group. CONCLUSIONS A single infusion of liposomal amphotericin B was not inferior to and was less expensive than conventional therapy with amphotericin B deoxycholate. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00628719.)
Longitudinal change of selected human milk oligosaccharides and association to infants’ growth, an observatory, single center, longitudinal cohort study

Background Human milk is the recommended and sole nutrient source for newborns. One of the largest components of human milk is oligosaccharides (HMOs) with major constituents determined by the mother genotype for the fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2, secretor) gene. HMO variation has been related with infant microbiota establishment, diarrhea incidence, morbidity and mortality, IgE associated eczema and body composition. Objectives We investigated the (i) dependence of several major representative HMOs on the FUT2 status assessed through breast milk 2’Fucosyllactose (2’FL) and (ii) the relation of the 2’FL status with infant growth up to 4 months of life. Design From an open observatory, single center, longitudinal cohort study with quantitative human milk collection at 30, 60, and 120 days postpartum from 50 mothers, who gave birth to 25 female and 25 male singleton infants, we collected a representative sample of human milk. We quantified the following 5 representative HMOs: 2’FL, Lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), 3’Sialyllactose (3’SL) and 6’Sialyllactose (6’SL). We grouped the milk samples and corresponding infants according to the measured milk 2’FL concentrations at 30 days of lactation, which clustered around low concentrations (95% CI of mean 12–42 mg/L) and high concentrations (95% CI of mean 1880–2460 mg/L) with the former likely representing Secretor negative mothers. Infant anthropometric measures were recorded at birth, 1, 2 and 4 months of age. Relations among the quantified HMOs and the relation of the high and low 2’FL HMOs groups with infant growth parameters were investigated via linear mixed models. Results The milk samples with low 2’FL concentration had higher LNT and lower LNnT concentrations compared to the samples with high 2’FL. The milk 3’- and 6’SL concentrations were independent of 2’FL. Over lactation time we observed a drop in the concentration of 2’FL, LNT, LNnT and 6’SL, especially from 1 to 2 months, while 3’SL remained at relatively constant concentration from 1 month onwards. Up to 4 months of age, we did not observe significant differences in body weight, body length, body mass index and head circumference of the infants who consumed breast milk with low or high FUT2 associated HMO concentrations and composition. Conclusions Our findings on HMO concentrations over time of lactation and clusters based on 2’FL concentrations confirm previous observations and suggest that LNnT and LNT are ‘co-regulated’ with the FUT2 dependent 2’FL concentration, with LNnT showing a positive and LNT a negative relation. Further, our findings also suggest that the relatively substantial variation in HMOs between the high and low 2’FL clusters do not impact infant growth of either sex up to 4 months of age. The study was registered in www.ClinicalTrial. gov (NCT01805011).
Participatory Crowdfunding: An Approach towards Engaging Employees and Citizens in Institutional Budgeting Decisions

Governments and corporations try to engage their constituents and employees in participatory processes in order to enhance belongingness and motivation. At the same time, online-based crowdsourcing concepts have become ubiquitous. In this paper, we propose a novel concept of participatory budget allocation and sketch out an experimental design to assess different alternatives of such a mechanism. Building on the rich literature of threshold public goods and motivation theory, we investigate how different crowdfunding-like mechanisms for budget allocation affect contribution behaviour, user agency, and overall welfare. In a pilot experiment, we find that decisions on institutional budget allocation with no alternative use lead to higher overall welfare gains and more funded projects than an existing outside option (keeping budget for private use), whereas differences in subjects' perceived sense of agency were insignificant. This indicates that institutions can implement such a restricting mechanism without limiting user motivation, while maximizing welfare.
Comparison of the effects of brimonidine 0.2% and timolol 0.5% on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in ocular hypertensive patients: a prospective, unmasked study.

AIMS The aim of this study was to compare the effects of brimonidine and timolol on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in ocular hypertensive patients. METHODS This was a prospective, comparative, and unmasked study. For 12 months, 38 eyes of 19 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma received brimonidine tartrate 0.2%, and 40 eyes of 20 patients received timolol maleate 0.5%. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured every 2 months, and RNFL thickness was assessed using Scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) at baseline and at 12 months. RESULTS Mean IOP reduction was similar in both groups. Within each treatment group, the RNFL thickness for ellipse average (P = 0.004), superior (P = 0.035), temporal (P = 0.003), inferior (P < 0.0001), and nasal averages (P = 0.044) were significantly decreased from baseline in timolol at 12 months. However, the RNFL thickness for ellipse average and four quadrants showed no significant change from baseline in brimonidine. The between-group difference in RNFL change showed a significant reduction for ellipse average (P = 0.02), temporal (P = 0.005), and inferior averages (P = 0.016) following timolol therapy, as compared to brimonidine. CONCLUSIONS There appear to be less progression for RNFL damage following brimonidine 0.2% therapy compared to timolol 0.5% in ocular hypertensive patients over 1 year. This finding does not correlate with IOP reduction.
Interventional Treatment of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome during Severe Acute Pancreatitis: Current Status and Historical Perspective

Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a marker of severe disease. It occurs as combination of inflammation of retroperitoneum, visceral edema, ascites, acute peripancreatic fluid collections, paralytic ileus, and aggressive fluid resuscitation. The frequency of ACS in SAP may be rising due to more aggressive fluid resuscitation, a trend towards conservative treatment, and attempts to use a minimally invasive approach. There remains uncertainty about the most appropriate surgical technique for the treatment of ACS in SAP. Some unresolved questions remain including medical treatment, indications, timing, and interventional techniques. This review will focus on interventional treatment of this serious condition. First line therapy is conservative treatment aiming to decrease IAP and to restore organ dysfunction. If nonoperative measures are not effective, early abdominal decompression is mandatory. Midline laparostomy seems to be method of choice. Since it carries significant morbidity we need randomized studies to establish firm advantages over other described techniques. After ACS resolves efforts should be made to achieve early primary fascia closure. Additional data are necessary to resolve uncertainties regarding ideal timing and indication for operative treatment.
Prostratili, a Nonpromoting Phorbol Ester, Inhibits Induction by Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate of Ornithine Decarboxylase, Edema, and Hyperplasia in CD-I Mouse Skin

Pretreatment of CD-I mouse skin with prostratin (12-deoxyphorbol 13-acetate) inhibited biological response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The three responses examined were hyperplasia, induction of ornithine decarboxylase, and edema; the characteristics of inhibition depended on the specific response. Hyperplasia is the best short-term correlate of tumor promotion. Two or more pretreatments with 2.56 jtmol (1 mg) prostratin, administered at intervals of 1-4 days, almost com pletely blocked the hyperplasia induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate applied IS min to 6 h after the last pretreatment. Induri hilily of hyperplasia was partially restored at 2 days and recovered by 4 days. Prostratin was more potent for inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase induction (50% inhibitory dose = 25.6 nmol) than it was for hyperplasia: the inhibition was largely attained by the first application, and the recovery from inhibition was slower (8 days). Edema was partially inhibited by prostratin (dose giving 50% of maximal inhibition = 512 nmol). We have previously demonstrated that prostratin is a protein kinase C activator. Our present results show that prostratin is a functional antagonist for a class of protein kinase C mediated responses. The findings emphasize the diversity of biological outcome for protein kinase C activators, presumably driven by the extensive heterogeneity in the protein kinase C pathway.
Gating Competence of Constitutively Open CLC-0 Mutants Revealed by the Interaction with a Small Organic Inhibitor

Opening of CLC chloride channels is coupled to the translocation of the permeant anion. From the recent structure determination of bacterial CLC proteins in the closed and open configuration, a glutamate residue was hypothesized to form part of the Cl−-sensitive gate. The negatively charged side-chain of the glutamate was suggested to occlude the permeation pathway in the closed state, while opening of a single protopore of the double-pore channel would reflect mainly a movement of this side-chain toward the extracellular pore vestibule, with little rearrangement of the rest of the channel. Here we show that mutating this critical residue (Glu166) in the prototype Torpedo CLC-0 to alanine, serine, or lysine leads to constitutively open channels, whereas a mutation to aspartate strongly slowed down opening. Furthermore, we investigated the interaction of the small organic channel blocker p-chlorophenoxy-acetic acid (CPA) with the mutants E166A and E166S. Both mutants were strongly inhibited by CPA at negative voltages with a >200-fold larger affinity than for wild-type CLC-0 (apparent KD at −140 mV ∼4 μM). A three-state linear model with an open state, a low-affinity and a high-affinity CPA-bound state can quantitatively describe steady-state and kinetic properties of the CPA block. The parameters of the model and additional mutagenesis suggest that the high-affinity CPA-bound state is similar to the closed configuration of the protopore gate of wild-type CLC-0. In the E166A mutant the glutamate side chain that occludes the permeation pathway is absent. Thus, if gating consists only in movement of this side-chain the mutant E166A should not be able to assume a closed conformation. It may thus be that fast gating in CLC-0 is more complex than anticipated from the bacterial structures.
Comparison of the Device Lifetime in Wireless Networks for the Internet of Things

This paper presents a comparison of the expected lifetime for Internet of Things (IoT) devices operating in several wireless networks: the IEEE 802.15. 4/e, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), the IEEE 802.11 power saving mode, the IEEE 802.11ah, and in new emerging long-range technologies, such as LoRa and SIGFOX. To compare all technologies on an equal basis, we have developed an analyzer that computes the energy consumption for a given protocol based on the power required in a given state (Sleep, Idle, Tx, and Rx) and the duration of each state. We consider the case of an energy constrained node that uploads data to a sink, analyzing the physical (PHY) layer under medium access control (MAC) constraints, and assuming IPv6 traffic whenever possible. This paper considers the energy spent in retransmissions due to corrupted frames and collisions as well as the impact of imperfect clocks. The comparison shows that the BLE offers the best lifetime for all traffic intensities in its capacity range. LoRa achieves long lifetimes behind 802.15. 4 and BLE for ultra low traffic intensity; SIGFOX only matches LoRa for very small data sizes. Moreover, considering the energy consumption due to retransmissions of lost data packets only decreases the lifetimes without changing their relative ranking. We believe that these comparisons will give all users of IoT technologies indications about the technology that best fits their needs from the energy consumption point of view. Our analyzer will also help IoT network designers to select the right MAC parameters to optimize the energy consumption for a given application.
A semi-definite programming (SDP) method for designing IIR sharp cut-off digital filters using frequency-response masking

This paper studies the design of frequency response masking (FRM) filters with infinite duration impulse response (IIR) model and masking sub-filters. They are useful in realizing sharp cutoff digital filters and with low passband delays. The designs of the model and masking filters are carried out by means of semidefinite programming (SDP) and model order reduction. Design results show that low complexity FRM filters with low passband delay can be obtained.
A Note On Off-Diagonal Small On-Line Ramsey Numbers For Paths

In this note we consider the on-line Ramsey numbers R(Pn, Pm) for paths. Using a high performance computing clusters, we calculated the values for off-diagonal numbers for paths of lengths at most 8. Also, we were able to check thatR(P9, P9) = 17, thus solving the problem raised in [5].
UKEMI: falling motion control to minimize damage to biped humanoid robot

This paper investigates a method to minimize damage to a humanoid robot when it falls over to the ground. The strategy involves controlling the attitude of the robot while it is falling over so that it lands on the ground at one of shock-absorbing parts of the robot. A simulation study has confirmed that the proposed algorithm can make the robot land at specified shock-absorbing parts.
Increased Risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis with Endovascular Cooling in Patients with Traumatic Head Injury

Endovascular therapeutic hypothermia has been shown to preserve neurological function and improve outcomes; however, its use and potential complications have not been fully described in patients with traumatic head injuries. We believe that the use of endovascular cooling leads to deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in this high-risk population. We performed a retrospective review of 11 patients with severe head injuries admitted to our Level I trauma center surgical intensive care unit who underwent intravascular cooling. Duplex sonograms were obtained after 4 days at catheter removal or with clinical symptoms that were suspicious for DVT. Patients had a mean age of 23.2 (range, 16–42) years and an Injury Severity Score of 31.9 (range, 25–43). The overall incidence of DVT was 50 per cent. The DVT rate was 33 per cent if catheters were removed in 4 days or less and 75 per cent if removed after 4 days (risk ratio = 2.25; odds ratio = 6; P = ns). An elevated international normalized ratio upon admission was protective against DVT (no DVT = 1.26 vs DVT = 1.09; P = 0.02). Inferior vena cava filters were placed in most patients with DVT. The use of endovascular cooling catheters is associated with increased risk of DVT in patients with traumatic head injuries. Therefore, we discourage the use of endovascular cooling devices in this patient population.
Identifying Uncontrolled Asthma in Young Children: Clinical Scores or Objective Variables?

Objective. Several international asthma guidelines emphasize the importance of assessing asthma control. However, there is limited data on the usefulness of available assessment tools in indicating disease control in young asthmatics. This study investigated the ability of Chinese version of Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) and other disease-related factors in identifying uncontrolled asthma (UA) in young children. Methods. During the same clinic visit, asthma patients 4 to 11 years of age completed C-ACT and underwent exhaled nitric oxide and spirometric measurements. Blinded to these results, the same investigator assigned Disease Severity Score (DSS) and rated asthma control according to Global Initiative for Asthma. Results. The mean (SD) age of 113 recruited patients was 9.1 (2.0) years, and 35% of them had UA. C-ACT, DSS and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) differed among patients with different control status (p < 0.001 for C-ACT and DSS; p = 0.014 for FEV1). Logistic regression confirmed that UA was associated with DSS (p < 0.001), PEF (p = 0.002), C-ACT (p = 0.011), and FEV1 (p = 0.012). By ROC analysis, C-ACT and DSS were the best predictors for UA (p < 0.001), followed by PEF (p = 0.006) and FEV1 (p = 0.007). When analyzed by the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) approach, the sequential use of DSS and C-ACT had 77% sensitivity and 84% specificity in identifying UA. Conclusions. C-ACT is better than objective parameters in identifying young Chinese children with UA.
Modified modulation formats using time-varying phase functions

New modulation formats are presented that increase the transmission rate over that of conventional systems, without degrading the bit error rate (BER) and with minimal bandwidth variation. A time-varying function called an "extra phase variation function" (EPVF) is added to the discrete phase of conventional modulation formats such as M-PSK and QAM to transmit additional data bits. A receiver configuration is presented that allows the decoding of information represented by the discrete and extra phases. It is shown that in an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, the BER performance of the bits carried by the discrete phase and the extra phase in the modified format improves over the BER of conventional modulation formats.
Hierarchical Compression of C. elegans Locomotion Reveals Phenotypic Differences in the Organisation of Behaviour

Regularities in animal behaviour offer insight into the underlying organisational and functional principles of nervous systems and automated tracking provides the opportunity to extract features of behaviour directly from large-scale video data. Yet how to effectively analyse such behavioural data remains an open question. Here we explore whether a minimum description length principle can be exploited to identify meaningful behaviours and phenotypes. We apply a dictionary compression algorithm to behavioural sequences from the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans freely crawling on an agar plate both with and without food and during chemotaxis. We find that the motifs identified by the compression algorithm are rare but relevant for comparisons between worms in different environments, suggesting that hierarchical compression can be a useful step in behaviour analysis. We also use compressibility as a new quantitative phenotype and find that the behaviour of wild-isolated strains of C. elegans is more compressible than that of the laboratory strain N2 as well as the majority of mutant strains examined. Importantly, in distinction to more conventional phenotypes such as overall motor activity or aggregation behaviour, the increased compressibility of wild isolates is not explained by the loss of function of the gene npr-1, which suggests that erratic locomotion is a laboratory-derived trait with a novel genetic basis. Because hierarchical compression can be applied to any sequence, we anticipate that compressibility can offer insight into the organisation of behaviour in other animals including humans.
Embodiment in Attitudes, Social Perception, and Emotion

Findings in the social psychology literatures on attitudes, social perception, and emotion demonstrate that social information processing involves embodiment, where embodiment refers both to actual bodily states and to simulations of experience in the brain's modality-specific systems for perception, action, and introspection. We show that embodiment underlies social information processing when the perceiver interacts with actual social objects (online cognition) and when the perceiver represents social objects in their absence (offline cognition). Although many empirical demonstrations of social embodiment exist, no particularly compelling account of them has been offered. We propose that theories of embodied cognition, such as the Perceptual Symbol Systems (PSS) account (Barsalou, 1999), explain and integrate these findings, and that they also suggest exciting new directions for research. We compare the PSS account to a variety of related proposals and show how it addresses criticisms that have previously posed problems for the general embodiment approach.
In vivo induction of apoptosis and immune responses in mice by administration of lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis

In vivo administration of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) to mice induced apoptosis before a specific immune response. Apoptosis was associated with the expression of immunoglobulin and Ia on B cells and of CD5 and several markers on T cells. Apoptosis peaked in the spleen and lymph nodes on day 2, and the second peak occurred in the thymus on day 9. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) could mediate apoptosis, because the serum TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher than those of controls at 1 day before apoptosis and recombinant murine TNF-alpha induced apoptosis. The apoptosis induced by Pg-LPS was similar to that induced by Escherichia coli LPS in its basic manner, but it was unique in the response of thymus T cells. It was suggested that Pg-LPS could induce apoptosis for the elimination of early nonspecific activated lymphocytes.