Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serial Temperature Monitoring and Comparison of Rectal and Muscle Temperatures in Immobilized Free-Ranging Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)

Abstract: Control of body temperature is critical to a successful anesthetic outcome, particularly during field immobilization of wild animals. Hyperthermia associated with exertion can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications such as organ damage (including myopathy) and death. Methods for monitoring core body temperature must accurately reflect the physiologic status of the animal in order for interventions to be effective. The goal of this preliminary study was to compare serial rectal and muscle temperatures in field-immobilized black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and evaluate a possible association. Twenty-four free-ranging black rhinoceros were immobilized between February and March of 2010 in Ethosha National Park, Namibia. Pairwise comparisons showed a correlation of 0.73 (95% CI; 0.70–0.75) between rectal and muscle temperature measurements. Results from a multivariable model indicate that muscle temperature readings were, on average, 0.46°C (95% CI; 0.36–0.57°C) higher than rectal temperatures while adjusting for repeated measurements on the same rhinoceros, effect of duration of immobilization, and effect of ambient temperature on rhinoceroses' temperature readings. As immobilization time increased, muscle and rectal temperature values within an individual rhinoceros tended to equilibrate. The overall temperatures decreased by an average of 0.00059°C/min (95% CI; −0.0047 to −0.0035°C/min; P = 0.779). As the ambient temperature at time of immobilization increased by 1°C, the average rhinoceros temperature increased by 0.09°C (95% CI; 0.06–0.11°C, P < 0.0001). Higher body temperature creates a potential for cellular damage leading to complications that include myopathy. Methods for monitoring rectal, muscle, and ambient temperatures should be incorporated into anesthetic monitoring protocols for large ungulates, particularly under field conditions.
Visualization in Teleimmersive Environments

In collaborative virtual reality (VR), the goal is to reproduce a face-to-face meeting in minute detail. Teleimmersion moves beyond this idea, integrating collaborative VR with audio- and video-conferencing that may involve data mining and heavy computation. In teleimmersion, collaborators at remote sites share the details of a virtual world that can autonomously control computation, query databases and gather results. They don't meet in a room to discuss a car engine; they meet in the engine itself. The University of Illinois at Chicago's Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) has hosted several applications that demonstrate rudimentary teleimmersion. All users are members of Cavern (CAVE Research Network) [ ] $a collection of participating industrial and research institutions equipped with CAVE (Cave Automated Virtual Environment), ImmersaDesk VR systems and high-performance computing resources, including high-speed networks. There are more than 100 CAVE and ImmersaDesk installations worldwide. The pressing challenge now is how to support collaborative work among Cavern users without having them worry about the details of sustaining a collaboration. Another problem is providing both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration. The authors detail how they've built new display devices to serve as more convenient teleimmersion end-points and to support their international networking infrastructure with sufficient bandwidth to support the needs of teleimmersive applications.
Reliable Recon in Adversarial Peer-to-Peer Botnets

The decentralized nature of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) botnets precludes traditional takedown strategies, which target dedicated command infrastructure. P2P botnets replace this infrastructure with command channels distributed across the full infected population. Thus, mitigation strongly relies on accurate reconnaissance techniques which map the botnet population. While prior work has studied passive disturbances to reconnaissance accuracy ---such as IP churn and NAT gateways---, the same is not true of active anti-reconnaissance attacks. This work shows that active attacks against crawlers and sensors occur frequently in major P2P botnets. Moreover, we show that current crawlers and sensors in the Sality and Zeus botnets produce easily detectable anomalies, making them prone to such attacks. Based on our findings, we categorize and evaluate vectors for stealthier and more reliable P2P botnet reconnaissance.
The effect of organic acids on renal clearance of methotrexate in man

The renal clearance of the folic acid antagonist, methotrexate, was compared with that of inulin and para‐aminohippurate in 15 patients with disseminated malignancy. The clearance of methotrexate exceeded that of inulin clearance in all cases, indicating methotrexate is not only filtered but is also actively secreted by the renal tubules. The simultaneous intravenous administration of weak organic acids resulted, generally, in suppressive effects on the clearance of methotrexate. Salicylate and high concentrations of para‐aminohippurate reduced methotrexate clearance well below the glomerular filtration rate; whereas, sulfisoxazole had only a minimal effect on total methotrexate clearance. The variations of plasma protein binding of methotrexate induced by these same drugs did not correlate with the direction or degree of methotrexate clearance. It is concluded from these studies that methotrexate is excreted by a combination of glomerular filtration and active tubular transport and that methotrexate clearance is not directly related to the level of free methotrexate presented to the kidneys. It is furthermore suggested that the alterations in plasma protein binding and renal clearance of methotrexate provoked by the simultaneous administration of other organic acids may be clinically exploitable in cancer chemotherapy.
Using graph analysis to study networks of adaptive agent

Experimental analysis of networks of cooperative learning agents (to verify certain properties such as the system's stability) has been commonly used due to the complexity of theoretical analysis in such cases. Due to the large number of parameters to analyze, researchers used metrics that summarize the system in few parameters. Since in cooperative system the ultimate goal is to optimize some global metric, researchers typically analyzed the evolution of the global performance metric over time to verify system properties. For example, if the global metric improves and eventually stabilizes, it is considered a reasonable verification of the system's stability. The global performance metric, however, overlooks an important aspect of the system: the network structure. We show an experimental case study where the convergence of the global performance metric is deceiving, hiding an underlying instability in the system that later leads to a significant drop in performance. To expose such instability, we propose the use of the graph analysis methodology, where the network structure is summarized using some network measures. We develop a new network measure that summarizes an agent's interaction with its neighbors and takes the disparity of these interactions into account. The new measure is applied to our case study, clearly exposing the instability that was previously hidden by the global performance metric.
Hyperactivated sperm motility driven by CatSper2 is required for fertilization

Elevations of sperm Ca2+ seem to be responsible for an asymmetric form of motility called hyperactivation, which is first seen near the time of fertilization. The mechanism by which intracellular Ca2+ concentrations increase remains unknown despite considerable investigation. Although several prototypical voltage-gated calcium channels are present in spermatozoa, they are not essential for motility. Furthermore, the forward velocity and percentage of motility of spermatozoa are associated with infertility, but their importance relative to hyperactivation also remains unknown. We show here that disruption of the gene for a recently described sperm-specific voltage-gated cation channel, CatSper2, fails to significantly alter sperm production, protein tyrosine phosphorylation that is associated with capacitation, induction of the acrosome reaction, forward velocity, or percentage of motility, yet CatSper2–/– males are completely infertile. The defect that we identify in the null sperm cells is a failure to acquire hyperactivated motility, which seems to render spermatozoa incapable of generating the “power” needed for penetration of the extracellular matrix of the egg. A loss of power is suggested also by experiments in which the viscosity of the medium was increased after incubation of spermatozoa in normal capacitating conditions. In high-viscosity medium, CatSper2-null spermatozoa lost the ability to swim forward, whereas wild-type cells continued to move forward. Thus, CatSper2 is responsible for driving hyperactivated motility, and, even with typical sperm forward velocities, fertilization is not possible in the absence of this highly active form of motility.
A subscription overlay network for large-scale and cost-efficient any source multicast

This paper presents a subscription-based overlay network that supports efficient any-source multicast. The system lets users register to a central server and allows the server to incrementally build a topology graph that contains the network connections among the subscribers. With this topology graph in place, we address the challenges of minimizing network traffic and the delay incurred in broadcasting a data packet to all active subscribers. The active subscribers are organized in a directional ring, and for each of them, we find a number of predecessors and successors, the number of which depends on the subscriber's network capacity. When a node sends a packet, the packet is routed along the ring and to its successors simultaneously. To minimize the delay in data forwarding, we take network proximity into consideration when constructing ring and selecting a subscriber's successors and predecessors. In addition to being topology-aware, the proposed system also features leveraging idling nodes for data forwarding. More specifically, the subscribers who are online but not participating in application services (e.g., gaming) are recruited to reduce network traffic and further reduce data latency.
Instability in cosmological topologically massive gravity at the chiral point

This thesis explores three different aspects of quantum gravity. First we study D3-brane black holes in Calabi-Yau compactifications of type IIB string theory. Using the OSV conjecture and a relation between topological strings and matrix models we show that some black holes have a matrix model description. This is the case if the attractor mechanism fixes the internal geometry to a conifold at the black hole horizon. We also consider black holes in a flux compactification and compare the effects of the black holes and fluxes on the internal geometry. We find that the fluxes dominate. Second, we study the scalar potential of type IIB flux compactifications. We demonstrate that monodromies of the internal geometry imply as a general feature the existence of long series of continuously connected minima. This allows for the embedding of scenarios such as chain inflation and resonance tunneling into string theory. The concept of monodromies is also extended to include geometric transitions: passing to a different Calabi-Yau topology, performing its monodromies and then returning to the original space allows for novel transformations. All constructions are performed explicitly, using both analytical and numerical techniques, in the mirror quintic Calabi-Yau. Third, we study cosmological topologically massive gravity at the chiral point, a prime candidate for quantization of gravity in three dimensions. The prospects of this scenario depend crucially of the stability of the theory. We demonstrate the presence of a negative energy bulk mode that grows logarithmically toward the AdS boundary. The AdS isometry generators have non-unitary matrix representations like in logarithmic CFT, and we propose that the CFT dual for this theory is logarithmic. In a complementing canonical analysis we also demonstrate the existence of this bulk degree of freedom, and we present consistent boundary conditions encompassing the new mode.
EscE and EscG Are Cochaperones for the Type III Needle Protein EscF of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are central virulence mechanisms used by a variety of Gram-negative bacteria to inject effector proteins into host cells. The needle polymer is an essential part of the T3SS that provides the effector proteins a continuous channel into the host cytoplasm. It has been shown for a few T3SSs that two chaperones stabilize the needle protein within the bacterial cytosol to prevent its premature polymerization. In this study, we characterized the chaperones of the enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) needle protein EscF. We found that Orf2 and Orf29, two poorly characterized proteins encoded within the EPEC locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), function as the needle protein cochaperones. Our finding demonstrated that both Orf2 and Orf29 are essential for type III secretion (T3S). In addition, we found that Orf2 and Orf29 associate with the bacterial membrane and form a complex with EscF. Orf2 and Orf29 were also shown to disrupt the polymerization of EscF in vitro. Prediction of the tertiary structures of Orf2 and Orf29 showed high structural homology to chaperones of other T3SS needle proteins. Overall, our data suggest that Orf2 and Orf29 function as the chaperones of the needle protein, and therefore, they have been renamed EscE and EscG.
ACM international workshop on cloud-based multimedia applications and services for e-health(CBMAS-EH 2012)

Cloud-Based Multimedia services and technologies are emerging as an innovative means of accessing and delivering e-health resources and services in the years to come. The research in multimedia cloud for E-health is still in its infancy, and several technical issues remain open. Prior to its general use and adoption, careful consideration and evaluation are required. This article provides a summary and overview of the First International ACM workshop on Cloud-Based Multimedia Applications and Services for E-Health.
A Quaternary climate record from a Uinta Mountains, USA, fen core with emphasis on sediment pyrolysis

A Quaternary Climate Record from a Uinta Mountains, USA, Fen Core with Emphasis on Sediment Pyrolysis Samuel Abraham Hillam Department of Geological Sciences, BYU Master of Science The northern slopes of the Uinta Mountains, Utah were previously glaciated and contain many landslides. The Tokewanna Landslide is very large and lacks Quaternary faults. Presumably, increased moisture was the failure trigger. A Quaternary climate record from a cored fen, developed in a small basin between hummocks, was reconstructed using sediment pyrolysis, biomass balance, and magnetic susceptibility. Pyrolysis is used to define Hydrogen Indices that are used to delineate wetter and drier conditions based on the kerogen type Type III being drier, and Type II wetter. The data were matched to a time/depth curve and compared to other Uinta Mountains climate studies. Pyrolysis, biomass balance, and magnetic susceptibility results indicate drier to wetter conditions from ~11,027 to ~8,800 cal yr BP. This was followed by an increase in precipitation, peaking ~8,060 cal yr BP, and then decreasing. Drying conditions ensued after ~4,800 cal yr BP, and from ~1,700 cal yr BP to modern. Regional studies suggest mid-Holocene Epoch warming; some also indicate increased precipitation during those periods. A study at nearby Little Lyman Lake (Tingstad et al., 2011) displays a plankton percent record similar to the wetness record of the study fen. The fen core record does not indicate wet conditions at its base as expected. The record begins ~11,000 cal yr BP and likely represents an incomplete history of this Holocene fen, as the base of the wetland deposits was not reached.
Acute Pancreatitis and Splenic Vein Thrombosis due to Hypertriglyceridemia

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a condition characterised by the activation of the normally inactive digestive enzymes due to an etiological factor and digestion of the pancreatic tissues, resulting in extensive inflammation and leading to local, regional, and systemic complications in the organism. It may vary from the mild edematous to the hemorrhagic and severely necrotising form. The most common causes are biliary stones and alcohol abuse. In this case study, we would like to present a patient with AP due to hypertriglyceridemia (HPTG), which is a rare cause of pancreatitis, and splenic vein thrombosis, which is a rare complication of pancreatitis.
Measuring privacy loss and the impact of privacy protection in web browsing

Various bits of information about users accessing Web sites. some of which are private, have been gathered since the inception of the Web. Increasingly the gathering, aggregation, and processing has been outsourced to third parties. The goal of this work is to examine the effectiveness of specific techniques to limit this diffusion of private information to third parties. We also examine the impact of these privacy protection techniques on the usability and quality of the Web pages returned. Using objective measures for privacy protection and page quality we examine their tradeoffs for different privacy protection techniques applied to a collection of popular Web sites as well as a focused set of sites with significant privacy concerns. We study privacy protection both at a browser and at a proxy.
Optimal motion planning for differentially flat systems with guaranteed constraint satisfaction

This research deals with the computation of optimal trajectories considering state and input constraints for linear and nonlinear systems that admit a polynomial representation through differential flatness. Based on a polynomial spline parameterization of the flat output an optimization problem in terms of the B-spline coefficients is derived that guarantees constraint satisfaction over the entire time horizon whereas classical approaches in the literature only impose the constraints on a finite time grid. As the proposed constraints are only sufficient conditions, a novel method is presented that effectively reduces their conservatism. Two numerical examples, a linear benchmark tracking problem and an optimal quadrotor maneuver, illustrate the efficiency and practicality of the presented method.
Plasma hyaluronan and hemorheology in patients with septic shock: a clinical and experimental study.

BACKGROUND Total plasma hyaluronan concentration is increased in septic shock. High-molecular-weight hyaluronan has a high intrinsic viscosity. Excessive release of high-molecular-weight hyaluronan in sepsis may induce hyperviscosity. METHODS Plasma viscosity and the molecular size of plasma hyaluronan were determined in 20 patients with septic shock and in 20 healthy controls. Ex vivo, the effects of 0.4% and 0.047% high-molecular-weight hyaluronan 1560 kDa, 0.9% saline, and 6% hydroxy-ethyl-starch 130 kDa were compared to plasma and whole blood viscosity and red blood cell aggregation at a systemic hematocrit of 0.4, and at a microcirculatory hematocrit of 0.2. RESULTS Plasma viscosity and total plasma protein content were low in septic shock patients on days one and four of treatment. Hyaluronan concentration was 10-fold higher in sepsis on day 1. Molecular weight of hyaluronan was relatively low, mostly 50-500 kDa, and did not change significantly in sepsis. Ex vivo, 0.4% high-molecular-weight hyaluronan 1560 kDa increased blood viscosity but did not promote red blood cell aggregation. Dilutions of 6% hydroxyl-ethyl-starch 130 kDa and 0.047% high-molecular-weight hyaluronan 1560 kDa had comparable effects on blood viscosity and red blood cell aggregation. CONCLUSIONS Plasma viscosity of the septic patients remained low for four days despite markedly elevated concentration of relatively small-molecular-weight hyaluronan.
Preventable Readmissions Within 30 Days of Ischemic Stroke Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Background and Purpose— The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposes to use 30-day hospital readmissions after ischemic stroke as part of the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program for payment determination beginning in 2016. The proportion of poststroke readmissions that is potentially preventable is unknown. Methods— Thirty-day readmissions for all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥65 years discharged alive with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification 433, 434, 436) between December 2005 and November 2006 were analyzed. Preventable readmissions were identified based on 14 Prevention Quality Indicators developed for use with administrative data by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. National, hospital-level, and regional preventable readmission rates were estimated. Random-effects logistic regression was also used to determine patient-level factors associated with preventable readmissions. Results— Among 307 887 ischemic stroke discharges, 44 379 (14.4%) were readmitted within 30 days; 5322 (1.7% of all discharges) were the result of a preventable cause (eg, pneumonia), and 39 057 (12.7%) were for other reasons (eg, cancer). In multivariate analysis, older age and cardiovascular-related comorbid conditions were strong predictors of preventable readmissions. Preventable readmission rates were highest in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and US territories and lowest in the Mountain and Pacific regions. Conclusions— On the basis of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Prevention Quality Indicators, we found that a small proportion of readmissions after ischemic stroke were classified as preventable. Although other causes of readmissions not reflected in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality measures could also be avoidable, hospital-level programs intended to reduce all-cause readmissions and costs should target high-risk patients.
Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) describes any unexplained diarrhea associated with the use of an antibiotic. AAD also includes infection caused by Clostridium difficile, however this organism only accounts for a small percentage of diarrhea caused by antibiotics. AAD can be caused by multiple other organisms including C perfringens, S aureus, and Candida. Some antibiotics are more likely to cause non–C difficile AAD, such as erythromycin and the penicillin class. AAD develops through the loss of normal flora and reduced colonic bacterial carbohydrate metabolism during antibiotic administration. There is an increasing interest in the use of probiotics for the prevention of AAD. There are several meta-analyses that report a relative risk reduction of AAD with the use of probiotics during antibiotic administration. Interpretation of these studies has been challenging due to the heterogeneity and size of the patient populations, unclear probiotic regimen, and unclear safety profile. Since AAD can be a reason for a patient to become non-compliant or receive incomplete treatment, clinicians should monitor for this potential adverse effect caused by antibiotics.