Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depletion of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in the Peripheral Blood of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background—Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that cannot be explained solely by traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovascular morbidity is related to disease activity and can be normalized by effective therapy. Because the quantity of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the peripheral blood is correlated inversely with cardiovascular risk, we studied whether such abnormalities could also be observed in patients with RA. Methods and Results—EPCs were determined in 52 RA patients and in 16 healthy referents (HRs) by fluorescence-activated cell-sorting (FACS) analysis. Patients were divided into groups characterized by active disease (n=36) and low disease activity (n=16). Cells that were positive by flow cytometry for CD34/KDR/AC133 within the lymphocyte population were characterized as EPCs. Furthermore, in subgroups of patients, circulating EPCs were also quantified by a colony-forming unit (CFU) and a circulating angiogenic cell (CAC) assay. EPCs were significantly decreased in RA patients suffering from active disease compared with those from HRs, as measured by FACS analysis (0.026±0.002% versus 0.045±0.008%, respectively, P<0.05), CFU assay (mean of 5±2 versus 18±5 CFU/well in HRs, P<0.05), and CAC assay (mean of 7±2 versus 52±16 positive cells/high-power field, P<0.005). In contrast, the frequency of circulating EPCs from patients with low disease activity was comparable to that of healthy individuals (0.052±0.006% by FACS analysis), CFU assay (10±5 CFU/well), and CAC assay (mean of 25±5 positive cells). Moreover, EPC quantities in peripheral blood were correlated inversely with disease activity as assessed by the disease activity score (r=−0.38, P<0.01). Conclusions—Our observations indicate that active RA is associated with a depletion of circulating EPCs. This might be one of several factors contributing to the increased cardiovascular risk in RA.
The Study of Genetic Relationship Among Third Generation Cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella enterica Strains by ERIC-PCR

Background and Objectives: Salmonella is an important food-borne pathogen responsible for disease in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic relationship among third generation cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella enterica strains by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC)-PCR. Methods: The study included all Salmonella isolates obtained from clinical cases in a pediatric hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2006 to 2009. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The genetic relationship between third generation cephalosporins-resistant Salmonella enterica strains was determined using ERIC-PCR. Results: Of 136 Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from pediatric patients, six isolates including four Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis and two Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis showed an extended-spectrum cephalosporins resistant phenotype. ERIC-PCR differentiated Salmonella enterica serotypes Infantis and Enteritidis into 2 distinct clusters arbitrarily named as E1 and E2. Profile E1 was found in two Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis isolates, and profile E2 was found in four Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis isolates. Conclusion: Extended-spectrum cephalosporins resistant Salmonella could be attributed to a few predominant serotypes including Enteritidis and Infantis in this study. Genetic analysis using ERIC-PCR showed that closely related clones are responsible for the occurrence of extended-spectrum cephalosporins resistant Salmonella infection in Tehran.
Process and Outcome Studies of Representational Guidance for Scientific Inquiry

External (visual and textual) representations differ in the information they are capable of capturing, in the ease of recovering information that is captured, and in the ease of identifying information that is missing. Consequently, representations may differ in how they guide learning processes. We call these differences between representations "representational guidance. " Effects of representational guidance on individual problem solving are well documented, yet there is a lack of comparative research on how representational effects extend to collaborative learning situations. This paper introduces the concept of representational guidance for collaborative learning discourse and summarized the results of two studies: a laboratory study investigating differences in discourse processes, and a classroom study investigating differences in products of the investigations. The laboratory study compared three representational tools for recording and reasoning about evidence during collaborative inquiry. The tools were unconstrained text (a word processor), graphical evidence mapping and a matrix or tabular representation. Participants were provided with hypertext-based materials pertinent to a problem in which multiple explanations were proposed for a disease. Analysis of discourse transcripts was consistent with predictions concerning the amount of talk about evidential relations. The classroom study focused on the effects of representational tools and of assessment rubrics on learning to evaluate diverse sources of empirical evidence and coordinate these data with domain theories. The representational tools were graphical evidence maps and text. The assessment rubrics provided specific criteria for scientific inquiry, encouraging self-reflection and peer coaching. The results indicate that evidence mapping provides better support than prose, as evidenced by amount of information and quality of inferences recorded in classroom artifacts. The assessment rubrics improved the quality of work of students using the evidence mapping tool but not those using prose.
Insights Into Causal Pathways for Ischemic Heart Disease: Adverse Childhood Experiences Study

Background—The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, to the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and to examine the mediating impact on this relation of both traditional IHD risk factors and psychological factors that are associated with ACEs. Methods and Results—Retrospective cohort survey data were collected from 17 337 adult health plan members from 1995 to 1997. Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, race, and education was used to estimate the strength of the ACE–IHD relation and the mediating impact of IHD risk factors in this relation. Nine of 10 categories of ACEs significantly increased the risk of IHD by 1.3- to 1.7-fold versus persons with no ACEs. The adjusted odds ratios for IHD among persons with ≥7 ACEs was 3.6 (95% CI, 2.4 to 5.3). The ACE–IHD relation was mediated more strongly by individual psychological risk factors commonly associated with ACEs than by traditional IHD risk factors. We observed significant association between increased likelihood of reported IHD (adjusted ORs) and depressed affect (2.1, 1.9 to 2.4) and anger (2.5, 2.1 to 3.0) as well as traditional risk factors (smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes and hypertension), with ORs ranging from 1.2 to 2.7. Conclusions—We found a dose-response relation of ACEs to IHD and a relation between almost all individual ACEs and IHD. Psychological factors appear to be more important than traditional risk factors in mediating the relation of ACEs to the risk of IHD. These findings provide further insights into the potential pathways by which stressful childhood experiences may increase the risk of IHD in adulthood.
BEAT: An Open-Source Web-Based Open-Science Platform

With the increased interest in computational sciences, machine learning (ML), pattern recognition (PR) and big data, governmental agencies, academia and manufacturers are overwhelmed by the constant influx of new algorithms and techniques promising improved performance, generalization and robustness. Sadly, result reproducibility is often an overlooked feature accompanying original research publications, competitions and benchmark evaluations. The main reasons behind such a gap arise from natural complications in research and development in this area: the distribution of data may be a sensitive issue; software frameworks are difficult to install and maintain; Test protocols may involve a potentially large set of intricate steps which are difficult to handle. Given the raising complexity of research challenges and the constant increase in data volume, the conditions for achieving reproducible research in the domain are also increasingly difficult to meet. To bridge this gap, we built an open platform for research in computational sciences related to pattern recognition and machine learning, to help on the development, reproducibility and certification of results obtained in the field. By making use of such a system, academic, governmental or industrial organizations enable users to easily and socially develop processing toolchains, re-use data, algorithms, workflows and compare results from distinct algorithms and/or parameterizations with minimal effort. This article presents such a platform and discusses some of its key features, uses and limitations. We overview a currently operational prototype and provide design insights.
Hierarchical models in generalized synthesis of evidence: an example based on studies of breast cancer screening.

Evidence regarding the potential benefits of a particular health care intervention is often available from a variety of disparate sources. However, formal synthesis of such evidence has traditionally concentrated almost exclusively on that derived from randomized studies, although for a range of conditions the randomized evidence will be less than adequate due to economic, organizational or ethical considerations. In such situations a formal synthesis of the evidence that is available from observational studies can be valuable whilst awaiting higher quality evidence from randomized trials. Consideration of randomized studies alone may be appropriate when assessing the efficacy of an intervention, but assessment of the effectiveness of such an intervention within a more general target population may be improved by consideration of evidence from non-randomized studies as well. Standard meta-analysis methods may allow for both within- and between-study heterogeneity; however when multiple sources of evidence are considered an extra level of complexity is introduced, namely study type. One possible solution to the problem of making inferences, particularly regarding an overall population effect, in such situations is to model the heterogeneity, both quantitative and qualitative, using a Bayesian hierarchical model. The hierarchical nature of such models specifically allows for the quantitative within and between sources of heterogeneity, whilst the Bayesian approach can accommodate a priori beliefs regarding qualitative differences between the various sources of evidence. The use of such methods in practice is illustrated in the context of screening for breast cancer; in this example evidence is available from both randomized clinical trials and observational studies. A particular appeal of a Bayesian approach for this type of problem lies in the prediction of future benefits likely to be observed in a target population. This approach to health service monitoring in general is discussed.
A TRAINABLE VISUALLY-GROUNDED SPOKEN LANGUAGE GENERATION SYSTEM

A spoken language generation system has been developed that learns to describe objects in computer-generated visual scenes. The system is trained by a ‘show-and-tell’ procedure in which visual scenes are paired with natural language descriptions. Learning algorithms acquire probabilistic structures which encode the visual semantics of phrase structure, word classes, and individual words. Using these structures, a planning algorithm integrates syntactic, semantic, and contextual constraints to generate natural and unambiguous descriptions of objects in novel scenes. The output of the generation system is synthesized using word-based concatenative synthesis drawing from the original training speech corpus. In evaluations of semantic comprehension by human judges, the performance of automatically generated spoken descriptions was comparable to human generated descriptions.
Effect of diverse stimulations of brain on EEG signal for SSVEP based Brain Computer Interface

Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is used for Brain-Computer Interface that requires little training for user, offers high information transfer rate and higher accuracy in living environments. To elicit an SSVEP, a Repetitive Visual Stimulus (RVS) of rectangular shape has been proposed to the subjects in different ways. RVS is rendered on a computer screen by flashing graphical patterns. The properties of SSVEP depend on the rendering device and frequency, size, shape and color of the stimuli. But, literatures on SSVEP-based BCI are seldom provided with reasons for usefulness of rendering devices or RVS properties. The aim of this research is to study the effect of all these stimulation properties on performance of SSVEP while elicited by a rectangular shape. A correlation matrix is made to help selection of any suitable SSVEP stimulator. The percentage change in energy and power from one kind of stimulation to another is also shown in this paper. Performance achieved in different cases has been compared with each other for apposite understanding. This will help a researcher to select proper stimulation types to elicit SSVEP.
Meniscal Injuries in Children and Adolescents: Diagnosis and Management

&NA; Isolated meniscal injuries are uncommon in children under the age of 14, but the frequency increases thereafter. Meniscal tears in children are frequently associated with congenital meniscal abnormalities, while those in adolescents are often associated with ligamentous injuries of the knee. The combination of recurrent and often dramatic popping and intermittent episodes of locking has been termed the “snapping knee syndrome. ” This symptom complex is almost invariably associated with a discoid meniscus. Although double‐contrast arthrography has proved to be a reliable diagnostic technique, magnetic resonance imaging is now the modality of choice. Treatment options for meniscal injuries in young patients should reflect a preference for repair over excision. The long‐term clinical results of total meniscectomy in children have demonstrated a high incidence of degenerative joint disease. Partial excision may provide better results. The efficacy of meniscus transplantation in the skeletally immature knee, although attractive, is as yet unproved and is therefore not an acceptable treatment option.
Statistical Optimization of Laccase Production and Delignification of Sugarcane Bagasse by Pleurotus ostreatus in Solid-State Fermentation

Laccases are oxidative enzymes related to the degradation of phenolic compounds, including lignin units, with concomitant reduction of oxygen to water. Delignification is a necessary pretreatment step in the process of converting plant biomass into fermentable sugars. The objective of this work was to optimize the production of laccases and to evaluate the delignification of sugarcane bagasse by Pleurotus ostreatus in solid-state fermentation. Among eight variables (pH, water activity, temperature, and concentrations of CuSO4, (NH4)2SO4, KH2PO4, asparagine, and yeast extract), copper sulfate and ammonium sulfate concentrations were demonstrated to significantly influence laccase production. The replacement of ammonium sulfate by yeast extract and the addition of ferulic acid as inducer provided increases of 5.7- and 2.0-fold, respectively, in laccase activity. Optimization of laccase production as a function of yeast extract, copper sulfate, and ferulic acid concentrations was performed by response surface methodology and optimal concentrations were 6.4 g/L, 172.6 μM, and 1.86 mM, respectively. Experimentally, the maximum laccase activity of 151.6 U/g was produced at the 5th day of solid-state fermentation. Lignin content in sugarcane bagasse was reduced from 31.89% to 26.36% after 5 days and to 20.79% after 15 days by the biological treatment of solid-state fermentation.
Should I Go, or Should I Stay?: Adolescence, School Attainment, and Parent-Child Relations in Italian Immigrant Families of New Haven, 1900–1940

The first reaction [of the southern Italian immigrant parent] to the American school system was based on the immigrant's discovery of a group, which, though evidently adult in physical growth, was a child-group since it attended school and indulged in childish activities like playing ball. One of the quiet cultural transformations of the twentieth century in the United States has been the widespread consensus over the meaningfulness of age gradations among children and youths. Joseph Kett's important book on the history of the idea of adolescence examined the first significant triumph of experts in promoting the concept of human development in American institutional life. Who could have predicted at the dawn of the twentieth century the swift success of the “adolescent idea” and the subdivision of stages in growing up that has occurred since? Certainly the rise of the expert and the medicalization of “deviance” have contributed significantly to the broad acceptance of age gradations and the developmental perspective. But schooling, the most pervasive of all modern institutions has had the greatest influence on the willingness of Americans to think through novel categories of cognitive, emotional, and physiological growth and well-being in young people. While the passage and enforcement of compulsory schooling and a concomitant need to make distinctions among children's school performance (which led to age-grading) established the framework for thinking about pupils developmentally, it was the voluntary extension of schooling that proved the true measure of parents' willing adoption of the developmental view. The critical period of growth in schooling beyond the minimum required by law occurred between 1910 and 1940, when high school attendance grew dramatically. One factor in its expansion was the invention of the high school “drop out,” which both constituted and reflected the spread of the idea that high school was within the reach of every girl and boy and that every child, moreover, should want to attend high school.
A study of the students’ travel Japan intentions from Departments of Applied Japanese in Taiwan after 311 East Japan Earthquake

Abstract On March 11, 2011, a 9 Richter scale earthquake occurred off the northeastern coast of Japan. The earthquake caused a major tsunami, resulting in the radiation leak of Fukushima I nuclear power plant, which seriously affected Japan’s tourism. The purpose of this research is to explore the correlation between the attitudes of Taiwan’s students from departments of applied Japanese to travel safety, and their intentions to travel to Japan. The results showed that 1. from a cognitive perspective, the radiation pollution’s threat in east Japan after the earthquake did weaken the intentions of the subject students from departments of applied Japanese to travel there; however, 2. from an affective perspective, because of the affection for Japanese culture and customs, although the students’ affective attitudes of travel safety significantly increased their hesitation in travel decisions, ultimately their overall feelings and intentions of travelling to Japan were still positive.
Hsp90‐dependent regulatory circuitry controlling temperature‐dependent fungal development and virulence

The pathogenic fungi Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans are an increasing cause of human mortality, especially in immunocompromised populations. During colonization and adaptation to various host environments, these fungi undergo morphogenetic alterations that allow for survival within the host. One key environmental cue driving morphological changes is external temperature. The Hsp90 chaperone protein provides one mechanism to link temperature with the signalling cascades that regulate morphogenesis, fungal development and virulence. Candida albicans is a model system for understanding the connections between morphogenesis and Hsp90. Due to the high degree of conservation in Hsp90, many of the connections in C. albicans may be extrapolated to other fungal pathogens or parasites. Examining the role of Hsp90 during development and morphogenesis in these three major fungal pathogens may provide insight into key aspects of adaptation to the host, leading to additional avenues for therapy.
Storage architecture and software support for SLC/MLC combined flash memory

We propose a novel flash memory management software for SLC/MLC combined flash memories which are recently introduced to provide flexible and cost-efficient embedded storage systems. To provide a fast and large capacity of flash memory, the proposed scheme utilizes the SLC area as log buffer and the MLC area as data block. Considering the high write cost of MLC flash, the garbage collection for the SLC log buffer moves a page into the MLC data block only when the page is cold or the page invokes a small migration cost. We also propose the bypassing technique which sends a large sequential data into the MLC flash directly not through the SLC log buffer. From the experiments, we can know that the proposed scheme utilizes the SLC log buffer effectively providing better performance compared with the previous flash management schemes for the SLC/MLC combined flash.1
Two Dimensions of Adult Attachment: Further Validation

The present study used confirmatory factor analysis to identify two dimensions of adult attachment, analogous to infant attachment theory, using items derived from Hazan & Shaver's (1987) widely used self-report measure. Subjects were 571 private university or community college students. Results indicated that a two-dimensional model best fits the data, that a three-dimensional model fits slightly less well and was simply less parsimonious, and that a one-dimensional model fits less than adequately. The same two-dimensional model fits both married and non-married adults. Loneliness, dating frequency, and dating/marital status showed a different pattern of correlations with the two attachment dimensions. Heterosexual confidence and parental divorce, although correlated with attachment dimensions, did not produce significantly different patterns of correlation with the two dimensions.