Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Asynchronous Parallel Interpreter for Arithmetic Expressions and Its Evaluation

We define some decomposition schema of the derivation trees of an arithmetic infix grammar into a set of subtrees. From the parenthesis nesting of an arithmetic expression this decomposition determines a cover of its derivation tree by a set of subtrees with known syntactic properties. We define from this a recursive interpretation actor. Roughly speaking, for a given arithmetic expression, this interpreter creates one actor for each of the subtrees in its derivation tree decomposition, each created actor being in charge of local (i.e., concerning its own subtree only) parsing and semantic tasks which involve synchronization with the other actors.
Contribution of Brown Dwarfs and White Dwarfs to Recent Microlensing Observations and to the Halo Mass Budget

We examine the recent results of the MACHO collaboration toward the Large Magellanic Cloud in terms of a halo brown dwarf or white dwarf population. The possibility that most of the microlensing events are due to brown dwarfs is totally excluded by large-scale kinematic properties. The white dwarf scenario is examined in detail in the context of the most recent white dwarf cooling theory which explicitly takes into account the extra energy source that derives from the carbon-oxygen differentiation at crystallization and the subsequent Debye cooling. We show that the observational constraints arising from the luminosity function of high-velocity white dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and from the recent Hubble Space Telescope deep field counts are consistent with a white dwarf contribution to the halo missing mass as large as 50%, provided there is (1) an initial mass function strongly peaked around ~1.7 M☉, and (2) a halo age older than ~18 Gyr.
Coupling the Users: The Benefits of Paired User Testing for iDTV

Interactive digital television (iDTV) is a social medium and must therefore be tested in a context as close to real life as possible. This explains why we saw the potential and importance for the involvement of real-life couples in iDTV usability testing. In this article, an experiment that compares single user testing and coparticipation testing with couples for the evaluation of several Flemish iDTV applications is described. The study found that, first, there was less probing needed by the facilitator to think out loud in the think aloud/coparticipation method with couples than in the think aloud/single test user method. Second, couples did not encounter difficulties working together with the iDTV applications. Further, couples did not lose time by discussing irrelevant issues during the test session. A fourth finding is that couples detected more usability hits than single test users. The quality of comments, however, was the same in both conditions. Sixty perecent of the comments consisted of intrinsic suggestions and 40% of general problem detections. Another issue was raised through findings during the test. Couples in general were enthusiastic to participate, put in little effort on their part in the test session, and evaluated the test session as easy and fun to do. On the contrary, single test users in general were not sure whether they would like to participate again in future tests, declared that the test session demanded considerable effort, and evaluated the test session less positively.
Risk factors for acute kidney injury in older adults with critical illness: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) in older adults has not been evaluated systematically. We sought to delineate the determinants of risk for AKI in older compared with younger adults. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized in July 2000 to September 2008. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS We identified all adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit (n=45,655) in a large tertiary-care university hospital system. We excluded patients receiving dialysis or a kidney transplant prior to hospital admission and patients with baseline creatinine levels ≥ 4mg/dL, liver transplantation, indeterminate AKI status, or unknown age, leaving 39,938 patients. PREDICTOR We collected data for multiple susceptibilities and exposures, including age, sex, race, body mass, comorbid conditions, severity of illness, baseline kidney function, sepsis, and shock. OUTCOMES We defined AKI according to KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. We examined susceptibilities and exposures across age strata for impact on the development of AKI. MEASUREMENTS We calculated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for prediction of AKI across age groups. RESULTS 25,230 (63.2%) patients were 55 years or older. Overall, 25,120 (62.9%) patients developed AKI (69.2% aged ≥55 years). Examples of risk factors for AKI in the oldest age category (≥75 years) were drugs (vancomycin, aminoglycosides, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories), history of hypertension (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02-1.25), and sepsis (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.68-2.67). Fewer variables remained predictive of AKI as age increased and the model for older patients was less predictive (P<0.001). For the age categories 18 to 54, 55 to 64, 65 to 74, and 75 years or older, AUCs were 0.744 (95% CI, 0.735-0.752), 0.714 (95% CI, 0.702-0.726), 0.706 (95% CI, 0.693-0.718), and 0.673 (95% CI, 0.661-0.685), respectively. LIMITATIONS Analysis may not apply to non-intensive care unit patients. CONCLUSIONS The likelihood of developing AKI increases with age; however, the same variables are less predictive for AKI as age increases. Efforts to quantify risk for AKI may be more difficult in older adults.
Development and Application of a Model for the Cross-Flow Induced by Mixing Vane Spacers in Fuel Assemblies

Grid spacers with mixing vanes are used in nuclear fuel assemblies to increase the lateral cross-flow between sub-channels that homogenizes the temperature distribution within the fuel rod bundle. For the thermal-hydraulic design of such fuel bundles, sub-channel analysis codes are used to predict the mass and temperature distribution within the reactor core. These analysis codes compute sub-channel averaged values and contain empirical correlations to include the effects of microscopic flow phenomena such as wall friction, turbulent mixing or heat transfer. Experimental investigations show a strong swirling flow in the vicinity of a mixing vane spacer. No model was found in open literature that accounts for the swirling flow effect on the lateral cross-exchange of mass, momentum or energy. Systematic CFD investigations of the flow in a 5×5 rod bundle geometry containing a single spacer grid with split-type mixing vanes were performed with single-phase and two-phase flow conditions and with void fractions ranging between αg = 0%−15%. A cubic non-linear k-ε turbulence model was used to simulate the typical rod bundle flow effects such as secondary flow and non-isotropic turbulence. A detailed analysis of the forces and flows in the gap showed that mixing vane induced swirling flow in the sub-channels strongly affect the intersub-channel cross-flow. A new model was developed based on the CFD simulation results to predict the forced cross-flow between the sub-channels. This model was implemented into the sub-channel analysis code COBRA-FLXTM that was developed and is used by AREVA GmbH. The new model significantly improves the predictions for the cross-flow and mass flow distribution within the rod bundle in the vicinity of the mixing vane spacer grid.
Xyr1 (Xylanase Regulator 1) Regulates both the Hydrolytic Enzyme System and d-Xylose Metabolism in Hypocrea jecorina

ABSTRACT Xyr1 (xylanase regulator 1) of the ascomycete Hypocrea jecorina (anamorph Trichoderma reesei) was recently demonstrated to play an essential role in the transcriptional regulation of the xyn1 (xylanase 1-encoding) gene expression. Consequently, this study reports on the deletion of the xyr1 gene from the H. jecorina genome. Comparative studies of the growth behavior of the different mutant strains (deleted and retransformed xyr1) grown on various carbon sources pointed to the strongly reduced ability of the xyr1 deletion strain to utilize d-xylose and xylan. Transcriptional analysis of the xyl1 (d-xylose reductase 1-encoding) gene as well as measurements of corresponding enzymatic activities gave evidence that Xyr1 takes part in the control of the fungal d-xylose pathway, in particular in the regulation of d-xylose reductase. It could be demonstrated that the uptake of d-xylose into the fungal cell is uninfluenced in the Δxyr1 strain. Furthermore, transcriptional regulation of the major hydrolytic enzyme-encoding genes xyn1 and xyn2 (xylanases 1 and 2), cbh1 and cbh2 (cellobiohydrolases 1 and 2), and egl1 (endoglucanase 1) is strictly dependent on Xyr1. Regulation of the respective genes via Xyr1 is not affected by the substances mediating induction (xylose, xylobiose, and sophorose) and is indispensable for all modes of gene expression (basal, derepressed, and induced). Moreover, Xyr1, it was revealed, activated transcriptional regulation of inducer-providing enzymes such as β-xylosidase BXLI and β-glucosidase BGLI but was not shown to be involved in the regulation of BGLII.
Long noncoding RNA H19 interacts with polypyrimidine tract‐binding protein 1 to reprogram hepatic lipid homeostasis

H19 is an imprinted long noncoding RNA abundantly expressed in embryonic liver and repressed after birth. We show that H19 serves as a lipid sensor by synergizing with the RNA‐binding polypyrimidine tract‐binding protein 1 (PTBP1) to modulate hepatic metabolic homeostasis. H19 RNA interacts with PTBP1 to facilitate its association with sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1c mRNA and protein, leading to increased stability and nuclear transcriptional activity. H19 and PTBP1 are up‐regulated by fatty acids in hepatocytes and in diet‐induced fatty liver, which further augments lipid accumulation. Ectopic expression of H19 induces steatosis and pushes the liver into a “pseudo‐fed” state in response to fasting by promoting sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1c protein cleavage and nuclear translocation. Deletion of H19 or knockdown of PTBP1 abolishes high‐fat and high‐sucrose diet–induced steatosis. Conclusion: Our study unveils an H19/PTBP1/sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1 feedforward amplifying signaling pathway to exacerbate the development of fatty liver. (Hepatology 2018;67:1768‐1783)
Familial thrombosis due to antithrombin 3 deficiency.

A large kindred from eastern Kentucky, with extensive history of recurrent venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, was studied. Low antithrombin III titers, ranging from 26% to 49% of normal values, were found in plasma of nine members in three consecutive generations; another five members, four of whom were not available for study, are suspected of having the biochemical defect. There was a good correlation between clinical symptoms and antithrombin III deficiency, although three of the younger members with the defect still remained free of thrombosis. In serum of the affected subjects antithrombin III was almost completely utilized, which indicates that stoichiometric binding to coagulation enzymes dominates under biological conditions. Antithrombin and antifactor Xa activities residing in the macroglobulin region of plasma and serum remained unchanged. The responsiveness to heparin in vitro and in vivo confirmed the evidence that antithrombin III is the sole blood component through which heparin exerts its anticoagulant effect. In five affected members therapy with oral anticoagulants increased very significantly the level of antithrombin III in plasma and contributed to a remarkable increase of residual antithrombin III in serum. This objective improvement after warfarin therapy may create significant difficulties in the laboratory diagnosis of antithrombin III deficiency.
Recognition of speech in additive and convolutional noise based on RASTA spectral processing

RASTA (relative spectral) processing is studied in a spectral domain which is linear-like for small spectral values and logarithmic-like for large spectral values. Experiments with a recognizer trained on clean speech and test data degraded by both convolutional and additive noise show that doing RASTA processing in the new domain yields results comparable with those obtained by training the recognizer on known noise. <<ETX>>
Molecular Epidemiology of Noroviruses Detected in Food Handler-Associated Outbreaks of Gastroenteritis in Japan

Twelve outbreaks of food handler-associated gastroenteritis between November 2002 and March 2006 in Japan were examined for norovirus (NoV) using RT-PCR and sequence analysis. NoV was detected in 77 of 81 customers and 45 of 104 food handlers. Identical NoV sequences were detected in patients and food handlers in each outbreak.
Channel-aware optimised traffic shifting in LTE-Advanced relay networks

Traffic shifting is an efficient load balancing method to offload traffic from a hot-spot cell to neighbouring cells. This paper proposes a channel-aware optimised traffic shifting (COTS) scheme in LTE-Advanced relay networks. The COTS scheme employs a channel-aware assistant cell selection mechanism, which considers users' channel condition, received from the relay station (RS) in neighbouring cells, to select assistant cells and address the weak assistant cell problem. The optimal traffic offloading algorithm analyses and calculates the shifted traffic from the hot-spot cell to its assistant cells. Simulation results show that the COTS scheme can select a small number of neighbouring cells as assistant cells to effectively offload users, and can efficiently reduce the call blocking probability as well as the call dropping probability.
The methodology of TSPO imaging with positron emission tomography

The 18-kDA translocator protein (TSPO) is consistently elevated in activated microglia of the central nervous system (CNS) in response to a variety of insults as well as neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions. It is therefore a target of interest for molecular strategies aimed at imaging neuroinflammation in vivo. For more than 20 years, positron emission tomography (PET) has allowed the imaging of TSPO density in brain using [11C]-(R)-PK11195, a radiolabelled-specific antagonist of the TSPO that has demonstrated microglial activation in a large number pathological cohorts. The significant clinical interest in brain immunity as a primary or comorbid factor in illness has sparked great interest in the TSPO as a biomarker and a surprising number of second generation TSPO radiotracers have been developed aimed at improving the quality of TSPO imaging through novel radioligands with higher affinity. However, such major investment has not yet resulted in the expected improvement in image quality. We here review the main methodological aspects of TSPO PET imaging with particular attention to TSPO genetics, cellular heterogeneity of TSPO in brain tissue and TSPO distribution in blood and plasma that need to be considered in the quantification of PET data to avoid spurious results as well as ineffective development and use of these radiotracers.
Essential Oils of Medicinal Plants from the Central Andes of Argentina: Chemical Composition, and Antifungal, Antibacterial, and Insect‐Repellent Activities

The antifungal, antibacterial, and insect‐repellent activities of the essential oils (EOs) of Acantholippia seriphioides, Artemisia mendozana, Gymnophyton polycephalum, Satureja parvifolia, Tagetes mendocina, and Lippia integrifolia, collected in the Central Andes area, province of San Juan, Argentina, were investigated. The dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and T. rubrum were inhibited by the EOs of G. polycephalum, L. integrifolia, and S. parvifolia, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) between 31.2 and 1000 μg/ml. Moreover, all EOs presented moderate activity against the bacteria tested, and the L. integrifolia and G. polycephalum EOs showed excellent repellent properties against Triatoma infestans, the Chagas disease vector, with repellency values between 60 and 100%. The A. seriphioides, G. polycephalum, and L. integrifolia EOs, obtained by hydrodistillation, were characterized by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. The highest number of components (40) was identified in L. integrifolia EO, which, along with that of A. seriphioides, contained important amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes (44.35 and 29.72%, resp.). Thymol (27.61%) and carvacrol (13.24%) were the main components of A. seriphioides EO, and borneol, lippifoli‐1(6)‐en‐5‐one, and terpinen‐4‐ol (>8.5%) were the principal compounds of L. integrifolia EO. These results support the idea that oxygenated monoterpenes are the bioactive fractions of the EOs. Finally, the study shows that these Andean species might be used to treat superficial fungal infections and to improve the local Chagas disease situation by vector‐control.
A Heuristic Approach for Firewall Policy Optimization

A primary goal of this paper is to develop a heuristic approach based on genetic algorithms to enhance the firewall performance. Typical firewall policies may have thousands of rules and determining an optimal rule order that minimizes the average number of rule comparisons while maintaining the policy integrity is proven to be NP-hard. This problem is formulated as a binary integer program for which an optimal solution is obtained using the branch-and-bound technique. Then an alternative solution approach is devised based on genetic algorithms. Several experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach as compared to other rule-ordering techniques. Empirical results show the potential and flexibility of the proposed approach.
The use of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Introduction: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Steroids along with calcineurin inhibitors remain the standard initial therapy, however, less than half of the patients completely respond and there is no uniformly accepted therapy for patients with steroid-resistant GVHD. Areas covered: This paper reviews the current role and ongoing development of mAbs in the treatment of GVHD. Various mAbs to cell surface antigens on GVHD effector cells have been investigated for the treatment of acute GVHD: these include anti-TNF-α antibodies, IL-2 receptor antagonists, anti-CD3 and anti-CD52 mAbs, while anti-CD20 mAb has been extensively investigated in the setting of chronic GVHD. Overall, response rates have been reported to be greater than 60%, although it should be emphasized that the long-term survival still remains suboptimal, mainly due to the detrimental side effects of infectious complications, progressive GVHD and relapse of underlying malignancy. Expert opinion: Future challenges will include more appropriate definition of these agents in the therapeutic scenario of GVHD. Combinations of mAbs or mAb combined with newer immunosuppressive drugs might potentially achieve greater success, especially if used early in the disease process.
Left Ventricular Volumes and Ejection Fraction by Echocardiography

Left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, stroke volume, and ejection fraction were determined by biplane angiocardiography and echocardiography in 27 patients suspected of having heart disease. Angiographic volumes were calculated by the area-length method and echocardiographic volumes, from the left ventricular dimension of the echograms. The angiographic minor diameter and the semilength correlated significantly with the echocardiographic left ventricular dimensions in diastole and systole. Left ventricular size over a wide range compared favorably by each technique, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.97 for end-diastolic volume (range by angiography 80-585 ml, SEE ± 27.76), r = 0.97 for end-systolic volume (range by angiography 24-485 ml, SEE ± 23.64), r = 0.83 for total left ventricular stroke volume (range by angiography 35-229 ml, SEE ± 25.45), and r = 0.80 for left ventricular ejection fraction (range by angiography 0.18-0.70, SEE ± 0.09). These data indicate that left ventricular dimensions in systole and diastole can be reliably determined and left ventricular chamber size and ejection fraction can be quantitated in man by the noninvasive technique of echocardiography.
Novel Therapies for Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma

Aggressive B-cell lymphoma (BCL) comprises a heterogeneous group of malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Burkitt lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). DLBCL, with its 3 subtypes, is the most common type of lymphoma. Advances in chemoimmunotherapy have substantially improved disease control. However, depending on the subtype, patients with DLBCL still exhibit substantially different survival rates. In MCL, a mature B-cell lymphoma, the addition of rituximab to conventional chemotherapy regimens has increased response rates, but not survival. Burkitt lymphoma, the most aggressive BCL, is characterized by a high proliferative index and requires more intensive chemotherapy regimens than DLBCL. Hence, there is a need for more effective therapies for all three diseases. Increased understanding of the molecular features of aggressive BCL has led to the development of a range of novel therapies, many of which target the tumor in a tailored manner and are summarized in this paper.
Characterization of the Rv3377c Gene Product, a Type‐B Diterpene Cyclase, from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37 Genome

The Rv3377c gene from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37 genome is specifically limited to those Mycobacterium species that cause tuberculosis. We have demonstrated that the gene product of Rv3377c is a diterpene cyclase that catalyzes the formation of tuberculosinol from geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP). However, the characteristics of this enzyme had not previously been studied in detail with homogeneously purified enzyme. The purified enzyme catalyzed the synthesis of tuberculosinyl diphosphate from GGPP, but it did not bring about the synthesis of tuberculosinol. Optimal conditions for the highest activity were found to be as follows: pH 7.5, 30 °C, MgII (0.1 mM), and Triton X‐100 (0.1 %). Under these conditions, the kinetic values of KM and kcat were determined to be 11.7±1.9 μM for GGPP and 12.7±0.7 min−1, respectively, whereas the specific activity was 186 nmol min−1 mg−1. The enzyme activity was inhibited at substrate concentrations higher than 50 μM. The catalytic activity was strongly inhibited by 15‐aza‐dihydrogeranylgeraniol and 5‐isopropyl‐N,N,N,2‐tetramethyl‐4‐(piperidine‐1‐carbonyloxy)benzenaminium chloride (Amo‐1618). The DXDTT293–297 motif, corresponding to the DXDDTA motif conserved among terpene cyclases, was mutated in order to investigate its function. The middle D295 was found to be the most crucial entity for the catalysis. D293 and two threonine residues function synergistically to enhance the acidity of D295, possibly through hydrogen‐bonding networks. The Rv3377c enzyme could also react with (14R/S)‐14,15‐oxidoGGPP to generate 3α‐ and 3β‐hydroxytuberculosinyl diphosphate. Conformational analyses were carried out with deuterium‐labeled GGPP and oxidoGGPP. We found that GGPP and (14R)‐oxidoGGPP adopted a chair/chair conformation, but (14S)‐oxidoGGPP adopted a boat/chair conformation. Interestingly, the conformations of oxidoGGPP for the A‐ring formation are the opposite of those of oxidosqualene when it is used as a substrate by squalene cyclases for the biosynthesis of hopene and tetrahymanol. (3R)‐Oxidosqualene is folded in a boat conformation, whereas (3S)‐2,3‐oxidosqualene folds into a chair conformation, for the formation of the A‐rings of the hopene and tetrahymanol skeletons, respectively.