Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Guillain–Barre syndrome associated with Norovirus infection

The authors describe a case of Guillain–Barre syndrome after the diarrhoeal infection due to Norovirus. Many infections have been described most notably Campylobacter jejuni. To our knowledge a connection to Norovirus has not been described in the world literature. The authors speculate on why this may be so.
Large crystal growth by thermal control allows combined X-ray and neutron crystallographic studies to elucidate the protonation states in Aspergillus flavus urate oxidase

Urate oxidase (Uox) catalyses the oxidation of urate to allantoin and is used to reduce toxic urate accumulation during chemotherapy. X-ray structures of Uox with various inhibitors have been determined and yet the detailed catalytic mechanism remains unclear. Neutron crystallography can provide complementary information to that from X-ray studies and allows direct determination of the protonation states of the active-site residues and substrate analogues, provided that large, well-ordered deuterated crystals can be grown. Here, we describe a method and apparatus used to grow large crystals of Uox (Aspergillus flavus) with its substrate analogues 8-azaxanthine and 9-methyl urate, and with the natural substrate urate, in the presence and absence of cyanide. High-resolution X-ray (1.05–1.20 Å) and neutron diffraction data (1.9–2.5 Å) have been collected for the Uox complexes at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and the Institut Laue-Langevin, respectively. In addition, room temperature X-ray data were also collected in preparation for joint X-ray and neutron refinement. Preliminary results indicate no major structural differences between crystals grown in H2O and D2O even though the crystallization process is affected. Moreover, initial nuclear scattering density maps reveal the proton positions clearly, eventually providing important information towards unravelling the mechanism of catalysis.
GMAlign: A new network aligner for revealing large conserved functional components

The alignment of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks is an effective approach to uncover the functionally conserved sub-structure between networks. A wealth of approaches have been developed for global PPI network alignment in recent years. However, due to the computational intractability caused by its NP-completeness, global PPI network alignment remains challenging in finding large conserved components stably for various PPI network pairs. In this paper, we introduce a novel global network aligner based on graph matching method called GMAlign. We assess the outperformance of GMAlign over the state-of-the-art network aligners on various PPI network pairs from the largest BioGRID dataset. It is shown that GMAlign not only can produce larger size alignment, but also can find bigger and denser common connected subgraphs robustly for the first time. Moreover, we shows that GMAlign can produce both structurally and functionally meaningful results in detecting large conserved biological pathways between species. The GMAlign software, datasets and supplementary experimental results can be downloaded at https://github.com/yzlwhu/GMAlign.
A Comparison of Assisted and Unassisted Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Techniques and Static Stretching

Abstract Maddigan, ME, Peach, AA, and Behm, DG. A comparison of assisted and unassisted proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques and static stretching. J Strength Cond Res 26(5): 1238–1244, 2012—Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching often requires a partner. Straps are available allowing an individual to perform PNF stretching alone. It is not known if a strap provides similar improvements in the range of motion (ROM) as partner-assisted PNF or static stretching. The purpose of this study was to compare assisted and unassisted (with a strap) PNF stretching and static stretching. Hip joint ROM, reaction time (RT), and movement time (MT) were measured prestretching and poststretching. Thirteen recreationally active adults participated in this study. The participants were subjected to 5 different stretch interventions in a random order on separate days. Stretch conditions included unassisted PNF stretching using (a) isometric, (b) concentric, and (c) eccentric contractions with a stretch strap, (d) partner-assisted isometric PNF, and (e) static stretching. The RT, MT, dynamic, active, passive hip flexion angle, and angular velocity with dynamic hip flexion were measured before and after the intervention. The ROM improved (p < 0.05) 2.6, 2.7, and 5.4%, respectively, with dynamic, active static, and passive static ROM, but there was no significant difference between the stretching protocols. There was a main effect for time (p < 0.05) with all stretching conditions negatively impacting dynamic angular velocity (9.2%). Although there was no significant effect on RT, MT showed a negative main effect for time (p < 0.05) slowing 3.4%. In conclusion, it was found that all 3 forms of active stretching provided similar improvements in the ROM and poststretching performance decrements in MT and angular velocity. Thus, individuals can implement PNF stretching techniques with a partner or alone with a strap to improve ROM, but athletes should not use these techniques before important competitions or training because of the impairment of limb velocity and MT.
Implementation of Olfactory Bulb Glomerular-Layer Computations in a Digital Neurosynaptic Core

We present a biomimetic system that captures essential functional properties of the glomerular layer of the mammalian olfactory bulb, specifically including its capacity to decorrelate similar odor representations without foreknowledge of the statistical distributions of analyte features. Our system is based on a digital neuromorphic chip consisting of 256 leaky-integrate-and-fire neurons, 1024 × 256 crossbar synapses, and address-event representation communication circuits. The neural circuits configured in the chip reflect established connections among mitral cells, periglomerular cells, external tufted cells, and superficial short-axon cells within the olfactory bulb, and accept input from convergent sets of sensors configured as olfactory sensory neurons. This configuration generates functional transformations comparable to those observed in the glomerular layer of the mammalian olfactory bulb. Our circuits, consuming only 45 pJ of active power per spike with a power supply of 0.85 V, can be used as the first stage of processing in low-power artificial chemical sensing devices inspired by natural olfactory systems.
Postnatal development of persistent inward currents in rat XII motoneurons and their modulation by serotonin, muscarine and noradrenaline

Persistent inward currents (PICs) in spinal motoneurons are long‐lasting, voltage‐dependent currents that increase excitability; they are dramatically potentiated by serotonin, muscarine, and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Loss of these modulators (and the PIC) during sleep is hypothesized as a major contributor to REM sleep atonia. Reduced excitability of XII motoneurons that drive airway muscles and maintain airway patency is causally implicated in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), but whether XII motoneurons possess a modulator‐sensitive PIC that could be a factor in the reduced airway tone of sleep is unknown. Whole‐cell recordings from rat XII motoneurons in brain slices indicate that PIC amplitude increases ∼50% between 1 and 23 days of age, when potentiation of the PIC by 5HT2, muscarinic, or α1 noradrenergic agonists peaks at <50%, manyfold lower than the potentiation observed in spinal motoneurons. α1 noradrenergic receptor activation produced changes in XII motoneuron firing behaviour consistent with PIC involvement, but indicators of strong PIC activation were never observed; in vivo experiments are needed to determine the role of the modulator‐sensitive PIC in sleep‐dependent reductions in airway tone.
Binge drinking in the preconception period and the risk of unintended pregnancy: implications for women and their children.

OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship between unintended pregnancy resulting in a live birth and binge drinking (having 5 or more alcoholic beverages on 1 occasion) in the 3 months before pregnancy (the preconception period) and to characterize women who are of childbearing age and binge drink. METHODS A case-control study was conducted of women with pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, comparing those with unintended pregnancies with those with intended pregnancies. Data analyzed were from the 15 states that participated in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 1996-1999. RESULTS Of 72 907 respondents, 45% of pregnancies were unintended. Compared with women with intended pregnancy, women with unintended pregnancy were more likely to be young and black and to report preconception binge drinking (16.3% vs 11.9%; odds ratio [OR]: 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.54). After adjusting for potential confounders, preconception binge drinking was associated with unintended pregnancy for white women (adjusted OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.47-1.80) but not for black women (adjusted OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.77-1.20). Overall, 14% of women reported preconception binge drinking. Women who binge drank in the preconception period were more likely to be white and unmarried; to smoke and be exposed to violence in the preconception period; and to consume alcohol, binge drink, and smoke during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Binge drinking in the preconception period was associated with unintended pregnancies resulting in a live birth among white women but not among black women. Preconception binge drinkers were more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, including drinking during pregnancy. Comprehensive interventions to reduce binge drinking may reduce unintended pregnancies, as well as other adverse maternal and pediatric health outcomes.
Performance Evaluation Model for Scheduling in Global Computing Systems

Striking progress of network technology is enabling high performance global computing, in which computational and data resources in a wide-area network (WAN) are transparently employed to solve large-scale problems. Several high performance global computing systems, such as Ninf, NetSolve, RCS, Legion, and Globus, have already been proposed. Each of these systems proposes to effectively achieve high performance with some efficient scheduling scheme, whereby a scheduler selects a set of appropriate computing resources that solve the client’s computational problem. This paper proposes a performance evaluation model for effective scheduling in global computing systems. The proposed model represents a global computing system by a queuing network, in which servers and networks are represented by queuing systems. Verification of the proposed model and evaluation of scheduling schemes on the model showed that the model could simulate behavior of an actual global computing system and scheduling on the system effectively.
E-Learning and Information Security Management

Many e-learning institutions are rushing into adopting ICT without carefully planning and understanding any related security concerns. Elearning is a new method of learning which ultimately depends on the Internet in its execution. The Internet has become the venue for a new set of illegal activities, and the e-learning environment is now exposed to such threats. In this paper, elearning context, definition, characteristics, development, growth, benefits and challenges are all elaborated upon. This paper discusses the security elements required to be implemented within elearning environments. In addition, the paper explains the situation and existing research relating to security in e-learning. Furthermore, information security management is suggested to contribute to preparing a secured e-learning environment.
Neuroprotective effects of prior limb use in 6‐hydroxydopamine‐treated rats: possible role of GDNF

Unilateral administration of 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) causes a loss of dopamine (DA) in the ipsilateral striatum and contralateral motor deficits. However, if a cast is placed on the ipsilateral limb during the first 7 days following 6‐OHDA infusion, forcing the animal to use its contralateral limb, both the behavioral and neurochemical deficits are reduced. Here, we examine the effect of forced reliance on a forelimb during the 7 days prior to ipsilateral infusion of 6‐OHDA on the deficits characteristic of this lesion model. Casted animals displayed no behavioral asymmetries as measured 14–28 days postlesion and a marked attenuation in the loss of striatal DA and its metabolites at 30 days. In addition, animals receiving a unilateral cast alone had an increase in glial cell‐line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protein in the striatum corresponding to the overused limb. GDNF increased within 1 day after the onset of casting, peaked at 3 days, and returned to baseline within 7 days. These results suggest that preinjury forced limb‐use can prevent the behavioral and neurochemical deficits to the subsequent administration of 6‐OHDA and that this may be due in part to neuroprotective effects of GDNF.
Gene Expression Studies Using Affymetrix Microarrays

If you really want to be smarter, reading can be one of the lots ways to evoke and realize. Many people who like reading will have more knowledge and experiences. Reading can be a way to gain information from economics, politics, science, fiction, literature, religion, and many others. As one of the part of book categories, gene expression studies using affymetrix microarrays always becomes the most wanted book. Many people are absolutely searching for this book. It means that many love to read this kind of book.
Venous thromboembolic disease

During the past year, the findings of several clinical trials have been published that have important implications for the care of patients with venous thromboembolism. These clinical trials have produced advances in the diagnosis and treatment of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism and in the prevention of venous thromboembolism in high-risk patients. In patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism, the value and limitations of ventilation-perfusion lung scanning have been established, and it is now accepted that objective tests for deep vein thrombosis have an important role. There have been important advances also in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis; these advances include the finding that impedance plethysmography is effective in pregnant symptomatic patients and the development of an objective technique for Doppler ultrasound. The optimal duration of initial intravenous heparin treatment for established thrombosis has been determined. In the prevention of venous thromboembolism, the effectiveness of sequential intermittent compression in patients having hip replacement has been established, and further data on the effectiveness of low-molecular-weight heparin in high-risk patients have become available.
Power supply synchronization without communication

We consider the synchronization of power supplies in an isolated grid with multiple small-to-medium power sources. We show how to achieve a coordinated or synchronized behavior by imposing suitable dynamical behaviors to the controlled converters that interface each power source with the local power bus, without any explicit exchange of information among the power supply units. This approach avoids the need for an independent communication network and therefore improves the overall system reliability. The method proposed to achieve synchronization does not rely on the common approach of mimicking the dynamical behavior of interconnected synchronous generators.
Mechanism of the Antiviral Action of 3-Methyleneoxindole

The biochemical basis underlying the antiviral action of 3-methyleneoxindole (MO), a plant metabolite, was examined in HeLa cells infected with poliovirus. In the presence of antiviral concentrations of MO, poliovirus-specific ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis can proceed normally, and the RNA synthesized under such conditions is infectious. It is suggested that the ability of MO to bind to ribosomes of HeLa cells may underlie the antiviral affect. Data are presented which indicate that poliovirus messenger RNA cannot attach to those ribosomes which already are bound to MO. Consequently, virus-specific polysomes cannot be recovered from infected cells treated with antiviral concentrations of MO. In contrast, antiviral concentrations of MO do not prevent the formation of polysomes in uninfected HeLa cells.
Nonfragile passivity and passification of nonlinear singular networked control systems with randomly occurring controller gain fluctuation

In this article, the nonfragile passivity and passification problems are investigated for a class of nonlinear singular networked control systems (NCSs) with network-induced time-varying delay. In particular, the randomly occurring controller gain fluctuation is taken into consideration by introducing the stochastic variable satisfying the Bernoulli random distribution. By constructing proper Lyapunov–Krasovskii function, delay-dependent sufficient conditions are established to guarantee the passivity of the singular NCSs. Based on the derived results, the nonfragile passification controller is further designed in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of our theoretical results. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2015
The Association of Levels of and Decline in Grip Strength in Old Age with Trajectories of Life Course Occupational Position

Background The study of the influence of life course occupational position (OP) on health in old age demands analysis of time patterns in both OP and health. We study associations between life course time patterns of OP and decline in grip strength in old age. Methods We analyze 5 waves from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (n = 5108, ages 65–90). We use a pattern-mixture latent growth model to predict the level and decline in grip strength in old age by trajectory of life course OP. We extend and generalize the structured regression approach to establish the explanatory power of different life course models for both the level and decline of grip strength. Results Grip strength declined linearly by 0.70 kg (95% CI -0.74;-0.66) for men and 0.42 kg (95% CI -0.45;-0.39) for women per year. The level of men’s grip strength can best be explained by a critical period during midlife, with those exposed to low OP during this period having 1.67 kg (95% CI -2.33;-1.00) less grip strength. These differences remain constant over age. For women, no association between OP and levels of or decline in grip strength was found. Conclusions Men’s OP in midlife seems to be a critical period for the level of grip strength in old age. Inequalities remain constant over age. The integration of the structured regression approach and latent growth modelling offers new possibilities for life course epidemiology.
Effects of moderate-dose versus high-dose trimethoprim on serum creatinine and creatinine clearance and adverse reactions

The effects of a 10-day course of moderate-dose (10 mg/kg/day) or high-dose (20 mg/kg/day) trimethoprim therapy on serum creatinine, measured creatinine clearance, urinary creatinine excretion, and serum folate were studied in 20 healthy volunteers. Serum creatinine concentrations increased significantly during trimethoprim therapy, began to decrease near day 10, and returned to baseline during the washout phase at both dosage levels. At the same time, measured creatinine clearance and urine creatinine changed in the opposite direction. No clinical or statistical differences were noted between changes in the moderate- versus the high-dose phases. Serum folate concentration decreases during high-dose trimethoprim therapy were statistically significant. Adverse drug reactions in the two groups were statistically different during the first study period, with the high-dose group having a 75% incidence rate and the moderate-dose group having an 11% incidence rate (P < 0.02). Serum creatinine, measured creatinine clearance, and urinary creatinine excretion demonstrated statistically, but not clinically, significant changes during trimethoprim therapy. In addition, high-dose trimethoprim caused significantly more adverse drug reactions than moderate-dose trimethoprim in normal volunteers.
Changing Geographic Patterns and Risk Factors for Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Infections in Humans, China

The fifth epidemic wave of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China during 2016–2017 demonstrated a geographic range expansion and caused more human cases than any previous wave. The factors that may explain the recent range expansion and surge in incidence remain unknown. We investigated the effect of anthropogenic, poultry, and wetland variables on all epidemic waves. Poultry predictor variables became much more important in the last 2 epidemic waves than they were previously, supporting the assumption of much wider H7N9 transmission in the chicken reservoir. We show that the future range expansion of H7N9 to northern China may increase the risk of H7N9 epidemic peaks coinciding in time and space with those of seasonal influenza, leading to a higher risk of reassortments than before, although the risk is still low so far.
Few-layered graphene growth by carbon implantation into polycrystalline nickel substrate

Carbon ions were implanted into nickel films to facilitate growth of few-layered graphene. After vacuum annealing at 950 °C, G and 2D peaks were seen in micro-Raman measurements of the nickel film. No D peak, which is associated with sp3 adsorbates and vacancies/defects in graphene, was observed.
Slow permeation of organic cations in acetylcholine receptor channels

Block, permeation, and agonist action of small organic amine compounds were studied in acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channels. Single channel conductances were calculated from fluctuation analysis at the frog neuromuscular junction and measured by patch clamp of cultured rat myotubes. The conductance was depressed by a few millimolar external dimethylammonium, arginine, dimethyldiethanolammonium, and Tris. Except with dimethylammonium, the block was intensified with hyperpolarization. A two-barrier Eyring model describes the slowed permeation and voltage dependence well for the three less permeant test cations. The cations were assumed to pause at a site halfway across the electric field of the channel while passing through it. For the voltage- independent action of highly permeant dimethylammonium, a more appropriate model might be a superficial binding site that did not prevent the flow of other ions, but depressed it. Solutions of several amine compounds were found to have agonist activity at millimolar concentrations, inducing brief openings of AChR channels on rat myotubes in the absence of ACh.
Person specific activity recognition using fuzzy learning and Discriminant Analysis

One of the major issues that activity recognition methods should be able to face is the style variations observed in the execution of activities performed by different humans. In order to address this issue we propose a person-specific activity recognition framework in which human identification proceeds activity recognition. After recognizing the ID of the human depicted in a video stream, a person-specific activity classifier is responsible to recognize the activity performed by the human. Exploiting the enriched human body information captured by a multi-camera setup, view-invariant person and activity representations are obtained. The classification procedure involves Fuzzy Vector Quantization and Linear Discriminant Analysis. The proposed method is applied on drinking and eating activity recognition as well as on other activity recognition tasks. Experiments show that the person-specific approach outperforms the person-independent one.