Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Verification of a novel rabbit model used in the study of human intracranial aneurysm

Coupling the hemodynamics with the pathophysiology of human intracranial aneurysm (IA) has been a subject of interest for eventually obtaining the reliable prediction of subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by aneurysm rupture. In recent works, the stability of flow patterns, regions of impingement, size of jets, wall shear stress (WSS), and the formation of vortices are considered to be the major causes of aneurysm rupture. A trending conclusion from the qualitative analysis of patient-specific cases is that aneurysms with simple stable flow patterns and large impingement region are safer than those with complex unstable flow pattern and small impingement region. When it comes to clinic, some physical experiments such as the testing of medical devices could not be operated on human body. Thus, preclinical animal models are introduced as surrogates. In the study of human IA, the most commonly used elastase-induced rabbit model has been found that it could only generate limited flow pattern due to the unrealistic retrograde flow condition inside the aneurysm. A novel method of creating bifurcation-like rabbit model for limiting retrograde flow was proposed recently and two new bifurcation-like rabbit aneurysms with different geometry were created in Mayo clinic. However, only the performance of the one with relative generalized geometry was testified. In this paper, the other novel bifurcation-like rabbit aneurysm model with irregular long sac was investigated and its hemodynamics performance has been extensively evaluated by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method. The methodology of creating this rabbit aneurysm model, the construction of geometric model in the computer and the setting of boundary conditions will be described in detail. The robustness of this rabbit model has also been investigated by modifying the essential geometric variables of the model. Additionally, quantitative analysis of flow pattern changes was given as supplement for the robustness study. The result showed that this rabbit model with irregular long sac is capable of generating interest-relevant flow types and robust enough under geometric perturbation. It could serve as an extra evidence that the novel bifurcation-like rabbit model is powerful and robust enough for extrapolating results of animal experiments into human study.
Comprehensive identification of Vibrio vulnificus genes required for growth in human serum

ABSTRACT Vibrio vulnificus can be a highly invasive pathogen capable of spreading from an infection site to the bloodstream, causing sepsis and death. To survive and proliferate in blood, the pathogen requires mechanisms to overcome the innate immune defenses and metabolic limitations of this host niche. We created a high-density transposon mutant library in YJ016, a strain representative of the most virulent V. vulnificus lineage (or phylogroup) and used transposon insertion sequencing (TIS) screens to identify loci that enable the pathogen to survive and proliferate in human serum. Initially, genes underrepresented for insertions were used to estimate the V. vulnificus essential gene set; comparisons of these genes with similar TIS-based classification of underrepresented genes in other vibrios enabled the compilation of a common Vibrio essential gene set. Analysis of the relative abundance of insertion mutants in the library after exposure to serum suggested that genes involved in capsule biogenesis are critical for YJ016 complement resistance. Notably, homologues of two genes required for YJ016 serum-resistance and capsule biogenesis were not previously linked to capsule biogenesis and are largely absent from other V. vulnificus strains. The relative abundance of mutants after exposure to heat inactivated serum was compared with the findings from the serum screen. These comparisons suggest that in both conditions the pathogen relies on its Na+ transporting NADH-ubiquinone reductase (NQR) complex and type II secretion system to survive/proliferate within the metabolic constraints of serum. Collectively, our findings reveal the potency of comparative TIS screens to provide knowledge of how a pathogen overcomes the diverse limitations to growth imposed by serum.
Linear System Approach to Ultrawideband Antenna Distortion Analysis

Since the federal communications commission (FCC) approved rules for the commercial use of ultrawideband (UWB) radio applications, UWB antenna structures have been an intensive research field in order to satisfy the spectrum requirements of this technology. There are some differences between narrowband and UWB antennas. First of all, the design process in UWB antennas is more difficult than in narrowband cases since the antenna has to radiate in an extreme bandwidth. Because of this fact, UWB antennas may distort waveforms, in contrast to narrowband systems. The contribution to distortion comes from two different points: radiation patterns and mismatch. In this paper, the distortion introduced by UWB antennas is analysed using a linear system approach which takes into account both contributions. In order to compare two antennas and show the method suitability, measured transfer functions obtained from to UWB geometries are used, computing metrics dependent on the communication direction.
Cooperative Networks: Theory and Experimental Evidence

We consider a modified pure public good game characterized by a pre-play negotiation stage, on which pairs of players can form binding cooperation commitments. As the introduced mechanism only supports pairwise rather than more inclusive commitments, it does not implement the efficient outcome. We theoretically derive the incentive compatible and efficient cooperative networks and evaluate the behavioral efficacy of the suggested mechanism to promote and stabilize cooperation. We present the results of two separate experiments. The first experiment serves to provide necessary methodological prerequisites and establishes that neither repetition with an unknown end nor voluntary costly monitoring are behaviorally sufficient to induce cooperative outcomes. In the second experiment we introduce the pairwise commitment mechanism. We show that the mechanism induces aggregate cooperation rates not only beyond the rates observed under the voluntary contribution mechanism operationalized in the first experiment, but also beyond the rate which is supported by the formation of incentive compatible networks. We observe a large heterogeneity between groups: while some groups converge to full cooperation by managing to coordinate on the formation of efficient networks over time, both networks and cooperation rates unravel in other groups. An extended version of our theoretical setting with inequity averse players in the form suggested by Fehr and Schmidt (1999) captures the stylized facts of both experiments.
Identification of two distinct regions of allelic imbalance on chromosome 18q in metastatic prostate cancer

Like most cancers, prostate cancer (CaP) is believed to be the result of the accumulation of genetic alterations within cells. Previous studies have implicated numerous chromosomal regions with elevated rates of allelic imbalance (AI), using mostly primary CaPs with an unknown disease outcome. These regions of AI are proposed sites for tumor suppressor genes. One of the regions previously implicated as coding for at least one tumor suppressor gene is the long arm of chromosome 18 (18q). To confirm this observation, as well as to narrow the critical region for this putative tumor suppressor, we analyzed 32 metastatic CaP specimens for AI on chromosome 18q. Thirty‐one of these 32 specimens (96.8%) exhibited AI at one or more loci on chromosome 18q. Our analysis using 17 polymorphic markers revealed statistically significant AI on chromosome 18q at 3 markers, D18S35, D18S64 and D18S461. Using these markers as a guide, we have been able to identify 2 distinct minimum regions of AI on 18q. The first region is between the genetic markers D18S1119 and D18S64. The second region lies more distal on the long arm of the chromosome and is between the genetic markers D18S848 and D18S58. To determine if 18q loss is a late event in the progression of CaP, we also examined prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and primary prostate tumors from 17 patients for AI with a subset of 18q markers. We found significantly higher AI in the metastatic samples. Our results are consistent with 18q losses occurring late in CaP progression. Int. J. Cancer 85:654–658, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Vibrio alginolyticus Isolated from the Mucus of the Coral Fungia danai in the Andaman Sea, India

ABSTRACT Vibrio alginolyticus, a halophilic Gram-negative bacterium, which is found in temperate marine and estuarine environments, is known to cause infections in humans and other organisms. We sequenced the genome of sulfamethoxazole-trimthoprim-positive V. alginolyticus strain 4-19 isolated from the mucus of the coral Fungia danai in the Andaman Sea, India.
Impact analysis of cotton subsidies on poverty: A CGE macro-accounting approach applied to Mali

In this paper, we construct the first country specific CGE model for Mali with a micro-simulation component to analyze the poverty and inequality changes of removing cotton subsidies in developed countries. We used the macro-accounting approach proposed by Chen and Ravallion (2004). This issue has attracted significant attention as is has contributed to stall the broader trade agenda. Research on the issue has been mainly done with partial equilibrium analysis with a few exceptions. We use the first CGE-micro-simulation model to investigate. A 17 sectors CGE model with almost 5000 households is used to demonstrate that removal of subsidies on cotton will contribute to significant decrease in poverty in Mali. Our results show that combining the cotton subsidies removal to other agricultural subsidies does not attenuate the positive effects observed. We also show that the subsidies removal would marginally contribute to decrease inequality in Mali.
Colloid‐Facilitated Metal Transport in Peat Filters

The effect of colloids on metal retention in peat columns was studied, with the focus on colloids from two sources—organic matter leached from peat, and introduced organic and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) colloids. A significant fraction of metals was found to be associated with peat‐produced organic colloids; however the concentrations of organic colloids leached are low (trace concentrations) and temporal and have a limited effect on the efficiency of peat filters. In contrast, the presence of organic and HFO colloids in the input water causes a significant decrease in the performance of peat filters. Organic colloids were identified as the main vector of cadmium, copper, nickel, and zinc, while lead is transported by both organic and HFO colloids. The colloidal distribution of metals obtained in this study has important implications for the mobility of trace metals in porous media. The occurrence of colloids in the input waters and their characteristics must be considered when designing water treatment facilities.
It's Not Privacy, and It's Not Fair

Classification is the foundation of targeting and tailoring information and experiences to individuals. Big data promises-or threatens-to bring classification to an increasing range of human activity. While many companies and government agencies foster an illusion that classification is (or should be) an area of absolute algorithmic rule-that decisions are neutral, organic, and even automatically rendered without human intervention-reality is a far messier mix of technical and human curating. Both the datasets and the algorithms reflect choices, among others, about data, connections, inferences, interpretation, and thresholds for inclusion that advance a specific purpose. Like maps that represent the physical environment in varied ways to serve different needs-mountaineering, sightseeing, or shopping-classification systems are neither neutral nor objective, but are biased toward their purposes. They reflect the explicit and implicit values of their designers. Few designers "see them as artifacts embodying moral and aesthetic choices" or recognize the powerful role they play in crafting "people's identities, aspirations, and dignity. " 1 But increasingly, the subjects of classification, as well as regulators, do. Today, the creation and consequences of some classification systems, from determination of tax-exempt status to predictive analytics in health insurance, from targeting for surveillance to systems for online behavioral advertising (OBA), are under scrutiny by consumer and data protection regulators,
Trophoblast invasion

Trophoblast invasion can be seen as a tightly regulated battle between the competing interests of the survival of the fetus and those of the mother. Successful pregnancy is dependent on the trophoblast invading the mother, attaching the pregnancy to the uterus and securing an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrient to the fetus. For successful invasion to occur, extravillous trophoblast has to perform a range of functions; transformation of the maternal spiral arteries, tolerate hypoxia, proliferate and die by apoptosis (programmed cell death), differentiate, adhere to and digest the extracellular matrix, move and interact with the maternal immune system. Each of these functions has multiple overlapping control systems so that trophoblast invasion is a finely controlled balance of competing mechanisms.
Conformation and structure of bis(glycyl-L-aspartic acid) oxalate 0.4-hydrate.

The title bis(glycyl-L-aspartic acid) oxalate complex {systematic name: bis[2-(2-ammonioacetamido)butanedioic acid] oxalate 0.4-hydrate}, 2C6H11N2O5+. C2O4(2-). 4H2O, crystallizes in a triclinic space group with the planar peptide unit in a trans conformation. The asymmetric unit consists of two glycyl-L-aspartic acid molecules with positively charged amino groups and neutral carboxyl groups, and an oxalate dianion. The twist around the C-Calpha bond indicates that both the peptide molecules adopt extended conformations, while the twist around the N-Calpha bond shows that one has a folded and the other a semi-extended state. The present complex can be described as an inclusion compound with the dipeptide molecule as the host and the oxalate anion as the guest. The usual head-to-tail sequence of aggregation is not observed in this complex, as is also the case with the glycyl-L-aspartic acid dihydrate molecule. The study of aggregation and interaction patterns in binary systems is the first step towards understanding more complex phenomena. This further leads to results that are of general interest in bimolecular aggregation.
Genomic DNA Methylation among Women in a Multiethnic New York City Birth Cohort

One plausible mechanism for the environment to alter cancer susceptibility is through DNA methylation. Alterations in DNA methylation can lead to genomic instability and altered gene transcription. Genomic DNA methylation levels have been inversely associated with age, suggesting that factors throughout life may be associated with declines in DNA methylation. Using information from a multiethnic New York City birth cohort (born between 1959 and 1963), we examined whether genomic DNA methylation, measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, was associated with smoking exposure and other epidemiologic risk factors across the life course. Information on prenatal and childhood exposures was collected prospectively through 1971, and information on adult exposures and blood specimens were collected in adulthood from 2001 to 2007. Methylation levels of leukocyte DNA were determined using a [3H]-methyl acceptance assay where higher values of disintegrations per minute per microgram DNA indicate less DNA methylation. Genomic methylation of leukocyte DNA differed by ethnicity (66% of Blacks, 48% of Whites, and 29% of Hispanics were above the median level of disintegrations per minute per microgram DNA; P = 0.03). In multivariable modeling, DNA methylation was statistically significantly associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy, longer birth length, later age at menarche, nulliparity, and later age at first birth. These data, if replicated in larger samples, suggest that risk factors across the life course may be associated with DNA methylation in adulthood. Larger studies and studies that measure within-individual changes in DNA methylation over time are a necessary next step. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(9):2306–10)
Antibacterial Activity, Cytotoxicity, and the Mechanism of Action of Bacteriocin from Bacillus subtilis GAS101

Objective: The aim of this study was to purify and characterize bacteriocin from the soil isolate Bacillus subtilis GAS101, and to determine its antimicrobial as well as antibiofilm potential. The purified bacteriocin was further analyzed and evaluated for mammalian cell cytotoxicity and the possible mode of action. Material and Methods: Bacteriocin from B. subtilis GAS101 (an animal husbandry soil isolate) was partially purified and checked for antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The molecular weight of bacteriocin was determined using tricine SDS-PAGE gel. The stability of bacteriocin was investigated at various temperatures and pH levels, and its sensitivity towards 8 enzymes and 6 chemicals was determined. Cytotoxicity analysis was performed on a Vero cell line by a tetrazolium dye-based assay. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of bacteriocin-treated bacteria was carried out to determine the possible mode of action. Results: Bacteriocin from B. subtilis GAS101 was a potential inhibitor of both the indicator organisms (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli), and had a molecular weight of approximately 6.5 kDa. An in situ gel assay showed a zone of inhibition corresponding to the estimated protein band size. Bacteriocin was stable and showed antibacterial activity in broad ranges of temperature (30–121°C) and pH (2–12). It was sensitive to 4 proteolytic enzymes, which indicated its proteinaceous nature. Bacteriocin showed > 70% cell viability on the mammalian Vero cell line. SEM depicted that the bacteriocin was able to disrupt the bacterial cell membrane as its probable mode of action. Conclusion: Thermostable and pH-tolerant bacteriocin from B. subtilis GAS101, of about 6.5 kDa, showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity.
Improved Limit on Neutrinoless Double-β Decay of ^{76}Ge from GERDA Phase II.

The GERDA experiment searches for the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless double-β decay of ^{76}Ge (^{76}Ge→^{76}Se+2e^{-}) operating bare Ge diodes with an enriched ^{76}Ge fraction in liquid argon. The exposure for broad-energy germanium type (BEGe) detectors is increased threefold with respect to our previous data release. The BEGe detectors feature an excellent background suppression from the analysis of the time profile of the detector signals. In the analysis window a background level of 1. 0_{-0.4}^{+0.6}×10^{-3} counts/(keV kg yr) has been achieved; if normalized to the energy resolution this is the lowest ever achieved in any 0νββ experiment. No signal is observed and a new 90% C.L. lower limit for the half-life of 8.0×10^{25} yr is placed when combining with our previous data. The expected median sensitivity assuming no signal is 5.8×10^{25} yr.
The Black Panther party (reconsidered)

Oakland, California, 1966-one of the nation's most controversial political organizations, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense is founded. During its meteoric rise, and almost as rapid decline, the Black Panther Party became the subject of countless news articles, books, commentaries, and several motion pictures. This often misunderstood notoriety has made the Panthers America's most well-known Black revolutionaries. But few who have examined the role of the Panthers have done so with the depth and skill of Dr. Charles E. Jones and the other contributers to this provocative collection of essays. Here is a volume that provides the extensive analysis that will lead to a more complete understanding of the dynamics surrounding the Black Panther Party. Now available for the first time in paperback.
The Role of Attention in Item-Item Binding in Visual Working Memory

An important yet unresolved question regarding visual working memory (VWM) relates to whether or not binding processes within VWM require additional attentional resources compared with processing solely the individual components comprising these bindings. Previous findings indicate that binding of surface features (e.g., colored shapes) within VWM is not demanding of resources beyond what is required for single features. However, it is possible that other types of binding, such as the binding of complex, distinct items (e.g., faces and scenes), in VWM may require additional resources. In 3 experiments, we examined VWM item-item binding performance under no load, articulatory suppression, and backward counting using a modified change detection task. Binding performance declined to a greater extent than single-item performance under higher compared with lower levels of concurrent load. The findings from each of these experiments indicate that processing item-item bindings within VWM requires a greater amount of attentional resources compared with single items. These findings also highlight an important distinction between the role of attention in item-item binding within VWM and previous studies of long-term memory (LTM) where declines in single-item and binding test performance are similar under divided attention. The current findings provide novel evidence that the specific type of binding is an important determining factor regarding whether or not VWM binding processes require attention.
Ecological Factors Associated with Adolescent Sexual Activity

ABSTRACT Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory was used as an organizing framework for the research on teenage sexual activity. Per Bronfenbrenner's theory, the literature is discussed according to macrolevel (system-wide), mesolevel (immediate social environment), and microlevel (individual) factors that are associated with adolescent sexual involvement. Following the review, implications for social work are explored.
Apports des réseaux sociaux dans les SI : Une application à la gestion de la relation client

Depuis quelques annees, le Web s'est transforme en une plateforme d'echange. Le metier de gestion de relation client doit evoluer, se connecter aux reseaux sociaux et mettre l'entreprise au coeur des echanges. Nous proposons dans cet article une approche de detection de communautes, de clients d'une entreprise, basee sur le comportement explicite et implicite des clients. Pour cela, nous definissons une mesure de similarite, entre un utilisateur et un tag, qui prend en compte la notation et la consultation des ressources ainsi que les contacts des utilisateurs. Nous validons cette approche sur une base exemple