Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Ubiquity of Web Tracking: Insights from a Billion-Page Web Crawl

We perform a large-scale analysis of third-party trackers on the World Wide Web. We extract third-party embeddings from more than 3.5~billion web pages of the CommonCrawl 2012 corpus, and aggregate those to a dataset containing more than 140 million third-party embeddings in over 41 million domains. To the best of our knowledge, this constitutes the largest empirical web tracking dataset collected so far, and exceeds related studies by more than an order of magnitude in the number of domains and web pages analyzed. Due to the enormous size of the dataset, we are able to perform a large-scale study of online tracking, on three levels: (1) On a global level, we give a precise figure for the extent of tracking, give insights into the structural properties of the `online tracking sphere' and analyse which trackers (and subsequently, which companies) are used by how many websites. (2) On a country-specific level, we analyse which trackers are used by websites in different countries, and identify the countries in which websites choose significantly different trackers than in the rest of the world. (3) We answer the question whether the content of websites influences the choice of trackers they use, leveraging more than ninety thousand categorized domains. In particular, we analyse whether highly privacy-critical websites about health and addiction make different choices of trackers than other websites. Based on the performed analyses, we confirm that trackers are widespread (as expected), and that a small number of trackers dominates the web (Google, Facebook and Twitter). In particular, the three tracking domains with the highest PageRank are all owned by Google. The only exception to this pattern are a few countries such as China and Russia. Our results suggest that this dominance is strongly associated with country-specific political factors such as freedom of the press. Furthermore, our data confirms that Google still operates services on Chinese websites, despite its proclaimed retreat from the Chinese market. We also confirm that websites with highly privacy-critical content are less likely to contain trackers (60\% vs 90\% for other websites), even though the majority of them still do contain trackers.
Factors associated with specific causes of death amongst HIV-positive individuals in the D:A:D study

Objective:To investigate any emerging trends in causes of death amongst HIV-positive individuals in the current cART era, and to investigate the factors associated with each specific cause of death. Design:An observational multicentre cohort study. Methods:All HIV-positive individuals included in one of the cohorts in the Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV drugs (D:A:D) Study were included. The association between HIV-specific and non HIV-specific risk factors and death were studied using multivariable Poisson regression. Results:We observed 2482 deaths in 180 176 person-years (PY) on 33 308 individuals [rate/1000 PY = 13.8 (95% CI 13.2–14.3)]. Primary causes of death were: AIDS (n = 743; rate/1000 PY = 4.12), liver-related (341; 1.89), CVD-related (289; 1.60), non-AIDS malignancy (286; 1.59). The overall rate of death fell from 16.9 in 1999/2000 to 9.6/ 1000 PY in 2007/2008. Smoking was associated with CVD and non-AIDS cancers, HBV and HCV co-infection with liver-related deaths, and hypertension with liver-related and CVD deaths. Diabetes was a risk factor for all specific causes of death except non-AIDS cancers, and higher current HIV RNA for AIDS-related deaths. Lower CD4 cell counts were associated with a higher risk of death from all specific causes of death. Conclusion:Multiple potentially modifiable traditional and HIV-specific risk factors for death of HIV-infected persons were identified. The maximum reduction in mortality in HIV-infected populations will require that each of these factors be appropriately addressed. No trends in terms of emerging causes of unexpected deaths were observed, although monitoring will continue.
Emerging therapeutic targets for neurofibromatosis type 1

ABSTRACT Introduction: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominantly inherited tumor predisposition syndrome with an incidence of one in 3000–4000 individuals with no currently effective therapies. The NF1 gene encodes neurofibromin, which functions as a negative regulator of RAS. NF1 is a chronic multisystem disorder affecting many different tissues. Due to cell-specific complexities of RAS signaling, therapeutic approaches for NF1 will likely have to focus on a particular tissue and manifestation of the disease. Areas covered: We discuss the multisystem nature of NF1 and the signaling pathways affected due to neurofibromin deficiency. We explore the cell-/tissue-specific molecular and cellular consequences of aberrant RAS signaling in NF1 and speculate on their potential as therapeutic targets for the disease. We discuss recent genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic studies combined with molecular, cellular, and biochemical analyses which have identified several targets for specific NF1 manifestations. We also consider the possibility of patient-specific gene therapy approaches for NF1. Expert opinion: The emergence of NF1 genotype–phenotype correlations, characterization of cell-specific signaling pathways affected in NF1, identification of novel biomarkers, and the development of sophisticated animal models accurately reflecting human pathology will continue to provide opportunities to develop therapeutic approaches to combat this multisystem disorder.
Polyelectrolyte adsorption onto cellulose fibres – A review

This review focuses upon the following questions: a) Why are the polyelectrolytes adsorbed onto cellulosic fibres? The easiest way to describe the adsorption is as an interaction between the charges on the fibres and the charges on the polyelectrolytes. However the entropy gain upon the release of counterions to the charges on the fibres and the polyelectrolytes gives a much larger contribution to the adsorption energy than the charge interaction. There are some investigations which clarify the influence of certain basic parameters on the fibres and the surfaces and these investigations will be reviewed. An attempt will also be made to create a link between published adsorption data and the Scheutjens-Fleer theory for polyelectrolyte adsorption. Another important question is how the polyelectrolytes are adsorbed on the fibres, i.e. are the segments only found in trains on the surface or will there be some loops and/or tails protruding into the solution? Very little is known about this but the topic will be discussed in some detail. b) Where are the polyelectrolytes adsorbed - on the external surfaces of the fibres or within the fibre wall and how is this related to the molecular properties of the polyelectrolytes? There are a lot of definitions in the literature about fibre surfaces, external surfaces etc. but it is important to link the adsorption to molecular properties and the work in this area will be reviewed. The influence of fines will also be discussed. c) What controls the kinetics of polyelectrolyte adsorption and are there models to describe this adsorption? It is still not entirely known how polymers that adsorb onto the internal surfaces of the fibres are then transported through the fibre wall. The work conducted in this area will be reviewed, It is also important to know the kinetics of the reconformation of the polymer on the fibre surface and this topic will also be discussed in detail. Finally the kinetics of desorption will be treated.
Intakes of citrus fruit and risk of esophageal cancer

Abstract Esophageal cancer (EC) is the eighth most common cancer and the sixth most frequent cause of cancer death in the whole world. Many studies have investigated the association between citrus fruit intake and the risk of EC, but the results are inconsistent and not analyzed by category. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of studies to evaluate the incidence between citrus fruit consumption and subtypes of esophageal cancer and derive a more precise estimation. Through searches of PubMed, OVID, and Web of Science we updated 1988 systematic review up to April 2016. Based on an inclusion and exclusion criteria, conventional meta-analysis according to DerSimonian and Laird method was used for the pooling of the results. Random-effect models were used to calculate subgroups. Twenty-five English articles (20 case-control studies and 5 cohort studies) comprising totally 5730 patients of esophageal cancer would be suitable for use in this study. The result indicated the inverse associations between intakes of citrus fruit and EC (relative risk [RR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56−0.75, I2 = 51.1%, P = .001), Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (RR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.47–0.76, I2 = 60.7%, P = .002), no significant relationship between citrus fruit and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) (RR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.74–1.01, I2 = 0.0%, P = .598). This meta-analysis indicates that intakes of citrus fruit significantly reduce the risk of ESCC and is no obvious relationship with EAC. Further studies about constituents in citrus fruit and its mechanism are warranted.
Adverse childhood experiences: are they risk factors for adult homelessness?

OBJECTIVES We tested the hypothesis that adverse childhood experiences are risk factors for adult homelessness. METHODS We interviewed a nationally representative sample of 92 US household members who had previously been homeless and a comparison group of 395 individuals with no prior homelessness. We assessed childhood adversity with a structured protocol that included a previously validated scale indicating lack of care from parents and single-item measures of physical and sexual abuse. RESULTS Lack of care from a parent during childhood sharply increased the likelihood of subsequent homelessness (odds ratio [OR] = 13), as did physical abuse (OR = 16). Sexual abuse during childhood was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward homelessness (OR = 1.7). The risk of subsequent homelessness among individuals who experienced both lack of care and either type of abuse was dramatically increased compared with subjects reporting neither of these adversities (OR = 26). CONCLUSIONS Adverse childhood experiences are powerful risk factors for adult homelessness. Effectively reducing child abuse and neglect may ultimately help prevent critical social problems including homelessness.
Tensile and Impact Properties of Microcrystalline Cellulose Nanoclay Polypropylene Composites

The aim of the present work is to investigate the effects of nanoclay (NC) on the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) composites modified by maleic anhydride grafted PP (PP-g-MA). Polypropylene/microcrystalline cellulose nanocomposites were prepared using a twin screw Brabender Plasticorder, the weight percent of the MCC was varied at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 40 wt%, and the NC content was varied at 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt%. The results showed that consistent and uniform PP/MCC nanoclay composite can be produced easily with the presence of PP-g-MA. Compression molding technique was used to produce tensile and impact testing samples; all samples were characterized by tensile and impact tests. It is observed that increasing the amount of either the MCC or the NC will decrease the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength; much more reduction in the same properties was obtained in case both MCC and NC exist within PP composites. Compared with neat PP, a loss of over 75% in both elongation and impact strength was obtained for nanoclay composites which contain 60 wt% PP/40 wt% MCC. The most significant enhancement in the mechanical properties of polypropylene/microcrystalline cellulose nanocomposites is in Young’s modulus where an increment of more than twofold can be achieved for 60 wt% PP/40 wt% MCC nanocomposite. Polarized light photomicrographs showed that MCC particles play a nucleating agent rule in terms of intensity of nucleation and crystal growth acceleration.
AHL-lactonase expression in three marine emerging pathogenic Vibrio spp. reduces virulence and mortality in brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and Manila clam (Venerupis philippinarum)

Bacterial infectious diseases produced by Vibrio are the main cause of economic losses in aquaculture. During recent years it has been shown that the expression of virulence genes in some Vibrio species is controlled by a population-density dependent gene-expression mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS), which is mediated by the diffusion of signal molecules such as N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs). QS disruption, especially the enzymatic degradation of signalling molecules, known as quorum quenching (QQ), is one of the novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of bacterial infections. In this study, we present the detection of AHLs in 34 marine Vibrionaceae strains. Three aquaculture-related pathogenic Vibrio strains, V. mediterranei VibC-Oc-097, V. owensii VibC-Oc-106 and V. coralliilyticus VibC-Oc-193 were selected for further studies based on their virulence and high production of AHLs. This is the first report where the signal molecules have been characterized in these emerging marine pathogens and correlated to the expression of virulence factors. Moreover, the results of AHL inactivation in the three selected strains have been confirmed in vivo against brine shrimps (Artemia salina) and Manila clams (Venerupis philippinarum). This research contributes to the development of future therapies based on AHL disruption, the most promising alternatives for fighting infectious diseases in aquaculture. PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone. 0195176 April 17, 2018 1 / 23 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111
Hepatocellular carcinoma: Prospects for natural killer cell immunotherapy

Liver disease is a growing cause of death in the United Kingdom and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rising (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/). The combination of an immunosuppressive environment within the liver and suboptimal host anti‐tumour immune responses may account for the poor survival outcome of HCC. Understanding how tumours evade immune recognition coupled with new insights into the unique immunological environment within the liver will be critical to developing liver‐specific immunotherapies.
A joint watermarking/encryption algorithm for verifying medical image integrity and authenticity in both encrypted and spatial domains

In this paper, we propose a new joint watermarking/encryption algorithm for the purpose of verifying the reliability of medical images in both encrypted and spatial domains. It combines a substitutive watermarking algorithm, the quantization index modulation (QIM), with a block cipher algorithm, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), in CBC mode of operation. The proposed solution gives access to the outcomes of the image integrity and of its origins even though the image is stored encrypted. Experimental results achieved on 8 bits encoded Ultrasound images illustrate the overall performances of the proposed scheme. By making use of the AES block cipher in CBC mode, the proposed solution is compliant with or transparent to the DICOM standard.
Applying a Coupled Biophysical Model to Predict Larval Dispersal and Source/Sink Relationships in a Depleted Metapopulation of the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica

ABSTRACT The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica once supported one of the largest fisheries in the eastern United States. Oyster populations and the reefs they form have suffered chronic long-term decline throughout the species' range, including in northwest Florida's Pensacola Bay estuary system (PBS). To guide efforts to rebuild oyster populations in the PBS, connectivity patterns were evaluated among historic and extant reef locations using an integrated biophysical numerical model. Water quality parameters and oyster recruitment were monitored in May 2007 and then monthly from July 2007 through July 2008. Resultant salinity data were used to calibrate an Estuarine Coastal Ocean Model—based numerical circulation model of Pensacola Bay, which was then coupled to an existing, individual-based, oyster larvae routine to predict ontogenetic larval distribution. Threedimensional Lagrangian transport algorithms were used to simulate transport of modeled larvae during four 20-day time periods during those summer and autumn months when oyster recruitment was empirically recorded in the bay. Based on outcomes from contemporaneous sampling of oyster larvae, the model was shown to represent the salient features of oyster larval distribution in Pensacola Bay. There were, however, instances of incongruity between modeled and sampled outcomes, indicating that model outcomes not validated with field data must be interpreted with caution. Larval supply was highly variable and spatially complex, but potentially limiting to successful recruitment and reef replenishment. Larval transfer rates within and among previously identified oyster reefs in Pensacola Bay were determined and were used to predict optimal oyster reef restoration or rehabilitation sites. Finally, larval exports from the bay were estimated and considered within the context of larval exchange among north Florida estuaries and potential repercussions to the long-term health of the Gulf of Mexico oyster metapopulation.
Large SOD1 aggregates, unlike trimeric SOD1, do not impact cell viability in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Significance Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease. Autosomal dominant mutations in the SOD1 gene are responsible for 12% of familial ALS cases and 1.5% of sporadic cases. However, it remains unknown whether the large fibrillar aggregates formed by misfolded SOD1 are a causative agent in disease progression. By designing mutations that specifically stabilize SOD1 fibrils or nonnative oligomers, we found that the assembly into insoluble fibrils mitigated the neurotoxic effects caused by aberrant conformation of trimers. We also demonstrated with electron microscopy that toxic SOD1 trimers displayed heterogeneous structures, in concert with computational studies. Our findings suggest a protective role of fibrils and a plausible pharmaceutical strategy, as promoting SOD1 fibrillogenesis reduces the population of neurotoxic species. Aberrant accumulation of misfolded Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a hallmark of SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease. While recent discovery of nonnative trimeric SOD1-associated neurotoxicity has suggested a potential pathway for motor neuron impairment, it is yet unknown whether large, insoluble aggregates are cytotoxic. Here we designed SOD1 mutations that specifically stabilize either the fibrillar form or the trimeric state of SOD1. The designed mutants display elevated populations of fibrils or trimers correspondingly, as demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and electron microscopy. The trimer-stabilizing mutant, G147P, promoted cell death, even more potently in comparison with the aggressive ALS-associated mutants A4V and G93A. In contrast, the fibril-stabilizing mutants, N53I and D101I, positively impacted the survival of motor neuron-like cells. Hence, we conclude the SOD1 oligomer and not the mature form of aggregated fibril is critical for the neurotoxic effects in the model of ALS. The formation of large aggregates is in competition with trimer formation, suggesting that aggregation may be a protective mechanism against formation of toxic oligomeric intermediates.
Accelerating Early Antituberculosis Drug Discovery by Creating Mycobacterial Indicator Strains That Predict Mode of Action

ABSTRACT Due to the rise of drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis, there is an urgent need for novel antibiotics to effectively combat these cases and shorten treatment regimens. Recently, drug screens using whole-cell analyses have been shown to be successful. However, current high-throughput screens focus mostly on stricto sensu life/death screening that give little qualitative information. In doing so, promising compound scaffolds or nonoptimized compounds that fail to reach inhibitory concentrations are missed. To accelerate early tuberculosis (TB) drug discovery, we performed RNA sequencing on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum to map the stress responses that follow upon exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics with known targets, ciprofloxacin, ethambutol, isoniazid, streptomycin, and rifampin. The resulting data set comprises the first overview of transcriptional stress responses of mycobacteria to different antibiotics. We show that antibiotics can be distinguished based on their specific transcriptional stress fingerprint. Notably, this fingerprint was more distinctive in M. marinum. We decided to use this to our advantage and continue with this model organism. A selection of diverse antibiotic stress genes was used to construct stress reporters. In total, three functional reporters were constructed to respond to DNA damage, cell wall damage, and ribosomal inhibition. Subsequently, these reporter strains were used to screen a small anti-TB compound library to predict the mode of action. In doing so, we identified the putative modes of action for three novel compounds, which confirms the utility of our approach.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Insertion for the Management of Portal Hypertension in Children

Objectives: the aim of the study was to describe our 20-year experience with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS) procedures for children with resistant portal hypertension (PHTN). Methods: Retrospective review of all children that had a TIPSS performed at Birmingham Children's Hospital from January 1, 1995 to January 1, 2015. Results: Forty children underwent 42 attempted TIPSS for resistant PHTN with recurrent variceal bleeding (n = 35), refractory ascites (n = 4), and hypersplenism (n = 1). Median age at operation was 12 years (range 7 months–17 years). Thirty-four procedures were elective and 8 were emergency cases. TIPSS was established in 33 cases (79%). Median portal venous pressure reduction was 10 mmHg. Variceal bleeding ceased in 27 (96%) and ascites improved in all. Clinical improvement following TIPSS enabled 7 children to be bridged to transplantation and 7 others to become suitable for transplantation. The 1-year and 5-year survival with TIPSS was 57% and 35%, respectively. Child-Pugh score C was an independent risk factor for adverse outcome (Likelihood ratio (LR) = 8.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.7 to 23.5; P = 0.001). There were 6 major complications: hepatic artery thrombosis and infarction (n = 1), hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (n = 1), bile leak (n = 1), and hepatic encephalopathy (n = 3). Encephalopathy was resistant to medical treatment in 2 cases, necessitating staged closure in 1. Ten patients (30%) required intervention to maintain TIPSS patency. The 1-year and 5-year freedom from reintervention was 71% and 55%, respectively. Conclusions: A TIPSS is highly successful in controlling symptoms in children with resistant PHTN and facilitating liver transplantation. It is technically demanding and not without risk. Patients must be appropriately selected and counselled.