Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiplying the serum aminotransferase by the acetaminophen concentration to predict toxicity following overdose

Context. The first available predictors of hepatic injury following acetaminophen (APAP) overdose are the serum APAP and aminotransferases [AT, i.e., aspartate (AST) aminotransferase or alanine (ALT) aminotransferase]. Objective. We describe the initial value, rate of change, and interrelationship between these biomarkers in patients who develop hepatotoxicity despite treatment following acute overdose. A new parameter, the APAP × AT multiplication product, is proposed for early risk stratification. Methods. We conducted a descriptive study of individuals selected from a multicenter retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized for APAP poisoning. We selected those acute APAP overdose patients who subsequently developed AT > 1,000 IU/L. Rising serum AT values were compared to simultaneously measured (or estimated) falling serum APAP. The APAP × AT was expressed relative to initiation of acetylcysteine therapy and grouped by time to meeting hepatotoxicity criteria. Results. In the 94 cases studied, serum APAP concentrations were still appreciable [median 570 (interquartile range (IQR) 314–983) μmol/L] at the time of the first measured AT [211 (77–511) IU/L at 15.3 (12.1–19.2) h post-ingestion], yielding an initial APAP × AT of 99,000 (52,000–240,000) μmol × IU/L2. Because serum AT rose rapidly (doubling time 9.5 h ) and APAP fell slowly (half-life 4.8 h), the multiplication product remained elevated during the first 12–24 h of antidotal therapy, especially among patients who developed earlier hepatotoxicity (AT > 1,000 IU/L). Discussion and conclusions. The APAP × AT multiplication product, calculated at the time of presentation and after several h of antidotal therapy, holds promise as a new risk predictor following APAP overdose. It requires neither graphical interpretation nor accurate time of ingestion, two limitations to current risk stratification.
Variety is the spice of happiness: The hedonic adaptation prevention model.

This chapter reviews the experimental evidence supporting the importance of variety in sustaining happiness, discussing the facts and findings on what hinders sustainable happiness, namely genetic predisposition, dynamic equilibrium, and the hedonic treadmill. The chapter also presents two conceptual models of sustained happiness increases at the individual level, specifically, the “sustainable happiness” model and the “hedonic adaptation prevention” model. Finally, the chapter presents evidence for sustainable happiness, exploring how variations in circumstances and activities can potentially bolster individuals to experience the upper end of their happiness “set range. ”
Transgenic Mice with a Hypomorphic NADPH-Cytochrome P450 Reductase Gene: Effects on Development, Reproduction, and Microsomal Cytochrome P450

A mouse model with a hypomorphic NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (Cpr) gene (designated Cprlow allele) was generated and characterized in this study. The Cpr gene in these mice was disrupted by the insertion of a neo gene in intron 15, which led to 74 to 95% decreases in CPR expression in all tissues examined, including olfactory mucosa, adrenal gland, brain, testis, ovary, lung, kidney, liver, and heart. In the liver, a pattern of pericentral distribution of CPR protein was preserved in the Cprlow/low mice, despite an overall reduction in CPR expression. Genotype distribution in F2 pups indicated limited embryonic lethality associated with the Cprlow allele, a finding that confirms the role of CPR-dependent enzymes in development. Adult male homozygotes had decreased body weight and decreased heart, lung, and kidney weights, whereas homozygous Cprlow females, which had increased serum testosterone and progesterone and decreased copulatory activities, were infertile. Furthermore, adult Cprlow/low mice had decreased plasma cholesterol, and some mice developed mild centrilobular hepatic lipidosis. In addition, despite apparently compensatory increases in total microsomal cytochrome P450 content in the liver and kidney, the decreases in CPR expression were accompanied by reductions in systemic clearance of pentobarbital, as well as in hepatic microsomal metabolism of acetaminophen and testosterone. These phenotypes illustrate the potential impact of a globally decreased CPR activity in human adults, and this novel knock-in mouse model provides a unique opportunity for further explorations of the in vivo roles of CPR and CPR-dependent enzymes.
Complement Activation Determines the Therapeutic Activity of Rituximab In Vivo 1

Rituximab is an anti-CD20 chimeric mAb effective for the treatment of B-NHL. It can lyse lymphoma cells in vitro through both C- and Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The mechanism of action of rituximab in vivo is however still unclear. We have set up a new in vivo model in nonimmunodeficient mice by stable transduction of the human CD20 cDNA in the murine lymphoma line EL4. Animals injected i.v. with the EL4-CD20+ lymphoma cells died within 30 days with evident liver, spleen, and bone marrow involvement, confirmed by immunohistochemistry and PCR analysis. A single injection of rituximab or the murine anti-CD20 Ab 1F5, given i.p. 1 day after the tumor, cured 100% of the animals. Indeed, at week 4 after tumor cell inoculation, CD20+ cells were undetectable in all organs analyzed in rituximab-treated animals, as determined by immunohistochemistry and PCR. Rituximab had no direct effect on tumor growth in vitro. Depletion of either NK cells or neutrophils or both in tumor-injected animals did not affect the therapeutic activity of the drug. Similarly, rituximab was able to eradicate tumor cells in athymic nude mice, suggesting that its activity is T cell independent. In contrast, the protective activity of rituximab or the 1F5 Ab was completely abolished in syngeneic knockout animals lacking C1q, the first component of the classical pathway of C (C1qa−/−). These data demonstrate that C activation is fundamental for rituximab therapeutic activity in vivo.
Image-based rendering VIA learning of the block dictionary

In this paper, we proposed an image-based rendering method based on the block sparsity of epipolar plane image(EPI). This method considers the structural similarity and block sparseness features of scene signal described by EPI model, which makes it possible to estimate approximately original signal with less measured values, and reduces the complexity of signal sampling and processing. First, we choose a part of scene EPI images as samples and carry on sub-block processing. Furthermore, we train the sparse representation dictionary by KSVD method, and use the low-frequency part of Discrete Cosine Transformation (DCT) matrix to build the sampling matrix. Finally, we reconstruct original signal by orthogonal matching pursuit method. According to the results of simulation experiment, compared with traditional methods, under the same sample rate, the proposed method promotes both the subjective and objective quality of complex scene with regard to different depths.
n-step MIR Functions: Facets for Finite and Infinite Group Problems

The n-step mixed integer rounding (MIR) functions are used to generate n-step MIR inequalities for (mixed) integer programming problems (Kianfar and Fathi, 2006). We show that these functions are sources for generating extreme valid inequalities (facets) for group problems. We first prove the n-step MIR function, for any positive integer n, generates two-slope facets for the infinite group problem, and then show under appropriate conditions on parameters, these functions also generate facets for the finite master cyclic group problem. We discuss that similar results are true for the group problems with continuous variables.
New Agar Medium for Testing Susceptibility ofMycobacterium tuberculosis to Pyrazinamide

ABSTRACT A new agar medium to perform pyrazinamide (PZA) susceptibility testing with Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been developed. This medium has an acidic pH of 6.0 instead of the usual for agar media, pH 6.8, to provide optimal conditions for PZA activity, and it also differs from conventional Middlebrook 7H10/7H11 agar in that animal serum (fetal or calf bovine or fetal equine serum) is used instead of oleic acid-albumin-dextrose-catalase to support good growth of M. tuberculosis at the low pH of 6.0. A critical concentration of 900 or 1,200 μg of PZA/ml in this medium made it possible to differentiate between PZA-susceptible and PZA-resistant clinical isolates. This agar medium has the following advantages compared to a liquid medium: it allows determination of the actual proportion of PZA-resistant bacteria in the isolate and it is simple and inexpensive. In addition, it has the potential of being used for a direct susceptibility test with PZA, but this approach will require further confirmation. Further studies to develop critical concentrations of other drugs for this low-pH medium, as well as to investigate the possibility of cultivation in regular (non-CO2) incubators, are in progress.
Camelot and Grail: resource-aware functional programming for the JVM

We describe the functional language Camelot, which is a language of the ML family with extensions for explicit management of heap storage, and the intermediate language Grail, which is a functional form of JVM bytecode. A scheme for transforming Camelot into Grail is described. We also give some figures for execution times which show that Camelot programs perform reasonably well when compared with Java equivalents.
University and Society: Essays on the Social Role of Research and Higher Education

Part 1 Knowledge and society: "vagabonds, specialists or the voice of the People" - Scandinavian students and the rise of the modern research university in the mid-19th century, Nils Runeby knowledge and power - institutional changes and forms of knowledge in Western capitalist society, Rolf Thorstendahl "bending with the breeze" - ideological shifts and the modern university system - a case study, Olof Ruin historical research as a mirror of society - notes on the German "historikerstreit" of the late 1980s, Thorsten Nybom cultural identity and nationhood - the reconstruction of Germany - or the open answer to an almost closed question, Bjorn Wittrock comparative perspectives on British and American higher education, Martin A.Trow. Part 2 Research and higher education: the fragmentation of research, teaching and study - an explorative essay, Burton R.Clark the university - "bildung" or "ausbildung" - the dangers of scientific dominance - a plea for practical and tacit knowledge in modern higher education, Gunnar Bergendahl the research connection, Stafan Bjorklund research training and the State - the interaction between politics and academics in Sweden, 1890-1975, Brigitta Oden "scientific bureaucracy? " - research implementation and Swedish civil servants, Rune Premfors Swedish research on research and higher education - an historical perspective, Eskil Bjorklund and Thorsten Nybom research policy planning and the OECD - a critique, Sverker Gustavsson the University research enterprise within industrialized nations - a comparative perspective - the American University and Research, Roger I.Geiger.
Spin-current-induced magnetization reversal in magnetic nanowires with constrictions

We have performed experiments on current-induced domain-wall motion (CIDWM) in the case of the domain walls (DW) trapped within the nanoscale constrictions in patterned NiFe structures. Direct observation of current-induced magnetization reversal was achieved and critical current densities jc were measured in the presence of easy-axis magnetic fields. The direction of CIDWM was found to be along the direction of the electron motion in absence of an applied magnetic field and in the direction of the field when in the presence of even relatively weak fields. Data for the field dependence of jc for both uniform and fast rising pulses suggest that the current, regardless of polarity, assists in the depinning of the DW. Only for the dc case does the data strongly reveal the influence of the electron pressure in promoting or hindering DW motion.
Laboratory and Clinical Characteristics of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Prosthetic Joint Infections

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus that has several similarities to Staphylococcus aureus. S. lugdunensis is increasingly being recognized as a cause of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). The goal of the present retrospective cohort study was to determine the laboratory and clinical characteristics of S. lugdunensis PJIs seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2007. Kaplan-Meier survival methods and Wilcoxon sum-rank analysis were used to determine the cumulative incidence of treatment success and assess subset comparisons. There were 28 episodes of S. lugdunensis PJIs in 22 patients; half of those patients were females. Twenty-five episodes (89%) involved the prosthetic knee, while 3 (11%) involved the hip. Nine patients (32%) had an underlying urogenital abnormality. Among the 28 isolates in this study tested by agar dilution, 24 of 28 (86%) were oxacillin susceptible. Twenty of the 21 tested isolates (95%) lacked mecA, and 6 (27%) of the 22 isolates tested produced β-lactamase. The median durations of parenteral β-lactam therapy and vancomycin therapy were 38 days (range, 23 to 42 days) and 39 days (range, 12 to 60 days), respectively. The cumulative incidences of freedom from treatment failure (standard deviations) at 2 years were 92% (±7%) and 76% (±12%) for episodes treated with a parenteral β-lactam and vancomycin, respectively (P = 0.015). S. lugdunensis is increasingly being recognized as a cause of PJIs. The majority of the isolates lacked mecA. Episodes treated with a parenteral β-lactam antibiotic appear to have a more favorable outcome than those treated with parenteral vancomycin.
MIT CFP — VCDWG Working Papers : Innovation at the Edge : Social TV and Beyond

The premise of the Value Chain Dynamics Working Group’s research is the movement of communication service functions outside the exclusive control of the network core. Traditionally, communication services were provided by network operators as a vertically integrated set of functions. Today, more and more of these functions have moved outside the core while new ones have emerged. Our research takes this fundamental change in the architecture of the communications infrastructure as its starting point. Through our case studies, we seek to map out emerging value chains and examine the opportunities for creating and capturing value.
Comparative Analysis of Information Society Discourse and Public Policy Responses in the United States and Brazil

Nos ultimos anos verifica-se uma divergencia gradual no discurso sobre a sociedade da informacao adotado pelos Estados Unidos e por outros paises. Essa divergencia esta presente, por exemplo, nos diferentes resultados dos discursos no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos. Os Estados Unidos implementaram discurso, formas de financiamento e programas voltados para o acesso e atrelados as politicas de treinamento focadas na competencia profissional. O Brasil desenvolveu um discurso mais complexo sobre o lugar da inclusao digital no contexto da inclusao social, com debates relativos a competencias profissionais, cidadania e necessidade de investimento na educacao basica. No Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, os discursos e a respostas sao diferentes em varios aspectos centrais, o que inclui o foco sobre raca e saude.
Automatic Semantic Face Recognition

Recent expansion in surveillance systems has motivated research in soft biometrics that enable the unconstrained recognition of human faces. Comparative soft biometrics show superior recognition performance than categorical soft biometrics and have been the focus of several studies which have highlighted their ability for recognition and retrieval in constrained and unconstrained environments. These studies, however, only addressed face recognition for retrieval using human generated attributes, posing a question about the feasibility of automatically generating comparative labels from facial images. In this paper, we propose an approach for the automatic comparative labelling of facial soft biometrics. Furthermore, we investigate unconstrained human face recognition using these comparative soft biometrics in a human labelled gallery (and vice versa). Using a subset from the LFW dataset, our experiments show the efficacy of the automatic generation of comparative facial labels, highlighting the potential extensibility of the approach to other face recognition scenarios and larger ranges of attributes.
Impact des caractéristiques du comptable et de ses relations sur son éthique professionnelle

As accountancy develops, the practice of the accounting ethics becomes more and more important so as to ensure a better execution of the professional contract and the continuity of the relation. This study aims at highlighting the incidence of the accountant's characteristics and his relationship with his customers on his practice of the accounting ethics. Our research which is based on a study of the work experience of 106 Tunisian accountants has shown that the independence of the accountant of his customers plays a key role in improving his practice of the accounting ethics which is not the case with the variable experience, appurtenance, service quality and conflicts with customers.
The Creation of Proton Hopping from a DrugReceptor Encounter

We extend recent modeling studies of proton hopping, used to describe the functioning of membrane channels and axon nerve conduction, to offer an explanation of the initiation of the nerve impulse at an effectorligand encounter. This encounter is proposed to create a hydronium ion in the vicinity of the effector and ligand, which leads to a continuous flow of protons, called proton hopping, through water adjacent to this encounter. This proton hopping is proposed to be the message carried from the encounter to the axon of a particular nerve system associated with that particular effectorligand system.
MODULATION IDENTIFICATION USING NEURAL NETWORKS FOR COGNITIVE RADIOS

This paper presents a signal modulation classifier d sign using artificial neural networks. We analyze system -l vel issues including carrier synchronization, bandwidth estimation, and modulation classification. This is an extension of previous work with the addition of sta nd rdfree signal classification as well as an in-depth a nalysis of the feature space used in the neural network. The r esults show promising classification statistics with over 80% success rates in the presence of noise even with hi gher-order digital modulations.
Prostaglandin H2 as an endothelium-derived contracting factor and its interaction with endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

The possibility that prostaglandin H2 is an endothelium-derived contracting factor (EDCF) was evaluated in rings of thoracic aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). When the aortic rings were contracted with norepinephrine (10(-7) mol/l) and treated with acetylcholine (10(-5) mol/l), a relaxant response with a peak after approximately 1 min and a contractile response with a peak after approximately 7 min were observed. When these rings were pretreated with a thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor antagonist (ONO-3708), the later contractile response was clearly inhibited and only a sustained relaxant response was observed. This relaxant response was completely inhibited by pretreatment with an inhibitor of nitric oxide production (N-nitroarginine methylester; NNM). When aortic rings in the basal condition were treated with NNM and then with acetylcholine, a contractile response with a peak after 7 min was observed, but this reaction was completely inhibited by pretreatment with ONO-3708. The rate of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha production showed a peak of 1.4 x 10(-6) mol/l per min per tissue, 2-4 min after administration of acetylcholine. With exogenous prostaglandin H2 (5 x 10(-7) mol/l), a peak contraction was observed after approximately 4 min, the degree and pattern of which were similar to that induced by acetylcholine. Endogenous prostaglandin H2 is considered to be produced by the aortic rings in an amount sufficient to induce vascular contraction within 30 s, and the pattern of this contraction induced by acetylcholine resembles that induced by exogenous prostaglandin H2. These findings most strongly suggest that prostaglandin H2 is an EDCF. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Causal inference with longitudinal outcomes and non‐ignorable dropout: estimating the effect of living alone on cognitive decline

We develop a model to estimate the causal effect of living arrangement (living alone versus living with someone) on cognitive decline based on a 15‐year prospective cohort study, where episodic memory function is measured every 5 years. One key feature of the model is the combination of propensity score matching to balance confounding variables between the two living arrangement groups—to reduce bias due to unbalanced covariates at baseline, with a pattern–mixture model for longitudinal data—to deal with non‐ignorable dropout. A fully Bayesian approach allows us to convey the uncertainty in the estimation of the propensity score and subsequent matching in the inference of the causal effect of interest. The analysis conducted adds to previous studies in the literature concerning the protective effect of living with someone, by proposing a modelling approach treating living arrangement as an exposure.
A pair programming experience

A gile methods and extreme programming have risen to the forefront of software management and development interest during the last few years. Two definitions of agile are (1) able to move quickly and easily, and (2) mentally alert. Both definitions rely on the capabilities of the people within the development process. The " Agile Manifesto " [1] published in Software Development in 2001 created a new wave of interest in the agile philosophy and reemphasized the importance of people. One of the points highlighted in the manifesto is, " We value individuals and interactions over processes and tools. " That does not mean processes and tools are evil. It implies that individuals and interactions (people) are of higher priority than processes and tools. Textbooks [2, 3] describe the importance of people in these new software development approaches that have demonstrated improved productivity and product quality. Extreme programming (XP) [4] is one member covered by the umbrella of agile methods. Pair programming [5] is a major practice [6] of XP. The official definition of pair programming is two programmers working together, side by side, at one computer collaborating on the same analysis, design, implementation, and test. In other words, consider it like two programmers using one pencil. We have all experienced elements of the pair-programming concept in one way or another during our lives. How many times have you been stuck removing an error from a design or program with no success? When everything else failed, you went to your neighbor programmer, the casual observer , to see if you could get some assistance. While explaining the problem, you have a flash of inspiration, and the problem is quickly solved. How much time did you waste before asking a neighbor for insight? Can you relate this to pair programming? I was introduced to pair programming indirectly as an undergraduate electrical engineering student in the 1950s. The class and laboratory workload were such that any free time during the four-year program was more wishful thinking than reality. Working part time made the program even more daunting. Fortunately, two other electrical engineering students in the same academic program were struggling with different sets of outside commitments. We decided to work together on homework assignments, lab work, and test preparation to lighten the course load. We successfully maintained this approach through the entire program in spite of having been conditioned throughout our lives to …