Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vincristine-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Pediatric Oncology: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Push Injections with One-Hour Infusions (The VINCA Trial)

Simple Summary We studied children with cancer who receive vincristine chemotherapy as a one-hour infusion and compared them to children who received vincristine as a push injection. We investigated if there was a difference in the development of vincristine induced peripheral neuropathy, the most common side effect of vincristine. We found that in general there were no differences between the two groups (one-hour group versus push group). However, in children using both vincristine and azole antifungals, we noticed that children who received vincristine as a one-hour infusion experienced less severe vincristine induced peripheral neuropathy compared to children who received vincristine as a push injection. Therefore, in children who require both azole antifungal medication as well as vincristine it might be beneficial to administer the vincristine as a one-hour infusion instead of a push injection. However, this finding needs to be confirmed in other studies as well. Abstract Vincristine (VCR) is a frequently used chemotherapeutic agent. However, it can lead to VCR-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN). In this study we investigated if one-hour infusions of VCR instead of push-injections reduces VIPN in pediatric oncology patients. We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial in which participants received all VCR administrations through push injections or one-hour infusions. VIPN was measured at baseline and 1–5 times during treatment using Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events (CTCAE) and pediatric-modified Total Neuropathy Score. Moreover, data on co-medication, such as azole antifungals, were collected. Overall, results showed no effect of administration duration on total CTCAE score or ped-mTNS score. However, total CTCAE score was significantly lower in patients receiving one-hour infusions concurrently treated with azole antifungal therapy (β = -1.58; p = 0.04). In conclusion, generally VCR administration through one-hour infusions does not lead to less VIPN compared to VCR push injections in pediatric oncology patients. However, one-hour infusions lead to less severe VIPN compared to push-injections when azole therapy is administered concurrently with VCR. These results indicate that in children treated with VCR and requiring concurrent azole therapy, one-hour infusions might be beneficial over push injections, although larger trials are needed to confirm this association.
SIRUS: Stable and Interpretable RUle Set for classification

State-of-the-art learning algorithms, such as random forests or neural networks, are often qualified as "black-boxes" because of the high number and complexity of operations involved in their prediction mechanism. This lack of interpretability is a strong limitation for applications involving critical decisions, typically the analysis of production processes in the manufacturing industry. In such critical contexts, models have to be interpretable, i.e., simple, stable, and predictive. To address this issue, we design SIRUS (Stable and Interpretable RUle Set), a new classification algorithm based on random forests, which takes the form of a short list of rules. While simple models are usually unstable with respect to data perturbation, SIRUS achieves a remarkable stability improvement over cutting-edge methods. Furthermore, SIRUS inherits a predictive accuracy close to random forests, combined with the simplicity of decision trees. These properties are assessed both from a theoretical and empirical point of view, through extensive numerical experiments based on our R/C++ software implementation sirus available from CRAN.
A review of Northern Hemisphere winter-time teleconnection patterns

This chapter reviews the major teleconnection patterns that occur in the boreal winter season. The history of teleconnection research is first reviewed emphasising the pioneering work of Sir Gilbert Walker. This is followed by a review of contemporary research that focuses on eleven teleconnnection patterns classified into two groups: Euro-Atlantic and Pacific/North American patterns. Structure, impacts on weather and climate and temporal variability of each pattern are discussed by critically comparing major teleconnection studies. The lack of agreement on structure and occasionally the very existence of certain teleconnection patterns is also highlighted. These disagreements can be attributed to the absence of a universally accepted definition of teleconnections and the use of different statistical methods and data sets.
Simultaneous Separation and Determination of Five Bioactive Components in Traditional Chinese Medicinal Formula, Guanxin II, by HPLC

Abstract A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was established for the simultaneous determination of the bioactive constituents in traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) formula Guanxin II. Danshensu, protocatechuic acid, protocatechualdehyde, paeoniflorin, and ferulic acid were successfully separated on an Agilent Zorbax extend‐C18narrow‐bore column (150 × 2.1 mm i.d., 5 µm) with a guard column (12.5 × 2.1 mm i.d., 5 µm) packed with the same material at 25°C. The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol and 0.5% acetic acid employing gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.15 mL/min. Detection was accomplished with a diode‐array detector and chromatograms were recorded at 230 nm, 262 nm, 280 nm, and 322 nm. The compounds were identified by comparing their retention times and UV spectra in the 200–400 nm range with authentic standards. Regression equations revealed good linear relationship (correlation coefficients: 0.99938–0.99996) between the peak areas of the constituents and their concentrations. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) of retention time and peak area were less than 0.73% and 1.13%, respectively. The average recoveries (n = 3) were between 97.57% and 100.68%. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of the above bioactive constituents in Guanxin II decoction.
Dynamics of planar gaseous detonations near Chapman-Jouguet conditions for small heat release

A description of the dynamics of planar detonations is developed for detonations in mixtures having heat release small compared with the thermal enthalpy, under conditions that include small overdrive, extending to Chapman-Jouguet. This is a preliminary step in studying cellular structures at small overdrive by a nonlinear analysis of weakly unstable detonations. The formulation exhibits a bifurcation from stable to unstable propagation that occurs when the magnitude of the heat release, the temperature sensitivity of the heat-release rate or the specific-heat ratio becomes too large (the number of internal molecular degrees of freedom becomes too small) or the degree of overdrive becomes too small. The results complement those of a previous analysis that applied for large overdrive. An integral-equation formulation is suggested that embodies both limits, with a universal bifurcation parameter.
Unveiling Viruses Associated with Gastroenteritis Using a Metagenomics Approach

Acute infectious gastroenteritis is an important illness worldwide, especially on children, with viruses accounting for approximately 70% of the acute cases. A high number of these cases have an unknown etiological agent and the rise of next generation sequencing technologies has opened new opportunities for viral pathogen detection and discovery. Viral metagenomics in routine clinical settings has the potential to identify unexpected or novel variants of viral pathogens that cause gastroenteritis. In this study, 124 samples from acute gastroenteritis patients from 2012–2014 previously tested negative for common gastroenteritis pathogens were pooled by age and analyzed by next generation sequencing (NGS) to elucidate unidentified viral infections. The most abundant sequences detected potentially associated to acute gastroenteritis were from Astroviridae and Caliciviridae families, with the detection of norovirus GIV and sapoviruses. Lower number of contigs associated to rotaviruses were detected. As expected, other viruses that may be associated to gastroenteritis but also produce persistent infections in the gut were identified including several Picornaviridae members (EV, parechoviruses, cardioviruses) and adenoviruses. According to the sequencing data, astroviruses, sapoviruses and NoV GIV should be added to the list of viral pathogens screened in routine clinical analysis.
Effects of Seasonality on Physico-Chemical Properties and Selected Ligands on Rivers in Sigor Division, West Pokot County, Kenya

There is need to determine the exact nature of river systems for key decisions such as water treatment, construction of irrigation dams, piping systems or bridges to be made. Seasonality affects the nature and amounts of compounds getting into or out of rivers. It is therefore critical to know the exact amounts of physico-chemicals and ligands in water systems. This study aimed at analyzing the levels of various physico-chemicals and ligands in the rivers of Sigor division, West Pokot county, Kenya during different seasons. Sampling was done at four different parts of the four rivers (Weiwei, Chesogon, Lomut and Muruny) during both the wet and dry seasons. Analysis was then conducted, in situ for most physico-chemicals and later on by UV-VIS spectroscopy for the ligands. The findings revealed that there was a great impact of seasonality on most of the physico-chemical parameters analyzed. Crucial parameters such as pH, temperature, conductivity and turbidity were all affected by seasonality. The rivers did not however differ significantly in most of the physico-chemical parameters. Muruny river, however experienced more values of physico-chemical parameters due to its agricultural neighborhood. The phosphate values in the rivers were way above the permissible values. However, nitrate values were within the recommended values whereas sulfate values in the rivers were below the threshold values.
How indirect interactions shape long-term invasion dynamics in complex ecological communities

Abstract Many facets of ecological theory rely on the analysis of invasion processes, and general approaches exist to understand a species’ short-term ability to invade a community. However, predicting the long-term transformations of communities following an invasion remains –even in theory– a challenging endeavour. We propose a simple method to predict these impacts, as a function of community structure and invader dynamical characteristics, applicable to a vast class of dynamical models. Our approach reveals that short-term invasion success and long-term consequences are two independent axes of variation controlled by different properties of both invader and resident community. Whether a species can invade or not is controlled by its invasion fitness, which depends on environmental conditions and direct interactions between the invader and other species. But, whether this invasion will cause extinctions, or a even regime shift, depends on a specific measure of indirect interaction feedbacks that may involve the entire resident community. As an illustration of the new insights obtained by this method, we explore the interplay of invader specialization and community complexity, and discuss how asymmetrical invader-resident and resident-resident interactions can make communities less vulnerable to invasions.
A transcription factor binding atlas for photosynthesis in cereals identifies a key role for coding sequence in the regulation of gene expression

The gene regulatory architecture associated with photosynthesis is poorly understood. Most plants use the ancestral C3 pathway, but our most productive cereal crops use C4 photosynthesis. In these C4 cereals, large-scale alterations to gene expression allow photosynthesis to be partitioned between cell types of the leaf. Here we provide a genome-wide transcription factor binding atlas for grasses that operate either C3 or C4 photosynthesis. Most of the >950,000 sites bound by transcription factors are preferentially located in genic sequence rather than promoter regions, and specific families of transcription factors preferentially bind coding sequence. Cell specific patterning of gene expression in C4 leaves is associated with combinatorial modifications to transcription factor binding despite broadly similar patterns of DNA accessibility between cell types. A small number of DNA motifs bound by transcription factors are conserved across 60 million years of grass evolution, and C4 evolution has repeatedly co-opted at least one of these hyper-conserved cis-elements. The grass cistrome is highly divergent from that of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Determination of Fatty Acids in Three Nitraria Species by Precolumn Fluorescence Labeling for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization–Mass Spectrometry

A novel fluorescence method using 2-(7-methyl-1H-pyrazolo-[3,4-b] quinoline-1-yl) ethyl-4-methyl benzenesulfonate as the labeling reagent was established for high-performance liquid chromatography determination of fatty acids. The conditions were optimized, including the identity of the organic solvent, identity, and amount of catalyst, amount of derivatization reagent, derivatization temperature, and derivatization time. The results indicated that quantitative yields of derivative were obtained with a five-fold molar excess of reagent at 90°C for 30 min using 25 mg of potassium carbonate as the catalyst. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry results indicated that collision-induced dissociation of protonated fatty acid derivatives produced fragments at m/z 228.2, m/z 210.2, and m/z 183.8. The method was validated in terms of linearity, limits of detection, limits of quantification, precision, and accuracy, and the results showed that the method exhibited excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility. Limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the ranges of 0.52–2.34 ng mL−1 and 1.23–6.63 ng mL−1, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the determination of fatty acids in sarcocarps, seeds, and leaves of Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. , Nitraria sibirica Pall. , and Nitraria roborowskii Kom. The results indicated that the main components were oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and hexadecanoic acids. However, the composition of fatty acids in the tissues varied considerably.
The Formation Energies and Binding Energies of Helium Vacancy Cluster: Comparative Study in Ni and Pd

Molecular dynamics calculations are performed to calculate the formation energy for helium in Ni-vacancy and Pd-vacancy clusters. The binding energies of helium and metal self-interstitial atoms (SIA) to the helium-vacancy cluster are also determined. The comparison of these energies indicates that helium to vacancy ratio (He/V) for helium in Pd is much higher.
Uso de Tecnologías Limpias en la Desinfección del Agua para la Reducción de Diarrea en Niños. Revisión Sistemática

A nivel mundial, 2,2 millones de personas mueren cada ano por enfermedades diarreicas que corresponde al 19 % del total de muertes, donde la mayoria son ninos menores de 5 anos que se concentran en 15 paises en desarrollo segun el informe 2015 de OMS (Organizacion Mundial de la Salud). El agua potable, saneamiento e higiene se consideran los factores de riesgos mas importantes causantes de enfermedades diarreicas y que las intervenciones para mejorar la calidad del agua potable en los hogares son eficaces en la reduccion de la diarrea.Existen evidencias que demuestran que el uso de tecnologias limpias son soluciones eficientes y de bajo costo para el tratamiento del agua microbiologicamente no adecuada para su consumo en el hogar.El objetivo de esta investigacion es evaluar, mediante el desarrollo de una Revision Sistematica de Estudios (RSE), el uso de las tecnologias limpias como Desinfeccion Solar (SODIS) y Cloracion,y su eficiencia para la purificacion de agua microbiologicamente contaminada para consumo humano en el hogar y su efecto en la reduccion de la diarrea en ninos menores de 5 anos en paises en desarrollo. Los resultados de la RSE SODIS fueron consolidados en una Tabla de Excely se aplico una metodologia de Score, con la que evaluo la relevancia de los resultados de cada investigacion, se determino la efectividad de cada soluciony su incidencia en el sindrome diarreico en ninos menores de 5 anos, y se comparo con los resultados de la RSE Cloracion y ambas presentan resultados satisfactorios.Se concluyo que los resultados positivos indican que, el uso de los sistemas SODIS y Cloracion en el tratamiento de aguas microbiologicamente contaminadas en el hogar o punto de uso, son efectivos para consumo humano y reducen la incidencia de diarrea en ninos menores de 5 anos.
Évaluation du taux de lactate au cordon chez le fœtus lors de la perfusion de norepinephrine pour les césariennes sous rachianesthésie : étude rétrospective avant-après

Introduction : recemment, la norepinephrine a ete proposee comme vasopresseur pour le maintien de la pression arterielle (PA) materno-foetale lors de la cesarienne sous rachianesthesie. L’objectif principal etait d’evaluer les consequences fœtales de cette perfusion continue. Methodologie : nous avons realise une etude observationnelle, retrospective, de type avant-apres, mono centrique de mai 2016 a novembre 2017 incluant toutes les patientes beneficiant d’une cesarienne sous rachianesthesie. Durant la 1ere periode (groupe classique, C), des boli d’ephedrine-phenylephrine etaient realises en cas de baisse de pression arterielle moyenne (PAM) superieure a 20 %. Durant la 2e periode, une perfusion continue de norepinephrine (20 μg/mL, groupe N) etait administree avec un objectif de PAM similaire au groupe C. L’objectif principal etait de comparer le taux de lactate au cordon. Les objectifs secondaires etaient les autres criteres fœtaux (pH arteriel et veineux au cordon, score Apgar, hospitalisation), et les criteres maternels (PA, recours aux vasopresseurs). Resultats : sur 265 patientes eligibles, 134 ont ete incluses dans le groupe C et 111 dans le groupe N, sans difference sur les donnees demographiques et obstetricales. Les lactates au cordon etaient plus bas dans le groupe C par rapport au groupe N (2.0 vs 2.4, p=0.03), sans differences significatives sur les valeurs de pH, les scores Apgar et les mesures de reanimation fœtale. Les PA maternelles etaient similaires entre les deux groupes. Conclusion : la norepinephrine procure des profils metaboliques plus optimaux que les boli classiques d’ephedrine-phenylephrine
Xor Filters

The Bloom filter provides fast approximate set membership while using little memory. Engineers often use these filters to avoid slow operations such as disk or network accesses. As an alternative, a cuckoo filter may need less space than a Bloom filter and it is faster. Chazelle et al. proposed a generalization of the Bloom filter called the Bloomier filter. Dietzfelbinger and Pagh described a variation on the Bloomier filter that can answer approximate membership queries over immutable sets. It has never been tested empirically, to our knowledge. We review an efficient implementation of their approach, which we call the xor filter. We find that xor filters can be faster than Bloom and cuckoo filters while using less memory. We further show that a more compact version of xor filters (xor+) can use even less space than highly compact alternatives (e.g., Golomb-compressed sequences) while providing speeds competitive with Bloom filters.
High rate reactive magnetron sputter deposition of titanium oxide

A systematic experimental study of reactive sputtering from substoichiometric targets of TiOx with x ranging from 0 to 1.75 is reported. Experimental results are compared with results from modeling. The developed model describes the observed behavior and explains the origins of the unexpectedly high deposition rate. The behavior is shown to originate from the presence of titanium suboxides at the target surface caused by preferential sputtering of the oxide. The model can be used for optimization of the target composition with respect to the deposition rate and film composition in a stable hysteresis-free reactive sputtering process.
CD38 contributes to human natural killer cell responses through a role in immune synapse formation

Natural killer (NK) cells use a diverse array of activating and inhibitory surface receptors to detect threats and provide an early line of defense against viral infections and cancer. Here, we demonstrate that the cell surface protein CD38 is a key human NK cell functional receptor through a role in immune synapse formation. CD38 expression marks a mature subset of human NK cells with a high functional capacity. NK cells expressing high levels of CD38 display enhanced killing and IFN-γ secretion in response to influenza virus-infected and tumor cells. Inhibition of CD38 enzymatic activity does not influence NK cell function, but blockade of CD38 and its ligand CD31 abrogates killing and IFN-γ expression in response to influenza-infected cells. Blockade of CD38 on NK cells similarly inhibits killing of tumor cells. CD38 localizes and accumulates at the immune synapse between NK cells and their targets, and blocking CD38 severely abrogates the ability of NK cells to form conjugates and immune synapses with target cells. Thus, CD38 plays a critical role in NK cell immune synapse formation. These findings open new avenues in immunotherapeutic development for cancer and infection by revealing a critical role for CD38 in NK cell function.
Permanent education in multidisciplinary team from a geriatric program: concepts, challenges and possibilities

Introduction: The progressive increase of the elderly population and chronic diseases turns the permanent education of health professionals more and more urgent in order to meet the needs of the elderly. Objective: To know the conceptions of the multiprofessional team and of managers on Permanent Education of a Program of Integral Assistance to the Elderly. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. The scenario was a Geriatric Program offered in a Health Care Institute of a Public University in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The participants were 10 health professionals including the managers of the program. Focal group was used as data collection technique, whose reflections occurred from content analysis in the thematic modality. Results: The research allowed the construction of two categories: 1) Permanent Education as a professional updating movement and 2) Permanent Education: approaching personal interest, institutional initiative and users needs. It can be observed that permanent education occurs from the identification of daily problems and the needs of the services and the users of the health system, being involved with the responsibility of improving the health conditions of the elderly population served. Conclusion: The study contributed to a reflection that translates into the organization of the work process and the search for the improvement of the qualified and resolutive assistance practice, with a view to the future operationalization of Permanent Education processes.