Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Periodontal Therapy on Arterial Structure and Function Among Aboriginal Australians: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Observational studies and nonrandomized trials support an association between periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease. Both diseases occur frequently in Aboriginal Australians. We hypothesized that nonsurgical periodontal therapy would improve measures of arterial function and structure that are subclinical indicators of atherosclerotic vascular disease. This parallel-group, randomized, open label clinical trial enrolled 273 Aboriginal Australians aged ≥18 years with periodontitis. Intervention participants received full-mouth periodontal scaling during a single visit, whereas controls received no treatment. Prespecified primary end points measured 12-month change in carotid intima-media thickness, an indicator of arterial structure, and 3- and 12-month change in pulse wave velocity, an indicator of arterial function. ANCOVA used complete case data to evaluate treatment group differences. End points could be calculated for 169 participants with follow-up data at 3 months and 168 participants at 12 months. Intima-media thickness decreased significantly after 12 months in the intervention group (mean reduction=−0.023 [95% confidence interval {CI}, −0.038 to −0.008] mm) but not in the control group (mean increase=0.002 [95% CI, −0.017 to 0.022] mm). The difference in intima-media thickness change between treatment groups was statistically significant (−0.026 [95% CI, −0.048 to −0.003] mm; P=0.03). In contrast, there were no significant differences between treatment groups in pulse wave velocity at 3 months (mean difference, 0.06 [95% CI, −0.17 to 0.29] m/s; P=0.594) or 12 months (mean difference, 0.21 [95% CI, −0.01 to 0.43] m/s; P=0.062). Periodontal therapy reduced subclinical arterial thickness but not function in Aboriginal Australians with periodontal disease, suggesting periodontal disease and atherosclerosis are significantly associated.
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Living organisms function in accordance with complex mechanisms that operate in different ways depending on conditions. Darwin’s theory of evolution suggests that such mechanisms evolved through variation guided by natural selection. However, there has existed no theory that would explain quantitatively which mechanisms can so evolve in realistic population sizes within realistic time periods, and which are too complex. In this article, we suggest such a theory. We treat Darwinian evolution as a form of computational learning from examples in which the course of learning is influenced only by the aggregate fitness of the hypotheses on the examples, and not otherwise by specific examples. We formulate a notion of evolvability that distinguishes function classes that are evolvable with polynomially bounded resources from those that are not. We show that in a single stage of evolution monotone Boolean conjunctions and disjunctions are evolvable over the uniform distribution, while Boolean parity functions are not. We suggest that the mechanism that underlies biological evolution overall is “evolvable target pursuit”, which consists of a series of evolutionary stages, each one inexorably pursuing an evolvable target in the technical sense suggested above, each such target being rendered evolvable by the serendipitous combination of the environment and the outcomes of previous evolutionary stages.
Perceptual adjustment to foreign-accented English with short term exposure

Non-native, or 'foreign-accented,' speech deviates from native pronunciation norms, and these deviations can cause perceptual difficulty for listeners. However, there is reason to believe that non-native speech can be learned by the adult perceptual system. The present study investigated perceptual learning of foreign-accented speech with very limited experience. Sixteen auditory sentences were presented to two groups whose task was to indicate whether an orthographic word presented immediately after each sentence matched the final word of the sentence. The experimental group heard 16 Spanish-accented sentences. For the control group, only the last four sentences were accented; the rest were non-accented. The experimental group’s response time decreased across the sixteen sentences, suggesting they rapidly adjusted to the accented speech. The experimental group was also faster for the last four accented sentences compared to the control group, indicating learning was not completely due to practice with the task. speech
A deuterium and phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance study of the interaction of melittin with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers and the effects of contaminating phospholipase A2.

The interaction of bee venom melittin with dimyristolphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) selectively deuteriated in the choline head group has been studied by deuterium and phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The action of residual phospholipase A2 in melittin samples resulted in mixtures of DMPC and its hydrolytic products that underwent reversible transitions at temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees C from extended bilayers to micellar particles which gave narrow single-line deuterium and phosphorus-31 NMR spectra. Similar transitions were observed in DMPC-myristoyllysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC)-myristic acid mixtures containing melittin but not in melittin-free mixtures, indicating that melittin is able to stabilize extended bilayers containing DMPC and its hydrolytic products in the liquid-crystalline phase. Melittin, free of phospholipase A2 activity, and at 3-5 mol% relative to DMPC, induced reversible transitions between extended bilayers and micellar particles on passing through the liquid-crystalline to gel phase transition temperature of the lipid, effects similar to those observed in melittin-acyl chain deuterated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) mixtures [Dufourc, E. J., Smith, I. C. P., & Dufourcq, J. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 6448-6455]. LysoPC at concentrations of 20 mol% or greater relative to DMPC induced transitions between extended bilayers and micellar particles with characteristics similar to those induced by melittin. It is proposed that these melittin- and lysoPC-induced transitions share similar mechanisms. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Photoacoustic Imaging for Differential Diagnosis of Benign Polyps versus Malignant Polyps of the Gallbladder: A Preliminary Study

Objective To investigate the feasibility of ex vivo multispectral photoacoustic (PA) imaging in differentiating cholesterol versus neoplastic polyps, and benign versus malignant polyps, of the gallbladder. Materials and Methods A total of 38 surgically confirmed gallbladder polyps (24 cholesterol polyps, 4 adenomas, and 10 adenocarcinomas) from 38 patients were prospectively included in this study. The surgical specimens were set on a gel pad immersed in a saline-filled container. The PA intensities of polyps were then measured, using two separate wavelength intervals (421–647 nm and 692–917 nm). Mann-Whitney U test was performed for the comparison of normalized PA intensities between the cholesterol and neoplastic polyps, and between the benign and malignant polyps. Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted for the comparison of normalized PA intensities among the cholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas. Results A significant difference was observed in the normalized PA intensities between the cholesterol and neoplastic polyps at 459 nm (median, 1.00 vs. 0.73; p = 0.032). Comparing the benign and malignant polyps, there were significant differences in the normalized PA intensities at 765 nm (median, 0.67 vs. 0.78; p = 0.013), 787 nm (median, 0.65 vs. 0.77; p = 0.034), and 853 nm (median, 0.59 vs. 0.85; p = 0.028). The comparison of the normalized PA intensities among cholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas demonstrated marginally significant differences at 765 nm (median, 0.67 vs. 0.66 vs. 0.78, respectively; p = 0.049). Conclusion These preliminary results indicate that benign versus malignant gallbladder polyps might exhibit different spectral patterns on multispectral PA imaging.
Bullying in Context: An Analysis of Psychosomatic Complaints Among Adolescents in Stockholm

Using multilevel modeling, this study examined how different types of bullying, involving both peers and teachers, relate to psychosomatic health complaints. Data were obtained via the Stockholm School Survey from 41,032 ninth- and eleventh-grade students in the years 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Results showed that students involved in bullying as either a bully, a victim, or both a bully and a victim displayed poorer psychosomatic health than those not involved in bullying. Victims of peer-bullying also reported significantly poorer health than perpetrators. Two class-aggregated measures of bullying remained positively associated with ninth-grade student health complaints even when their individual-level analogues were taken into account. Thus, both the proportion of victims of teacher-bullying and peer-bullying in the school class appeared to generate health problems that go beyond the directly exposed students. However, an interaction revealed that the latter association was confined to female students only.
Reversal of neuroleptic‐induced catalepsy by novel aryl‐piperazine anxiolytic drugs

Abstract— The novel anxiolytic drug, buspirone, reverses catalepsy induced by haloperidol. A series of aryl‐piperazine analogues of buspirone and other 5‐hydroxytryptaminergic agonists were tested for their ability to reverse haloperidol induced catalepsy. Those drugs with strong affinity for 5‐hydroxytryptamine1a receptors were able to reverse catalepsy. Drugs with affinity for other 5‐HT receptors or weak affinity were ineffective. However, inhibition of postsynaptic 5‐HT receptors neither inhibited nor potentiated reversal of catalepsy and leaves open the question as to the site or mechanism for this effect.
Neonatal nutrition, adult antioxidant defences and sexual attractiveness in the zebra finch

Early nutrition has recently been shown to have pervasive, downstream effects on adult life–history parameters including lifespan, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Damage to biomolecules caused by oxidants, such as free radicals generated during metabolic processes, is widely recognized as a key contributor to somatic degeneration and the rate of ageing. Lipophilic antioxidants (carotenoids, vitamins A and E) are an important component of vertebrate defences against such damage. By using an avian model, we show here that independent of later nutrition, individuals experiencing a short period of low–quality nutrition during the nestling period had a twofold reduction in plasma levels of these antioxidants at adulthood. We found no effects on adult external morphology or sexual attractiveness: in mate–choice trials females did not discriminate between adult males that had received standard– or lower–quality diet as neonates. Our results suggest low–quality neonatal nutrition resulted in a long–term impairment in the capacity to assimilate dietary antioxidants, thereby setting up a need to trade off the requirement for antioxidant activity against the need to maintain morphological development and sexual attractiveness. Such state–dependent trade–offs could underpin the link between early nutrition and senescence.
Polymorphism 2184A/G in the AGER gene is not associated with diabetic retinopathy in Han Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective To assess the association between the 2184A/G polymorphism in the advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor (AGER) gene and the susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Han Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This cross-sectional genotyping study included patients with T2DM with and without DR. Genotype and allele frequencies of the 2184A/G polymorphism were detected using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis. Results This study included 943 patients with T2DM (285 with DR [DR group] and 658 without DR [NDR group]). There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, postprandial 2-hour blood glucose, and triglycerides between the two groups. The duration of T2DM and systolic blood pressure were significantly increased in the DR group compared with the NDR group. No significant differences were found in allele (A and G) and genotype (AA, AG and GG) frequencies of the 2184A/G polymorphism between the two groups. Conclusion The 2184A/G polymorphism in the AGER gene is not associated with DR in Han Chinese patients with T2DM.
A Doherty Power Amplifier Design Method for Improved Efficiency and Linearity

A novel Doherty power amplifier (PA) design method enabling high efficiency and high linearity simultaneously is proposed. The output combiner network is treated as a black box, and its parameters, together with the input phase delay, are solved based on given transistor characteristics and design requirements. This opens for new PA solutions with nonconventional Doherty behavior. The increased design space enables new tradeoffs in Doherty PA designs, including solutions with both high efficiency and high linearity simultaneously. A method utilizing the new design space is developed. For verification, a 20-W 2.14-GHz symmetrical gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors Doherty PA is fabricated and measured. The PA obtains an average power added efficiency of 40% and an adjacent power leakage ratio of -41 dBc without any linearization for an 8.6-dB peak to average power ratio 10-MHz-long term evolution signal, at an average output power of 35.5 dBm.
Incremental multi-hop scheduling algorithms for all-optical broadcast-and-select networks with arbitrary tuning latencies

We focus on all-optical broadcast and select slotted WDM networks. Each network user is equipped with one tunable transmitter and one fixed receiver; full connectivity is achieved by tuning transmitters to all different wavelengths available in the optical spectrum. Tuning latencies are considered to be not negligible with respect to the slot time. A centralized network controller allocates slots in a TDM/WDM frame according to requests issued by users. User requests are accommodated in the frame incrementally, as soon as they are received by the network controller. We propose a novel scheduling algorithm that may route some flows from source to destination through some intermediate nodes, following a multi-hop approach. Since we aim at an incremental solution, we impose a transparency constraint: new user requests may be accepted only without affecting existing allocations, otherwise they are refused. A heuristic quasi-optimal scheduling algorithm is proposed. Performance results show that significant benefits can be achieved with respect to traditional single-hop approaches.
Autism/excel study

Five high school students with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) participating in the Excel/Autism study were able to demonstrate mastery of a set of Excel topics. The Excel curriculum covered approximately the same topics as are covered in the Excel portion of Computer Business Applications, a class for regular education students at Fox Chapel Area High School, a high school in suburban Pittsburgh. The students with ASD were provided with one-on-one tutoring support. Two of the five ASD participants self-initiated activities and engaged in generative thinking to a substantial degree over the course of the eight instructional sessions for which data was recorded. Two others demonstrated lesser amounts of this behavior, and one participant did not demonstrate any. The ASD experimental participants, as compared to a treatment group of three students with ASD who did not receive instruction in Excel, demonstrated improvement in a multi-step planning task which was significant.
Origin of Shallow Volcanic Tremor: The Dynamics of Gas Pockets Trapped Beneath Thin Permeable Media

Linking volcano‐seismic signals with subsurface processes is crucial to improve the forecasting of volcanic eruptions. One of the most enigmatic signals is shallow volcanic tremor, a highly periodic ground vibration that is typically sourced beneath the crater of active volcanoes, is long lasting (from minutes to years), appears during unrest periods, and frequently precedes eruptions. In this paper, we demonstrate that shallow tremor can be produced by periodic pressure oscillations emerging spontaneously beneath permeable media (e.g., fractured magma caps). These pressure oscillations are the result of three concurrent processes: (a) the transient porous flow of gases through the permeable cap; (b) the temporary accumulation of these gases beneath the cap, forming a gas pocket; and (c) the random supply of volatiles from deeper levels. For highly permeable media (≥10−12 m2; realistic for shallow volcanic edifices), the pressure in subsurface gas pockets is governed by the equation of a linear oscillator; hence, under proper conditions, periodic pressure oscillations emerge during the transfer of gases from the Earth's interior to the surface. Our model is consistent with geophysical data showing that the tremor source is localized at a fixed region and can explain the main characteristics of ground vibrations, including frequency gliding, variations of seismic amplitude prior to eruptions, and the different types of tremor observed. For thin permeable caps (<100 m), we find that different eruption mechanisms (e.g., magma ascent vs. cap sealing) leave distinct footprints in the tremor properties, thus opening new perspectives to forecast the type and style of impending eruptions.
Accurate simulations of the interplay between process and statistical variability for nanoscale FinFET-based SRAM cell stability

In this paper we illustrate how by using advanced atomistic TCAD tools the interplay between long-range process variation and short-range statistical variability in FinFETs can be accurately modelled and simulated for the purposes of Design-Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO). The proposed statistical simulation and compact modelling methodology is demonstrated via a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of FinFET variability on SRAM cell stability.
Political ecology II: theorizing region

In this second of three reports exploring the incorporation of human geography theory within political ecology I focus on regions. I review how regions are theorized in human geography and conclude that political ecologists have used the concept inconsistently. I suggest that three trajectories in recent studies offer possibilities for a more rigorous theorization of regions within political ecology: (1) work employing theorizations of the social production of space and the co-constitution of nature, space, and society; (2) engagements with the political economy of natural resources literature, especially resource conflict; and (3) work linking historical materialist-oriented ‘new’ regional geography with discourse theory.
Comparison of the Outcomes of Individuals With Medically Attended Influenza A and B Virus Infections Enrolled in 2 International Cohort Studies Over a 6-Year Period: 2009–2015

Abstract Background Outcome data from prospective follow-up studies comparing infections with different influenza virus types/subtypes are limited. Methods Demographic, clinical characteristics and follow-up outcomes for adults with laboratory-confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), or B virus infections were compared in 2 prospective cohorts enrolled globally from 2009 through 2015. Logistic regression was used to compare outcomes among influenza virus type/subtypes. Results Of 3952 outpatients, 1290 (32.6%) had A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection, 1857 (47.0%) had A(H3N2), and 805 (20.4%) had influenza B. Of 1398 inpatients, 641 (45.8%) had A(H1N1)pdm09, 532 (38.1%) had A(H3N2), and 225 (16.1%) had influenza B. Outpatients with A(H1N1)pdm09 were younger with fewer comorbidities and were more likely to be hospitalized during the 14-day follow-up (3.3%) than influenza B (2.2%) or A(H3N2) (0.7%; P < .0001). Hospitalized patients with A(H1N1)pdm09 (20.3%) were more likely to be enrolled from intensive care units (ICUs) than those with A(H3N2) (11.3%) or B (9.8%; P < .0001). However, 60-day follow-up of discharged inpatients showed no difference in disease progression (P = .32) or all-cause mortality (P = .30) among influenza types/subtypes. These findings were consistent after covariate adjustment, in sensitivity analyses, and for subgroups defined by age, enrollment location, and comorbidities. Conclusions Outpatients infected with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 or influenza B were more likely to be hospitalized than those with A(H3N2). Hospitalized patients infected with A(H1N1)pdm09 were younger and more likely to have severe disease at study entry (measured by ICU enrollment), but did not have worse 60-day outcomes.
Rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of positive blood cultures using MALDI-TOF MS and a modification of the standardised disc diffusion test: a pilot study

Aims In an era when clinical microbiology laboratories are under increasing financial pressure, there is a need for inexpensive, yet effective, rapid microbiology tests. The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel modification of standard methodology for the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of pathogens in positive blood cultures, reducing the turnaround time of laboratory results by 24 h. Methods 277 positive blood cultures had a Gram stain performed and were subcultured and incubated at 37°C in a CO2 atmosphere for 4–6 h. Identification of the visible growth was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Taking a modified approach to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute-standardised AST methodology, an inoculum density of 0.5 McFarland was prepared from the early growth for disc diffusion testing. The standard AST method was also performed on the 18–24 h culture. Results 96% (n=73/76) of gram-negative organisms were correctly identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Comparative analysis of the rapid and standard AST results showed an overall interpretive category error rate of 7.7% (6.7% minor errors, 0.6% major errors and 0.4% very major errors). 100% of Staphylococcus aureus (n=41) and enterococcus isolates (n=9) were correctly identified after 4–6 h incubation. The overall AST categorical agreement was also 100% for these isolates. Conclusions An incubation of 4–6 h directly from positive blood cultures allowed for both a rapid species identification and an antimicrobial susceptibility result approximately 24 h earlier than is possible using standard methodology.