Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Risk Factors for Suicide and Deaths Among College Students: A 23-Year Serial Prevalence Study of Data From 8.2 Million Japanese College Students.

OBJECTIVE Suicide is a leading cause of death for college students. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of suicide among college students that could improve university services to help prevent college suicide. METHODS We conducted a 23-year serial prevalence study of the prevalence and characteristics of death and suicide among 8,262,314 Japanese college students. We analyzed rates of suicide from the 1989 to 1990 academic year through the 2011-2012 academic year and characterized suicide among this population, focusing on students' sex and psychiatric and academic backgrounds to identify risk factors for suicide. RESULTS Suicide rates increased throughout the 23 years, and suicide was the leading cause of death every year from 1996 onward. Suicide accounted for 42.4% of all deaths that happened in the 23 years. Male students, medicine majors, students in the final year of their program, and students who completed extra years of schooling or took academic leaves of absence were at higher risk for suicide. Only 16.4% had received an official psychiatric diagnosis and 16.0% had received services through the university health center prior to the suicides. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest the need for a stronger support system for college students. Areas for improvement could include better advertising of mental health services, student and staff education about suicide risk factors, and mentorship and outreach programs for students in their final year of classes, those majoring in medicine, and those who have taken leaves of absence or failed classes. Accommodations at the administrative level would also be helpful for students who need to retake classes or transfer credit.
Towards Understanding Plant Response to Heavy Metal Stress

Metals like zinc, iron and copper are essential micronutrients required for a wide range of physiological processes in all plant organs for the activities of various metal-dependent enzymes and proteins. However, they can also be toxic at elevated levels. Metals like arsenic, mercury, cadmium and lead are nonessential and potentially highly toxic. Once the cytosolic metal concentration in plant turns out of control, phytotoxicity of heavy metal inhibits transpiration and photosynthesis, disturbs carbohydrate metabolism, and drives the secondary stresses like nutrition stress and oxidative stress, which collectively affect the plant development and growth (Kramer & Clemens, 2005). Plants have developed a complex network of highly effective homeostatic mechanisms that serve to control the uptake, accumulation, trafficking, and detoxification of metals. Components of this network have been identified continuously, including metal transporters in charge of metal uptake and vacuolar transport; chelators involved in metal detoxification via buffering the cytosolic metal concentrations; and chaperones helping delivery and trafficking of metal ions (Clemens, 2001). This chapter summarizes heavy metal stress and detoxification in plant. Special focus is given to metallothionein, yet vacuolar metal transporters, phytochelatins as well as certain organic acids, amino acids, and chaperones are also addressed with recent advances. Besides, heavy metal-induced oxidative stress and tolerance as an example of abiotic stress cross-talk will be discussed.
Spatiotemporal compartmentalization of hepatic NADH and NADPH metabolism

Compartmentalization is a fundamental design principle of eukaryotic metabolism. Here, we review the compartmentalization of NAD+/NADH and NADP+/NADPH with a focus on the liver, an organ that experiences the extremes of biochemical physiology each day. Historical studies of the liver, using classical biochemical fractionation and measurements of redox-coupled metabolites, have given rise to the prevailing view that mitochondrial NAD(H) pools tend to be oxidized and important for energy homeostasis, whereas cytosolic NADP(H) pools tend to be highly reduced for reductive biosynthesis. Despite this textbook view, many questions still remain as to the relative size of these subcellular pools and their redox ratios in different physiological states, and to what extent such redox ratios are simply indicators versus drivers of metabolism. By performing a bioinformatic survey, we find that the liver expresses 352 known or predicted enzymes composing the hepatic NAD(P)ome, i.e. the union of all predicted enzymes producing or consuming NADP(H) or NAD(H) or using them as a redox co-factor. Notably, less than half are predicted to be localized within the cytosol or mitochondria, and a very large fraction of these genes exhibit gene expression patterns that vary during the time of day or in response to fasting or feeding. A future challenge lies in applying emerging new genetic tools to measure and manipulate in vivo hepatic NADP(H) and NAD(H) with subcellular and temporal resolution. Insights from such fundamental studies will be crucial in deciphering the pathogenesis of very common diseases known to involve alterations in hepatic NAD(P)H, such as diabetes and fatty liver disease.
Comparison of the paediatric blade of the Pentax-AWS and Ovassapian airway in fibreoptic tracheal intubation in patients with limited mouth opening and cervical spine immobilization by a semi-rigid neck collar: a randomized controlled trial

Background We compared the performances of the paediatric blade of a Pentax Airway Scope and an Ovassapian airway in fibreoptic tracheal intubation in patients whose necks were stabilized by semi-rigid neck collars. Methods Ninety patients were enrolled in this prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups (Group OVA-FOB and Group AWS-FOB). The time to tracheal intubation, success rate of tracheal intubation, number of optimization manoeuvres (jaw thrust), and difficulty of manipulation of the fibreoptic bronchoscope were compared between the groups. Results The time to tracheal intubation was significantly shorter (32 vs 50 s; median difference 19 s; 95% confidence interval 14-25 s; P<0.001) and manipulation of the fibreoptic bronchoscope was significantly easier for Group AWS-FOB. Optimization manoeuvres were rarely required to facilitate fibreoptic tracheal intubation in Group AWS-FOB [jaw thrust, 0 (0%); jaw thrust with anterior neck collar removal, 1 (2%)] compared with that required in Group OVA-FOB [jaw thrust, 39 (87%); jaw thrust with anterior neck collar removal, 2 (4%)]. There was no significant difference in the success rate of tracheal intubation on the first attempt between groups [Group AWS-FOB, 45 (100%); Group OVA-FOB, 44 (98%)]. Conclusions Combined use of the paediatric blade of a Pentax Airway Scope and a fibreoptic bronchoscope enabled rapid tracheal intubation, minimizing the use of external manoeuvres of the airway, in patients with limited mouth opening and cervical spine immobilization by semi-rigid neck collars, compared with use of the Ovassapian airway and the fibreoptic bronchoscope. Clinical trial registration NCT02827110.
Extracting Semantic Rules from Human Observations

With the recent advancements of sensory technologies (such as Kinect), perceiving reliably basic human actions have become tenable. If robots were to learn or interact with humans in a meaningful manner, the next foreseeable challenge to face robotic research in this area is toward the semantic understanding of human activities enabling them to extract and determine higher level understanding. In this paper, we present a new methodology that account for the extraction of observed human behaviors with an estimation of the intended activities, follow by the automatic generation of action rules for the synthesis of robot behaviors. Furthermore, we will show the enhancement of the semantic representation with our reasoning system. It is important to mention that the obtained rules are preserved even when different kinds of kitchen scenarios are observed. In order to test the robustness of our results, we used three different kitchen activities: making a pancake, making a sandwich and setting the table. Moving beyond the state-ofthe-art in imitation learning, ontology of behavioral rules from human observations can provide more powerful tools for the robots to learn from humans.
Reduced Moment-Based Models for Oxygen Precipitates and Dislocation Loops in Silicon

The demand for ever smaller, higher-performance integrated circuits and more efficient, cost-effective solar cells continues to push the frontiers of process technology. Fabrication of silicon devices requires extremely precise control of impurities and crystallographic defects. Failure to do so not only reduces performance, efficiency, and yield, it threatens the very survival of commercial enterprises in today's fiercely competitive and price-sensitive global market. The presence of oxygen in silicon is an unavoidable consequence of the Czochralski process, which remains the most popular method for large-scale production of single-crystal silicon. Oxygen precipitates that form during thermal processing cause distortion of the surrounding silicon lattice and can lead to the formation of dislocation loops. Localized deformation caused by both of these defects introduces potential wells that trap diffusing impurities such as metal atoms, which is highly desirable if done far away from sensitive device regions. Unfortunately, dislocations also reduce the mechanical strength of silicon, which can cause wafer warpage and breakage. Engineers must negotiate this and other complex tradeoffs when designing fabrication processes. Accomplishing this in a complex, modern process involving a large number of thermal steps is impossible without the aid of computational models. In this dissertation, new models for oxygen precipitation and dislocation loop evolution are described. An oxygen model using kinetic rate equations to evolve the complete precipitate size distribution was developed first. This was then used to create a reduced model tracking only the moments of the size distribution. The moment-based model was found to run significantly faster than its full counterpart while accurately capturing the evolution of oxygen precipitates. The reduced model was fitted to experimental data and a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the robustness of the results. Source code for both models is included. A moment-based model for dislocation loop formation from {311} defects in ion-implanted silicon was also developed and validated against experimental data. Ab initio density functional theory calculations of stacking faults and edge dislocations were performed to extract energies and elastic properties. This allowed the effect of applied stress on the evolution of {311} defects and dislocation loops to be investigated.
Empirical Studies on the Network of Social Groups: The Case of Tencent QQ

Background Participation in social groups are important but the collective behaviors of human as a group are difficult to analyze due to the difficulties to quantify ordinary social relation, group membership, and to collect a comprehensive dataset. Such difficulties can be circumvented by analyzing online social networks. Methodology/Principal Findings In this paper, we analyze a comprehensive dataset released from Tencent QQ, an instant messenger with the highest market share in China. Specifically, we analyze three derivative networks involving groups and their members—the hypergraph of groups, the network of groups and the user network—to reveal social interactions at microscopic and mesoscopic level. Conclusions/Significance Our results uncover interesting behaviors on the growth of user groups, the interactions between groups, and their relationship with member age and gender. These findings lead to insights which are difficult to obtain in social networks based on personal contacts.
Design and Simulation on Compressor Metal Matrix Composite by Investment Casting

Compressor is a part of turbocharger approaches that utilize the exhaust gas of an automobile to drive the compression device. The purpose of turbocharging is to increase the intake pressure and the amount of air into the combustion chamber to improve the efficiency of the engine. Compressor impeller determines the service life of the turbocharger. This paper proposes the new methodology of producing the compressor impeller using Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) material by investment casting. In general, this study presents the tasks pertaining to metal matrix composites and their interactions in designing of compressor impeller. This study presents the use of genetic algorithm (GA) and computer programs for designing a new compressor and determined the wax pattern dimensions based on three-dimensional finite-element simulations as a preliminary study by using investment casting method. The model of thermal and mechanical analysis was developed by ANSYS. As the results, the simulation model was generated and it could be used for improving the design of turbine-compressor assembly through the bottom geometry changes of the compressor.
Advantages of the single nucleotide polymorphism-based noninvasive prenatal test

the placenta into the maternal circulation as the cells break down (apoptosis) and the DNA becomes fragmented [4,5]. Circulating fetal cfDNA comprises approximately 3-13% of the total maternal cfDNA. These DNA fragments can be detected as early as 4 weeks of gestation and are generally cleared out within 2 hours after childbirth [6-8]. A noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) using cfDNA has proven to be highly sensitive and specific for detecting trisomy 21 in both highand low-risk groups [1,2,9,10]. At present, there are about five major companies providing commercial NIPT services globally (Fig. 1). NIPT using cfDNA is now available through these providers in more than 60 countries. According to business reports, over 500,000 NIPT studies on women with a high risk for fetal aneuploidy were performed in the United States in 2013 [11]. These companies have published several articles showing that their own method is very effective for screening for trisomy 21, 18, and 13 Advantages of the single nucleotide polymorphismbased noninvasive prenatal test
Multimode/Multifrequency Low Frequency Airborne Radar Design

This work deals with the design of multimode/multifrequency airborne radar suitable for imaging and subsurface sounding. The system operates at relatively low frequencies in the band ranging from VHF to UHF. It is able to work in two different modalities: (i) nadir-looking sounder in the VHF band (163MHz) and (ii) side-looking imager (SAR) in the UHF band with two channels at 450MHz and 860MHz. The radar has been completely designed by CO. Ri. S. T. A. for what concerns the RF and the electronic aspect, and by the University of Calabria for what concerns the design, realization, and test of SAR antennas. The radar has been installed on a civil helicopter and its operation has been validated in flight in both sounder and imager modality. Preliminary surveys have been carried out over different areas of Campania region, South Italy.
Architecture and Evaluation Design of a Prototypical Serious Game for Business Information Visualization

Poorly visualized business reports may lead to wrong decisions caused by incomprehensible or misleading data. However, many companies still do not strive for adequate business information visualization (BIV), which may be due to a lack of knowledge about how to achieve it. To support managers in avoiding the pitfalls of incomprehensible reports, we are currently developing a serious game that helps players to learn about guidelines for adequate BIV. In this socalled “Dashboard Tournament”, players compete across several minigames that address specific BIV guidelines. The aim of this paper is to provide an understanding of the prototype’s architecture and to propose an experimental design for its evaluation. Researchers and practitioners may hence increase their understanding of how to design and evaluate serious games in the domain of business and information systems engineering.
Frequency and level of evidence used in recommendations by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines beyond approvals of the US Food and Drug Administration: retrospective observational study

Abstract Objective To determine the differences between recommendations by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCNN) guidelines and Food and Drug Administration approvals of anticancer drugs, and the evidence cited by the NCCN to justify recommendations where differences exist. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting National Comprehensive Cancer Network and FDA. Participants 47 new molecular entities approved by the FDA between 2011 and 2015. Main outcome measures Comparison of all FDA approved indications (new and supplemental) with all NCCN recommendations as of 25 March 2016. When the NCCN made recommendations beyond the FDA’s approvals, the recommendation was classified and the cited evidence noted. Results 47 drugs initially approved by the FDA between 2011 and 2015 for adult hematologic or solid cancers were examined. These 47 drugs were authorized for 69 FDA approved indications, whereas the NCCN recommended these drugs for 113 indications, of which 69 (62%) overlapped with the 69 FDA approved indications and 44 (39%) were additional recommendations. The average number of recommendations beyond the FDA approved indications was 0.92. 23% (n=10) of the additional recommendations were based on evidence from randomized controlled trials, and 16% (n=7) were based on evidence from phase III studies. During 21 months of follow-up, the FDA granted approval to 14% (n=6) of the additional recommendations. Conclusion The NCCN frequently recommends beyond the FDA approved indications even for newer, branded drugs. The strength of the evidence cited by the NCCN supporting such recommendations is weak. Our findings raise concern that the NCCN justifies the coverage of costly, toxic cancer drugs based on weak evidence.
Breakup of a homeobox cluster after genome duplication in teleosts

Several families of homeobox genes are arranged in genomic clusters in metazoan genomes, including the Hox, ParaHox, NK, Rhox, and Iroquois gene clusters. The selective pressures responsible for maintenance of these gene clusters are poorly understood. The ParaHox gene cluster is evolutionarily conserved between amphioxus and human but is fragmented in teleost fishes. We show that two basal ray-finned fish, Polypterus and Amia, each possess an intact ParaHox cluster; this implies that the selective pressure maintaining clustering was lost after whole-genome duplication in teleosts. Cluster breakup is because of gene loss, not transposition or inversion, and the total number of ParaHox genes is the same in teleosts, human, mouse, and frog. We propose that this homeobox gene cluster is held together in chordates by the existence of interdigitated control regions that could be separated after locus duplication in the teleost fish.
Domiciliary VR-Based Therapy for Functional Recovery and Cortical Reorganization: Randomized Controlled Trial in Participants at the Chronic Stage Post Stroke

Background Most stroke survivors continue to experience motor impairments even after hospital discharge. Virtual reality-based techniques have shown potential for rehabilitative training of these motor impairments. Here we assess the impact of at-home VR-based motor training on functional motor recovery, corticospinal excitability and cortical reorganization. Objective The aim of this study was to identify the effects of home-based VR-based motor rehabilitation on (1) cortical reorganization, (2) corticospinal tract, and (3) functional recovery after stroke in comparison to home-based occupational therapy. Methods We conducted a parallel-group, controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of domiciliary VR-based therapy with occupational therapy in inducing motor recovery of the upper extremities. A total of 35 participants with chronic stroke underwent 3 weeks of home-based treatment. A group of subjects was trained using a VR-based system for motor rehabilitation, while the control group followed a conventional therapy. Motor function was evaluated at baseline, after the intervention, and at 12-weeks follow-up. In a subgroup of subjects, we used Navigated Brain Stimulation (NBS) procedures to measure the effect of the interventions on corticospinal excitability and cortical reorganization. Results Results from the system’s recordings and clinical evaluation showed significantly greater functional recovery for the experimental group when compared with the control group (1.53, SD 2.4 in Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory). However, functional improvements did not reach clinical significance. After the therapy, physiological measures obtained from a subgroup of subjects revealed an increased corticospinal excitability for distal muscles driven by the pathological hemisphere, that is, abductor pollicis brevis. We also observed a displacement of the centroid of the cortical map for each tested muscle in the damaged hemisphere, which strongly correlated with improvements in clinical scales. Conclusions These findings suggest that, in chronic stages, remote delivery of customized VR-based motor training promotes functional gains that are accompanied by neuroplastic changes. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number NCT02699398 (Archived by ClinicalTrials.gov at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02699398? term=NCT02699398&rank=1)
Potentiation of ceftazidime by avibactam against &bgr;-lactam-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an in vitro infection model

Objectives This study evaluated the in vitro pharmacodynamics of combinations of ceftazidime and the non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor, avibactam, against ceftazidime-, piperacillin/tazobactam- and meropenem-multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa by a quantitative time-kill method. Methods MICs of ceftazidime plus 0-16 mg/L avibactam were determined against eight isolates of P. aeruginosa . Single-compartment, 24 h time-kill kinetics were investigated for three isolates at 0-16 mg/L avibactam with ceftazidime at 0.25-4-fold the MIC as measured at the respective avibactam concentration. Ceftazidime and avibactam concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS during the time-kill kinetic studies to evaluate drug degradation. Results Avibactam alone displayed no antimicrobial activity. MICs of ceftazidime decreased by 8-16-fold in the presence of avibactam at 4 mg/L. The changes in log 10 cfu/mL at both the 10 h and 24 h timepoints (versus 0 h) revealed bacterial killing at ≥1-fold MIC. Significantly higher concentrations of ceftazidime alone, as compared with those of ceftazidime in combination, were required to produce any given kill. Without avibactam, ceftazidime degradation was significant (defined as degradation t 1/2 < 24 h), with as little as 19% ± 18% of the original concentration remaining at 8 h for the most resistant strain. In combination with avibactam, ceftazidime degradation at ≥ 1-fold MIC was negligible. Conclusion The addition of avibactam protected ceftazidime from degradation in a dose-dependent manner and restored its cidal and static activity at concentrations in combination well below the MIC of ceftazidime alone.