Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology and risk factors for urinary tract infection in patients with spinal cord injury.

PURPOSE To our knowledge risk factors for urinary tract infection associated with various drainage methods in patients with spinal cord injury have never been evaluated overall in the acute period. We identified the incidence and risk factors associated with urinary tract infection in spinal cord injured patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS We prospectively followed 128 patients at our spinal cord injury reference hospital for 38 months and obtained certain data, including demographic characteristics, associated factors, methods of urinary drainage, bladder type, urological complications and predisposing factors of each infection episode. Logistic regression modeling was done to analyze variables and identify risk factors that predicted urinary tract infection. RESULTS Of 128 patients 100 (78%) were male with a mean age plus or minus standard deviation of 32 +/- 14.52 years. All patients had a nonfatal condition by McCabe and Jackson guidelines, and 47% presented with associated factors. The incidence of urinary tract infection was expressed as number episodes per 100 patients daily or person-days. The overall incidence of urinary tract infection was 0.68, while for male indwelling, clean intermittent, condom and female suprapubic catheterization, and normal voiding the rate was 2.72, 0.41, 0.36, 0. 34 and 0.06, respectively. The risk factors associated with urinary tract infection were invasive procedures without antibiotic prophylaxis, cervical injury and chronic catheterization (odds ratio 2.62, 3 and 4, respectively). Risk factors associated with repeat infection were a functional independence measure score of less than 74 and vesicoureteral reflux (odds ratio 10 and 23, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Spinal cord injured patients with complete dependence and vesicoureteral reflux are at highest risk for urinary tract infection.
Spectral problems in open quantum chaos

We present an overview of mathematical results and methods relevant for the spectral study of semiclassical Schrödinger (or wave) operators of scattering systems, in cases where the corresponding classical dynamics is chaotic; more precisely, we assume that in some energy range, the classical Hamiltonian flow admits a fractal set of trapped trajectories, which hosts chaotic (hyperbolic) dynamics. The aim is then to connect the information on this trapped set with the distribution of quantum resonances in the semiclassical limit. Our study encompasses several models sharing these dynamical characteristics: free motion outside a union of convex hard obstacles, scattering by certain families of compactly supported potentials, geometric scattering on manifolds with (constant or variable) negative curvature. We also consider the toy model of open quantum maps, and sketch the construction of quantum monodromy operators associated with a Poincaré section for a scattering flow. The semiclassical density of long-living resonances exhibits a fractal Weyl law, related to the fact that the corresponding metastable states are ‘supported’ by the fractal trapped set (and its outgoing tail). We also describe a classical condition for the presence of a gap in the resonance spectrum, equivalently a uniform lower bound on the quantum decay rates, and present a proof of this gap in a rather general situation, using quantum monodromy operators.
Joint State Estimation and Delay Identification for Nonlinear Systems With Delayed Measurements

The problem of state estimation for nonlinear systems with unknown state or measurement delays is still an open problem. In this paper, we consider the case of measurement delay and propose an approach that combines a delay identifier with a suitable high-gain observer in order to achieve simultaneous estimation of state and delay. We provide sufficient conditions that guarantee the exponential convergence to zero of the errors, globally with respect to the system variables and locally with respect to the delay estimation. We validate the method through an example concerning population models.
Altmetrics in the wild: Using social media to explore scholarly impact

In growing numbers, scholars are integrating social media tools like blogs, Twitter, and Mendeley into their professional communications. The online, public nature of these tools exposes and reifies scholarly processes once hidden and ephemeral. Metrics based on this activities could inform broader, faster measures of impact, complementing traditional citation metrics. This study explores the properties of these social media-based metrics or "altmetrics", sampling 24,331 articles published by the Public Library of Science. We find that that different indicators vary greatly in activity. Around 5% of sampled articles are cited in Wikipedia, while close to 80% have been included in at least one Mendeley library. There is, however, an encouraging diversity; a quarter of articles have nonzero data from five or more different sources. Correlation and factor analysis suggest citation and altmetrics indicators track related but distinct impacts, with neither able to describe the complete picture of scholarly use alone. There are moderate correlations between Mendeley and Web of Science citation, but many altmetric indicators seem to measure impact mostly orthogonal to citation. Articles cluster in ways that suggest five different impact "flavors", capturing impacts of different types on different audiences; for instance, some articles may be heavily read and saved by scholars but seldom cited. Together, these findings encourage more research into altmetrics as complements to traditional citation measures.
Utjecaj migracija na objektivne uvjete života obitelji maloljetnih delinkvenata

In Montenegro there was an intensive migration of rural population to the cities in the second half of 20th century, followed by uneven population distribution, problems with adapting to new surroundings, poor housing conditions, unemployment and evident manifestation of economic, social and moral crisis. The result were numerous socio-pathological issues such as criminal behaviour, psychoactive substance abuse, suicide, panhandling, family disintegration. The purpose of this study is to find out whether there is a statistically significant difference in objective living conditions of juvenile delinquents’ families who migrated and those who did not migrate. Some research shows that objective living conditions which can trigger off delinquent behaviour are worse in juvenile delinquents’ families than in families of nondelinquents. The research data indicate a notable difference between juvenile delinquents and non-delinquents regarding most statistical variables on objective living conditions. This leads to the conclusion that migrations can be considered a risky element with indirect impact on behavioral disorders. For this reason, migrant families and especially their young members need help and social acceptance to facilitate their adjustment to the new environment, proper functioning and development.
PDZ binding kinase, regulated by FoxM1, enhances malignant phenotype via activation of β-Catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma

Deregulation of serine/threonine kinase contributes to the development and progression of human diseases. PDZ-binding kinase (PBK) has been implicated in the malignant process of cancers, but its role and clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Here we show that PBK expression is increased and associated with larger tumor size, presence of vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and poor overall and disease-free survivals in two independent cohorts of 879 patients with HCC. In vitro and in vivo data demonstrate PBK exerts oncogenic functions in HCC via activation of β-Catenin signaling pathway. The inhibition of β-Catenin by siRNAs or XAV-939 significantly attenuates PBK-mediated malignant phenotypes. PBK is further identified as a downstream effector of FoxM1. In clinical samples, PBK expression is positively correlated with the expression of FoxM1 and nuclear β-Catenin. Collectively, these findings suggest PBK functions as an oncogene in HCC and the newly identified FoxM1/PBK/β-Catenin axis serves as a promising prognostic factor as well as therapeutic intervention for HCC.
Human papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis infection in gyneco-obstetric outpatients from a mexican hospital

Context: Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis are the most frequent sexually transmitted infections, usually asymptomatic. Persistent infection with high-risk HPV types and other cofactors such as the concomitant infection with C. trachomatis can represent a higher risk to develop cervical lesions; therefore, screening with sensitive methods could aid to identify women at risk. Aims: The aim is to determine the prevalence and concurrence of both infections, detected with in-house molecular methods, and to identify the risk factors associated to the infections in Mexican women. Subjects and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including gynaecological-obstetrical medical outpatients from a Social Security Hospital in Southeast Mexico. After informed consent, cervicovaginal samples were collected and tested for HPV and C. trachomatis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HPV positives were further tested for high-risk HPV16, 18, 58 and low-risk 11 using real-time PCR. All methods employed were in-house. Data analyses included odds ratios (OR), Chi-square and linear regressions. Results: Women included were 233, aging 15–49 (mean 30 years), 52.8% were pregnant. For HPV and C. trachomatis testing, 230 samples were adequate, resulting in 48 (20.9%) and 15 (6.5%) positives, respectively; 4 (1.7%) were positive to both. The most frequent genotype identified was HPV58 (25% of typified samples). C. trachomatis positives were 73% asymptomatic, none had pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility histories. The only variable associated to HPV infection was the history of previous sexually transmitted disease (OR = 3.69,P= 0.0019). Conclusions: More than 25% of the population was infected with either agent. We successfully used in-house molecular methodologies for diagnosis and typing, showing HPV and C. trachomatis prevalence consistent to previous reports. Concomitant infections were found, HPV high-risk types were involved in half of these cases, representing a higher risk.
CORRELATIONS OF MATERNAL AND CHILD BEHAVIORS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL ABILITIES: DATA FROM THE BERKELEY GROWTH STUDY.

Acknowledgments 3 Introduction 5 Subjects and General Characteristics of the Study . 7 Behavior Variables xI M ental Scales 15 Matrix of Intercorrelated Maternal-Child Variables . 17 Relations between the Child's Behavior and His Intelligence . 35 Behavior Interaction Patterns in High and Low IQ Cases . 53 Discussion 67 Summary 7 Appendix 73 References 79
Role of Inositol Poly-Phosphatases and Their Targets in T Cell Biology

T lymphocytes play a critical role in host defense in all anatomical sites including mucosal surfaces. This not only includes the effector arm of the immune system, but also regulation of immune responses in order to prevent autoimmunity. Genetic targeting of PI3K isoforms suggests that generation of PI(3,4,5)P3 by PI3K plays a critical role in promoting effector T cell responses. Consequently, the 5′- and 3′-inositol poly-phosphatases SHIP1, SHIP2, and phosphatase and tensin homolog capable of targeting PI(3,4,5)P3 are potential genetic determinants of T cell effector functions in vivo. In addition, the 5′-inositol poly-phosphatases SHIP1 and 2 can shunt PI(3,4,5)P3 to the rare but potent signaling phosphoinositide species PI(3,4)P2 and thus these SHIP1/2, and the INPP4A/B enzymes that deplete PI(3,4)P2 may have precise roles in T cell biology to amplify or inhibit effectors of PI3K signaling that are selectively recruited to and activated by PI(3,4)P2. Here we summarize recent genetic and chemical evidence that indicates the inositol poly-phosphatases have important roles in both the effector and regulatory functions of the T cell compartment. In addition, we will discuss future genetic studies that might be undertaken to further elaborate the role of these enzymes in T cell biology as well as potential pharmaceutical manipulation of these enzymes for therapeutic purposes in disease settings where T cell function is a key in vivo target.
Cytotoxicity of Tumor Antigen Specific Human T Cells Is Unimpaired by Arginine Depletion

Tumor-growth is often associated with the expansion of myeloid derived suppressor cells that lead to local or systemic arginine depletion via the enzyme arginase. It is generally assumed that this arginine deficiency induces a global shut-down of T cell activation with ensuing tumor immune escape. While the impact of arginine depletion on polyclonal T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion is well documented, its influence on chemotaxis, cytotoxicity and antigen specific activation of human T cells has not been demonstrated so far. We show here that chemotaxis and early calcium signaling of human T cells are unimpaired in the absence of arginine. We then analyzed CD8+ T cell activation in a tumor peptide as well as a viral peptide antigen specific system: (i) CD8+ T cells with specificity against the MART-1aa26–35*A27L tumor antigen expanded with in vitro generated dendritic cells, and (ii) clonal CMV pp65aa495–503 specific T cells and T cells retrovirally transduced with a CMV pp65aa495–503 specific T cell receptor were analyzed. Our data demonstrate that human CD8+ T cell antigen specific cytotoxicity and perforin secretion are completely preserved in the absence of arginine, while antigen specific proliferation as well as IFN-γ and granzyme B secretion are severely compromised. These novel results highlight the complexity of antigen specific T cell activation and demonstrate that human T cells can preserve important activation-induced effector functions in the context of arginine deficiency.
Capitalism, Campesinos And Calories In Southern Honduras

The post-1950 expansion of export beef, cotton, and sugar production in southern Honduras has alienated peasants from land, constraining regional food production. Throughout the 1976-1978 harvests, 45 to 70.4% of small holder households sampled in seven highland communities failed to achieve even caloric minima in their agricultural production. Since capitalist growth has not created sufficient employment opportunities for the many landless and near- landless, both significant malnourishment and out-migration are the result. In 1977 I began my research on the changing economic and social relations of southern Honduras, knowing that most of the region's peasants had experienced difficulties in meeting their subsistence needs for at least 15 years. Yet production and reproduction remained the inevitable challenge for this and all economic systems past and present.1 It followed that the theoretical questions raised by persistent underproduction necessarily concerned the threatened reproduction of that system-about its continued existence, demise or transformation. This paper first presents the levels of underproduction and malnourishment that I encountered in southern Honduras, and then analyzes the growing structural contradictions within the economic system that surely have given rise to such trying human circumstances. Understandably, the theoretical questions I considered during fieldwork about abstract
Network-constrained regularization and variable selection for analysis of genomic data

MOTIVATION Graphs or networks are common ways of depicting information. In biology in particular, many different biological processes are represented by graphs, such as regulatory networks or metabolic pathways. This kind of a priori information gathered over many years of biomedical research is a useful supplement to the standard numerical genomic data such as microarray gene-expression data. How to incorporate information encoded by the known biological networks or graphs into analysis of numerical data raises interesting statistical challenges. In this article, we introduce a network-constrained regularization procedure for linear regression analysis in order to incorporate the information from these graphs into an analysis of the numerical data, where the network is represented as a graph and its corresponding Laplacian matrix. We define a network-constrained penalty function that penalizes the L(1)-norm of the coefficients but encourages smoothness of the coefficients on the network. RESULTS Simulation studies indicated that the method is quite effective in identifying genes and subnetworks that are related to disease and has higher sensitivity than the commonly used procedures that do not use the pathway structure information. Application to one glioblastoma microarray gene-expression dataset identified several subnetworks on several of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) transcriptional pathways that are related to survival from glioblastoma, many of which were supported by published literatures. CONCLUSIONS The proposed network-constrained regularization procedure efficiently utilizes the known pathway structures in identifying the relevant genes and the subnetworks that might be related to phenotype in a general regression framework. As more biological networks are identified and documented in databases, the proposed method should find more applications in identifying the subnetworks that are related to diseases and other biological processes.
Transmission of noisy information to a noisy receiver with minimum distortion

This paper is concerned with the transmission of information with a fidelity criterion where the source output may be distorted prior to encoding and, furthermore, where the output of the decoder may be distorted prior to its delivery to the final destination. The criterion for optimality is that the normalized average of the squared norm of the difference between the T - second undistorted source sample and the corresponding T -second sample delivered to the final destination be minimum. The optimal structure of the encoder and decoder is derived for any T .
PDZ-GEF1, a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Specific for Rap1 and Rap2*

The small GTPase Rap1 has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes including the control of cell morphology, proliferation, and differentiation. Stimulation of a large variety of cell surface receptors results in the rapid activation of Rap1,i.e. an increase in the GTP-bound form. This activation is mediated by second messengers like calcium, cAMP, and diacylglycerol, but additional pathways may exist as well. Here we describe a ubiquitously expressed guanine nucleotide exchange factor of 200 kDa that activates Rap1 both in vivo and in vitro. This exchange factor has two putative regulatory domains: a domain with an amino acid sequence related to cAMP-binding domains and a PDZ domain. Therefore, we named it PDZ-GEF1. PDZ-GEFs are closely related to Epacs, Rap-specific exchange factors with a genuine cAMP binding site, that are directly regulated by cAMP. The domain related to cAMP-binding domains, like the cAMP binding site in Epac, serves as a negative regulatory domain. However, PDZ-GEF1 does not interact with cAMP or cGMP. Interestingly, PDZ-GEF1 also activates Rap2, a close relative of Rap1. This is the first example of an exchange factor acting on Rap2. We conclude that PDZ-GEF1 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, specific for Rap1 and Rap2, that is controlled by a negative regulatory domain.
Humans: Still Vital After All These Years of Automation

Objective: The authors discuss empirical studies of human-automation interaction and their implications for automation design. Background: Automation is prevalent in safety-critical systems and increasingly in everyday life. Many studies of human performance in automated systems have been conducted over the past 30 years. Methods: Developments in three areas are examined: levels and stages of automation, reliance on and compliance with automation, and adaptive automation. Results: Automation applied to information analysis or decision-making functions leads to differential system performance benefits and costs that must be considered in choosing appropriate levels and stages of automation. Human user dependence on automated alerts and advisories reflects two components of operator trust, reliance and compliance, which are in turn determined by the threshold designers use to balance automation misses and false alarms. Finally, adaptive automation can provide additional benefits in balancing workload and maintaining the user's situation awareness, although more research is required to identify when adaptation should be user controlled or system driven. Conclusions: The past three decades of empirical research on humans and automation has provided a strong science base that can be used to guide the design of automated systems. Application: This research can be applied to most current and future automated systems.
Reduced-order representation of the deep-rotor-bar phenomena in induction machines

To accurately model the deep-rotor-bar phenomena in squirrel-cage induction machines for a wide range of frequencies, the distributed rotor may be generally represented as a high-order transfer function or an equivalent lumped-parameter ladder network. However, when lower-frequency electromechanical transients are of interest, an effective reduced-order model, in which a single-branch rotor resistance is changed as a function of rotor speed, can take these effects into account without increasing the model complexity and order. In this paper, the reduced- and high-order formulations are compared with the classic models and experimental results. It is found that the proposed reduced-order model provides very good accuracy for predicting low-frequency dynamics. This model can be particularly useful for studying larger systems composed of a number of electromechanical subsystems.
Explaining domestic structural reform of employment and pension policy in Greece: towards Europeanisation?

This paper 1 presents some theoretical considerations as regards to explaining domestic reform in employment policy and pension reforms in Greece. First, it sets the empirical puzzle observed in Greece regarding the different reform path in these policy sectors. Although, in both policy sectors Greece faces significant challenges, only in the former does it implement a number of extensive reforms, while on the latter, a stalemate is observed. Second it provides the main questions that will be addressed and the preliminary working hypotheses. My working hypothesis is that the different reform record can be explained by the different politics of Europeanization: the EU has a much more developed policy in employment policy compared to pensions. Thus, domestic change in labour market and pensions is caused or at least shaped by the EU stimuli. Third, it discusses existing explanations of welfare reform found in the literature, globalization and domestic pressures in particular, arguing that both schools of thought provide insufficient evidence to explain domestic welfare reform. Fourth, it examines the importance of Europe as a cause for welfare reform in the national level arguing that the EU is erroneously neglected in the literature as a plausible cause for domestic reform; rather, there are many reasons for considering the process of European integration as a crucial cause for reform; a reference to Europe and its policies provides us with a new understanding of the (realization or not) of national welfare reforms. Consequently, the paper is engaging with the literature that tries to conceptualize the domestic impact of Europe-the Europeanization literature-and provides some answers to the challenges of Europeanization studies. In the final part it provides the methodology of this research. 1 This paper is part of my PhD project with the provisional title: Labour Market and Pension Reforms in Greece and Portugal: A story of Europeanization? Work in progress; comments are mostly welcome.