Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the definition of a confounder

The causal inference literature has provided a clear formal definition of confounding expressed in terms of counterfactual independence. The causal inference literature has not, however, produced a clear formal definition of a confounder, as it has given priority to the concept of confounding over that of a confounder. We consider a number of candidate definitions arising from various more informal statements made in the literature. We consider the properties satisfied by each candidate definition, principally focusing on (i) whether under the candidate definition control for all "confounders" suffices to control for "confounding" and (ii) whether each confounder in some context helps eliminate or reduce confounding bias. Several of the candidate definitions do not have these two properties. Only one candidate definition of those considered satisfies both properties. We propose that a "confounder" be defined as a pre-exposure covariate C for which there exists a set of other covariates X such that effect of the exposure on the outcome is unconfounded conditional on (X, C) but such that for no proper subset of (X, C) is the effect of the exposure on the outcome unconfounded given the subset. A variable that helps reduce bias but not eliminate bias we propose referring to as a "surrogate confounder. "
Coherent modulation up to 100 GBd 16QAM using silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) devices.

We demonstrate the generation of higher-order modulation formats using silicon-based inphase/quadrature (IQ) modulators at symbol rates of up to 100 GBd. Our devices exploit the advantages of silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) integration, which combines silicon-on-insulator waveguides with highly efficient organic electro-optic (EO) cladding materials to enable small drive voltages and sub-millimeter device lengths. In our experiments, we use an SOH IQ modulator with a π-voltage of 1.6 V to generate 100 GBd 16QAM signals. This is the first time that the 100 GBd mark is reached with an IQ modulator realized on a semiconductor substrate, leading to a single-polarization line rate of 400 Gbit/s. The peak-to-peak drive voltages amount to 1.5 Vpp, corresponding to an electrical energy dissipation in the modulator of only 25 fJ/bit.
A Replicated Study on Random Test Case Generation and Manual Unit Testing: How Many Bugs Do Professional Developers Find?

This paper describes the replication of an empirical study comparing tool-supported test case generation and manual development of unit tests. As variation to the original study, which was based on test results from students performing manual unit testing for 60 minutes, the replication involves professional software developers with several years of industry experience and extends the initial time restriction. As part of the replication the paper explores the differences in unit testing by students and professionals and investigates the impact of the extended time limit. The main findings are: There are no significant differences in the results produced by students and by professional developers when performing manual unit testing for 60 minutes. Furthermore, there is a non-linear increase in the number of defects found when the time limit is extended from one to two hours, which indicates the transition from the initial ramp-up phase to productive testing. The replication also confirms the conclusions of the original study: Automated test case generation can be equally efficient as manual unit testing under severe time restrictions and it may be used to complement a manual testing approach.
Evaluation of a Combined Live Attenuated Vaccine against Lumpy Skin Disease, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia and Rift Valley Fever

The use of effective vaccines is among the most important strategies for the prevention and progressive control of transboundary infectious animal diseases. However, the use of vaccine is often impeded by the cost, a lack of cold chains and other factors. In resource-limited countries in Africa, one approach to improve coverage and reduce cost is to vaccinate against multiple diseases using combined vaccines. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate a combined vaccine for the prevention and control of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and Rift Valley fever (RVF). The LSD and CBPP were formulated as a combined vaccine, and the RVF was formulated separately as live attenuated vaccines. These consisted of a Mycoplasma MmmSC T1/44 strain that was propagated in Hayflick-modified medium, RVF virus vaccine, C13T strain prepared in African green monkey cells (Vero), and the LSDV Neethling vaccine strain prepared in primary testis cells. The vaccines were tested for safety via the subcutaneous route in both young calves and pregnant heifers with no side effect, abortion or teratogenicity. The vaccination of calves induced seroconversions for all three vaccines starting from day 7 post-vaccination (PV), with rates of 50% for LSD, 70% for CBPP and 100% for RVF, or rates similar to those obtained with monovalent vaccines. The challenge of cattle vaccinated with the LSD/CBPP and the RVF vaccine afforded full protection against virulent strains of LSDV and RVFV. A satisfactory level of protection against a CBPP challenge was observed, with 50% of protection at 6 months and 81% at 13 months PV. A mass vaccination trial was performed in four regions of Burkina Faso that confirmed safety and specific antibody responses induced by the vaccines. The multivalent LSD/CBPP+RVF vaccine provides a novel and beneficial approach to the control of the three diseases through one intervention and, therefore, reduces the cost and improves vaccination coverage.
Problem-solving Strategy: Mathematical Problem-solving Model Within the Polya' Framework

Mathematical problem-solving is very important for students to learn and understand, which can later be used in solving problems that exist in everyday life. This study aims to analyze the mathematical problem-solving model within the framework of Polya’ theory. The subjects in this study were fifth grade students showing their strategy to solve mathematical problem. We analyzed the student’ problem-solving strategy with real word problems and configured their solution. The results of this study are in the problem-solving process, the subject has completed according to the stages of Polya. At each step, the indicators work together in a unique way to solve a math problem. This research initiates that the connection between indicators in problem-solving can form a cycle of resolution. Keywords: problem solving, mathematical problems, mathematics ability
Emotion Regulation as a Transdiagnostic Feature Among Eating Disorders: Cross‐sectional and Longitudinal Approach

Emotion regulation (ER) difficulties are observed in eating disorders (EDs). However, few studies have explored ER before and after treatment. The aims are as follows: to explore ER difficulties across ED types and a healthy control (HC) group (Study 1) and to assess pretreatment and post-treatment changes among ED types (Study 2). In Study 1, adult women with EDs (n = 438) and HC (n = 126) completed an assessment including Eating Disorders Inventory-2, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Patients in Study 2 (n = 69) were also reassessed after treatment. All ED types reported worse ER compared with HC (p < .001); also, ER differences were found between ED types. Prospective analyses show ER improvements after treatment (p < .001; |d| = 0.51), especially in patients with bulimia nervosa (p < .001; |d| = 1.03; Reliable Change Index = 9.79) with greater improvement in those with a better treatment outcome (p = .034). In conclusion, emotion dysregulation is a part of all forms of EDs. Furthermore, emotional dysregulation can be modified. ED treatments for anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder might be enhanced by targeting ER skills. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Non-invasive monitoring of blood pressure using the Philips Intellivue MP50 monitor cannot replace invasive blood pressure techniques in surgery patients under general anesthesia

The Philips Intellivue MP50 monitor provides a method for non-invasive, near-continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring and is designed to be an alternative to direct intra-arterial BP (IABP) measurement. However, no studies have specifically compared non-invasive and invasive BP measurements using the monitor. The present retrospective study observed 515 patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia, whose invasive (intra-radial, femoral or dorsalis pedis artery) and non-invasive (oscillometric) BP (NIBP) were monitored simultaneously using the monitor. These data were analyzed using correlations, regressions and Bland-Altman plots. The patients were placed in a supine position during surgery. The correlation data for invasive BP and NIBP measurements were: for intra-radial measurements, r2=0.51 (bias and precision, 11.04±15.22 and 14.76±11.64 mmHg, respectively) for systolic BP (SBP) and r2=0.27 (6.17±11.95 and 9.77±9.25 mmHg, respectively) for diastolic BP (DBP); for intra-femoral measurements: r2=0.57 (14.79±14.55 and 17.15±11.68 mmHg, respectively) for SBP and r2=0.45 (4.12±9.70 and 7.49±7.40 mmHg, respectively) for DBP; and for intra-dorsalis pedis measurements: r2=0.33 (13.00±16.81 and 17.34±12.28 mmHg, respectively) for SBP and r2=0.30 (0.17±11.27 and 8.44±7.46 mmHg, respectively) for DBP. According to this data, the NIBP measured by the Philips Intellivue MP50 monitor showed low positive correlations and poor agreement with the IABP, as calculated by Bland-Altman analysis. Therefore, the use of oscillometric BP measured by the monitor in surgery patients under general anesthesia is not generally recommended.
An exploratory analysis of large health cohort study using Bayesian networks

Large health cohort studies are among the most effective ways in studying the causes, treatments and outcomes of diseases by systematically collecting a wide range of data over long periods. The wealth of data in such studies may yield important results in addition to the already numerous findings, especially when subjected to newer analytical methods. Bayesian Networks (BN) provide a relatively new method of representing uncertain relationships among variables, using the tools of probability and graph theory, and have been widely used in analyzing dependencies and the interplay between variables. We used BN to perform an exploratory analysis on a rich collection of data from one large health cohort study, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), with the focus on breast cancer. We explored the data from the NHS using BN to look for breast cancer risk factors, including a group of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP). We found no association between the SNPs and breast cancer, but found a dependency between clomid and breast cancer. We evaluated clomid as a potential riskfactor after matching on age and number of children. Our results showed for clomid an increased risk of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer (odds ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.11-2.09) and a decreased risk of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer (odds ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.97). We developed breast cancer risk models using BN. We trained models on 75% of the data, and evaluated them on the remaining. Because of the clinical importance of predicting risks for Estrogen Receptor positive and Progesterone Receptor positive breast cancer, we focused on this specific type of breast cancer to predict two-year, four-year, and six-year risks. The concordance statistics of the prediction results on test sets are 0.70 We also evaluated the calibration performance of the models, and applied a filter to the output to improve the linear relationship between predicted and observed risks using Agglomerative Information Bottleneck clustering without sacrificing much discrimination performance.To my grandmother, my parents, and my wife-3
Fate of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in bovine feces

Dairy cattle have been identified as a principal reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7. The fate of this pathogen in bovine feces at 5, 22, and 37 degrees C was determined. Two levels of inocula (10(3) and 10(5) CFU/g) of a mixture of five nalidixic acid-resistant E. coli O157:H7 strains were used. E. coli O157:H7 survived at 37 degrees C for 42 and 49 days with low and high inocula, respectively, and at 22 degrees C for 49 and 56 days with low and high inocula, respectively. Fecal samples at both temperatures had low moisture contents (about 10%) and water activities ( < 0.5) near the end of the study. E. coli O157:H7 at 5 degrees C survived for 63 to 70 days, with the moisture content (74%) of feces remaining high through the study. Chromosomal DNA fingerprinting of E. coli O157:H7 isolates surviving near the completion of the study revealed that the human isolate strain 932 was the only surviving strain at 22 or 37 degrees C. All five strains were isolated near the end of incubation from feces held at 5 degrees C. Isolates at each temperature were still capable of producing both verotoxin 1 and verotoxin 2. Results indicate that E. coli O157:H7 can survive in feces for a long period of time and retain its ability to produce verotoxins. Hence, bovine feces are a potential vehicle for transmitting E. coli O157:H7 to cattle, food, and the environment. Appropriate handling of bovine feces is important to control the spread of this pathogen.
Alternative Middleware for Efficient XML Data Communications on Networks

It is increasingly being used to transmit data on networks but is a verbose format and needs an efficient encoding to send relatively large amounts of data efficiently since XML became an official recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 1998. This requirement is particularly important, which is most for attractive to wireless data communications. It is a common technical challenge for researchers in XML-driven networks to have good performance. One may employ a middleware to enhance performance by minimizing the impact of transmission time [1, 3]. In this paper we extended our previous research results [2, 11-14] to an alternative middleware for efficient XML data communications on Networks. We also show the experimental results obtained from our technique and that from the Network Adaptable Middleware (NAM) established by Ghandeharizadeh et al [1]. Those experimental results show that our method is superior to the NAM method [1], which supported by the fact that the time taken is less than 231.67, which is ranging symmetrically out of the 0.6 standard deviation about the peck of the probability of the network traffic load distributions otherwise the NAM will be suggested between the region of 0.6
Stem cell activation in adults can reverse detrimental changes in body composition to reduce fat and increase lean mass in both sexes

Detrimental changes in body composition are often associated with declining levels of testosterone. Here, we evaluated the notion that multipotent mesenchymal stem cells, that give rise to both fat and muscle tissue, can play a significant role to alter existing body composition in the adult. Transgenic mice with targeted androgen receptor (AR) overexpression in stem cells were employed. Wild‐type littermate and AR‐transgenic male and female mice were gonadectomized and left untreated for 2 months. After the hypogonadal period, mice were then treated with 5α‐dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for 6 weeks. After orchidectomy (ORX), wild‐type males have reduced lean mass and increased fat mass compared to shams. DHT treatment was beneficial to partially restore body composition. In wild‐type females, ovariectomy (OVX) produced a similar change but there was no improvement with DHT. In targeted AR transgenic mice, DHT treatment increased lean and reduced fat mass to sham levels. In contrast to wild‐type females, DHT treatment in female transgenic mice significantly ameliorated the increased fat and decreased lean mass changes that result after OVX. Our results show that DHT administration reduces fat mass and increases lean mass in wild‐type males but not females, indicating that wild‐type females are not as sensitive to androgen treatment. Because both male and female transgenic mice are more responsive than wild‐type, results suggest that body composition remains linked to stem cell fate in the adult and that targeted androgen signaling in stem cells can play a significant role to reverse detrimental changes in body composition in both sexes. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 3638–3647, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficacy and safety of combining ginkgolide diterpene glucosamine injection with dual antibodies in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke

Purpose: To investigate the clinical effects and safety of ginkgo biloba diterpene lactone glucosamine injection, combined with dual antibiotic therapy for acute ischemic stroke in elderly individuals within a hyper thrombolytic time window. Methods: 100 elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke at Changsha First Hospital, Changsha, China from March 2022 to March 2023 were randomly and equally assigned to study and control groups (50 patients each). Study group received aspirin and clopidogrel, while control group received ginkgo biloba diterpene lactone glucosamine injection along with dual antibodies. Clinical efficacy, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) score, cerebral hemodynamics, and safety were compared between the two groups. Results: There was no significant difference in effective rate between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, following treatment, study group showed superior NIHSS and IADL scores compared to control group, with greater statistical significance as the disease progressed. Doppler ultrasound revealed that study group had smaller Pulsatility index (PI) values and larger mean cerebral artery blood flow velocity (Vm), and systolic value (Vs) compared to control group (p < 0.05). In study group, three adverse reactions were reported (gastrointestinal discomfort, abnormal liver/kidney function, and skin itching), whereas the control group experienced five adverse reactions (gastrointestinal discomfort, abnormal liver/kidney function, dizziness, and skin itching). Conclusion: The combination of Ginkgo biloba diterpene lactone glucosamine injection and dual antibodies in elderly individuals with acute ischemic stroke within a super thrombolytic time window enhances intracerebral blood flow levels, effectively promotes neurological recovery, improves daily living abilities, and safety. Further research is needed to elucidate the exact pathways involved.
THE EFFECTS OF DURATION TO OBTAIN A FIRST JOB ON MATURE AND IMMATURE SELF-DEFENSE MECHANISMS AMONG RECENT GRADUATES

Obtaining a job after graduation in today’s job market is quite challenging. Some graduates obtain a job during an internship while others do not secure their first job for a few months or even years. The length of time it takes to obtain a job might affect graduates in coping with job demands. To examine this phenomenon, a study involving 189 graduates was conducted. The study predicted that the duration of a graduate’s job search would affect their mature and immature self-defense mechanisms. The study also examined the difference between graduates with matched and mismatched jobs in using immature and immature self-defense. The study found that taking a longer time to get the first job negatively affects one’s mature self-defense, while there are no significant effects on the immature self-defense mechanism. This study showed that graduates who obtain jobs earlier after graduating tend to apply mature self-defense mechanisms (e.g., sublimation, humor, anticipation, & suppression) compared those who obtain job only after a longer duration. Regarding the differences between the two groups of graduates in using each self-defense mechanisms, the study found no significant difference. The findings showed that the mature psychological self-defense mechanism was more frequently used among graduates who get jobs sooner after graduation than among those who obtain jobs after a longer search. The study findings may help employed graduates to understand their self-defense mechanisms in adapting to their work environment based on the start of their first job.
Dose Prediction and Pharmacokinetic Simulation of XZP-5610, a Small Molecule for NASH Therapy, Using Allometric Scaling and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Models

The objectives of this study were to support dose selection of a novel FXR agonist XZP-5610 in first-in-human (FIH) trials and to predict its liver concentrations in Chinese healthy adults. Key parameters for extrapolation were measured using in vitro and in vivo models. Allometric scaling methods were employed to predict human pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters and doses for FIH clinical trials. To simulate the PK profiles, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed using animal data and subsequently validated with clinical data. The PBPK model was employed to simulate XZP-5610 concentrations in the human liver across different dose groups. XZP-5610 exhibited high permeability, poor solubility, and extensive binding to plasma proteins. After a single intravenous or oral administration of XZP-5610, the PK parameters obtained from rats and beagle dogs were used to extrapolate human parameters, resulting in a clearance of 138 mL/min and an apparent volume of distribution of 41.8 L. The predicted maximum recommended starting dose (MRSD), minimal anticipated biological effect level (MABEL), and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) were 0.15, 2, and 3 mg, respectively. The PK profiles and parameters of XZP-5610, predicted using the PBPK model, demonstrated good consistency with the clinical data. By using allometric scaling and PBPK models, the doses, PK profile, and especially the liver concentrations were successfully predicted in the FIH study.
Cation-coupled chloride influx in squid axon. Role of potassium and stoichiometry of the transport process

Evidence is presented showing that the Cl- uptake process in the squid giant axon is tightly coupled not only to Na+ uptake but also to K+ uptake. Thus, removal of external K+ causes both Cl- and Na+ influxes to be reduced, particularly when [Cl-]i is low, that is, under conditions previously shown to be optimal for Cl-/Na+-coupled influx. In addition, there exists a ouabain-insensitive K+ influx, which depends on the presence of external Cl- and Na+, is inversely proportional to [Cl-]i, and is blocked by furosemide/bumetanide. Finally, this ouabain-insensitive K+ influx appears to require the presence of cellular ATP. The stoichiometry of the coupled transport process was measured using a double-labeling technique combining in the same axon either 36Cl and 42K or 22Na and 42K. The stoichiometry of the flux changes occurring in response either to varying [Cl-]i between 150 and 0 mM or to treatment with 0.3 mM furosemide is, in both cases, approximately 3:2:1 (Cl-/Na+/K+). Although these fluxes require ATP, they are not inhibited by 3 mM vanadate. In addition, treatment with DIDS has no effect on the fluxes.