Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moderate alcohol feeding attenuates postinjury vascular cell proliferation in rabbit angioplasty model.

Our studies in the cholesterol-fed rabbit model indicate that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of restenosis by preventing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. Eighteen hypercholesterolemic rabbits underwent arterial injury by Fogerty balloon endothelial denudation of iliac arteries. Two weeks later, balloon angioplasty of atherogenic or atherosclerotic arterial segments was performed. Nine rabbits (control) received water ad lib, whereas nine rabbits (moderate alcohol treated) received an average of 2.5 ml alcohol per 500 ml water daily, from the day of feeding hypercholesterolemic diet until they were killed, 10 weeks later. There was a 26% increase in lumen size of the moderate alcohol-treated group compared with the control group. The percentage neointima formation (NI) values of the moderate alcohol-treated and control groups were 77 +/- 2.1 and 61 +/- 1.9, respectively (p < 0.001). The lumen/neointima (L/NI) ratio of the moderate alcohol-treated group was 0.71 +/- 0.07 compared with the control group, 0.33 +/- 0.04 (p < 0.001). The number of foam cells in the moderate alcohol-treated group was threefold less than the control group [i.e., 1.4 +/- 0.4 and 3.9 +/- 0.8, respectively (p = 0.005)]. The arterial lesion malondialdehyde (MDA) values of the control and the moderate alcohol-treated groups were 13.6 +/- 2.8 and 4.4 +/- 0.5 (p = 0.004), respectively. By radioimmunoassay, the moderate alcohol-treated group had less macrophage chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1; 3,277 cpm/microg protein) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF; 2,261 cpm/microg protein) compared with the controls (MCP-1, 4,529 cpm/microg protein; PDGF, 3,583 cpm/microg protein). Thus we conclude that low concentrations of alcohol reduce neointimal formation, and the extent of lipid oxidation, the number of foam cells in the neointimal area and may decrease the expression of MCP-1 and PDGF by reducing LDL oxidation in an animal model of postangioplasty restenosis.
Effect of Aging on the Relationship between Asthma Severity and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness in Children with Asthma

An association between asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) has been demonstrated. It is possible that the relationship between asthma severity and BHR in children with asthma is different in infants and in adolescents. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate the effect of aging on the relationship between the severity of asthma and BHR in children with asthma. We measured BHR in 386 subjects ranging from 2 to 20 years of age. The subjects consisted of 323 children with asthma (boys : girls = 193 : 130, mean age 9.7 years) and 63 age-matched controls (boys : girls = 25 : 38, mean age 8.2 years). BHR was measured using the methacholine inhalation challenge by measuring the transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) in children less than 6 years of age (Dmin-PO2) and by measuring the respiratory resistance (Rrs) in children 6 years of age and older (Dmin-Rrs). Throughout the whole age range, both the Dmin-PO2 and Dmin-Rrs in each asthma severity group were higher than those in the controls. In the asthmatics aged 2–5 years, the Dmin-PO2 levels in the mild asthma group were higher than those in the moderate and severe asthma groups (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively), and the Dmin-PO2 levels in the moderate asthma group were also higher than those in the severe asthma group. This tendency was also found in the age ranges of 6–9 years and 10–13 years. In the asthmatics aged 14–20 years, the Dmin-Rrs levels were not significantly different among the three groups. Taken together, these data show that aging has an effect on the relationship between the severity of asthma and BHR during childhood and that BHR may not be the sole determinant for the severity of asthma in adolescence.
A Fast and Stable Cluster Labeling Method for Support Vector Clustering

Even though support vector clustering (SVC) is able to handle arbitrary cluster shapes effectively, its popularity is frequently degraded by highly intensive time complexity, poor label performance and even instability for efficiency. To overcome such problems, a fast and stable cluster labeling (FSCL) method is proposed. Based on stable equilibrium points, the FSCL first finds an appropriate division of support vectors. With a nonlinear sample sequence strategy presented here, the connected components profiled by support vectors (SVs) can be determined in terms of sampling all stable equilibrium point pairs; and the FSCL prefers a density centroid constructed by one subset of SVs, along with a stable equilibrium point, to represent a component while avoiding local optimization. Finally, the remaining data points can be assigned the label of the nearest components with respect to a weighted distance. Time complexity analysis and comparative experiments suggest that the FSCL improves both the efficiency and clustering quality significantly while guaranteeing stability.
Clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment outcome of the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy for CD5-positive in comparison with CD5-negative diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND CD5-positive (CD5+) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) comprises ∼10% of DLBCLs, and it is associated with poor prognosis. The clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of CD5-negative (CD5-) DLBCL and CD5+ DLBCL were compared. PATIENTS AND METHODS The subjects were 607 DLBCL patients in whom cell surface markers could be analyzed, among 930 consecutive patients registered in the Adult Lymphoma Treatment Study Group between 1998 and 2008. RESULTS In all, 102 patients (16.8%) had CD5+ DLBCL. Compared with CD5- DLBCL, CD5+ DLBCL was more closely associated with elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level, advanced stage, poor performance status, extranodal sites, CD10-, BCL-2+, MUM1+, and nongerminal center B-cell type. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of CD5+ DLBCL (n = 102) and CD5- DLBCL (n = 505) were 55% and 65%, respectively (P = 0.032), with 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 52% and 61%, respectively (P = 0.041). In the CD5+ DLBCL patients, the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy significantly improved PFS (4-year PFS, 47.4% versus 62.5%), but not OS (4-year OS, 57.8% versus 63.5%). CONCLUSIONS For CD5+ DLBCL, the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy significantly improved the PFS, but not OS. Therefore, it is thought that a new treatment strategy is necessary for CD5+ DLBCL.
Pulmonary function in non‐atopic and atopic childhood asthma

Previous conclusions concerning pulmonary function in non-atopic and atopic asthma in childhood appear to differ depending on whether the cohorts studied are drawn from the community or clinic. In studies on community-based cohorts Kelley et al. found no differences in asthma severity and pulmonary function and Kurukulaaratchy et al. found that baseline spirometric parameters (FEV1 FVC or PEF) were not significantly different when comparing nonatopic and atopic children with asthma. In contrast Ostergaard who identified 84 cases from an allergy clinic found that non-atopic asthmatics had significantly more hyperinflation reduced pulmonary function and more hospital admissions than atopic asthmatics. These observations raise questions as to whether non-atopic asthma presenting to specialist clinics differs from that detected in the community and whether it differs qualitatively from atopic asthma. In this study we compare pulmonary function in children with non-atopic and atopic asthma presenting to a tertiary hospital specialist clinic. (excerpt)
Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics What ’ s In a City ? : Understanding the Micro-Level Employer Dynamics Underlying Urban Growth

This paper synthesizes the literatures on labor dynamics and urban growth and agglomeration by presenting new evidence on the micro-level establishment dynamics of metropolitan areas. I explore how the patterns of job reallocation and entry and exit affect the growth and composition of these areas. I find that high-growth metropolitan areas have high rates of job and establishment turnover, primarily though higher rates of gross job creation and establishment entry, and have a relatively young distribution of establishments. Variations in the age distribution and differences in the entry and exit patterns of young establishments account for a sizeable portion of regional differences in labor dynamics and growth, even after controlling for regional differences in industry composition. These results suggest that variations in the age distribution and the dynamics that lead to such variations are important factors in understanding urban growth and agglomeration. JEL Codes: E24, J63, R11
Sustained benefits of metformin therapy on markers of cardiovascular risk in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with fat redistribution and insulin resistance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of continued metformin therapy for HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy. Eligible subjects who participated in the 3-month randomized study received an additional 6-month open label metformin treatment extension. Nineteen of the 25 potential subjects were eligible to receive open label metformin based on preestablished safety and efficacy criteria. Insulin and glucose response to oral glucose challenge, cardiovascular disease risk markers (e.g. tissue plasminogen activator), weight, and anthropometric measurements were the primary outcome measures. Continued treatment with metformin resulted in further significant reductions in tissue plasminogen activator antigen levels (P = 0.02) and body mass index (P = 0.03). Reductions in insulin levels were sustained during the 6-month treatment extension. In addition, waist circumference decreased significantly in subjects continuing metformin treatment (P = 0.01). Metformin was well tolerated and no one discontinued treatment due to side effects. These data demonstrate a sustained benefit of metformin treatment to reduce hyperinsulinemia and certain markers of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with HIV infection and lipodystrophy.
Gonorrhea Prevalence and Coinfection With Chlamydia in Women in the United States, 2000

Background No recent national data address the prevalence of gonorrhea. Goal The goal was to describe gonorrhea prevalence and chlamydial coinfection among women aged 15 to 24 years. Study Design Data were analyzed from tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea at family planning, STD, and prenatal clinics in 2000. Gonorrhea positivity, chlamydia positivity among women with gonorrhea, and the median and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated. Results The median state-specific gonorrhea positivity among women aged 15 to 24 years was 0.9% (IQR, 0.7%–1.7%) in family planning clinics, 7.0% (IQR, 4.1%–10.4%) in STD clinics, and 1.0% (IQR, 0.8%–1.6%) in prenatal clinics. Gonorrhea positivity was higher among females aged 15 to 19 years than among those aged 20 to 24 years. Median chlamydia positivity for females infected with gonorrhea was highest among those aged 15 to 19 years (46%). Conclusions Gonorrhea positivity was consistently highest among women aged 15 to 19 years; almost half of women aged 15 to 19 years with gonorrhea also had chlamydia.
The Tuberculosis Vaccines Pipeline : A New Path to the Same Destination ?

Call it a paradigm shift, a pivot, or a turn – tuberculosis (TB) vaccine research and development (R&D) is entering a period of basic science. After years of focusing on phase II clinical trials, some of the field’s largest players are now redirecting attention and resources to the beginning of the pipeline – basic discovery and preclinical development. This change is motivated by a growing consensus that the guiding assumptions of the last 10 years of TB vaccine research require updating in the face of emerging evidence from the clinic and the lab.
Mouse Curve Biometrics

A biometric system suitable for validating user identity using only mouse movements and no specialized equipment is presented. Mouse curves (mouse movements with little or no pause between them) are individually classified and used to develop classification histograms, which are representative of an individual's typical mouse use. These classification histograms can then be compared to validate identity. This classification approach is suitable for providing continuous identity validation during an entire user session.
Alternate mainbeam nulling algorithm for linearly constrained adaptive arrays in coherent environment

A novel approach, called alternate mainbeam nulling (AMN), is proposed to deal efficiently with coherent interference in linearly constrained adaptive arrays. The AMN algorithm employs a null constraint with unit constraint in the look direction alternately with linear interpolation to reduce signal cancellation. It is demonstrated that the AMN algorithm performs consistently well and also is spatially robust to the amount of coherent interference. Also, the AMN algorithm is practical since the number of computations and the design cost are significantly reduced compared to conventional methods.
Mechanisms and Constraints in Word Segmentation

Several strategies have been experimentally demonstrated to play a role in infant word segmentation. However, the interactions among these mechanisms, and how they would scale up to a realistic setting of language learning have not been adequately explored. This paper presents a series of computational models that tests the effectiveness of these strategies with child-directed English. It is shown that the statistical learning approach using transitional probabilities [Saffran, J., Aslin, R. , & Newport, E. (1996) Statistical learning by 8-montholds. Science, 274, 1926-1928. ] does not reliably extract English words. To be successful, segmentation mechanisms must be complemented by what appear to be innate constraints on phonological structures. An non-statistical, computationally simple, and empirically motivated model of word segmentation is proposed, which achieves superior segmentation results compared to previous work. Gambell & Yang Word Segmentation
Cerebellar Cortical Infarct Cavities: Correlation With Risk Factors and MRI Markers of Cerebrovascular Disease

Background and Purpose— Small cerebellar infarct cavities have been recently found on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to preferentially involve the cerebellar cortex, but epidemiological studies are lacking. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factor profiles of cerebellar cortical infarct cavities (⩽1.5 cm) as well as their association with MRI markers of cerebrovascular disease and functioning. Methods— We analyzed the 1.5 Tesla MRI of 636 patients (mean age, 62±9 years; 81% men) from the Second Manifestations of Arterial Disease-Memory, Depression and Aging (SMART-Medea) study. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the associations of age, sex, vascular risk factors, MRI markers of cerebrovascular disease, and functioning with cerebellar cortical cavities, adjusted for age and sex. Results— Cerebellar cortical infarct cavities occurred on MRI in 10% of patients and were significantly associated with age, intima-media thickness (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–3.7), high levels of homocysteinemia (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0–3.3), cortical infarcts (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.6–5.4), gray matter lacunes of presumed vascular origin (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6–5.8), brain stem infarcts (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 1.9–13.6), and decreased brain parenchymal fraction (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74–0.94), but not with white matter hyperintensities (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8–1.8) or white matter lacunes of presumed vascular origin (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.5–2.5). They were also associated with worse physical functioning (OR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94 to 0.99) but not with mental functioning. Conclusions— Cerebellar cortical infarct cavities are far more common than previously assumed based on symptomatic case series and are associated with markers of atherothromboembolic cerebrovascular disease.
Pre-operative laboratory testing: A prospective study on comparison and cost analysis

Background and Aims : Pre-operative investigations are performed before any surgical intervention under anaesthesia. Many are considered as routine. However, there are no clear guidelines regarding these in India. We aim to look at the relevance of the laboratory investigations ordered routinely and their cost implications compared with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Methods: This prospective study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital. A total of 163 patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures were included in this study. Neither the surgeons nor anaesthesiologists involved in the case were aware of the study. The laboratory investigations of the patients who underwent surgery were noted. All values were categorised as normal or abnormal and they were assessed as indicated or unindicated based on NICE guidelines. Results: One hundred and sixty-three patients were subjected to a total of 984 tests. Forty three patients (26%) were subjected to tests as per NICE guidelines. Of the 984 tests, 515 tests were unindicated (52%). Out of the 515 unindicated tests, 7 (1.3%) were abnormal. None of these seven tests required any intervention or change of anaesthetic plan. The most common unindicated tests done were cardiac echocardiography and chest X-ray (92.5% and 93% respectively). The additional cost incurred towards unindicated tests was 63% of the total cost for the tests. Conclusion: Pre-operative laboratory investigations add to cost significantly. Patient premorbid conditions and surgical grade should guide the clinician to request for the relevant laboratory tests.
Transfer factor in the age of molecular biology: A review

Current data suggests that the transferring of immunologically specific information by transfer factor molecules requires interaction with a cell that has been genetically programmed to be antigen reactive but at the time of interaction is unprimed. Contact with transfer factor molecules would allow a naive recipient, on a first encounter with antigen, to make a secondary rather than a primary immunological response. Transfer factor molecules for each and every antigenic determinant are thus necessary. Transfer factors made from animals or humans are capable of transferring antigen specificity across a species barrier. Even primitive species have cells from which one can make transfer factors. The molecules are, therefore, well conserved and it is reasonable to suggest that they are important for normal immunological functioning. Proposed mechanisms of action must explain the fact that transfer factors obtained from the cells of high responder animals are capable of transferring delayed hypersensitivity to low responder animals while the reverse is not true. Transfer factor molecules are likely to interact with the variable regions of the alpha and/or beta chain of T cell receptors to change their avidity and affinity for antigen in a way that otherwise would only occur after an encounter with antigen.
Signal distribution circuit for K-band

The construction, work principle and analysis results for wideband microwave power distribution circuit have been presented in the paper. The circuit was designed for cooperation with electronic warfare or reconnaissance subsystems, planar antenna arrays and other one, working in K-band. The circuit construction is based on the one-section Wilkinson power dividers, working with equal and unequal power splitting on the output ports. The distribution circuit can be extended to more complex form. The prototype structure assures good impedance matching in 14–18 GHz band and adequate input signal distribution.
Protein HU binds specifically to kinked DNA

We have purified the main four‐way junction DNA‐binding protein of Escherichia coli, and have found It to be the well‐known HU protein. HU protein recognizes with high‐affinity one of the angles present in the junction, a molecule with the shape of an X. Other DNA structures characterized by sharp bends or kinks, like bulged duplex DNAs containing unpaired bases, are also bound. HU protein appears to inhibit cruciform extrusion from supercoiled inverted repeat (palindromic) DNA, either by constraining supercoiling or by trapping a metastable interconversion intermediate. All these properties are analogous to the properties of the mammalian chromatin protein HMG1. We suggest that HU is a prokaryotic HMG1‐like protein rather than a histone‐like protein.
Biodiversity Effects on Soil Processes Explained by Interspecific Functional Dissimilarity

The loss of biodiversity can have significant impacts on ecosystem functioning, but the mechanisms involved lack empirical confirmation. Using soil microcosms, we show experimentally that functional dissimilarity among detritivorous species, not species number, drives community compositional effects on leaf litter mass loss and soil respiration, two key soil ecosystem processes. These experiments confirm theoretical predictions that biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning can be predicted by the degree of functional differences among species.
Evaluation of computer tools for the prediction of transcription factor binding sites on genomic DNA

Note: Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, Institute of Animal Biology and Center of Biotechnology UNIL-EPFL, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. nicolas.mermod@iba.unil. ch Reference GR-BUCHER-ARTICLE-1998-007 Record created on 2007-12-17, modified on 2017-05-12
EDOF: An open framework for event detection systems

Event Detection has gained a lot of attention as a potential research area in the last decade due to emergence and huge adoption of online social media platforms. Though the problem is examined extensively by many researchers, it is the first and foremost important to understand events in detail and then apply detection techniques to identify them. In this paper, we will first study the properties of events and classify them based on these properties. Then, we propose a generic framework for event detection as a possible guideline to develop such systems.
Pediatric Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Frequently Asked Questions

Pediatric endoscopic sinus surgery is a controversial procedure that has evolved considerably over the past 2 decades. We present a current review of the literature regarding the treatment of children with refractory sinusitis with a focus on the use of endoscopic sinus surgery. Preoperative evaluation, surgical technique, postoperative care, and unusual applications are discussed.