Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pediatrics and adolescent medicine.

Infections caused by penicillin- and cephalosporin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae are becoming important clinical problems in a number of areas of the country and of the world. [See also Infectious Diseases. —Ed.] A study of invasive pneumococcal infections in children with sickle cell disease in Memphis, Tenn, 1 described 6 children who were infected with multiply-resistant pneumococcus. Two of these children died. A review of the experience in this sickle cell disease treatment center showed that 15% of the strains that caused pneumococcal sepsis during a 4½-year period were resistant to penicillin. Vancomycin hydrochloride remains uniformly effective against pneumococcus, and the authors suggest that vancomycin be added to cefotaxime sodium in children with sickle cell disease who have meningitis or another "potentially serious focus of infection such as pneumonia," evidence of overwhelming infection, or a history of sepsis. Penicillin-resistant pneumococci are generally susceptible to the serum concentrations that can be achieved with
Multiple Routes of Pesticide Exposure for Honey Bees Living Near Agricultural Fields

Populations of honey bees and other pollinators have declined worldwide in recent years. A variety of stressors have been implicated as potential causes, including agricultural pesticides. Neonicotinoid insecticides, which are widely used and highly toxic to honey bees, have been found in previous analyses of honey bee pollen and comb material. However, the routes of exposure have remained largely undefined. We used LC/MS-MS to analyze samples of honey bees, pollen stored in the hive and several potential exposure routes associated with plantings of neonicotinoid treated maize. Our results demonstrate that bees are exposed to these compounds and several other agricultural pesticides in several ways throughout the foraging period. During spring, extremely high levels of clothianidin and thiamethoxam were found in planter exhaust material produced during the planting of treated maize seed. We also found neonicotinoids in the soil of each field we sampled, including unplanted fields. Plants visited by foraging bees (dandelions) growing near these fields were found to contain neonicotinoids as well. This indicates deposition of neonicotinoids on the flowers, uptake by the root system, or both. Dead bees collected near hive entrances during the spring sampling period were found to contain clothianidin as well, although whether exposure was oral (consuming pollen) or by contact (soil/planter dust) is unclear. We also detected the insecticide clothianidin in pollen collected by bees and stored in the hive. When maize plants in our field reached anthesis, maize pollen from treated seed was found to contain clothianidin and other pesticides; and honey bees in our study readily collected maize pollen. These findings clarify some of the mechanisms by which honey bees may be exposed to agricultural pesticides throughout the growing season. These results have implications for a wide range of large-scale annual cropping systems that utilize neonicotinoid seed treatments.
NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission Formulation

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission is one of the first Earth observation satellites being formulated by NASA in response to the 2007 National Research Council’s Earth Science Decadal Survey [1]. SMAP’s measurement objectives are highresolution global measurements of near-surface soil moisture and its freeze-thaw state. These measurements would allow significantly improved estimates of water, energy and carbon transfers between the land and atmosphere. The soil moisture control of these fluxes is a key factor in the performance of atmospheric models used for weather forecasts and climate projections. Soil moisture measurements are also of great importance in assessing flooding and monitoring drought. Knowledge gained from SMAP’s planned observations can help mitigate these natural hazards, resulting in 1 For planning and discussion purposes only. https://ntrs.nasa. gov/search.jsp? R=20110011773 2017-09-14T02:32:30+00:00Z
Optimum Patch Selection Using GA in Exemplar Based Image In-painting

Image in-painting is the art of restoring lost and selected parts of an image based on the background information in such a way so that the change is not observed by the observer. Image In-painting is very important and emerging field of research in image processing. Image Inpainting algorithm have numerous applications such as rebuilding of damaged photographs & films, heritage preservation, removal of superimposed text, removal/replacement of unwanted objects, red eye correction, image coding etc. In this paper, we are using GA based patch selection approach for Exemplar based Image inpainting using Multiscale graph-cut. In order to improve the computational time and also the acceptable quality of the image, Genetic algorithm is proposed here. Graph cut algorithm is used to solve the problem of energy minimization. Our experiments show how well the proposed algorithm performs compared with the other recent algorithms. Keywords— Image in-painting, graph-cut, Genetic Algorithm, Exemplar, Gradient, mutation.
Focal disruption of the blood-brain barrier due to 260-kHz ultrasound bursts: a method for molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery.

OBJECT The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility of using low-frequency magnetic resonance (MR) image-guided focused ultrasound as a noninvasive method for the temporary disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) at targeted locations. METHODS Rabbits were placed inside a clinical 1.5-tesla MR imaging unit, and sites in their brains were targeted for 20-second burst sonications (frequency 260 kHz). The peak pressure amplitude during the burst varied between 0.1 and 0.9 MPa. Each sonication was performed after an intravenous injection of an ultrasound contrast agent (Optison). The disruption of the BBB was evaluated with the aid of an injection of an MR imaging contrast agent (MAG-NEVIST). Additional tests involving the use of MION-47, a 20-nm magnetic nanoparticle contrast agent, were also performed. The animals were killed at different time points between 3 minutes and 5 weeks postsonication, after which light or electron microscopic evaluation was performed. The threshold for BBB disruption was approximately 0.2 MPa. More than 80% of the brain sites sonicated showed BBB disruption when the pressure amplitude was 0.3 MPa; at 0.4 MPa, this percentage was greater than 90%. Tissue necrosis, ischemia, and apoptosis were not found in tissue in which the pressure amplitude was less than 0.4 MPa; however, in a few areas of brain tissue erythrocytes were identified outside blood vessels following exposures of 0.4 MPa or higher. Survival experiments did not show any long-term adverse events. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that low-frequency ultrasound bursts can induce local, reversible disruption of the BBB without undesired long-term effects. This technique offers a potential noninvasive method for targeted drug delivery in the brain aided by a relatively simple low-frequency device.
Alpha-fetoprotein to transaminase ratio is related to higher diagnostic efficacy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), as the most widely used biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was correlated with ongoing liver damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of inflammatory correction-based AFP to identify HCC from other liver diseases. From March 2012 to March 2017, among 926 participants, a total of 501 patients whose transaminases were higher than the upper limit of normal range, including 166 treatment-naïve HCC patients were enrolled in our retrospective study. The liver function, white blood cell (WBC) count and serum AFP level of all patients were collected at the initial stage of admission. The area under the receiver-operating curve (AUROC) of AFP, AFP/(Aspartate aminotransferase*Alanine aminotransferase) [AFP/(AST*ALT)] and AFP/WBC were compared between the HCC group and the control groups for the quantifying diagnostic efficacy. AUROCs of our novel index AFP/(AST*ALT) were up to 0.853 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.818–0.887, P < .001) and 0.825 (95% CI 0.782–0.868, P < .001), respectively, when differentiating HCC from non-HCC patients and from cirrhosis patients, which was superior to AFP and AFP/WBC. Diagnostic performance of AFP/(AST*ALT) could be verified in hepatitis B virus (HBV)- or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated HCC patients as well. What's more, AFP/(AST*ALT) had a significant positive and moderate correlation with tumor diameter and presence of cancerous emboli or not (Spearman correlation coefficients were 0.323 and 0.305, respectively; both P < .001). For predicting HCC, the optimal cut-off value of AFP/(AST*ALT) is 1.603, and the sensitivity and specificity were 82.8% and 72.7%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the AFP and AFP/WBC. The serum AFP levels based on correction of liver inflammation can effectively improve the diagnostic performance of HCC, providing a new indicator that is simple, economical and pervasive for clinic.
A Theory of Bidding Dynamics and Deadlines in Online Retail

We present an equilibrium search model that parsimoniously rationalizes the use of auctions as a sales mechanism for new-in-box goods--a frequent occurrence in online retail markets--and analyze whether the existence of these auctions is welfare enhancing relative to a market consisting only of posted prices. Buyers have a deadline by which the good must be purchased, and sellers choose between auctions and posted-price mechanisms. As the deadline approaches, buyers increase their bids and are more likely to buy through posted-price listings. The model predicts equilibrium price dispersion even for new, homogeneous goods. Using data on one million auction and posted-price listings for new-in-box items on eBay.com, we find robust evidence consistent with our model. As predicted, bidders increase their bids from one auction to the next, equilibrium price dispersion exists, and auctions and posted-price listings coexist. Fitting the model to the data, we find that retail auctions increase total welfare by 1.8% of the average retail price if listing fees exactly cover platform costs, but reduce welfare by 2.3% if listing fees are pure profit
Human Mutation

Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain Bioinformatics Unit (MF1), Department for Methods Development and Research Infrastructure, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany NKI Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Netherlands Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland L'Institut du Thorax, INSERM, CNRS, Univ Nantes, Nantes, France Service de Cardiologie, L'institut du thorax, CHU Nantes, Nantes, France Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar Women's Health Dexeus, Barcelona, Spain Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
Assessing services, supports and costs for young families under stress.

BACKGROUND Despite the attention paid to family support services in legislation and guidance, there is still relatively little evidence on which to base the development of effective services, and even less on the costs and cost-effectiveness of different models of support. METHODS The study designed and examined the practical feasibility of a methodology for collecting service use data and other information on families. Unit costs of services were calculated and data were collected in interviews with 177 young families under stress in Northern Ireland and South-East England. Service use patterns and costs were analysed. RESULTS Comparisons showed that families made greater use than the general population of many services. There were marked variations within the sample in the patterns of service use and costs, to some extent reflecting differences in the needs of the young families. DISCUSSION The methods developed for collecting service use data, calculating unit costs and estimating costs for families were feasible.
Economics of Road Safety – What does it imply under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?

Road traffic accidents and injuries are a major public health problem and leading cause of death in the Asia EST region (comprises South and Southeast Asia, People's Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mongolia and the Russian Federation). This paper aims to: - Review the Road Safety problem in the EST region, including the economic impact - Review of the role of the UN and its entities in the field of road safety, including the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals - Introduce the basics of economics of road safety and the methodology of cost benefit assessment (CBA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CE) - Review of the status of road safety measures in the EST region and analysis of the importance of investment in road safety in Asia - Develop recommendations on the most cost-effective road safety measures.
TAM receptors , Gas 6 , and protein S : roles in in fl ammation and hemostasis

In recent years, views on hemostasis and inflammation have shifted from a concept of 2 independent areas of biology toward 2 closely related processes. It is now appreciated that molecules that affect hemostasis often have an effect on inflammation and vice versa. In this review, we explore this dual roles of Gas6, protein S, and TAM receptors. TAM receptors are 1 of 20 subfamilies of receptor tyrosine kinases. First cloned in 1991, theywere considered orphan receptors until 1995. In that year, their ligands, protein S and growth arrest–specific gene 6 (Gas6), were identified. Members of the TAM receptor family are Tyro3 (also called Brt, Dtk, Etk-2, Rek, Rse, Sky, and Tif), Axl (also called Ark, Tyro7, and Ufo), and Mer (also called c-Eyk, Mertk, Nyk, and Tyro12). TAM receptors comprise 2 immunoglobulin-like and 2 fibronectin type III repeats in their extracellular domains in tandem. This is connected to a single-pass transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase (Figure 1A). Upon ligand binding, the receptor dimerizes and the tyrosine kinase becomes activated. In recent years, several signaling functions of TAM receptors have been described, such as stimulation of cell growth and proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, mediation of efferocytosis, stimulation of hemostasis, and modulation of inflammation. In this review, we will focus on the functions of the TAM receptors pertaining to hemostasis and inflammation. When activated by Gas6, TAM receptors stimulate hemostasis by facilitating platelet stabilization. The other ligand, protein S, has a TAM-independent inhibitory effect on hemostasis. Activation of the TAM receptors was found to inhibit Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, to induce phagocytosis, and to stimulate natural killer cell development, leading to speculations about a role in preventing autoimmunity. This review delineates the known functional similarities and differences between protein S, Gas6, and the TAM receptors. The recently described knockout mice for protein S, Gas6, and the individual TAM receptors have strongly contributed to the new insights in this field. By comparing the phenotypes of the different knockout mice, we discuss the functions of protein S that are attributable to TAM receptor activation and those functions that are the effect of protein S alone.
Consensus Recommendations for Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex Sonography for the Assessment of Intracranial Arteries in Clinical Trials on Acute Stroke

Background and Purpose— Transcranial color-coded duplex sonography has become a standard diagnostic technique to assess the intracranial arterial status in acute stroke. It is increasingly used for the evaluation of prognosis and the success of revascularization in multicenter trials. The aim of this international consensus procedure was to develop recommendations on the methodology and documentation to be used for assessment of intracranial occlusion and for monitoring of recanalization. Methods— Thirty-five experts participated in the consensus process. The presented recommendations were approved during a meeting of the consensus group in October 2008 in Giessen, Germany. The project was an initiative of the German Competence Network Stroke and performed under the auspices of the Neurosonology Research Group of the World Federation of Neurology. Results— Recommendations are given on how examinations should be performed in the time-limited situation of acute stroke, including criteria to assess the quality of the acoustic bone window, the use of echo contrast agents, and the evaluation of intracranial vessel status. The important issues of the examiners' training and experience, the documentation, and analysis of study results are addressed. One central aspect was the development of standardized criteria for diagnosis of arterial occlusion. A transcranial color-coded duplex sonography recanalization score based on objective hemodynamic criteria is introduced (consensus on grading intracranial flow obstruction [COGIF] score). Conclusions— This work presents consensus statements in an attempt to standardize the application of transcranial color-coded duplex sonography in the setting of acute stroke research, aiming to improve the reliability and reproducibility of the results of future stroke studies.
Segmentation using spatial-feature clustering from image sequences

A method for segmentation of moving objects in outdoor-unconstrained scenes is presented. This work is motivated by a need to monitor the natural environment by using a remote machine vision system to record animal populations. A d'Alembertian of a spatial-temporal Gaussian filter is convolved with a sequence of image frames in order to obtain an image of temporal zero-crossings. Subsequently, the magnitude of the normal visual motion is estimated at each pixel of the spatial-temporal zero-crossings and a spatial motion-based graph-theoretical (GT) clustering is applied. The clustered pixels are backprojected in the original colour image so that we can obtain a colour history image, which is updated for each frame in a sequence. Finally, the output colour history image is processed by a colour-based version of the GT clustering, such that, the segmented object is represented by unimodal colour clusters. This algorithm is very efficient in removing cluttered complex backgrounds and extracting colour features which are subsequently used for recognition.
Benefits and pitfalls in the merging of disciplines: The example of developmental psychopathology and the study of persons with autism

Recent advances in the discipline of developmental psychopathology highlight the contributions of developmental thought to the study of persons with autism. This article briefly outlines primary developmental innovations in theory, methodology, and the interpretation of findings. Specifically, we discuss two sets of issues that arise from the general notion of developmental level. One set is relevant to the choice of persons that comprise the comparison group and the other to the various implications of the subjects' levels of functioning. In sum, we contend that researchers need to frame their empirical work within the context of developmental theory and methodology and interpret their findings accordingly. This will lead to scientifically compelling work and an increasingly heuristic approach to the study of persons with autism.
Evaluation of adaptive/nonadaptive filtering and wavelet transform techniques for noise reduction in EMG mobile acquisition equipment

The myoelectric signal can be used to control many rehabilitation systems, for instance, prostheses and artificial neuromuscular electrical stimulation toward restoring movement to spinal cord injured subjects. These mobile systems are usually used in different environments and thus are being exposed to different noise levels with characteristics not completely known. In this article, three main techniques for noise reduction were evaluated: wavelet transform (WT), adaptive digital filters, and nonadaptive digital filters. The WT was used to reconstruct the signal with the components without noise information. Adaptive filters were designed using least mean square (LMS) and recursive least square (RLS) algorithms. Finite-impulse response (FIR) and infinite-impulse response (IIR) nonadaptive filters were used for comparison to both the adaptive filters and the signal reconstruction through the WT.
Transport of silicon from roots to panicles in plants

Silicon (Si) is the most abundant minerals in soil and exerts beneficial effects on plant growth by alleviating various stresses. The transport of Si from soil to the panicles is mediated by different transporters. Lsi1, belonging to a NIP group of the aquaporin family, is responsible for the uptake of Si from soil into the root cells in both dicots and monocots although its expression patterns and cellular localization differ with plant species. The subsequent transport of Si out of the root cells towards the stele is medicated by an active efflux transporter, Lsi2. Lsi1 and Lsi2 are polarly localized at the distal and proximal sides, respectively, of both exodermis and endodermis in rice root. Silicon in the xylem sap is presented in the form of monosilicic acid and is unloaded by Lsi6, a homolog of Lsi1 in rice. Lsi6 is also involved in the inter-vascular transfer of Si at the node, which is necessary for preferential Si distribution to the panicles.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the retina: From mice to men

This mini‐review provides an overview of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications to study rodent, cat, non‐human primate, and human retinas. These techniques include T1‐ and T2‐weighted anatomical, diffusion, blood flow, blood volume, blood‐oxygenation level dependent, manganese‐enhanced, physiological, and functional MRI. Applications to study the retinas in diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and retinal degeneration are also reviewed. MRI offers some unique advantages compared with existing imaging techniques and has the potential to further our understanding of physiology and function in healthy and diseased retinas. Magn Reson Med 71:1526–1530, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SOLVING 7 7 HEX: VIRTUAL CONNECTIONS AND GAME-STATE REDUCTION

We present an algorithm which determines the outcome of an arbitrary Hex game-state by ﬁ nding a winning virtual connection for the winning player. Our algorithm performs a recursive descent search of the game-tree, combining ﬁ xed and dynamic game-state virtual connection composition rules with some new Hex game-state reduction results based on move domination. The algorithm is powerful enough to solve arbitrary 7 7 game-states; in particular, we use it to determine the outcome of a 7 7 Hex game after each of the 49 possible opening moves, in each case ﬁ nding an explicit proof-tree for the winning player.
Stability margins and passivity for the control of robots operating in varying-impedance environments

It is well-known that if the robot with its end-effector force control is passive, the closed loop system consisting of the robot and an arbitrary passive environment is asymptotically stable. Passive robot control, however, limits the achievable robot impedance reduction. Recently, [1] (Buerger and Hogan, 2007) investigated what performance can be achieved with non-passive control when uncertainty bounds for the environment are known, but unfortunately neglected stability margins. Here we present a robust force control design with stability margins for Buerger and Hogan's example.