Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
β-Cryptoxanthin Restores Nicotine-Reduced Lung SIRT1 to Normal Levels and Inhibits Nicotine-Promoted Lung Tumorigenesis and Emphysema in A/J Mice

Nicotine, a large constituent of cigarette smoke, is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, but the data supporting this relationship are inconsistent. Here, we found that nicotine treatment not only induced emphysema but also increased both lung tumor multiplicity and volume in 4-nitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-initiated lung cancer in A/J mice. This tumor-promoting effect of nicotine was accompanied by significant reductions in survival probability and lung Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression, which has been proposed as a tumor suppressor. The decreased level of SIRT1 was associated with increased levels of AKT phosphorylation and interleukin (il)-6 mRNA but decreased tumor suppressor p53 and retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-β mRNA levels in the lungs. Using this mouse model, we then determined whether β-cryptoxanthin (BCX), a xanthophyll that is strongly associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer in several cohort studies, can inhibit nicotine-induced emphysema and lung tumorigenesis. We found that BCX supplementation at two different doses was associated with reductions of the nicotine-promoted lung tumor multiplicity and volume, as well as emphysema in mice treated with both NNK and nicotine. Moreover, BCX supplementation restored the nicotine-suppressed expression of lung SIRT1, p53, and RAR-β to that of the control group, increased survival probability, and decreased the levels of lung il-6 mRNA and phosphorylation of AKT. The present study indicates that BCX is a preventive agent against emphysema and lung cancer with SIRT1 as a potential target. In addition, our study establishes a relevant animal lung cancer model for studying tumor growth within emphysematous microenvironments. Cancer Prev Res; 6(4); 309–20. ©2012 AACR.
Utilisation des potentiels évoqués visuels stationnaires pour mieux évaluer la neurotoxicité visuelle chez les enfants exposés au vigabatrin

iii Liste des tableaux . vi Liste des figures . vii Liste des abréviations. viii Remerciements . ix Introduction générale . 1 L’épilepsie . 2 Les crises et les syndromes . 2 Les thérapies . 7 La pharmacothérapie par l’ACTH . 8 La pharmacothérapie par VGB . 9 L’évaluation de la vision . 11 La périmétrie . 12 L’électrophysiologie . 13 Objectifs et hypothèses . 23 Article 1 . 23 Article 2 . 25 Articles de la thèse . 27 Article 1 . 28 Article 2 . 52 Conclusion et discussion . 77 Synthèse des résultats . 78 Article 1 . 78 Article 2 . 80 Une méthode adaptée. et améliorée . 81 L’évaluation des champs visuels grâce à notre méthode. qu’en est-il? 84 À chacun son rythme . 88 Limites, implications cliniques et perspectives . 89 Références pour l’introduction et la discussion générale. 92
A method of locating leaky wave poles of spectral Green's functions for a layered medium by consecutive frequency perturbation

In this paper, based on the frequency-varied relationship between surface wave poles and leaky wave poles of spectral Green's functions for a layered medium, a new method for fast locating the leaky wave poles at the given operating frequency is established. This method locates the leaky wave poles at the given operating frequency by consecutive frequency perturbations with the surface wave poles at a proper frequency as starting poles. Numerical examples of this method applied in the combination with the discrete complex image method (DCIM) for evaluation of the Green's functions of microstrip and 2-layered medium models demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of this method.
Reflections from Infection Prevention 2015: beating the bugs, improving the systems and thinking outside the box

The conference kicked off with Professor Andreas Voss. By Andreas’ own admission, he was given a curve-ball of a title: ‘CRE, VRE, C. difficile or MRSA: what should be the priority of infection prevention? ’ Andreas developed a framework for grading the priority of our microbial threats, accounting for transmissibility, virulence, antibiotic resistance, at-risk patients, feasibility of decolonisation, cost and impact of uncontrolled spread, and the result? Any and all microbes that cause healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) should be a priority of infection prevention. Even those that seem to have less clinical impact (such as VRE) are good indicators of system failure. If we focus too much on one threat, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture. Next, Dr Jennifer Gardy (Canada) told the story of an outbreak using whole genome sequencing (WGS). I was struck by how far DNA sequencing has come in such a short time frame: to think that you can now sequence a genome in a USB drive on your laptop! The roadblock to its useful application is now not the sequencing per se, but the bioinformatics and useful clinical application. But, if that can be solved, WGS offers the potential to turn a ‘plate of spaghetti’ epidemiological picture into a clear transmission network, and allow you to ‘read outbreaks like a book’. Jennifer used the now infamous outbreak of carbapenemresistant enterobacteriaceae at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center as an example, which, in reality was really rather small; perhaps that is the point (Palmore and Henderson, 2013). However, the potential applications of WGS go far beyond simple outbreak investigation, encompassing epidemic tracking and metagenomics, and even find a routine application in clinical microbiology (Roach et al., 2015). It was significant that only 8% of the audience had participated in a WGS study; I suspect this will be 98% in 5 years’ time. Carole Fry’s guest lecture offered some historical perspective, tracking the introduction of first standard and then transmission based precautions from the early 1990s. Although standard precautions are a great idea in principle, they (ironically) lack standardisation! The Centers for Disease Prevention & Control (CDC) family of precautions make sense to me, and I remain disturbed by the movement away from contact precautions in some parts of the USA. The reduction in MRSA bacteraemia in the UK has been nothing short of spectacular – but what has effected this miracle (Stone et al., 2012)? And finally, what of developments in surveillance and public reporting? There’s good, there’s bad and there’s ugly – but, on balance, public scrutiny has been a driver for positive change (Horowitz, 2015). And the reduction of MRSA bacteraemia is case in point.
Approximating CSPs with global cardinality constraints using SDP hierarchies

This work is concerned with approximating constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) with additional global cardinality constraints. For example, Max Cut is a boolean CSP where the input is a graph G = (V, E) and the goal is to find a cut S ∪ S = V that maximizes the number of crossing edges, |E(S, S)|. The Max Bisection problem is a variant of Max Cut with a global constraint that each side of the cut has exactly half the vertices, i.e., |S| = |V|/2. Several other natural optimization problems like Min Bisection and approximating Graph Expansion can be formulated as CSPs with global cardinality constraints. In this work, we formulate a general approach towards approximating CSPs with global cardinality constraints using SDP hierarchies. To demonstrate the approach we present the following results: • Using the Lasserre hierarchy, we present an algorithm that runs in time O(npoly(1/e)) that given an instance of Max Bisection with value 1 − e, finds a bisection with value 1 − O(√e). This approximation is near-optimal (up to constant factors in O()) under the Unique Games Conjecture. • By a computer-assisted proof, we show that the same algorithm also achieves a 0.85-approximation for Max Bisection, improving on the previous bound of 0.70 (note that it is Unique Games hard to approximate better than a 0.878 factor). The same algorithm also yields a 0.92-approximation for Max 2-Sat with cardinality constraints. • For every CSP with a global cardinality constraints, we present a generic conversion from integrality gap instances for the Lasserre hierarchy to a dictatorship test whose soundness is at most integrality gap. Dictatorship testing gadgets are central to hardness results for CSPs, and a generic conversion of the above nature lies at the core of the tight Unique Games based hardness result for CSPs [Rag08].
The influence of learning activity on low-skilled workers’ skill improvement in the South Korean manufacturing industry

The main purpose of this study was to explore how low-skilled worker’s learning activity influences skill improvement. Using a unique 2007 Human Capital Corporate Panel data-set from the South Korean manufacturing industry, we operationalize skill improvement over time among low-skilled workers. A worker is classified as ‘low skilled’ if he or she has a low education level and poor technical skills. Regression models show that low-skilled workers’ informal learning positively influences their skill improvement. In contrast, we note that supervisors negatively influence skill improvement of low-skilled workers when measuring the change in technical skill proficiency. Quality circle programmes also have a positive influence on skill improvement. In conclusion, skills can be improved through planned interventions that increase collaboration on the job. The results from this study help to highlight the importance of designing learning interventions for low-skilled workers that take account of their underlying education and skills.
Agreement between self-report and medical records on signs and symptoms of respiratory illness.

BACKGROUND Information on patient symptoms can be obtained by patient self-report or medical records review. Both methods have limitations. AIMS To assess the agreement between self-report and documentation in the medical records of signs/symptoms of respiratory illness (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, sinus problems, muscle aches, fatigue, earache, and chills). METHODS Respondents were 176 research participants in the Hutterite Influenza Prevention Study during the 2008-2009 influenza season with information about the presence or absence of signs/symptoms from both self-report and primary care medical records. RESULTS Compared with medical records, lower proportions of self-reported fever, sore throat, earache, cough, and sinus problems were found. Total agreements between self-report and medical report of symptoms ranged from 61% (for sore throat) to 88% (for muscle aches and earache), with kappa estimates varying from 0.05 (for chills) to 0.41 (for cough) and 0.51 (for earache). Negative agreement was considerably higher (from 68% for sore throat to 93% for muscle aches and earache) than positive agreement (from 13% for chills to 58% for earache) for each symptom except cough where positive agreement (77%) was higher than negative agreement (64%). Agreements varied by age group. We found better agreement for earache (kappa = 0.62) and lower agreements for headache, sinus problems, muscle aches, fatigue, and chills in older children (aged >5 years) and adults. CONCLUSIONS Agreements were variable depending on the specific symptom. Contrary to research in other patient populations which suggests that clinicians report fewer symptoms than patients, we found that the medical record captured more symptoms than selfreport. Symptom agreement and disagreement may be affected by the perspectives of the person experiencing them, the observer, the symptoms themselves, measurement error, the setting in which the symptoms were observed and recorded, and the broader community and cultural context of patients.
Presynaptic Opioid and Nicotinic Receptor Modulation of Dopamine Overflow in the Nucleus Accumbens

Behaviorally relevant stimuli prompt midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons to switch from tonic to burst firing patterns. Similar shifts to burst activity are thought to contribute to the addictive effects of opiates and nicotine. The nucleus accumbens DA overflow produced by these drugs is a key element in their pathological effects. Using electrochemical techniques in brain slices, we explored the effects of opioids on single-spike and burst stimuli-evoked DA overflow in the dorsal and ventral striatum. In specific subregions of the nucleus accumbens, μ-opioids inhibit DA overflow elicited with single-spike stimuli while leaving that produced by burst stimuli unaffected. This is similar to published effects of nicotinic receptor blockade or desensitization, and is mediated by opioid receptor-induced inhibition of cholinergic interneurons. Whereas δ-opioids have similar effects, κ-opioids inhibit evoked DA overflow throughout the striatum in a manner that is not overcome with high-frequency stimuli. These observations reveal remarkable mechanistic overlap between the effects of nicotine and opiates within the dopamine reward pathway.
Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals (BMC): Proposed Mechanisms for Coral Health and Resilience

The symbiotic association between the coral animal and its endosymbiotic dinoflagellate partner Symbiodinium is central to the success of corals. However, an array of other microorganisms associated with coral (i.e., Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, and viruses) have a complex and intricate role in maintaining homeostasis between corals and Symbiodinium. Corals are sensitive to shifts in the surrounding environmental conditions. One of the most widely reported responses of coral to stressful environmental conditions is bleaching. During this event, corals expel Symbiodinium cells from their gastrodermal tissues upon experiencing extended seawater temperatures above their thermal threshold. An array of other environmental stressors can also destabilize the coral microbiome, resulting in compromised health of the host, which may include disease and mortality in the worst scenario. However, the exact mechanisms by which the coral microbiome supports coral health and increases resilience are poorly understood. Earlier studies of coral microbiology proposed a coral probiotic hypothesis, wherein a dynamic relationship exists between corals and their symbiotic microorganisms, selecting for the coral holobiont that is best suited for the prevailing environmental conditions. Here, we discuss the microbial-host relationships within the coral holobiont, along with their potential roles in maintaining coral health. We propose the term BMC (Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals) to define (specific) symbionts that promote coral health. This term and concept are analogous to the term Plant Growth Promoting Rhizosphere (PGPR), which has been widely explored and manipulated in the agricultural industry for microorganisms that inhabit the rhizosphere and directly or indirectly promote plant growth and development through the production of regulatory signals, antibiotics and nutrients. Additionally, we propose and discuss the potential mechanisms of the effects of BMC on corals, suggesting strategies for the use of this knowledge to manipulate the microbiome, reversing dysbiosis to restore and protect coral reefs. This may include developing and using BMC consortia as environmental “probiotics” to improve coral resistance after bleaching events and/or the use of BMC with other strategies such as human-assisted acclimation/adaption to shifting environmental conditions.
Expressing a wish to continue or stop working as related to the meaning of work

Non-financial reasons for continuing employment were determined by posing the “lottery question”, which asked individuals: “If there were no financial reasons to carry on working, would you stop or continue working? ” Approximately 90% of two representative samples of the Israeli labour force indicated that they would continue working. Significant predictors of an inclination to stop working in 1981 were a strong instrumental orientation, low work centrality, organizational obligation, intrinsic orientation, and being a female. In 1993, significant predictors of discontinuing work included low work centrality, low occupational satisfaction, high instrumental orientation, and strong interpersonal relations. These findings are examined in light of recent changes observed in Israeli society, as well as implications to work and employment.
Introduction of IADPSG Criteria for the Screening and Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Results in Improved Pregnancy Outcomes at a Lower Cost in a Large Cohort of Pregnant Women: The St. Carlos Gestational Diabetes Study

OBJECTIVE The use of the new International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria (IADPSGC) for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) results in an increased prevalence of GDM. Whether their introduction improves pregnancy outcomes has yet to be established. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of one-step IADPSGC for screening and diagnosis of GDM compared with traditional two-step Carpenter-Coustan (CC) criteria. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS GDM risk factors and pregnancy and newborn outcomes were prospectively assessed in 1,750 pregnant women from April 2011 to March 2012 using CC and in 1,526 pregnant women from April 2012 to March 2013 using IADPSGC between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Both groups received the same treatment and follow-up regimes. RESULTS The use of IADPSGC resulted in an important increase in GDM rate (35.5% vs. 10.6%) and an improvement in pregnancy outcomes, with a decrease in the rate of gestational hypertension (4.1 to 3.5%: −14.6%, P < 0.021), prematurity (6.4 to 5.7%: −10.9%, P < 0.039), cesarean section (25.4 to 19.7%: −23.9%, P < 0.002), small for gestational age (7.7 to 7.1%: −6.5%, P < 0.042), large for gestational age (4.6 to 3.7%: −20%, P < 0.004), Apgar 1-min score <7 (3.8 to 3.5%: −9%, P < 0.015), and admission to neonatal intensive care unit (8.2 to 6.2%: −24.4%, P < 0.001). Estimated cost savings was of €14,358.06 per 100 women evaluated using IADPSGC versus the group diagnosed using CC. CONCLUSIONS The application of the new IADPSGC was associated with a 3.5-fold increase in GDM prevalence in our study population, as well as significant improvements in pregnancy outcomes, and was cost-effective. Our results support their adoption.
PhD Forum Abstract: Non-intrusive Blood Glucose Monitor by Multi-task Deep Learning

Blood glucose concentration plays an important role in personal health. Hyperglycemia results in diabetes, leading to health risks such as pancreatic function failure, immunity reduces and ocular fundus diseases. Meanwhile, hypoglycemia also brings complications such as confusion, shakiness, anxiety, and if not treated in time, coma or death. People with diabetes need tight control of their blood glucose concentration to avoid both short-term and long-term physiological complications. In this work, we design BGMonitor, the rst personalized smartphone-based non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system that detects abnormal blood glucose events by jointly tracking meal, drugs and insulin intake, physical activity and sleep quality. When BGMonitor detects an abnormal blood glucose event, it reminds the user to double-check by finger pricking or using clinical CGM devices.
The Role of the Prosumer in Social Networks and the Sentiment Analysis for the Customer Experience Management

The renewed economic and social context allows the consumer to play a starring role becoming, from a mere consumer of information, the one who creates and disseminates opinions about products, services and brands. The market is influenced by the experience of customers’ groups shared through different communication channels on the Web 2.0 (such as Facebook, Twitter, Forum, Blog, etc…). The company needs to develop technologies able to capture the opinion of customers, in order to correctly and positively interpret and influence them. Within this evolving scenario, the Sentiment Analysis can support the Management in order to capture relevant information from the Web, rework and interpret the Customer Experience to increase and strengthen the loyalty of customers. The aim of this paper is to explore how these approaches work together and enhance the role of Prosumer.
Early cytoplasmic uncoating is associated with infectivity of HIV-1

Significance After fusion, HIV delivers its capsid formed of CA proteins into the cytoplasm. The regulated disassembly of the capsid (uncoating) is critical to the timely exposure of the viral genome and infection. The timing of this process is controversial. Utilizing an intravirion GFP fluid phase marker with a live-cell imaging approach, where we use less than one virion per cell, we demonstrate that the uncoating of HIV-1 particles is an early cytoplasmic process taking place ∼30 minutes after fusion, and dependent on ongoing reverse transcription. Early uncoating is observed in culture cells, primary T cells, and macrophages with either HIV or pseudotyped envelope. Partial CA retention with the viral complex facilitates late CA functions, including nuclear import and integration site selection. After fusion, HIV delivers its conical capsid into the cytoplasm. To release the contained reverse-transcribing viral genome, the capsid must disassemble in a process termed uncoating. Defining the kinetics, dynamics, and cellular location of uncoating of virions leading to infection has been confounded by defective, noninfectious particles and the stochastic minefield blocking access to host DNA. We used live-cell fluorescent imaging of intravirion fluid phase markers to monitor HIV-1 uncoating at the individual particle level. We find that HIV-1 uncoating of particles leading to infection is a cytoplasmic process that occurs ∼30 min postfusion. Most, but not all, of the capsid protein is rapidly shed in tissue culture and primary target cells, independent of entry pathway. Extended time-lapse imaging with less than one virion per cell allows identification of infected cells by Gag-GFP expression and directly links individual particle behavior to infectivity, providing unprecedented insights into the biology of HIV infection.