Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The school anxiety and coping strategies. The moderating effect of the general self-efficacy

This study aims to test whether children with diverse frequency of school anxiety differ in coping strategies and whether the general self-efficacy moderates the relationship be- tween school anxiety and coping strategies. 105 children aged 10-13 were examined with the Anxiety School Questionnaire by L. Czyzniejewska and G. Kopinke; the Self-Efficacy Scale by Z. Juczynski; and JSR-Questionnaire by Z. Juczynski and N. Oginska-Bulik. The results show that children with higher frequency of school anxiety more often use emotional strategy to cope with stress. The moderating effect of the general self-efficacy on the relationship between school anxiety and coping strategies is not significant.
Association of DNA Mismatch Repair and Mutations in BRAF and KRAS With Survival After Recurrence in Stage III Colon Cancers: A Secondary Analysis of 2 Randomized Clinical Trials

Importance The association of biomarkers with patient survival after recurrence (SAR) of cancer is poorly understood but may guide management and treatment. Objective To determine the association of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status and somatic mutation in the B-Raf proto-oncogene (c.1799T>A [V600E]; BRAFV600E) or exon 2 of the KRAS proto-oncogene (KRAS) in the primary tumor with SAR in patients with stage III colon carcinomas treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Design, Setting, and Participants Patients with resected stage III colon cancers were randomized to adjuvant FOLFOX (folinic acid [leucovorin calcium], fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) chemotherapy with or without cetuximab (North Central Cancer Treatment Group N0147 trial) or adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project C-08 trial). Associations of biomarkers with SAR were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for clinicopathologic features and time to recurrence (data collected February 10, 2004, to August 7, 2015). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary study outcome was survival after recurrence of cancer. A secondary outcome measure was the effect of the site of the primary tumor on the association of biomarkers with SAR. Results Among 871 patients with cancer recurrence in the N0147 trial (472 men [54.2%] and 399 women [45.8%]; mean [SD] age, 57.8 [11.2] years) and 524 in the C-08 trial (269 men [51.3%] and 255 women [48.7%]; mean [SD] age, 57.0 [11.7] years), multivariable analysis revealed that patients whose tumors had deficient vs proficient MMR had significantly better SAR (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.52-0.96; P = .03). Patients whose tumors harbored mutant BRAFV600E (AHR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.85-3.25; P < .001) or mutant KRAS (AHR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.00-1.47; P = .052) had worse SAR compared with those whose tumors had wild-type copies of both genes, although only results for BRAFV600E achieved statistical significance. Significant interactions were found for MMR (P = .03) and KRAS (P = .02) by primary tumor site for SAR. Improved SAR was observed for patients with deficient MMR tumors of the proximal vs distal colon (AHR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.40-0.83; P = .003), and worse SAR was observed for tumors of the distal colon with mutant KRAS in codon 12 (AHR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.30-2.38; P < .001) and codon 13 (AHR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.08-2.86; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance In patients with recurrence of stage III colon cancer, deficient MMR was significantly associated with better SAR, and this benefit was limited to primary tumors of the proximal colon. Mutations in BRAFV600E were significantly associated with worse SAR, and worse SAR for BRAFV600E or KRAS mutant tumors was more strongly associated with distal cancers. These biomarkers have implications for patient management at recurrence. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00079274 and NCT00096278
Ownership transfer in universe types

Ownership simplifies reasoning about object-oriented programs by controlling aliasing and modifications of objects. Several type systems have been proposed to express and check ownership statically. For ownership systems to be practical, they must allow objects to migrate from one owner to another. This ownership transfer is common and occurs, for instance, during the initialization of data structures and when data structures are merged. However, existing ownership type systems either do not support ownership transfer at all or they are too restrictive, give rather weak static guarantees, or require a high annotation overhead. In this paper, we present UTT, an extension of Universe Types that supports ownership transfer. UTT combines ownership type checking with a modular static analysis to control references to transferable objects. UTT is very flexible because it permits temporary aliases, even across certain method calls. Nevertheless, it guarantees statically that a cluster of objects is externally-unique when it is transferred and, thus, that ownership transfer is type safe. UTT provides the same encapsulation as Universe Types and requires only negligible annotation overhead.
Visual field defect associated with vigabatrin: observational cohort study

Since Eke et al's report of persistent visual field constriction associated with vigabatrin,1 several letters have been published in the BMJ , including that by Mackenzie and Klistorner,2 that draw attention to the occurrence of visual field changes in asymptomatic patients as well as those with symptoms. A prescription event monitoring study of vigabatrin conducted between 1991 and 1994 identified four cases of bilateral, persistent visual field defect for which there was objective evidence and no alternative cause given.3 The study cohort consisted of 10 033 living patients for whom questionnaires containing clinical information were returned (table) The mean duration of treatment for these four cases was 19.8 months; for the total cohort it was 14.2 months Subsequently, we were informed of another seven patients in this cohort in whom visual field defect had been reported after the end of the study's …
Promoter and Riboswitch Control of the Mg2+ Transporter MgtA from Salmonella enterica

ABSTRACT The MgtA protein from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mediates Mg2+ uptake from the periplasm into the cytoplasm. Here we report that the PhoP/PhoQ two-component regulatory system, which responds to periplasmic Mg2+, governs mgtA transcription initiation at all investigated Mg2+ concentrations and that the Mg2+-sensing 5′ leader region of the mgtA gene controls transcription elongation into the mgtA coding region when Salmonella is grown in media with <50 μM Mg2+. Overexpression of the Mg2+ transporter CorA, which is believed to increase cytoplasmic Mg2+ levels, decreased mgtA transcription in a manner dependent on a functional mgtA 5′ leader.
Dicarbonyl Stress in the Absence of Hyperglycemia Increases Endothelial Inflammation and Atherogenesis Similar to That Observed in Diabetes

The deleterious effects of high glucose levels and enhanced metabolic flux on the vasculature are thought to be mediated by the generation of toxic metabolites, including reactive dicarbonyls like methylglyoxal (MG). In this article, we demonstrate that increasing plasma MG to levels observed in diabetic mice either using an exogenous source (1% in drinking water) or generated following inhibition, its primary clearance enzyme, glyoxalase-1 (with 50 mg/kg IP bromobenzyl-glutathione cyclopentyl diester every second day), was able to increase vascular adhesion and augment atherogenesis in euglycemic apolipoprotein E knockout mice to a similar magnitude as that observed in hyperglycemic mice with diabetes. The effects of MG appear partly mediated by activation of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), as deletion of RAGE was able to reduce inflammation and atherogenesis associated with MG exposure. However, RAGE deletion did not completely prevent inflammation or vascular damage, possibly because the induction of mitochondrial oxidative stress by dicarbonyls also contributes to inflammation and atherogenesis. Such data would suggest that a synergistic combination of RAGE antagonism and antioxidants may offer the greatest utility for the prevention and management of diabetic vascular complications.
Differential effects of beta-lactams on human IFN-gamma activity.

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether a range of beta-lactam antibiotics conjugate to and hence reduce the activity of IFN-gamma, as has been shown for penicillin G. A selection of penicillins, cephalosporins, a monobactam (aztreonam), a beta-lactamase inhibitor (clavulanic acid), a carbapenem (meropenem) and the non-beta-lactam penicillin derivative d-penicillamine were tested for their effect on IFN-gamma activity. METHODS Following exposure to a range of concentrations of these compounds, for varying lengths of time, IFN-gamma activity was assayed by induction of CD54 on the surface of the lung epithelial cell line A549, utilizing an ELISA. RESULTS Clavulanic acid, cefoxitin and cefaloridine were the most potent inhibitors of IFN-gamma activity, followed by cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and phenoxymethylpenicillin. Ampicillin was less inhibitory than penicillin G, whilst meropenem and aztreonam had the least effect and d-penicillamine had no effect. The modulatory effect of these compounds was not due to a direct effect on CD54 induction. Unlike freshly prepared drugs, aged preparations of penicillin G and clavulanic acid had no significant effect on IFN-gamma activity. CONCLUSIONS beta-Lactams differ in their capacity to modulate human IFN-gamma activity. This finding may have implications for the immunomodulatory effects of beta-lactams and for the design both of beta-lactams that do not affect the immune system and those which may be used therapeutically to target cytokine action.
A novel modelled true random binary number generator for key stream generation in cryptographic applications

In this paper, a modified double scroll chaotic attractor circuit, which is employed as a true random binary number generator (TRBNG), is presented for use as a key source in cryptographic applications. The double scroll attractor is modelled on Chuapsilas circuit for nonlinear operation leading to chaotic behaviour. Previous reported versions of this circuit used von Neumannpsilas deskewing algorithm and optimal voltage threshold settings for random number generation. The binary sequence obtained from this structure passed the FIPS set of tests, but this type of generator will not pass the NIST Test Suite for true randomness owing to some residual structural correlation in the output sequence which is essential for consideration as a cryptographic module in the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). This generator has been modified, as presented here, with the deskewing algorithm replaced by a pseudo random binary sequence generator (PRBSG) topology where the output correlated data from the TRBG is scrambled with the PRBS to yield a true random binary source for key stream generation. This proposed generator topology will pass the complete NIST and Diehard Test Suites. The modified chaotic circuit has been modelled in PSpice, and a state space formulation of this circuit has also been obtained and implemented in Matlab/Simulink. The randomness attributes of the modified generator, obtained from both models via PSpice and Matlab/Simulink, using the PRBSG decorrelator were tested by the well known NIST Tests Suite for statistical validation. Output binary streams from proposed modified generator, consisting of 1000000 digits each, were examined for randomness using the NIST Test Suite with all tests successfully passed for both PSpice and state-space models of chaotic circuit implementation.
Impedances and Admittances of Underground Cables for the Homogeneous Earth Case

A general formulation for the calculation of the influence of the earth return path on the impedances and the admittances of underground multiconductor power cable arrangements is presented in this paper. The expressions for the self and mutual earth correction terms are derived by a rigorous solution of the electromagnetic-field equations. The involved semiinfinite integrals are calculated by using a suitable numerical integration technique. The propagation characteristics of a single insulated conductor and of a typical three-phase single-core cable arrangement are investigated and are compared to the corresponding ones obtained by other approaches. Finally, the cable parameters calculated by the proposed method are used in a simulation of a fast transient in a three-phase single-core cable.
Viscoelastic evaluation of topical creams containing microcrystalline cellulose/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as stabilizer

The purpose of this study was to examine the viscoelastic properties of topical creams containing various concentrations of microcrystalline cellulose and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Avicel® CL-611) as a stabilizer. Avicel CL-611 was used at 4 different levels (1%, 2%, 4%, and 6% dispersion) to prepare topical creams, and hydrocortisone acetate was used as a model drug. The viscoelastic properties such as loss modulus (G), storage modulus (G), and loss tangent (tan δ) of these creams were measured using a TA Instruments AR 1000 Rheometer and compared to a commercially available formulation. Continuous flow test to determine the yield stress and thixotropic behavior, and dynamic mechanical tests for determining the linear viscosity time sweep data, were performed. Drug release from the various formulations was studied using an Enhancer TM Cell assembly. Formulations containing 1% and 2% Avicel CL-611 had relative viscosity, yield stress, and thixotropic values that were similar to those of the commercial formulation. The elastic modulus (G) of the 1% and 2% formulation was relatively high and did not cross the loss modulus (G), indicating that the gels were strong. In the commercial formulation,G increased after preshearing and broke down after 600 seconds. The strain sweep tests showed that for all formulations containing Avicel CL-611, theG was aboveG with a good distance between them. The gel strength and the predominance ofG can be ranked 6%>4%>2%. The strain profiles for the 1% and 2% formulations were similar to those of the commercial formulation. The δ values for the 1% and 2% formulations were similar, and the formulations containing 4% Avicel CL-611 had lower δ values, indicating greater elasticity. Drug release from the commercial preparation was fastest compared to the formulations prepared using Avicel CL-611, a correlation with the viscoelastic properties. It was found that viscoelastic data, especially the strain sweep profiles of products containing Avicel CL-611 1% and 2%, correlated with the commercial formulation. Rheological tests that measure the viscosity, yield stress, thixotropic behavior, other oscillatory parameters such asG andG are necessary tools in predicting performance of semisolids.
The effects of sex and dominance upon personal space

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of differences in sex and dominance on personal space. Fourty male and 40 female students were divided into high- and low-dominant groups and assigned to a male or female approaching person. Interpersonal distance between a subject and the approaching person was measured at eight orientations around the subject's body. It was found that interpersonal distance decreased as the bodily orientation shifted from the front to the rear. Also, males personal space was greater than females. Finally, the effect of dominance was not found except for two interactional effects.
Computing Health Quality Measures Using Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside

Background The Health Quality Measures Format (HQMF) is a Health Level 7 (HL7) standard for expressing computable Clinical Quality Measures (CQMs). Creating tools to process HQMF queries in clinical databases will become increasingly important as the United States moves forward with its Health Information Technology Strategic Plan to Stages 2 and 3 of the Meaningful Use incentive program (MU2 and MU3). Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) is one of the analytical databases used as part of the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC)’s Query Health platform to move toward this goal. Objective Our goal is to integrate i2b2 with the Query Health HQMF architecture, to prepare for other HQMF use-cases (such as MU2 and MU3), and to articulate the functional overlap between i2b2 and HQMF. Therefore, we analyze the structure of HQMF, and then we apply this understanding to HQMF computation on the i2b2 clinical analytical database platform. Specifically, we develop a translator between two query languages, HQMF and i2b2, so that the i2b2 platform can compute HQMF queries. Methods We use the HQMF structure of queries for aggregate reporting, which define clinical data elements and the temporal and logical relationships between them. We use the i2b2 XML format, which allows flexible querying of a complex clinical data repository in an easy-to-understand domain-specific language. Results The translator can represent nearly any i2b2-XML query as HQMF and execute in i2b2 nearly any HQMF query expressible in i2b2-XML. This translator is part of the freely available reference implementation of the QueryHealth initiative. We analyze limitations of the conversion and find it covers many, but not all, of the complex temporal and logical operators required by quality measures. Conclusions HQMF is an expressive language for defining quality measures, and it will be important to understand and implement for CQM computation, in both meaningful use and population health. However, its current form might allow complexity that is intractable for current database systems (both in terms of implementation and computation). Our translator, which supports the subset of HQMF currently expressible in i2b2-XML, may represent the beginnings of a practical compromise. It is being pilot-tested in two Query Health demonstration projects, and it can be further expanded to balance computational tractability with the advanced features needed by measure developers.
High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy in head and neck cancer: do we need a look back into a forgotten art – a single institute experience

Purpose To evaluate the treatment outcomes with high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-BRT) in head and neck cancers (HNC). Material and methods Fifty-eight patients with HNC as per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging criteria were analyzed retrospectively between 2008 and 2015. Forty-two patients received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with HDR-BRT and 16 patients received BRT alone. The survival was calculated with respect to median biological equivalent doses (BED) and median 2 Gy equivalent dose (EQD2), keeping α/β = 10 for tumor. Loco-regional control and disease free survival was assessed. Results The median follow-up period was 25 months (2-84 months). The disease-free survival (DFS) probability at year 1 was 82.7%, and 68% at year 7. The overall survival probability was 91.3% at year 1 and 85.8% at year 7. The local control rate was 70%. The rate of recurrence was 30%. Distant metastasis rate was 17.2%. The median BED and EQD2, respectively, were 86.78 Gy and 71.6 Gy. The DFS was 74.1% and 75.9% in patients receiving a dose more than median BED and EQD2, respectively, and was 64.8% and 61.5% for less than the median dose. Conclusions The overall outcome was good with implementation of HDR-BRT used alone or as boost, and shows DFS as better when the dose received is more than the median BED and median EQD2. The role of HDR-BRT in HNC is a proven, effective, and safe treatment method with excellent long term outcome as seen in this study, which reflects the need for reviving the forgotten art and science of interstitial brachytherapy in HNC.
Behind the game: Exploring the twitch streaming platform

Twitch is a streaming platform that lets users broadcast their screen whilst playing games. People can share their game experience and interact with others in real time. Twitch has now become the fourth largest source of peak Internet traffic in the US. This paper explores the unique nature of this platform over a 11 month dataset. We find that Twitch is very different to existing video platforms, with a small number of games consistently achieving phenomenal dominance. We find a complex game ecosystem combining consistently popular games over years, newly released games enjoying bursts of popularity, and even old games appearing on the platform. Despite a strong skew of views across channels, the top ranked channels, although taking a significant share of the viewers, exhibit unexpectedly high churn. The reason behind this churn lies within another unique feature of this ecosystem, namely tournaments, live events that last for a limited amount of time but are capable of attracting a huge share of views when they take place, as well as dominate the views of the related games. Overall, our work reveals a complex and rich ecosystem, very different from existing user generated content platforms.
Fault location in an electrical energy distribution infrastructure with a wireless sensor network

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the applicability of wireless systems in the localization of faults in the energy distribution network. The hardware and software architectures of the envisaged sensor solution will also be described and finally, the integration of this system into Smart Grids will be discussed in terms of automatic fault analysis. A pilot system has been tested in a subset of the Portuguese energy distribution infrastructure operated by EDP Energias de Portugal. It presents a new approach to a fault locator system for the power network. The purpose is to obtain faster and more reliable information about the disruptions in the power distribution network and their location. Furthermore, the wireless sensors allow remote detection of medium and low voltage (MV/LV) power transformer hotspots in order to identify emerging malfunction as well as detection of intrusion in the MV/LV power transformers.
Discovery of Dihydro‐Alkyloxy‐Benzyl‐Oxopyrimidines as Promising Anti‐Influenza Virus Agents

A series of novel dihydro‐alkyloxy‐benzyl‐oxopyrimidine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their activity against influenza virus in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. Four dihydro‐alkyloxy‐benzyl‐oxopyrimidine derivatives (4a1, 4a2, 4a3, and 4d1) showed potent activity against influenza virus. Among them, compound 4a3 was the most promising lead with broad activity against influenza A (antiviral EC50 values of 9 and 18 μm for the A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 subtype, respectively) and influenza B viruses (EC50: 33 μm). The antiviral mechanism of action of these dihydro‐alkyloxy‐benzyl‐oxopyrimidine derivatives must be quite different from that of the currently approved anti‐influenza virus drugs that target the viral M2 or neuraminidase proteins. The dihydro‐alkyloxy‐benzyl‐oxopyrimidine derivatives represent a new avenue for further optimization and development of novel anti‐influenza virus agents.
Workflow ART: a framework for multidimensional workflow analysis

Business processes are obliged to follow numerous constraints, such as compliance regulations, service level agreements, security regulations and budget constraints. To be able to understand relations between different constraint types and their impact on the business, a common constraint specification framework is required. This work presents a framework that provides visual support for the analysis of the different constraints a business process has to adhere to by mapping the business process model to the cuboids in 3D space and business process constraints to the spatial restrictions of this space. This enables a business process designer to gain insight into how different constraints influence the process as a whole.