Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prostaglandin E2 synthase inhibition as a therapeutic target

Background: Most NSAIDs function by inhibiting biosynthesis of PGE2 by inhibition of COX-1 and/or COX-2. Since COX-1 has a protective function in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT), non-selective inhibition of both cycloxy genases leads to moderate to severe gastro-intestinal intolerance. Attempts to identify selective inhibitors of COX-2, led to the identification of celecoxib and rofecoxib. However, long-term use of these drugs has serious adverse effects of sudden myocardial infarction and thrombosis. Drug-mediated imbalance in the levels of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) with a bias towards TXA2 may be the primary reason for these events. This resulted in the drugs being withdrawn from the market, leaving a need for an effective and safe anti-inflammatory drug. Methods: Recently, the focus of research has shifted to enzymes downstream of COX in the prosta glandin biosynthetic pathway such as prostaglandin E2 synthases. Microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) specifically isomerizes PGH2 to PGE2, under inflammatory conditions. In this review, we examine the biology of mPGES-1 and its role in disease. Progress in designing molecules that can selectively inhibit mPGES-1 is reviewed. Conclusion: mPGES-1 has the potential to be a target for anti-inflammatory therapy, devoid of adverse GIT and cardiac effects and warrants further investigation.
Stereotaxic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Atlases for Infants from 3 to 12 Months

Background: Accurate labeling of brain structures within an individual or group is a key issue in neuroimaging. Methods for labeling infant brains have depended on the labels done on adult brains or average magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) templates based on adult brains. However, the features of adult brains differ in several ways from infant brains, so the creation of a labeled stereotaxic atlas based on infants would be helpful. The current work builds on the recent creation of age-appropriate average MRI templates during the first year (3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, and 12 months) by creating anatomical label sets for each template. Methods: We created stereotaxic atlases for the age-specific average MRI templates. Manual delineation of cortical and subcortical areas was done on the average templates based on infants during the first year. We also applied a procedure for automatic computation of macroanatomical atlases for individual infant participants using two manually segmented adult atlases (Hammers, LONI Probabilistic Brain Atlas-LPBA40). To evaluate our methods, we did manual delineation of several cortical areas on selected individuals from each age. Linear and nonlinear registration of the individual and average template was used to transform the average atlas into the individual participant's space, and the average-transformed atlas was compared to the individual manually delineated brain areas. We also applied these methods to an external data set - not used in the atlas creation - to test generalizability of the atlases. Results: Age-appropriate manual atlases were the best fit to the individual manually delineated regions, with more error seen at greater age discrepancy. There was a close fit between the manually delineated and the automatically labeled regions for individual participants and for the age-appropriate template-based atlas transformed into participant space. There was close correspondence between automatic labeling of individual brain regions and those from the age-appropriate template. These relationships held even when tested on an external set of images. Conclusion: We have created age-appropriate labeled templates for use in the study of infant development at 6 ages (3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, and 12 months). Comparison with manual methods was quite good. We developed three stereotaxic atlases (one manual, two automatic) for each infant age, which should allow more fine-grained analysis of brain structure for these populations than was previously possible with existing tools. The template-based atlases constructed in the current study are available online (http://jerlab.psych.sc.edu/NeurodevelopmentalMRIDatabase).
The Materials Science of Semiconductors

The book reviews the most relevant concepts of semiconductor materials and processing including condensed matter physics, electronic device theory, and materials science. It describes the development of energy bands from atomic orbitals and the effect of atomic chemistry on the semiconductor. Semiconductor alloys are described including issues of miscibility, ordering, and electronic properties. Defects in semiconductors are described with particular emphasis on point and line defects, their sources and effects. A chapter on amorphous semiconductors is included as well as a chapter on organic materials used in optical and switching devices. The book concludes with chapters on general aspects of thin film nucleation and growth, physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition methods. Examples of the application of the concepts in each chapter to specific problems or situations is included, along with recommended readings and homework problems.
Assessing pulmonary hypertensive vascular disease in childhood. Data from the Spanish registry.

RATIONALE There is a lack of knowledge regarding the epidemiology, clinical characterization, and survival in pediatric pulmonary hypertension. OBJECTIVES To describe the epidemiology, outcomes, and risk factors for mortality in pediatric pulmonary hypertension in Spain. METHODS We analyzed data from the Spanish Registry for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension. From January 2009 to June 2012, a total of 225 patients diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 1998 or after were collected from 21 referral and nonreferral centers. We included all Nice etiologies, estimated incidence and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in the Spanish pediatric population, and analyzed risk factors for mortality (Nice etiologic group, clinical and hemodynamic variables). Patients were classified as follows: group I, pulmonary arterial hypertension (n = 142; 61%); group II, left heart disease (n = 31; 14%); group III, respiratory disease (n = 41; 18%); group IV, thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (n = 2; 1%); or group V, mostly inherited metabolic diseases (n = 10; 4.5%). Of the patients studied, 31% had multifactorial pulmonary hypertension. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mean age at diagnosis was 4.3 ± 4.9 years (50% < 2 yr). Survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 80 and 74% for the whole cohort, and 89 and 85% for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Independent risk factors for mortality included an etiologic group other than pulmonary arterial hypertension (P < 0.001), age at diagnosis younger than 2 years old (P < 0.001), advanced functional class at diagnosis (P < 0.001), and high right atrial pressure at diagnosis (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS In moderate to severe pediatric pulmonary hypertension, the prognosis is better in pulmonary arterial hypertension than in other Nice categories. In pediatric pulmonary hypertension age at diagnosis younger than 2 years is a risk factor for mortality, in addition to the previously established risk factors.
A review of the mandarin-english code-switching corpus: SEAME

In this paper, we report the development of the South East Asia Mandarin-English (SEAME) corpus, including 63 hours of transcribed spontaneous Mandarin-English code-switching speech in its first release, and an update of additional 129 transcribed hours of speech. The corpus was developed for code-switching speech recognition research, such as LVCSR, language recognition, and language segmentation. It was made publicly available through LDC since 2015. The corpus was recorded under unscripted interview and conversation settings, therefore, consisting of spontaneous speech. This paper seeks to present a comprehensive statistics and analysis of the corpus after the update in term of its composition, speaker profile and code-switch characteristics. This paper will also review its suitability for various code-switch related researches and possible further developments.
Ratio of κ-μ variates and its application in spectrum sharing

In this paper, general, easy to compute, exact expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function and average value of the ratio of independent non-identically distributed κ-μ random variables, with arbitrary parameters, are derived. As an application example, capacity analysis of spectrum sharing systems undergoing κ-μ fading is provided. Specifically, expressions for the outage capacity with peak interference power constraint, the delay-limited capacity, and the ergodic capacity with average interference power constraint are derived. Numerical results are shown in order to investigate the effect of the fading parameters on the system capacity.
Ambulatory arterial stiffness index as a predictor of blood pressure response to renal denervation*

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) can reduce blood pressure (BP) in patients with resistant hypertension, but less so in patients with isolated systolic hypertension. A possible explanation is that patients with stiffer arteries may have lesser neural contribution to their hypertension. Method: We hypothesized that arterial stiffness predicts the response to RDN. From ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) was calculated as 1 − the regression slope of DBP versus SBP. Results: In 111 patients with resistant hypertension, RDN reduced office and 24-h SBP after 3, 6, and 12 months (by −11 ± 22, −11 ± 25, −14 ± 21 mmHg for office, and −4 ± 11, −5 ± 12, −5 ± 15 mmHg for 24-h SBP, respectively, P < 0.01). Patients with baseline AASI above the median (>0.51) showed no change in 24-h SBP at 6 months after RDN (−0.4 ± 12.3 mmHg, P > 0.05), whereas an AASI below 0.51was associated with a marked reduction (−9.3 ± 11.0 mmHg, P < 0.01). Across AASI quartiles, patients in the highest quartile (AASI ≥ 0.60) had lower muscle sympathetic nerve activity than the other three quartiles (39 ± 13 versus 49 ± 13 bursts/min, P = 0.035). The responder rate, defined as a 24-h SBP reduction of at least 5% was 58% in the lowest AASI quartile (<0.45) and 16% in the highest quartile (≥0.60). After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, office and 24-h SBP, an AASI less than 0.51predicted those who respond to RDN (odds ratio 3.46, P = 0.04). Conclusion: We conclude that in patients with resistant hypertension, a lower AASI is an independent predictor of the BP response to RDN, possibly explained by a more pronounced neurogenic rather than biomechanical contribution to their BP elevation.
HFSS/spl trade/ modelling anomalies with electrically thin-walled metal-pipe rectangular waveguide simulations

The authors have found modelling anomalies with the simulation of electrically thin-walled metal-pipe rectangular waveguides (MPRWGs_~using Ansoft's commercial software package HFSS/spl trade/). This problem is evident depending on how the simulations are set up. A numbers of different modelling strategies were investigated, to examine the attenuation of a simple X-band copper-walled MPRWG at 10 GHz, With the normal copper-walled object drawn, but not using the 'solve inside' option, the simulations proved accurate to theoretical predictions for wall thicknesses greater than approximately /spl pi//spl delta/. When the 'solve inside' function is used, only simulations with a physical thickness at approximately /spl pi//spl delta/ were accurate, even if a radiation boundary was applied to the outer surface of the MPRWG. However, if a physically small air-gap of the order of millimetres is introduced between the outer surface of the MPRWG's walls and the radiation boundary, the simulations proved accurate to theoretical predictions for wall thicknesses less than approximately /spl pi//spl delta/. Finally, if the normal copper-walled object is replaced by a 'layered impedance boundary', having assigned theoretical wall thickness and bulk conductivity for copper, then it was found that the simulations accurately predict theory for all wall thicknesses. This discovery has profound implications for the accurate simulation of MPRWG structures and components.
Clinical and radiological results of GSB III total elbow arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) with the GSB III prosthesis was performed in 32 patients (36 elbows) with rheumatoid arthritis between 2001 and 2009. At final follow-up, 31 patients (35 TEAs) were available for clinical and radiological evaluation. The mean follow-up period was 6.3 (2.0–10.3) years, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. The mean Mayo elbow performance score was significantly improved from 48 points preoperatively to 83 points at final follow-up. The radiographic loosening rate was 14.3% for humeral components and 5.7% for ulnar components. There were 4 cases of intraoperative fracture and 1 case of humeral shaft fracture at 4 months after surgery. The rates for loosening and fracture were relatively low when compared with those in other studies of linked TEA. There were 2 cases of ulnar nerve palsy, but there was no deep infection or triceps disruption. The clinical results of TEA using the GSB III prosthesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were found to be satisfactory.
Breastfeeding and Oral Health: Evidence and Methodological Challenges

Breastfeeding is a powerful health-promoting behavior. A 2016 Lancet global collaboration to review the health implications of breastfeeding was among the first to consider oral health outcomes. While a role was suggested for breastfeeding in preventing malocclusion, caries was the only included disease condition unfavorably associated with breastfeeding. The present critical review examines the evidence connecting breastfeeding practices to these outcomes and discusses the methodological challenges inherent in reaching causal conclusions. Published systematic reviews show some evidence of a protective effect of breastfeeding against primary dentition malocclusion but no supportive evidence for mixed dentition and permanent dentition malocclusions. Regarding caries, well-conducted studies report a benefit with breastfeeding up to 12 mo but a positive association between caries and breastfeeding of longer duration, at times that vary between 12 and 24 mo, as well as nocturnal feeding. Future studies would be methodologically stronger if focused on specific malocclusion traits that are plausibly associated with sucking movements rather than using general malocclusion indices. Studies should use detailed and consistent terminology for breastfeeding definition, including frequency, intensity, and timing. Analytical studies should be carried out to distinguish between confounders (e.g., prematurity) and mediators (e.g., use of pacifier). Regarding a link to caries, standard terminology for exposures (e.g., nocturnal feeding) is recommended. Statistical analyses must account for known confounding factors (e.g., socioeconomic conditions) but avoid inappropriate adjustment for variables on a causal path between exposure and outcome or for variables not associated with breastfeeding (e.g., tooth brushing), as can be guided using tools such as direct acyclic graphs. For dental practice, the potential caries risk of long-duration breastfeeding should be part of individual patient counseling that incorporates patient values and circumstances. Given the unquestioned overall health benefits of breastfeeding, the dental community should support World Health Organization guidelines that encourage and promote breastfeeding.
Efficient Algorithms for Sequence Analysis with Entropic Profiles

Entropy, being closely related to repetitiveness and compressibility, is a widely used information-related measure to assess the degree of predictability of a sequence. Entropic profiles are based on information theory principles, and can be used to study the under-/over-representation of subwords, by also providing information about the scale of conserved DNA regions. Here, we focus on the algorithmic aspects related to entropic profiles. In particular, we propose linear time algorithms for their computation that rely on suffix-based data structures, more specifically on the truncated suffix tree (TST) and on the enhanced suffix array (ESA). We performed an extensive experimental campaign showing that our algorithms, beside being faster, make it possible the analysis of longer sequences, even for high degrees of resolution, than state of the art algorithms.
A Survey on MAC Protocols for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) are expected to support a variety of civilian and military applications. In UWSNs, Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol has attracted strong attention due to its potentially large impact to the overall network performance. Unlike terrestrial networks, which mainly rely on radio waves for communications, UWSNs utilize acoustic waves, which pose a new research challenge in the design of MAC protocols. To present the development of MAC protocols in UWSNs, this paper surveys the current state-of-the-art MAC protocols for UWSNs. In the early development, the performance in terms of delay and throughput of the UWSNs has been the major concern of the MAC layer protocol design. Later, the design of energy-efficient MAC protocols becomes a new research focus because sensor nodes are generally powered by batteries which are less likely to be recharged. In this paper, we first describe the underwater acoustic environment and the challenges to the MAC protocols design in UWSNs. We then provide a comparative study of several types of MAC protocols according to current existing diverse implementations. Furthermore, open research issues will be summarized. Hopefully, this survey will inspire more active research in this area.
Predisposing Factors in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

Abstract Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a syndrome with high short-term mortality in patients with chronic liver disease. The definition of ACLF has been addressed recently in many publications, and despite regional differences the number and severity of organ failures are decisive for the presence and severity of ACLF. However, the predisposition of patients to develop ACLF has not been addressed in prospective studies. Several predisposing factors for ACLF have been mentioned, but still clear-cut analysis and the sequential processes have not been explored. One reason is that different factors might predispose in one setting and might be the precipitating event in another, thus rendering the generalization of predisposing factors difficult. However, genetic factors, lifestyle, past medical history, aging, latent chronic infections, and the severity of the liver disease and portal hypertension might predispose for the development of ACLF after proper injury and response.
Analysis of Online Social Network Connections for Identification of Influential Users

Online social networks (OSNs) are structures that help users to interact, exchange, and propagate new ideas. The identification of the influential users in OSNs is a significant process for accelerating the propagation of information that includes marketing applications or hindering the dissemination of unwanted contents, such as viruses, negative online behaviors, and rumors. This article presents a detailed survey of influential users’ identification algorithms and their performance evaluation approaches in OSNs. The survey covers recent techniques, applications, and open research issues on analysis of OSN connections for identification of influential users.
HTLV Deregulation of the NF-κB Pathway: An Update on Tax and Antisense Proteins Role

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), an aggressive CD4+/CD25+ T-cell malignancy and of a severe neurodegenerative disease, HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The chronic activation or deregulation of the canonical and non-canonical nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways play a crucial role in tumorigenesis. The HTLV-1 Tax-1 oncoprotein is a potent activator of the NF-κB transcription factors and the NF-κB response is required for promoting the development of HTLV-1 transformed cell lines. The homologous retrovirus HTLV-2, which also expresses a Tax-2 transforming protein, is not associated with ATL. In this review, we provide an updated synopsis of the role of Tax-1 in the deregulation of the NF-κB pathway, highlighting the differences with the homologous Tax-2. Special emphasis is directed toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in NF-κB activation resulting from Tax interaction with host factors affecting several cellular processes, such as cell cycle, apoptosis, senescence, cell proliferation, autophagy, and post-translational modifications. We also discuss the current knowledge on the role of the antisense viral protein HBZ in down-regulating the NF-κB activation induced by Tax, and its implication in cellular senescence. In addition, we review the recent studies on the mechanism of HBZ-mediated inhibition of NF-κB activity as compared to that exerted by the HTLV-2 antisense protein, APH-2. Finally, we discuss recent advances aimed at understanding the role exerted in the development of ATL by the perturbation of NF-κB pathway by viral regulatory proteins.
Role of chloride channels in the regulation of corpus cavernosum tone: a potential therapeutic target for erectile dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION Recent electrophysiological recordings have identified the existence of outward, excitatory chloride (Cl(-)) currents in rat, rabbit, and human corpus cavernosum (CC) muscle cells. AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological role of Cl(-) currents in the maintenance of cavernosal muscle tone in isolated rabbit CC tissues. METHODS CC strips (1 x 1 x 5 mm) were suspended in tissue bath chambers for isometric tension experiments. Spontaneous cavernosal tone and contractions elicited by field stimulation or administration of established smooth muscle constrictors were examined in the presence of chloride channel (ClC) blockers, niflumic acid (NFA), and anthracene-9-carboxylic acid (A9C). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Both spontaneous myogenic activity and contractile responses to field stimulation, norepinephrine, histamine, and endothelin-1 were reduced by ClC blockers. Results. In CC strips exhibiting intrinsic myogenic tone, NFA (30 and 100 microM) and A9C (1 mM) caused a relaxation of the tone. In addition, spontaneous contractile activity in CC was abolished in the presence of either ClC blocker. In CC strips precontracted with norepinephrine, histamine, and endothelin-1, both ClC blockers significantly reversed the tone. The ability of NFA and A9C to reverse norepinephrine-induced tone was unaffected by N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, and cis-N-[2-phenylcyclopentyl]-azacyclotridec-1-en-2-amine. In addition, neither indomethacin nor tetraethylammonium affected the relaxant response of NFA. NFA and A9C inhibited the neurogenic and norepinephrine-induced contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. While NFA exerted persistent inhibition on neurogenic contraction, inhibition of neurogenic contractions by A9C was readily reversible. On K(+)-depolarized CC, NFA induced a concentration-related relaxation, whereas A9C was inert, suggesting an additional mechanism of NFA on voltage-gated calcium channels. CONCLUSIONS These results underline the importance of Cl(-) currents as a mechanism in the maintenance of cavernosal tone produced by adrenergic and various endogenous constrictors. Thus, the modulation of Cl(-) current, as an attractive and effective approach to regulate penile erection, and specific ClC blockers, as potential erectogenic agents, merits further research.