Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are genetic tests informative in predicting food allergy?

Purpose of reviewFood allergy is common among children and adults worldwide. Recent studies have improved our understanding of the genetic mechanism of food allergy and further studies may result in clinical application through genetic testing. Recent findingsGenetic factors are important in the development of food allergy. An increasing number of genes have been associated with food allergy in recent years. These include mutations and genetic variants in the filaggrin gene, the association of human leukocyte antigen DR and DQ regions with food allergy, copy number variation impacting CTNNA3 and RBFOX1, DNA methylation that partially mediates single nucleotide polymorphism association at the HLA-DR and DQ loci, as well as other genes. Several studies have implicated differences in gut microbiota composition in food allergy. SummaryWith the advance of high-throughput genotyping and sequencing techniques together with improved analytical methods, the contributions of genetic and environmental factors in development of food allergy are being clarified. Yet much remains to be explored and more studies with larger sample sizes, better phenotyping, and improved quality control genomics methods are needed. The ultimate goal is the development of a panel of reliable markers for genetic testing in food allergy to improve overall patient care.
Allogeneic Bone‐Marrow Transplantation

Over the past 12 years, marrow tranplantation has been used with increasing success for the treatment of children with immunodeficiency diseases and patients with severe, aplastic anemia, leukemia and, more recently, genetic disorders of hematopoiesis. The underlying concept of marrow transplantation is simple. Toxieity to the marrow is a serious limitation of cancer therapy in patients with leukemia. Rescue by marrow transplantation allows the use of higher and potentially curative doses of chemoradiotherapy than would otherwise be possible. In the case of patients with aplastic anemia, the grafted marrow serves to repopulate the empty marrow spaces and to repair the patient's defective production of blood cells, usually following non-lethal conditioning of patients by immunosuppressive drugs. The present review will summarize the clinical results and address questions regarding mechanisms of graft rejection, the nature of the reaction of transplanted lymphoid cells against the tissues of the host (graft-versus-host disease [GVHD]), the nature of stable chimerism observed in healthy, long-term survivors, mechanisms of leukemic relapse and of eradication of leukemia in patients who are cured, the role of putative, leukemia-associated antigens and a graft-versus-leukemia effect, the nature of immunologic deficiency following transplantation, the process of immunologic reconstitution, and the origin and management of opportunistic infections, particularly cytomegalovirus infections, in transplant recipients.
Context-aware Human Activity Recognition and decision making

Ubiquitous Life Care (u-Life care) nowadays becomes more attractive to computer science researchers due to a demand on a high quality and low cost of care services at anytime and anywhere. Many works exploit sensor networks to monitor patient's health status, movements, and real-time daily life activities to provide care services to them. Context information with real-time daily life activities can help in better services, service suggestions, and change in system behavior for better healthcare. Our proposed Secured Wireless Sensor Network - integrated Cloud Computing for ubiquitous - Life Care (SC3) monitors human health as well as activities. In this paper we focus on Human Activity Recognition Engine (HARE) framework architecture, backbone of SC3 and discussed it in detail. Camera-based and sensor-based activity recognition engines are discussed in detail along with the manipulation of recognized activities using Context-aware Activity Manipulation Engine (CAME) and Intelligent Life Style Provider (i-LiSP). Preliminary results of CAME showed robust and accurate response to medical emergencies. We have deployed five different activity recognition engines on Cloud to identify different set of activities of Alzheimer's disease patients.
Loss of MYC and E-box3 binding contributes to defective MYC-mediated transcriptional suppression of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d in glioblastoma

Previously, we reported that MYC oncoprotein down-regulates the transcription of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d microRNA cluster in hepatocarcinoma (HCC). Surprisingly, in silico analysis indicated that let-7 miRNA expression levels are not reduced in glioblastoma (GBM). Here we investigated the molecular basis of this differential expression. Using human GBM U87 and U251 cells, we first demonstrated that forced over-expression of MYC indeed could not down-regulate the expression of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d microRNA cluster in GBM. Furthermore, analysis of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d promoter in GBM indicated that MYC failed to inhibit the promoter activity. Pearson's correlation and Linear Regression analysis using the expression data from GSE55092 (HCC) and GSE4290 (GBM) demonstrated a converse relationship of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d and MYC only in HCC but not in GBM. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we examined whether MYC could bind to the non-canonical E-box 3 located in the promoter of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d. Results from both chromatin immune-precipitation (ChIP) and super-shift assays clearly demonstrated the loss of MYC and E-box 3 binding in GBM, suggesting for the first time that a defective MYC and E-box3 binding in GBM is responsible for the differential MYC mediated transcriptional inhibition of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d and potentially other tumor suppressors. MYC and let-7 are key oncoprotein and tumor suppressor, respectively. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of their regulations will provide new insight and have important implications in the therapeutics of GBM as well as other cancers.
On introducing parametric phonetics

The term parametric is a convenient term to use to refer to a view of the study of speech sounds in which the continuous activity of the organs of speech in the production of a stretch of speech is highlighted. Parametric phonetics offers an alternative view to the more familiar segmental or postural view, in which the state of the organs of speech for a particular single segment at a particular instance is investigated. The difference between the two approaches may also be referred to as dynamic and static, respectively; the dynamic parametric view draws attention to the movement of the organs of speech, whereas the static segmental or postural view draws attention to the position or posture of the organs of speech at a given moment. In my view, the two approaches do not contradict each other; they complement each other, both being theoretically acceptable. In this paper I am concerned with introducing the parametric approach into conventional phonetics courses at first degree and postgraduate level.
Human learning is more complex and fears are more influenced by ontogeny

of the original article: The long-term persistence of neurotic symptoms, such as anxiety, poses difficult problems for any psychological theory. An attempt is made to revive the Watson-Mowrer conditioning theory and to avoid the many criticisms directed against it in the past. It is suggested that recent research has produced changes in learning theory that.can be used to render this possible. In the first place, the doctrine of equipotentiality has been shown to be wrong, and some such concept as Seligman's "preparedness" is required, that is the notion that certain CS are biologically prepared to be more readily connected with anxiety responses than others. In the second place, the law of extinction has to be amended, and the law of incubation or enhancement added, according to which the exposure of the CS-only may, under certain specified conditions, have the effect of increasing the strength of the CR. rather than reducing it. The major conditions favouring incubation are (1) Pavlovian B conditioning, that is a type of conditioning in which the CR is a drive; (2) a strong UCS, and (3) short exposure of the CS-only. Personality differences are also important in this connection. It is possible, using these two recent developments of conditioning theory, to show that a conditioning paradigm can be used to explain the major facts relating to the development of neurotic disorders, and that similarly the success of methods of treatment, such as behaviour therapy, can be explained. The evidence is reviewed for the existence of the incubation phenomenon, both in the animal laboratory and in the clinic, and also for the relevance of the parameters suggested as being implicated in its occurrence. It is concluded that these modifications are sufficient to make the conditioning theory of neurosis and treatment the only viable scientific theory in the field, particularly when attention is paid to Pavlov's and Platonov's inclusion of the second signalling system.
The new phrenology: the limits of localizing cognitive processes in the brain

The notion that particular areas of the brain mediate specific functions is central to neurological diagnosis. In the 19th century, phrenologists made the rather bolder suggestion that particular cortical functions were reflected in the shape of the overlying skull, a claim not thought credible nowadays. However, William Uttal thinks that a modern variant of phrenology is alive and well, in the shape …
A Reduced Order Model to Determine the Coupling Factor Between Magnetic Pads Used in Wireless Power Transfer

Inductive power transfer has become increasingly popular for various charging applications, including cellphone charging and electric vehicles (EVs). In order to design the magnetic pads for these applications, many individual simulations have to be performed to determine magnetic properties, including the inductances, coupling, and quality factors given these change with varying offsets and tolerances. Consequently, the magnetic design of such systems becomes increasingly complex, resulting in exponential increases in the number of required simulations, which are time and resource intensive. This paper focuses on the EV application and presents a simplified coupling function based on spiral coils which, for each known secondary design, can accurately predict the expected coupling over a range of primary pad sizes after performing a small number of simulations, or with measurement results of known primary areas. The proposed model is validated in practice and shown to be valid for all considered coil arrangements under both aligned and misaligned conditions.
Role of macrolide therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The Global Burden of Disease study has concluded that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020, and will increase its ranking of disability-adjusted life years lost from 12th to 5th. Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are associated with impaired quality of life and pulmonary function. More frequent or severe AECOPDs have been associated with especially markedly impaired quality of life and a greater longitudinal loss of pulmonary function. COPD and AECOPDs are characterized by an augmented inflammatory response. Macrolide antibiotics are macrocyclical lactones that provide adequate coverage for the most frequently identified pathogens in AECOPD and have been generally included in published guidelines for AECOPD management. In addition, they exert broad-ranging, immunomodulatory effects both in vitro and in vivo, as well as diverse actions that suppress microbial virulence factors. Macrolide antibiotics have been used to successfully treat a number of chronic, inflammatory lung disorders including diffuse panbronchiolitis, asthma, noncystic fibrosis associated bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis. Data in COPD patients have been limited and contradictory but the majority hint to a potential clinical and biological effect. Additional, prospective, controlled data are required to define any potential treatment effect, the nature of this effect, and the role of bronchiectasis, baseline colonization, and other cormorbidities.
Predictive Validity of the Structured Assessment for Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) With Juvenile Offenders

Violence is a serious social problem that is often encountered in the youth justice system. Identifying those adolescents who are at the highest risk for future violence is an important step toward effective rehabilitation. The current study examined the predictive validity of the Structured Assessment for Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), a structured professional judgment risk tool, in a sample of 121 juvenile offenders. The SAVRY was found to have strong predictive validity, a finding that was robust across gender and ethnicity. The SAVRY obtained ROC values of . 75 and . 66 for general and violent recidivism, respectively, for 1 year, and values of . 76 and . 77 for general and violent recidivism, respectively, for 3-year follow-up. For nonviolent recidivism, the ROC values were . 80 for 1-year and . 68 during 3 years. Use of the SAVRY in the youth justice system, and limitations of the study, are discussed.
Examination of a Clinical method of Assessing Postural Control during a Functional Performance Task

Postural control and functional performance tests are often used separately during orthopedic postinjury assessments. The purpose of this investigation was to examine a clinical method of assessing postural control during a functional performance task. Thirty participants were divided into two groups. The first group was tested three times, the second group only once. The same tester evaluated each participant's performance during all testing sessions, and during the first two testing sessions (Group 1) two additional testers evaluated each performance. Intraclass correlational coefficients between the three testers ranged from . 70 to . 92. Session 1 (Group 1) scores were pooled with Group 2 scores, and correlational analyses were conducted between participant height and performance; no significant relationships were revealed. The scores from Group 1 were analyzed using between-days repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results revealed significant improvement between Sessions 1 and 3 for the static portion of the tes.
Engineering spatial fixes: relational spatial practices, strategic‐topological approach and the construction of a finnish science‐technology district

Abstract It can be argued that the relational approach, and especially the so‐called relational economic geography, would benefit from deeper engagement with the practical and strategic dimensions of spatial relations. The article proposes a notion of engineering spatial fix as a way to conceptualize these dimensions. The idea is to widen the conceptual sphere of relationality from spontaneous ties or abstract networked power effects towards relational spatial practices. Theoretically, the article aims to bridge the strategic‐relational and the network‐topological approaches through a stylized meso‐level practice‐oriented approach. It is suggested that in economic geography, relations can be grasped through two basic perspectives: relations as analytical lenses and relations as spatial practices. The article proposes that the relational spatial practices can be divided into two dimensions: topological and strategic. The article presents a case study of a science‐technology district of Turku in 1985–2001, which fleshes out the theoretical elaborations. In the process, the relational concept of synergy is utilized as a context‐specific strategic resource as the district evolves from an initial separate building to a distinct and materialized geographical structure.
A mobile autonomous humanoid assistant

A mobile autonomous humanoid robot is assisting human co-workers at the Johnson Space Center with tool handling tasks. This robot combines the upper body of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) / Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robonaut system with a Segway/spl trade/ robotic mobility platform yielding a dexterous, maneuverable humanoid perfect for aiding human co-workers in a range of environments. This system uses stereo vision to locate human teammates and tools and a navigation system that uses laser range and vision data to follow humans while avoiding obstacles. Tactile sensors provide information to grasping algorithms for efficient tool exchanges. The autonomous architecture utilizes these pre-programmed skills to form human assistant behaviors. The initial behavior demonstrates a robust capability to assist a human by acquiring a tool from a remotely located individual and then following the human in a cluttered environment with the tool for future use.
Chemotherapy plus involved-field radiation in early-stage Hodgkin's disease.

BACKGROUND Treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's disease is usually tailored in line with prognostic factors that allow for reductions in the amount of chemotherapy and extent of radiotherapy required for a possible cure. METHODS From 1993 to 1999, we identified 1538 patients (age, 15 to 70 years) who had untreated stage I or II supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease with favorable prognostic features (the H8-F trial) or unfavorable features (the H8-U trial). In the H8-F trial, we compared three cycles of mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (MOPP) combined with doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vinblastine (ABV) plus involved-field radiotherapy with subtotal nodal radiotherapy alone (reference group). In the H8-U trial, we compared three regimens: six cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy (reference group), four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, and four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus subtotal nodal radiotherapy. RESULTS The median follow-up was 92 months. In the H8-F trial, the estimated 5-year event-free survival rate was significantly higher after three cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy than after subtotal nodal radiotherapy alone (98% vs. 74%, P<0.001). The 10-year overall survival estimates were 97% and 92%, respectively (P=0.001). In the H8-U trial, the estimated 5-year event-free survival rates were similar in the three treatment groups: 84% after six cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, 88% after four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, and 87% after four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus subtotal nodal radiotherapy. The 10-year overall survival estimates were 88%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Chemotherapy plus involved-field radiotherapy should be the standard treatment for Hodgkin's disease with favorable prognostic features. In patients with unfavorable features, four courses of chemotherapy plus involved-field radiotherapy should be the standard treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00379041 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in HIV infection: striking a delicate balance

pDC are the most potent IFN‐α‐producing cells in the body and serve as a vital link between innate and adaptive immunity. Deficiencies in pDC function were among the earliest observations of immune dysfunction in HIV‐1 infection. Herein, we review the status of pDC in individuals with HIV‐1 infection and the potential role of these cells in pathogenesis. We begin by reviewing the basic properties of pDC and then discuss the compromise in circulating pDC numbers and function in early and viremic HIV‐1 infection and mechanisms that might account for their depletion in HIV‐infected patients. In addition, we review the evidence that chronic production of IFN‐α, probably through the chronic activation of pDC, is central to the immune activation that is so detrimental in HIV infection. Finally, we discuss the importance of balance in pDC numbers and function and the potential value of using absolute pDC counts and function as a biomarker, along with CD4+ cell counts and VL in HIV‐1‐infected patients.
Topographic organization of connections between the hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex in the rhesus monkey

Prefrontal cortices have been implicated in autonomic function, but their role in this activity is not well understood. Orbital and medial prefrontal cortices receive input from cortical and subcortical structures associated with emotions. Thus, the prefrontal cortex may be an essential link for autonomic responses driven by emotions. Classic studies have demonstrated the existence of projections between prefrontal cortex and the hypothalamus, a central autonomic structure, but the topographic organization of these connections in the monkey has not been clearly established. We investigated the organization of bidirectional connections between these areas in the rhesus monkey by using tracer injections in orbital, medial, and lateral prefrontal areas. All prefrontal areas investigated received projections from the hypothalamus, originating mainly in the posterior hypothalamus. Differences in the topography of hypothalamic projection neurons were related to both the location and type of the target cortical area. Injections in lateral eulaminate prefrontal areas primarily labeled neurons in the posterior hypothalamus that were equally distributed in the lateral and medial hypothalamus. In contrast, injections in orbitofrontal and medial limbic cortices labeled neurons in the anterior and tuberal regions of the hypothalamus and in the posterior region. Projection neurons targeting orbital limbic cortices were more prevalent in the lateral part of the hypothalamus, whereas those targeting medial limbic cortices were more prevalent in the medial hypothalamus. In comparison to the ascending projections, descending projections from prefrontal cortex to the hypothalamus were highly specific, originating mostly from orbital and medial prefrontal cortices. The ascending and descending connections overlapped in the hypothalamus in areas that have autonomic functions. These results suggest that specific orbitofrontal and medial prefrontal areas exert a direct influence on the hypothalamus and may be important for the autonomic responses evoked by complex emotional situations. J. Comp. Neurol. 398:393–419, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prevalence and clonality of Burkholderia cepacia complex genomovars in UK patients with cystic fibrosis referred for lung transplantation

Background: It has previously been reported that patients infected with Burkholderia cenocepacia (genomovar III) before lung transplantation have a poorer outcome than those with other B cepacia complex infections. Methods: An extensive study was conducted to determine the prevalence and clonality of B cepacia complex genomovars isolated from patients referred for transplant assessment between 1989 to the present and, where appropriate, whether strain type was related to transplant outcome. Results: Isolates from 29 patients were identified as B cepacia complex organisms by molecular analysis. Thirteen patients (45%) were infected with the highly transmissible ET-12 strain of B cenocepacia recA lineage III-A, while all remaining patients were infected with genetically unique B cenocepacia, B multivorans, and B vietnamiensis strains. All previously reported deaths following transplantation were associated with ET-12 infection. Conclusions: The ET-12 strain is the predominant cause of B cenocepacia infections in patients with cystic fibrosis referred to our pulmonary transplant centre and is associated with poor transplant outcomes using standard treatment regimens.