Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ANTIOXIDANTS IN ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS POISONING Syed

Oxidative stress has recently been implicated as a factor in the mortality and morbidity induced by organophosphorus (OP) compound poisoning. An overwhelming number of research papers are based on studying at the cellular and organ level. Such studies have concluded that antioxidants can be used as an adjunct compound in the treatment of both chronic as well as acute OP poisoning. Still, the role of antioxidants in reducing the mortality and morbidity induced by OP compounds has scarcely been verifi ed, as well as their role as adjunct treatment compounds for both structurally and functionally different OP compounds. The present review of the literature was undertaken to establish the role of antioxidants in survival studies following acute exposure to OP compounds. The review found no substantial evidence that antioxidants demonstrate any positive effect following extremely toxic poisoning. However, for a more comprehensive and rational conclusion, further research needs to be conducted.
Factors associated with syphilis incidence in the HIV-infected in the era of highly active antiretrovirals

Abstract After several years of steady decline, syphilis is reemerging globally as a public health hazard, especially among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Syphilis resurgence is observed mainly in men who have sex with men (MSM), yet other transmission groups are affected too. In this manuscript, we study the factors associated with syphilis incidence in the Swiss HIV cohort study in the era of highly effective antiretrovirals. Using parametric interval censored models with fixed and time-varying covariates, we studied the immunological, behavioral, and treatment-related elements associated with syphilis incidence in 3 transmission groups: MSM, heterosexuals, and intravenous drug users. Syphilis incidence has been increasing annually since 2005, with up to 74 incident cases per 1000 person-years in 2013, with MSM being the population with the highest burden (92% of cases). While antiretroviral treatment (ART) in general did not affect syphilis incidence, nevirapine (NVP) was associated with a lower hazard of syphilis incidence (multivariable hazard ratio 0.5, 95% confidence interval 0.2–1.0). We observed that condomless sex and younger age were associated with higher syphilis incidence. Moreover, time-updated CD4, nadir CD4, and CD8 cell counts were not associated with syphilis incidence. Finally, testing frequency higher than the recommended once a year routine testing was associated with a 2-fold higher risk of acquiring syphilis. Condomless sex is the main driver of syphilis resurgence in the Swiss HIV Cohort study; ART and immune reconstitution provide no protection against syphilis. This entails targeted interventions and frequent screening of high-risk populations. There is no known effect of NVP on syphilis; therefore, further clinical, epidemiological, and microbiological investigation is necessary to validate our observation.
Circular migration patterns and determinants in Nairobi slum settlements.

This paper measures migration flows and determinants in two slum settlements in Nairobi City between 2003 and 2007. The results confirm the high intensity of migration with a quarter of the total slum population and a third of those aged 15-30 being renewed annually. A circular migration system is at play whereby the majority of slum dwellers are short-term migrants spending on average less than 3 years in the area. Migration is more intense during early adulthood (20-24) and despite very similar determinants across gender mobility is more intense among women compared to men. The increasing feminization of migration is likely to change the face of slum settlements resulting in more balanced sex ratios in line with city-wide trends in Nairobi over the past half century. The high population turnover is due to the insecurity of livelihoods tenure and poor basic amenities and social services in slum settlements.
Examining the Features of Earth Science Logical Reasoning and Authentic Scientific Inquiry Demonstrated in a High School Earth Science Curriculum: A Case Study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the inquiry features demonstrated in the inquiry tasks of a high school Earth Science curriculum. One of the most widely used curricula, Holt Earth Science, was chosen for this case study to examine how Earth Science logical reasoning and authentic scientific inquiry were related to one another and how they were reflected in the curriculum. The framework for data collection and analysis used in this case study included logical reasoning, hermeneutics, and historical method , and authentic inquiry. Two raters validated the framework's adoption in this study, looking at the content validity and reliability after the training. Each rater rated the sample curriculum independently and compared results to see if or how they agreed and disagreed. This process included questions, discussions, and clarifications about items of each framework. For inquiry tasks, results showed that induction (37.6%) and abduction (47.7%) were mainly used for logical reasoning; in hermeneutics, the process termed “forestructures of understanding” (82.7%) was mainly used, and “recursive reasoning” (12.0%) and the “historical nature of human understanding” (5.3%) were minimally used; and in the historical method, “adhering to the modern principle of uniformitarianism” (48.8%) and “constructing proper taxonomies” (34.2%) were mainly used. However, the curriculum included little use of what is typically represented, in high school Earth Science, as the features of authentic scientific inquiry. These features are “making multiple observations” and “developing theories about mechanisms. ” This study also analyzed the relationships among three types of logical reasoning and the features of authentic scientific inquiry. Based on these findings on logical reasoning and authentic inquiry features, we discuss the implications for inquiry-based Earth Science curriculum development.
Source attribution of Arctic black carbon constrained by aircraft and surface measurements

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) contributes to Arctic warming, yet sources of Arctic BC and their geographic contributions remain uncertain. We interpret a series of recent airborne (NETCARE 2015; PAMARCMiP 2009 and 2011 campaigns) and ground-based measurements (at Alert, Barrow and Ny-Alesund) from multiple methods (thermal, laser incandescence and light absorption) with the GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model and its adjoint to attribute the sources of Arctic BC. This is the first comparison with a chemical transport model of refractory BC (rBC) measurements at Alert. The springtime airborne measurements performed by the NETCARE campaign in 2015 and the PAMARCMiP campaigns in 2009 and 2011 offer BC vertical profiles extending to above 6 km across the Arctic and include profiles above Arctic ground monitoring stations. Our simulations with the addition of seasonally varying domestic heating and of gas flaring emissions are consistent with ground-based measurements of BC concentrations at Alert and Barrow in winter and spring (rRMSE Sensitivity simulations suggest that anthropogenic emissions in eastern and southern Asia have the largest effect on the Arctic BC column burden both in spring (56 %) and annually (37 %), with the largest contribution in the middle troposphere (400–700 hPa). Anthropogenic emissions from northern Asia contribute considerable BC (27 % in spring and 43 % annually) to the lower troposphere (below 900 hPa). Biomass burning contributes 20 % to the Arctic BC column annually. At the Arctic surface, anthropogenic emissions from northern Asia (40–45 %) and eastern and southern Asia (20–40 %) are the largest BC contributors in winter and spring, followed by Europe (16–36 %). Biomass burning from North America is the most important contributor to all stations in summer, especially at Barrow. Our adjoint simulations indicate pronounced spatial heterogeneity in the contribution of emissions to the Arctic BC column concentrations, with noteworthy contributions from emissions in eastern China (15 %) and western Siberia (6.5 %). Although uncertain, gas flaring emissions from oilfields in western Siberia could have a striking impact (13 %) on Arctic BC loadings in January, comparable to the total influence of continental Europe and North America (6.5 % each in January). Emissions from as far as the Indo-Gangetic Plain could have a substantial influence (6.3 % annually) on Arctic BC as well.
Robust filter design for uncertain systems defined by both hard and soft bounds

A new approach to robust linear filter design is described that attempts to combine the advantages of H/sub /spl infin// robust linear synthesis with a probabilistic method of system and noise modeling. The signal and measurement noise model parameters are assumed to be subject to perturbations represented by random variables with known covariances. The system is represented in polynomial form, and the uncertainty can be described by both soft and hard bounds. An H/sub /spl infin// cost-function is minimized and averaged with respect to model errors in signal and noise descriptions. The polynomial solution is no more complicated than the usual H/sub /spl infin// optimal filter and involves averaged spectral factorizations and linear equations. Both usual and deconvolution filtering problems are considered.
Learning and Fusing Multimodal Features from and for Multi-task Facial Computing

We propose a deep learning-based feature fusion approach for facial computing including face recognition as well as gender, race and age detection. Instead of training a single classifier on face images to classify them based on the features of the person whose face appears in the image, we first train four different classifiers for classifying face images based on race, age, gender and identification (ID). Multi-task features are then extracted from the trained models and cross-task-feature training is conducted which shows the value of fusing multimodal features extracted from multi-tasks. We have found that features trained for one task can be used for other related tasks. More interestingly, the features trained for a task with more classes (e.g. ID) and then used in another task with fewer classes (e.g. race) outperforms the features trained for the other task itself. The final feature fusion is performed by combining the four types of features extracted from the images by the four classifiers. The feature fusion approach improves the classifications accuracy by a 7.2%, 20.1%, 22.2%, 21.8% margin, respectively, for ID, age, race and gender recognition, over the results of single classifiers trained only on their individual features. The proposed method can be applied to applications in which different types of data or features can be extracted.
Burst cloning: a proactive scheme to reduce data loss in optical burst-switched networks

In this paper, we propose a novel proactive scheme, burst cloning, to reduce data loss due to burst contention in optical burst-switched (OBS) networks. The idea is to replicate a burst and send duplicated copies of the burst through the network simultaneously. If the original burst is lost, the cloned burst way still be able to reach the destination. Primary design issues in burst cloning are to select the optimal nodes at which to do cloning and to prevent cloned bursts from contending for resources with original bursts. An analytical model is developed to evaluate the proposed scheme. The model is verified through extensive simulations. We observe that burst cloning could significantly reduce data loss in OBS networks.
Complete reversal of hypertensive cardiomyopathy after initiating combined antihypertensive therapy

Hypertensive cardiomyopathy is a common complication of hypertension, with a prevalence ranging from 12% to 26%. It is associated with an increased cardiac mortality and morbidity. Lifestyle changes and antihypertensive therapy usually have a significant, but relatively small effect on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular risk. In this paper, we describe a 39-year-old woman with severe LVH. On transthoracic echocardiogram there was concentric LVH, systolic function was a mildly reduced and there was diastolic dysfunction grade III. After only 6 months of therapy with a combination of antihypertensive agents, the left ventricular mass index was reduced by 29%, systolic function was normal and the diastolic dysfunction improved to grade I. This paper shows that in hypertensive cardiomyopathy, even severe LVH can be completely reversible.
Indemics

We describe the design and prototype implementation of Indemics (_Interactive; Epi_demic; _Simulation;)—a modeling environment utilizing high-performance computing technologies for supporting complex epidemic simulations. Indemics can support policy analysts and epidemiologists interested in planning and control of pandemics. Indemics goes beyond traditional epidemic simulations by providing a simple and powerful way to represent and analyze policy-based as well as individual-based adaptive interventions. Users can also stop the simulation at any point, assess the state of the simulated system, and add additional interventions. Indemics is available to end-users via a web-based interface. Detailed performance analysis shows that Indemics greatly enhances the capability and productivity of simulating complex intervention strategies with a marginal decrease in performance. We also demonstrate how Indemics was applied in some real case studies where complex interventions were implemented.
Asynchronous Parallel Pattern Search for Nonlinear Optimization

We introduce a new asynchronous parallel pattern search (APPS). Parallel pattern search can be quite useful for engineering optimization problems characterized by a small number of variables (say, fifty or less) and by objective functions that are expensive to evaluate, such as those defined by complex simulations that can take anywhere from a few seconds to many hours to run. The target platforms for APPS are the loosely coupled parallel systems now widely available. We exploit the algorithmic characteristics of pattern search to design variants that dynamically initiate actions solely in response to messages, rather than routinely cycling through a fixed set of steps. This gives a versatile concurrent strategy that allows us to effectively balance the computational load across all available processors. Further, it allows us to incorporate a high degree of fault tolerance with almost no additional overhead. We demonstrate the effectiveness of a preliminary implementation of APPS on both standard test problems as well as some engineering optimization problems.
Effect of Process Parameters on Grafting Ratio and Thermal Stability of Lactide-Grafted Sisal Fiber

ABSTRACT Polylactide (PLA) was grafted onto sisal fiber (SF) on the basis of the principle of lactide coordinative ring-opening polymerization. The orthogonal test was done to investigate which process parameter affected the grafting ratio mostly. Then the thermal stability of lactide-grafted sisal fiber (SF-g-LA) was studied. Results demonstrated that the lactide was grafted on sisal fiber surface and initiator amount was found to be the most important determinant of the grafting ratio. After grafting copolymerization reaction, the thermal stability of sisal fiber decreased. The increase of grafting ratio does not decreased the thermal stability of SF-g-LA.
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms Dis Aquat Org a Molecular Perspective: Biology of the Emerging Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis

INTRODUCTION Despite the wealth of information on the distribution and ecology of the amphibian disease chytridiomyco-sis, little is known about the basic biology of the disease agent Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Bd is enigmatic in part because it is the first known pathogen of vertebrates from an understudied phylum of Fungi, the Chytridiomycota. Chytridiomycota is among the earliest diverging lineages on the fungal tree of life. Unlike the 'higher' fungi the asexual spores of chytrids, termed zoospores, are motile and possess a single flagellum. Chytrids are ubiquitously distributed in aquatic ecosystems and soils as saprobes and parasites. Although many chytrids specialize on refractory substrates like pollen and keratin, Bd is the first chytrid known to attack living vertebrates. After almost a decade of study, some of the key questions regarding the evolution and genetics of Bd remain a mystery. Where and when did Bd emerge? Is the symbiosis between amphibians and Bd ancient or a recent host or habitat shift? What factors lead to observed global and local patterns of Bd spread? How does Bd persist outside the host? What is the precise mechanism by which Bd kills its hosts? Why do some frog species and populations persist after Bd introduction while others are decimated? What genes are involved in Bd pathogenicity? Is there a ABSTRACT: Ten years after the first discovery of the chytrid pathogen Batrachochytrium dendroba-tidis (Bd), the catastrophic effect of Bd on wild amphibian populations is indisputable. However, a number of persistent questions remain about Bd's origin and mechanisms of pathogenicity. Here we discuss the promise of genetic and genomic tools for answering these previously intractable questions about the biology and evolutionary history of Bd. Full genomes of 2 Bd strains have recently been sequenced, and Bd research on this species using population genetics, phylogenetics, proteomics, comparative genomics and functional genomics is already underway. We review some of the insights gleaned from the first studies using these genome-scale approaches focusing particularly on Bd's genomic architecture, patterns of global genetic variation, virulence factors and genetic interactions with hosts. Avenues of future research promise to be particularly fruitful and highlight the need for integrative studies that unite genetic, ecological and spatial data in both Bd and its amphibian hosts. Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher Contribution to DAO Special 4 'Chytridiomycosis: an emerging disease' genetic basis to hypothesized strain differences in virulence? The scientific effort …
SYNTHESISE WEB QUERIES

An algorithm to synthesise a web search query from example documents is described. A user searching for information on the Web can use a rudimentary query to locate a set of potentially relevant documents. The user classifies the retrieved documents as being relevant or irrelevant to his or her needs. A query can be synthesised from these categorised documents to perform a definitive search with good recall and precision
From confined spinons to emergent fermions: Observation of elementary magnetic excitations in a transverse-field Ising chain

We report on spectroscopy study of elementary magnetic excitations in an Ising-like antiferromagnetic chain compound ${\mathrm{SrCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ as a function of temperature and applied transverse magnetic field up to 25 T. An optical as well as an acoustic branch of confined spinons, the elementary excitations at zero field, are identified in the antiferromagnetic phase below the N\'eel temperature of 5 K and described by a one-dimensional Schr\"odinger equation. The confinement can be suppressed by an applied transverse field and a quantum disordered phase is induced at 7 T. In this disordered paramagnetic phase, we observe three emergent fermionic excitations with different transverse-field dependencies. The nature of these modes is clarified by studying spin dynamic structure factor of a 1D transverse-field Heisenberg-Ising $(XXZ)$ model using the method of infinite time evolving block decimation. Our work reveals emergent quantum phenomena and provides a concrete system for testifying theoretical predications of one-dimension quantum spin models.
A Functional Comparison of the 3xP3 Promoter by Recombinase-Mediated Cassette Exchange in Drosophila and a Tephritid Fly, Anastrepha suspensa

Transposable elements are widely used as vectors for integrating transgenes into the genome of insects. However, the random nature of transposon vector integrations often results in mutations and makes transgene expression subject to variable genomic position effects. This makes reliable quantitative comparisons of different transgenes difficult and development of highly fit transgenic strains laborious. Tools for site-specific transgene targeting are essential for functional genomic comparisons and to develop the most advanced transgenic insect strains for applied use. Here we describe a recombinase-mediated cassette exchange gene targeting system based on Cre/loxP that is highly efficient in Drosophila, and for the first time in a non-drosophilid, the tephritid fly, Anastrepha suspensa. This system allowed a comparison of the Drosophila constitutive polyubiquitin promoter and the artificial 3xP3 tissue-specific promoter in the same genomic context within each species, showing that the widely used 3xP3 promoter is apparently nonfunctional in the tephritid fly.
User Acceptance of a Haptic Interface for Learning Anatomy

Visualizing the structure and relationships in three dimensions (3D) of organs is a challenge for students of anatomy. To provide an alternative way of learning anatomy engaging multiple senses, we are developing a force-feedback (haptic) interface for manipulation of 3D virtual organs, using design research methodology, with iterations of system implementation, formative evaluation, and cyclic enhancements. In the present study, we aimed to determine the user acceptance of the haptic interface for exploring anatomical structures and relationships. Undergraduate computing (n=10) and medical (n=35) students from the University of Tasmania, Australia, who volunteered to try two iterations of the system (n=18 and 27 in two separate user tests) reported on anonymous questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions that the system was easy to use, useful for learning, and neither physically nor mentally stressful. We conclude that many medical students would accept a haptic interface for manipulating 3D virtual organs as an aid to learning anatomy. Further development of the system will involve development of learning and assessment modules, and we plan to evaluate the system’s usefulness in promoting learning of anatomy.