Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extreme X-ray spectral variability in the Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 1365

We present multiple Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the type 1.8 Seyfert Galaxy NGC 1365, which shows the most dramatic X-ray spectral changes observed so far in an AGN: the source switched from reﬂection dominated to transmission dominated and back in just 6 weeks. During this time the soft thermal component, arising from a ∼ 1 kpc region around the center, remained constant. The reﬂection component is constant at all timescales, and its high ﬂux relative to the primary component implies the presence of thick gas covering a large fraction of the solid angle. The presence of this gas, and the fast variability time scale, suggest that the Compton-thick to Compton thin change is due to variation in the line-of-sight absorber, rather than to extreme intrinsic emission variability. We discuss a structure of the circumnuclear absorber/reﬂector which can explain the observed X-ray spectral and temporal properties.
Extracellular l-arginine Enhances Relaxations Induced by Opening of Calcium-Activated SKCa Channels in Porcine Retinal Arteriole

We investigated whether the substrate for nitric oxide (NO) production, extracellular l-arginine, contributes to relaxations induced by activating small (SKCa) conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels. In endothelial cells, acetylcholine increased 3H-l-arginine uptake, while blocking the SKCa and the intermediate (IKCa) conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels reduced l-arginine uptake. A blocker of the y+ transporter system, l-lysine also blocked 3H-l-arginine uptake. Immunostaining showed co-localization of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), SKCa3, and the cationic amino acid transporter (CAT-1) protein of the y+ transporter system in the endothelium. An opener of SKCa channels, cyclohexyl-[2-(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-methyl-pyrimidin-4-yl]-amine (CyPPA) induced large currents in endothelial cells, and concentration-dependently relaxed porcine retinal arterioles. In the presence of l-arginine, concentration-response curves for CyPPA were leftward shifted, an effect unaltered in the presence of low sodium, but blocked by l-lysine in the retinal arterioles. Our findings suggest that SKCa channel activity regulates l-arginine uptake through the y+ transporter system, and we propose that in vasculature affected by endothelial dysfunction, l-arginine administration requires the targeting of additional mechanisms such as SKCa channels to restore endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.
Mechanism of the Pharmacokinetic Interaction between Methotrexate and Benzimidazoles

The antifolate drug methotrexate (MTX) is transported by breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP; ABCG2) and multidrug resistance-associated protein1–4 (MRP1–4; ABCC1–4). In cancer patients, coadministration of benzimidazoles and MTX can result in profound MTX-induced toxicity coinciding with an increase in the serum concentrations of MTX and its main metabolite 7-hydroxymethotrexate. We hypothesized that benzimidazoles interfere with the clearance of MTX and/or 7-hydroxymethotrexate by inhibition of the ATP-binding cassette drug transporters BCRP and/or MRP2, two transporters known to transport MTX and located in apical membranes of epithelia involved in drug disposition. First, we investigated the mechanism of interaction between benzimidazoles (pantoprazole and omeprazole) and MTX in vitro in membrane vesicles from Sf9 cells infected with a baculovirus containing human BCRP or human MRP2 cDNA. In Sf9-BCRP vesicles, pantoprazole and omeprazole inhibited MTX transport (IC50 13 μm and 36 μm, respectively). In Sf9-MRP2 vesicles, pantoprazole did not inhibit MTX transport and at high concentrations (1 mm), it even stimulated MTX transport 1.6-fold. Secondly, we studied the transport of pantoprazole in MDCKII monolayers transfected with mouse Bcrp1 or human MRP2. Pantoprazole was actively transported by Bcrp1 but not by MRP2. Finally, the mechanism of the interaction was studied in vivo using Bcrp1−/− mice and wild-type mice. Both in wild-type mice pretreated with pantoprazole to inhibit Bcrp1 and in Bcrp1−/− mice that lack Bcrp1, the clearance of i.v. MTX was decreased significantly 1.8- to 1.9-fold compared with the clearance of i.v. MTX in wild-type mice. The conclusion is as follows: benzimidazoles differentially affect transport of MTX mediated by BCRP and MRP2. Competition for BCRP may explain the clinical interaction between MTX and benzimidazoles.
Characteristics of Coronary Artery Disease Patients Who Have a Polymorphism in the Cholesterol Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) Gene

Background/Aim: Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) is responsible for the transformation of high density lipoprotein (HDL) to low density lipoprotein (LDL) and is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Our study investigated the association of the rs5883 CETP gene polymorphism with HDL and LDL levels, in 45 coronary artery disease patients and 45 control patients. Materials and Methods: CETP gene polymorphism was detected using Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Lipoprotein levels were measured using Quantimetrix system. Results: There were lack of associaition regarding CETP polymorphism in atherosclerosis and HDL and LDL levels (p>0.05) BMI was higher among coronary artery disease patients (CADP) compared to the control group (28.97±6.38, 26.52±4.39 respectively, p<0.03). Frequency of CADP (82.6 %, n=19) who were taking treatment was higher (17.4 %, n=4) (p<0.00). The frequencies of hypertension and type-2 diabetes were higher among CADP (p<0.00). Families of CADP have more CADP (p<0.02). Small HDL particle levels were higher in the control group (p<0.00). Conclusion: In Turkey, BMI, and frequencies of hypertension and type-2 diabetes were higher among CADP than among healthy controls. Furthermore, the genotypes of the rs5883 CETP gene polymorphism did not differ between CADP and healthy controls.
1 Bandit View on Noisy Optimization

This chapter deals with the problem of making the best use of a finite number of noisy evaluations to optimize an unknown function. We are primarily concerned with the case where the function is defined over a finite set. In this discrete setting, we discuss various objectives for the learner, from optimizing the allocation of a given budget of evaluations to optimal stopping time problems with ( , δ)-PAC guarantees. We also consider the so-called online optimization framework, where the result of an evaluation is associated to a reward, and the goal is to maximize the sum of obtained rewards. In this case, we extend the algorithms to continuous sets and (weakly) Lipschitzian functions (with respect to a prespecified metric).
Scientific networks on Twitter: Analyzing scientists’ interactions in the climate change debate

Scientific issues requiring urgent societal actions—such as climate change—have increased the need for communication and interaction between scientists and other societal actors. Social media platforms facilitate such exchanges. This study investigates who scientists interact with on Twitter, and whether their communication differs when engaging with actors beyond the scientific community. We focus on the climate change debate on Twitter and combine network analysis with automated content analysis. The results show that scientists interact most intensively with their peers, but also communication beyond the scientific community is important. The findings suggest that scientists adjust their communication style to their audience: They use more neutral language when communicating with other scientists, and more words expressing negative emotions when communicating with journalists, civil society, and politicians. Likewise, they stress certainty more when communicating with politicians, indicating that scientists use language strategically when communicating beyond the scientific community.
Supporting the comparison of alternative stories

In media production, a team typically works with multiple alternative storylines or variations before selecting the best one for production. However, current media production tools do not support decision making through the comparison of alternative storylines. Using the conventional form of storyboards found in animation, commercial, and movie studios as a basis, we propose a novel user interaction feature that facilitates effective comparison amongst alternative storylines or variations. We review existing storyboarding practices, and then present our interaction strategy, which was informed by interviews of people in the industry. The fully-implemented system went through a series of usability tests with both professional and non-professional users. We discuss how our design can help the users with diverse backgrounds at different stages of story development in comparing the alternatives. Such a tool may be useful in other domain areas where temporal comparison of alternative solutions is beneficial.
Identifying Adverse Drug Events by Relational Learning

The pharmaceutical industry, consumer protection groups, users of medications and government oversight agencies are all strongly interested in identifying adverse reactions to drugs. While a clinical trial of a drug may use only a thousand patients, once a drug is released on the market it may be taken by millions of patients. As a result, in many cases adverse drug events (ADEs) are observed in the broader population that were not identified during clinical trials. Therefore, there is a need for continued, post-marketing surveillance of drugs to identify previously-unanticipated ADEs. This paper casts this problem as a reverse machine learning task, related to relational subgroup discovery and provides an initial evaluation of this approach based on experiments with an actual EMR/EHR and known adverse drug events.
Appearance Time of Methylene Blue in the Aorta: Intra-osseous vs Peripheral Intravenous Route

Background: The intra-osseous (IO) route serves as an appropriate venous access site if access is needed in an emergency. Objectives: In this study, we compared the appearance time of methylene blue (MB) in the aorta following IO and peripheral intravenous (IV) routes in a rabbit model to assess a novel idea and compare the speed of IV and IO route of serum delivery into the main circulation. Materials and Methods: Twenty rabbits were used in our study. They were divided into two groups (odds as G1, n=10, evens as G2, n=10). After laparotomy, the aorta was located and cannulated by a 16 gauge angiocatheter. For IV injection in GII, the marginal vein of either ear was accessed. For IO injection in G1, the medial surface of the proximal extremity of left tibia was used. Once satisfied with positioning, 10 ml of methylene blue solution at a concentration of 10 mg /ml was injected and the time was recorded. The time taken from injection to appearance of MB in the aorta was measured. Results: All rabbits survived until the end of the experiment. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the body weight. There was no significant difference between mean time of dye entry into the aorta in either group. It was 9.66 ± 2.51 seconds in G1 and 10.24 ± 1.95 seconds in G2 (P = 0.56). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the time taken for MB to reach the central circulation via IO or IV routes.
The placenta and zygosity of twins.

Macroscopic examination of the placenta and histological examination of the membranous partition between amniotic sacs was peformed in approximately 1400 twin maternities in Ibadan, Nigeria. Monochorionic placentation is mainly characterised by two layers (as opposed to four in the dichorionic one) in the dividing septum between the two amniotic sacs, as well as by the absence of a membranous ridge of tissues at the base of the septum, that is instead present in the dichorionic one. Monochorial twins appear to be invariably MZ, whereas dichorial twins may be either MZ or DZ. In the present study the chance of being DZ was 95% in the case of single and of 99% in the case of double dichorionic placentation.
A force-measuring and behaviour-recording system consisting of 24 individual 3D force plates for the study of single limb forces in climbing animals on a quasi-cylindrical tower

This study describes the design of a new force measuring array with a quasi-cylindrical surface for measuring the 3D ground reaction forces of animals climbing on a surface with high curvature. This force-measuring array was assembled from 24 individual 3D force sensors, each with a resolution at the millinewton (mN) level, which were installed from top to bottom in four columns and six rows, with sensors in neighbouring columns staggered in height. Three cameras were used to simultaneously record the climbing behaviours of animals (in these experiments tree frogs) on the cylinder-like force measuring array. We were thus able to simultaneously record the ground reaction forces of each of the four limbs of tree frogs (here six individuals of the Chinese gliding or flying frog, Rhacophorus dennysi, with forelimb spans in the range 163–201 mm) climbing or descending both smooth and rough surfaces on a quasi-cylindrical structure with an overall diameter of 79 mm. We describe the design and calibration of the individual force sensors, their installation and arrangement on the quasi-cylindrical climbing tower, the recording of ground reaction forces and climbing behaviour, data transformations necessitated by the angular relationship of neighbouring sensors, and data processing using MATLAB scripts. Additionally, we present preliminary data on the use of a clamping grip by climbing frogs and the existence of small pull-off forces that aid toe-pad detachment at the end of each locomotor stance phase.
Aneuploidy Enables Cross-Adaptation to Unrelated Drugs

Abstract Aneuploidy is common both in tumor cells responding to chemotherapeutic agents and in fungal cells adapting to antifungal drugs. Because aneuploidy simultaneously affects many genes, it has the potential to confer multiple phenotypes to the same cells. Here, we analyzed the mechanisms by which Candida albicans, the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, acquires the ability to survive both chemotherapeutic agents and antifungal drugs. Strikingly, adaptation to both types of drugs was accompanied by the acquisition of specific whole-chromosome aneuploidies, with some aneuploid karyotypes recovered independently and repeatedly from very different drug conditions. Specifically, strains selected for survival in hydroxyurea, an anticancer drug, acquired cross-adaptation to caspofungin, a first-line antifungal drug, and both acquired traits were attributable to trisomy of the same chromosome: loss of trisomy was accompanied by loss of adaptation to both drugs. Mechanistically, aneuploidy simultaneously altered the copy number of most genes on chromosome 2, yet survival in hydroxyurea or caspofungin required different genes and stress response pathways. Similarly, chromosome 5 monosomy conferred increased tolerance to both fluconazole and to caspofungin, antifungals with different mechanisms of action. Thus, the potential for cross-adaptation is not a feature of aneuploidy per se; rather, it is dependent on specific genes harbored on given aneuploid chromosomes. Furthermore, pre-exposure to hydroxyurea increased the frequency of appearance of caspofungin survivors, and hydroxyurea-adapted C. albicans cells were refractory to antifungal drug treatment in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. This highlights the potential clinical consequences for the management of cancer chemotherapy patients at risk of fungal infections.
Numerical expansion methods for solving systems of linear integral equations using interpolation and quadrature rules

In this paper we introduce a numerical method for solving a system of linear integral equations. The main idea is based on the interpolations of unknown functions at some interpolation points chosen in advance. We then use Clenshaw–Curtis quadrature formulae to approximate the integrals appearing in the system of equations. The technique is very effective and simple, and the performance of this suggested method is illustrated by means of a few significant examples.
SPECIES RECOGNITION AND PATTERNS OF POPULATION VARIATION IN THE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES OF A DAMSELFLY GENUS

The selection pressures imposed by mate choice for species identity should impose strong stabilizing selection on traits that confer species identity to mates. Thus, we expect that such traits should show nonoverlapping distributions among closely related species, but show little to no variance among populations within a species. We tested these predictions by comparing levels of population differentiation in the sizes and shapes of male cerci (i.e., the clasper structures used for species identity during mating) of six Enallagma damselfly species. Cerci shapes were nonoverlapping among Enallagma species, and five of six Enallagma species showed no population variation across their entire species ranges. In contrast, cerci sizes overlapped among species and varied substantially among populations within species. These results, taken with previous studies, suggest that cerci shape is a primary feature used in species recognition used to discriminate conspecific from heterospecifics during mating.
MEASUREMENT OF TAILINGS CONSOLIDATION USING TDR TECHNOLOGY

TDR is based on the principle of cable radar and is used with a variety of probes and coaxial cables to measure volumetric water content. In the case of saturated tailings, changes in the volumetric fluid content occur as the tailings solids displace pore fluids and recent studies with segmented probes at two mines have shown that TDR may provide a reliable means for monitoring tailings consolidation and the impact on operating storage capacity and long term closure. Laboratory tests have been performed using a Georgia kaolin slurry. The propagation velocity profile was measured using a MoisturePoint segmented probe during the test. Although the qualitative trend is promising, it will be necessary to do a more fundamental analysis of changes in the TDR waveform rather than simply using the default algorithm in order to improve the sensitivity.
Placebo-controlled trial of amantadine for severe traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND Amantadine hydrochloride is one of the most commonly prescribed medications for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness after traumatic brain injury. Preliminary studies have suggested that amantadine may promote functional recovery. METHODS We enrolled 184 patients who were in a vegetative or minimally conscious state 4 to 16 weeks after traumatic brain injury and who were receiving inpatient rehabilitation. Patients were randomly assigned to receive amantadine or placebo for 4 weeks and were followed for 2 weeks after the treatment was discontinued. The rate of functional recovery on the Disability Rating Scale (DRS; range, 0 to 29, with higher scores indicating greater disability) was compared over the 4 weeks of treatment (primary outcome) and during the 2-week washout period with the use of mixed-effects regression models. RESULTS During the 4-week treatment period, recovery was significantly faster in the amantadine group than in the placebo group, as measured by the DRS score (difference in slope, 0.24 points per week; P=0.007), indicating a benefit with respect to the primary outcome measure. In a prespecified subgroup analysis, the treatment effect was similar for patients in a vegetative state and those in a minimally conscious state. The rate of improvement in the amantadine group slowed during the 2 weeks after treatment (weeks 5 and 6) and was significantly slower than the rate in the placebo group (difference in slope, 0.30 points per week; P=0.02). The overall improvement in DRS scores between baseline and week 6 (2 weeks after treatment was discontinued) was similar in the two groups. There were no significant differences in the incidence of serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Amantadine accelerated the pace of functional recovery during active treatment in patients with post-traumatic disorders of consciousness. (Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00970944.).
CoachAI: A Conversational Agent Assisted Health Coaching Platform

Poor lifestyle represents a health risk factor and is the leading cause of morbidity and chronic conditions. The impact of poor lifestyle can be significantly altered by individual behavior change. Although the current shift in healthcare towards a long lasting modifiable behavior, however, with increasing caregiver workload and individuals' continuous needs of care, there is a need to ease caregiver's work while ensuring continuous interaction with users. This paper describes the design and validation of CoachAI, a conversational agent assisted health coaching system to support health intervention delivery to individuals and groups. CoachAI instantiates a text based healthcare chatbot system that bridges the remote human coach and the users. This research provides three main contributions to the preventive healthcare and healthy lifestyle promotion: (1) it presents the conversational agent to aid the caregiver; (2) it aims to decrease caregiver's workload and enhance care given to users, by handling (automating) repetitive caregiver tasks; and (3) it presents a domain independent mobile health conversational agent for health intervention delivery. We will discuss our approach and analyze the results of a one month validation study on physical activity, healthy diet and stress management.
Structural Invertibility and Optimal Sensor Node Placement for Error and Input Reconstruction in Dynamic Systems

Despite recent progress in our understanding of complex dynamic networks, it remains challenging to devisesufficiently accurate models to observe, control or predict the state of real systems in biology, economics or other fields. A largely overlooked fact is that these systems are typically open and receive unknown inputs from their environment. A further fundamental obstacle are structural model errors caused by insufficient or inaccurate knowledge about the quantitative interactions in the real system. Here, we show that unknown inputs to open systems and model errors can be treated under the common framework of invertibility, which is a requirement for reconstructing these disturbances from output measurements. By exploiting the fact that invertibility can be decided from the influence graph of the system, we analyse the relationship between structural network properties and invertibility under different realistic scenarios. We show that sparsely connected scale free networks are the most difficult to invert. We introduce a new sensor node placement algorithm to select a minimum set of measurement positions in the network required for invertibility. This algorithm facilitates optimal experimental design for the reconstruction of inputs or model errors from output measurements. Our results have both fundamental and practical implications for nonlinear systems analysis, modelling and design.