Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utility-related-capacity of interference networks: A cooperative game view

A bargaining power β-dependent utility-related-capacity (uc) concept is defined to characterize dynamic behaviors and strategic interactions of multiple users in interference networks, where a metric called degree of bargaining (DoB) is presented to measure the efficiency of presented uc. General uc-region of interference networks is formulated and analyzed by an Nash bargaining cooperative approach. Both the inner and outer bounds of the DoB are presented for the individually rational player/user with bargaining power β = 1. Furthermore, we conclude that the summation of DoB of all players approaches one in the interference networks. Finally, we give the general closed-form of optimal solution with Nash bargaining solution (NBS) and Kalai-Smorodinsky bargaining (KSBS) as the special cases. Meanwhile, we give the mild condition of guaranteeing KSBS more efficient than NBS.
Biomechanical comparison of two locking plate constructs under cyclic torsional loading in a fracture gap model

Summary Objectives: The number of locking screws required per fragment during bridging osteo-synthesis in the dog has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to assess the survival of two constructs, with either two or three screws per fragment, under cyclic torsion. Methods: Ten-hole 3.5 mm stainless steel locking compression plates (LCP) were fixed 1 mm away from bone surrogates with a fracture gap of 47 mm using two bicortical locking screws (10 constructs) or three bicortical locking screws (10 constructs) per fragment, placed at the extremities of each LCP. Constructs were tested in cyclic torsion (range: 0 to +0.218 rad) until failure. Results: The 3-screws constructs (29.65 ± 1.89 N.m/rad) were stiffer than the 2-screws constructs (23.73 ± 0.87 N.m/rad), and therefore, were subjected to a greater torque during cycling (6.05 ± 1.33 N.m and 4.88 ± 1.14 N.m respectively). The 3-screws constructs sustained a significantly greater number of cycles (20,700 ± 5,735 cycles) than the 2-screws constructs (15,600 ± 5,272 cycles). In most constructs, failure was due to screw damage at the junction of the shaft and head. The remaining constructs failed because of screw head unlocking, sometimes due to incomplete seating of the screw head prior to testing. Clinical significance: Omitting the third innermost locking screw during bridging osteosynthesis led to a reduction in fatigue life of 25% and construct stiffness by 20%. Fracture of the screws is believed to occur sequentially, starting with the innermost screw that initially shields the other screws.
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Activates Ezrin, Which Participates in Disruption of Tight Junction Barrier Function

ABSTRACT Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is an important human intestinal pathogen, especially in infants. EPEC adherence to intestinal epithelial cells induces the accumulation of a number of cytoskeletal proteins beneath the bacteria, including the membrane-cytoskeleton linker ezrin. Evidence suggests that ezrin can participate in signal transduction. The aim of this study was to determine whether ezrin is activated following EPEC infection and if it is involved in the cross talk with host intestinal epithelial cells. We show here that following EPEC attachment to intestinal epithelial cells there was significant phosphorylation of ezrin, first on threonine and later on tyrosine residues. A significant increase in cytoskeleton-associated ezrin occurred following phosphorylation, suggesting activation of this molecule. Nonpathogenic E. coli and EPEC strains harboring mutations in type III secretion failed to elicit this response. Expression of dominant-negative ezrin significantly decreased the EPEC-elicited association of ezrin with the cytoskeleton and attenuated the disruption of intestinal epithelial tight junctions. These results suggest that ezrin is involved in transducing EPEC-initiated signals that ultimately affect host physiological functions.
Lipid Metabolism and Membrane Composition Are Altered in the Brains of Type II Diabetic Mice

Abstract: CBL/57 strain db/db mice exhibit type II (non‐insulin‐dependent) diabetes. The affected mice are markedly hyperinsulinemic, hyperglycemic, and hypercholesterolemic, and their serum K+ levels are decreased. The brains of the diabetic mice are significantly smaller than those of their lean, control littermates, but the protein concentration is normal. The low brain weight is accompanied by a loss of major fatty acid components within the whole brain, nerve endings, and mitochondrial membranes. Cholesterol levels are low in whole brain but are not significantly different from normal in the synaptosomal membranes. The phospholipid concentration is significantly decreased in whole brain homogenates, crude synaptosomal membranes, and crude mitochondrial membranes of the diabetic mice. In addition, the specific activities of membrane‐bound synaptosomal acetylcholinesterase, Na+,K+‐ATPase, and Mg2+‐ATPase are decreased in crude synaptosomal membranes of the diabetic mice. The specific activities of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I and carnitine acetyltransferase are significantly increased in the crude mitochondrial fraction isolated from the brains of the type II diabetic mice, whereas the specific activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is decreased. The specific activities of two other mitochondrial enzymes—monoamine oxidase B and citrate synthase—and a cytosolic enzyme—lactate dehydrogenase—are unaltered. The ability to synthesize cyclic AMP is markedly decreased in the brains of the diabetic mice. The concentrations of carnitine and of the amino acids, glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, and serine are unaltered, whereas glycine levels are significantly elevated in the brains of the db/db mice. The data suggest that in vivo the brains of the diabetic mice exhibit a decreased capacity for glucose oxidation and increased capacity for fatty acid oxidation. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that cerebral mitochondria isolated from the db/db mice oxidize [1‐14C]palmitate to 14CO2 at a rate almost twice that of control mitochondria. The present findings emphasize the potentially serious alteration of brain metabolism in uncontrolled type II diabetes.
Prospective multicenter study of vascular-catheter-related complications and risk factors for positive central-catheter cultures in intensive care unit patients

To determine the incidence rate of complications associated with vascular catheters in intensive care unit patients and to analyze risk factors for a positive vascular culture, we performed a multicenter study of intensive care unit patients at eight French hospitals. During the study period, 865 intravenous catheters were inserted in 566 patients; 362 (41.8%) were peripheral catheters, and 503 (58.2%) were central catheters. Local complications (i.e., infiltration) occurred significantly more often with peripheral than with central catheters (P less than 0.001); in contrast, fever and bacteremia were significantly more often associated with central than with peripheral catheters (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively). The culture of the vascular-catheter tip was positive for 24% of central catheters (32 of 1,000 catheters days) and for 9% of peripheral catheters (21 of 1,000 catheters days). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common microorganism isolated from both peripheral and central catheters, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No significant risk factor associated with positive cultures for peripheral catheters was found by univariate analysis. In contrast, the purpose of the cannula (nutrition and monitoring of central venous pressure), the insertion site (jugular), the dressing type (semipermeable transparent dressing), the antiseptic used to prepare the insertion site (povidone iodine), and routine changing of the intravenous administration set were significantly associated with positive cultures of central catheters. Three factors, duration of catheterization, use of a semipermeable transparent dressing, and the jugular insertion site, were found to be independently associated with positive cultures of central catheters by multivariate analysis.
Analysis of stimulant locomotor effects of modafinil in various strains of mice and rats

Summary— Locomotor effects of modafinil were analysed and compared in various strains of mice and rats. A stimulation of locomotor activity was evidenced in all tested strains of mice: Swiss CD1, BALB/c, DBA2, C3H, B6CBAF1/JICO, Nude CD1 and in all tested strains of rats: Long Evans, Sprague Dawley, Wistar. In mice, from 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal, a precocious stimulant effect was observed. The drug seems to operate in its native form on the mouse brain since its intracerebroventricular administration (from 15 μg/mouse) elicited a stimulation of locomotion. In rats, the effective doses were higher (from 40 mg/kg ip); the effects of modafinil mainly oppose to the decrease in locomotion (habituation) which normally occurs in control animals. In addition, it was observed that administration of modafinil in rats habituated to their environment induced a recovery of locomotor activity.
Osteopontin and Mucosal Protection

Protection of mucosal tissues of the oral cavity, intestines, respiratory tract, and urogenital tract from the constant challenge of pathogens is achieved by the combined barrier function of the lining epithelia and specialized immune cells. Recent studies have indicated that osteopontin (OPN) has a pivotal role in the development of immune responses and in the tissue destruction and the subsequent repair processes associated with inflammatory diseases. While expression of OPN is increased in immune cells—including neutrophils, macrophages, T- and B-lymphocytes—and in epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblastic cells of inflamed tissues, deciphering the specific functions of OPN has been difficult. In part, this is due to the broad range of biological activities of OPN that are mediated by multiple receptors which recognize several signaling motifs whose activities are influenced by post-translational modifications and proteolytic processing of OPN. Understanding the role of OPN in mucosal inflammation is further complicated by its contributions to the barrier function of the lining epithelia and the complexity of the specialized mucosal immune system. In an attempt to provide some insights into the involvement of OPN in mucosal diseases, this review summarizes current knowledge of the biological activities of OPN involved in the development of inflammatory responses and in wound healing, and indicates how these activities may affect the protection of mucosal tissues.
Association of Saquinavir Plasma Concentrations with Side Effects but Not with Antiretroviral Outcome in Patients Infected with Protease Inhibitor-Susceptible Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to identify parameters among saquinavir pharmacokinetics, patients' demographics or comedications, to be addressed for improved personalized therapy. The presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA at therapy week 48 (principal target parameter), CD4 cell count at week 48, infections and side effects during 48 weeks, indicators of liver toxicity and lipid abnormalities at week 48, and a 12-h saquinavir plasma concentration-versus-time profile were assessed in 56 patients receiving saquinavir-ritonavir (1,000 and 100 mg, respectively) twice daily (44 therapy-naïve and 12 antiretrovirally pretreated patients) for association with saquinavir plasma concentrations, demographics, baseline values of target parameters, and coadministered antiretrovirals. Antiretroviral failure was observed in 8 of the 56 patients in whom HIV-1 RNA was detectable at week 48. This therapeutic failure was not associated with individual saquinavir pharmacokinetics. More likely, therapeutic failure was related to incidences interfering with antiretroviral therapy, causing therapy interruptions or incompliance. Weak associations were, however, seen between high maximum saquinavir plasma concentrations and both CD4 counts of ≥200 cells μl−1 at week 48 (P = 0.014) and constitutional side effects during 48 weeks (P = 0.002). However, patients with high CD4 counts and constitutional side effects were not identical (P = 0.53). Saquinavir therapeutic drug monitoring in patients infected with protease inhibitor-susceptible HIV-1 taking saquinavir-ritonavir (1,000 and 100 mg, respectively) is not demanded for improving the antiretroviral effect. It may be contemplated in cases with constitutional side effects or low CD4 counts with weak immune responses.
The 2001 National Pharmacy Consumer Survey.

OBJECTIVES To determine the types of pharmacy services used by consumers, to determine what sources they accessed for information on health and prescription drugs, and to assess their satisfaction with these information sources. DESIGN Telephone survey. SETTING Households. PARTICIPANTS Random sample of 1,201 consumers who reported having used the Internet during the previous 2 months and having filled at least one prescription within the past 6 months. RESULTS Convenience continues to be the primary patronage motive for using a particular pharmacy, followed by price and service. Satisfaction with pharmacy services remains high, with 85% of respondents reporting being satisfied with the process of filling a new prescription and 90% being satisfied with the refill process. Exploratory analyses showed that respondents who reported they always asked questions of their pharmacists were consistently more satisfied with pharmacy services. Consumers ranked physicians and pharmacists as the first and second most important sources for drug information, and they were more satisfied with information obtained from these sources than they were with information obtained from print or electronic information sources. Thirty-six percent of respondents had searched the Internet for information on prescription medications within the past year. CONCLUSION Convenience is still the primary determinant of pharmacy selection, and most consumers continue to use a single pharmacy. Exploratory analysis suggests a direct association between active information seeking from the pharmacist and consumers' satisfaction with pharmacy services.
Changing Policy and Practice in the Control of Pediatric Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease that affects ∼200 million people. The extended health impact of the disease has been estimated to exceed that of malaria or tuberculosis and to be nearer to that of HIV/AIDS. Within endemic areas, children carry the heaviest burden of infection. Infection/disease is controlled by the treatment of infected subjects with the anthelminthic drug praziquantel. Global initiatives from Partners of Parasite Control, including the World Health Organization (WHO), advocate regular school-based deworming strategies to reduce the development of severe morbidity, promote school–child health and development, and improve the cognitive potential of children. Until recently, preschool-aged children were excluded from schistosome treatment, creating a health inequity in affected populations. In 2010, the WHO updated their recommendations for the treatment of schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children (ie, children aged ≤5 years). This change was the culmination of several decades of research on schistosome epidemiology, immunology, and pathology in this age group. The recent development of a pediatric formulation of praziquantel (soon to enter clinical trials) should advance control efforts in preschool-aged children, with the goal of including these children in preventative chemotherapy (as currently occurs for soil-transmitted helminths). This review discusses the research work supporting the WHO revision of recommendations for treating preschool-aged children, as well as current barriers and knowledge gaps in pediatric schistosomiasis control.
A key role for Pax7 transcripts in determination of muscle and nerve cells.

Embryonic teratocarcinoma mouse cells (P19) and embryonic NIH3T3 fibroblasts were induced chemically to differentiate along neurogenic or myogenic lineages. The expression profiles of Pax7 alternate transcripts were then assessed by RNA isolation and RT-PCR. Only two transcripts, Pax7b and Pax7d, were expressed in the neurogenic lineage. By contrast, in adult skeletal muscle, four transcripts, Pax7a-d, were expressed in the myogenic lineage. Moreover, P19 cells were shown to undergo neural cell differentiation when stably transfected with a single Pax7 transcript, PAX7b, generated from human skeletal muscle. Our results suggest a key role for Pax7 transcripts in lineage determination.
Loss of PDCD4 expression in human lung cancer correlates with tumour progression and prognosis

The programmed cell death 4 gene (PDCD4), a newly identified transformation suppressor, was analysed in lung tumour cell lines and primary lung carcinomas. Reduced PDCD4 mRNA expression was observed in two immortalized lung cell lines and 18 cancer cell lines by northern blot analysis. In the survey of primary lung tumours, PDCD4 cDNA was poorly represented in 47 lung tumours compared with normal lung tissue by cDNA microarray analysis and this poor representation was significantly associated with high‐grade (G3) adenocarcinomas (p = 0.012). Immunohistochemical analysis of 124 primary carcinomas comprising all subtypes demonstrated that PDCD4 protein expression was widely lost in tumour samples (83%) and was negatively related to poor prognosis (p = 0.013). The loss of PDCD4 expression correlated with higher grade and disease stage (p = 0.045 and 0.034, respectively), but not tumour size and nodal status. Similarly to the cDNA data, lack of PDCD4 expression was significantly linked to tumour grade in adenocarcinoma (n = 59, p = 0.048), while in squamous cell carcinoma (n = 58), no relationship between PDCD4 expression and clinicopathological parameters was established. These data suggest that the loss of PDCD4 expression is a prognostic factor in lung cancer and may correlate with tumour progression. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitation of Chlamydia trachomatis by culture, direct immunofluorescence and competitive polymerase chain reaction.

OBJECTIVES--Methods to quantitate Chlamydia trachomatis have never been compared although it would be relevant to periodically evaluate the sensitivity of a detection system. We compared the sensitivity and reproducibility of culture, direct immunofluorescence and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to quantitate C trachomatis. METHODS--A competitive semiquantitative PCR procedure was developed. The number of inclusions in culture, particles by direct immunofluorescence and DNA copies by PCR were measured for 12 patient specimens. Variation was determined by measuring a sample 10 times for each method. RESULTS--Patient C trachomatis major outer membrane protein gene DNA was measured semiquantitatively by amplifying together with reference DNA. DNA molecules, particles and infectious units were quantitated in clinical samples with, on average, 595 DNA molecules and 87 immunofluorescent particles observed per inclusion-forming-unit. Similar coefficients of variation (47-52%) were observed for the 3 procedures. CONCLUSION--Competitive PCR and counting immunofluorescent particles provide reproducible and sensitive methods of quantitating C trachomatis.
20‐hydroxyecdysone mediates non‐canonical regulation of mosquito vitellogenins through alternative splicing

Vitellogenesis is one of the most well‐studied physiological processes in mosquitoes. Expression of mosquito vitellogenin genes is classically described as being restricted to female adult reproduction. We report premature vitellogenin transcript expression in three vector mosquitoes: Culex tarsalis, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. Vitellogenins expressed during non‐reproductive stages are alternatively spliced to retain their first intron and encode premature termination codons. We show that intron retention results in transcript degradation by translation‐dependent nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay. This is probably an example of regulated unproductive splicing and translation (RUST), a mechanism known to regulate gene expression in numerous organisms but which has never been described in mosquitoes. We demonstrate that the hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) is responsible for regulating post‐transcriptional splicing of vitellogenin. After exposure of previtellogenic fat bodies to 20E, vitellogenin expression switches from a non‐productive intron‐retaining transcript to a spliced protein‐coding transcript. This effect is independent of factors classically known to influence transcription, such as juvenile hormone‐mediated competence and amino acid signalling through the target of rapamycin pathway. Non‐canonical regulation of vitellogenesis through RUST is a novel role for the multifunctional hormone 20E, and may have important implications for general patterns of gene regulation in mosquitoes.
Nonlinear Unsupervised Clustering of Hyperspectral Images with Applications to Anomaly Detection and Active Learning

The problem of unsupervised learning and segmentation of hyperspectral images is a significant challenge in remote sensing. The high dimensionality of hyperspectral data, presence of substantial noise, and overlap of classes all contribute to the difficulty of automatically clustering and segmenting hyperspectral images. In this article, we propose an unsupervised learning technique that combines a geometric estimation of class modes with a diffusion-inspired labeling that incorporates both spatial and spectral information. The mode estimation incorporates the geometry of the hyperspectral data by using diffusion distance to promote learning a unique mode from each class. These class modes are then used to label all points by a joint spatial-spectral nonlinear diffusion process. The proposed method, called spatial-spectral diffusion learning (DLSS), is shown to perform competitively against benchmark and state-of-the-art hyperspectral clustering methods on a variety of synthetic and real datasets. The proposed methods are shown to enjoy low computational complexity and fast empirical runtime. Two variations of the proposed method are also discussed. The first variation combines the proposed method of mode estimation with partial least squares regression (PLSR) to efficiently segment chemical plumes in hyperspectral images for anomaly detection. The second variation incorporates active learning to allow the user to request labels for a very small number of pixels, which can dramatically improve overall clustering results. Extensive experimental analysis demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods, and their robustness to choices of parameters.