Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solar flare effects on the ionosphere

Flares are generated from electromagnetic radiation which is sudden libratory of the stored energy in the magnetic field of the sun. These electromagnetic radiations vary from X ray to gamma ray. Flares are classified according to their brightness as C, M and X, where X is the brightest. X class flares cause long-time solar storm and ionospheric radio waves scintillations. Moderate level M class flares mostly effect polar cups and cause short-time radio scintillations. C class flares are weaker than the X and M flares. Their efficiency on Earth's ionosphere creates faint disturbances. Depending on the inner dynamics of the sun, solar activities show increase and decrease by time. For this reason ionospheric plasma which is natural plasma, is affected by this time varying solar activities. As a result of electrodynamic structure of ionosphere, we can investigate by using GPS signals and different total electron content algorithm methods. For this aim we detect the time of flares occurred and investigate TEC prediction for low, middle and high latitudes in 2012 (which is ascending phase of solar cycle 24). During our research we take into account the day before flare, the day after flare and during flare. We investigate separately what we indicate above. Especially we pay attention to the occuring time of flare (UT). Within this period we seek TEC prediction according to day variables and different latitude stations. Consequently examination of the ionospheric response depends on the different type of solar activity, will provide a better understanding of the puzzling structure of the ionosphere.
Diagnosis of asbestosis by a time expanded wave form analysis, auscultation and high resolution computed tomography: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND--Crackles are a prominent clinical feature of asbestosis and may be an early sign of the condition. Auscultation, however, is subjective and interexaminer disagreement is a problem. Computerised lung sound analysis can visualise, store, and analyse lung sounds and disagreement on the presence of crackles is minimal. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is superior to chest radiography in detecting early signs of asbestosis. The aim of this study was to compare clinical auscultation, time expanded wave form analysis (TEW), chest radiography, and HRCT in detecting signs of asbestosis in asbestos workers. METHODS--Fifty three asbestos workers (51 men and two women) were investigated. Chest radiography and HRCT were assessed by two independent readers for detection of interstitial opacities. HRCT was performed in the supine position with additional sections at the bases in the prone position. Auscultation for persistent fine inspiratory crackles was performed by two independent examiners unacquainted with the diagnosis. TEW analysis was obtained from a 33 second recording of lung sounds over the lung bases. TEW and auscultation were performed in a control group of 13 subjects who had a normal chest radiograph. There were 10 current smokers and three previous smokers. In asbestos workers the extent of pulmonary opacities on the chest radiograph was scored according to the International Labour Office (ILO) scale. Patients were divided into two groups: 21 patients in whom the chest radiograph was > 1/0 (group 1) and 32 patients in whom the chest radiograph was scored < or = 1/0 (group 2) on the ILO scale. RESULTS--In patients with an ILO score of < or = 1/0 repetitive mid to late inspiratory crackles were detected by auscultation in seven (22%) patients and by TEW in 14 (44%). HRCT detected definite interstitial opacities in 11 (34%) and gravity dependent subpleural lines in two (6%) patients. All but two patients with evidence of interstitial disease or gravity dependent subpleural lines on HRCT had crackles detected by TEW. In patients with an ILO score of > 1/0 auscultation and TEW revealed mid to late inspiratory crackles in all patients, whereas HRCT revealed gravity dependent subpleural lines in one patient and signs of definite interstitial fibrosis in the rest. In normal subjects crackles different from those detected in asbestosis were detected by TEW in three subjects but only in one subject by auscultation. These were early, fine inspiratory crackles. CONCLUSION--Mid to late inspiratory crackles in asbestos workers are detected by TEW more frequently than by auscultation. Signs of early asbestosis not apparent on the plain radiograph are detected by TEW and HRCT with similar frequency. off
Beyond friendship: the art, science and applications of recommending people to people in social networks

While Recommender Systems are powerful drivers of engagement and transactional utility in social networks, People recommenders are a fairly involved and diverse subdomain. Consider that movies are recommended to be watched, news is recommended to be read, people however, are recommended for a plethora of reasons -- such as recommendation of people to befriend, follow, partner, targets for an advertisement or service, recruiting, partnering romantically and to join thematic interest groups. This tutorial aims to first describe the problem domain, touch upon classical approaches like link analysis and collaborative filtering and then take a rapid deep dive into the unique aspects of this problem space like reciprocity, intent understanding of recommender and the recomendee, contextual people recommendations in communication flows and social referrals -- a paradigm for delivery of recommendations using the social graph. These aspects will be discussed in the context of published original work developed by the authors and their collaborators and in many cases deployed in massive-scale real world applications on professional networks such as LinkedIn.
Ferumoxytol in clinical practice: Implications for MRI

Ferumoxytol is an iron‐containing parenteral treatment for iron deficiency anemia that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The iron is in the form of a superparamagnetic iron oxide that causes T1, T2, and T2* shortening on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, the drug has a long intravascular half‐life of 14–15 hours; a standard dose can affect MRI for days to months. We describe a case in which a patient underwent contrast‐enhanced MRI of the liver 2 days after receiving a dose of ferumoxytol, which was unknown to the radiology team. The blood pool and soft tissues were hyperintense on T1‐weighted images, concealing enhancement from the gadolinium‐based contrast agent that was administered during the exam and rendering the exam nondiagnostic. Radiologists must be aware of this potential effect in screening patients for MRI and interpreting exams. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:1476–1479. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Residential Exposure to Traffic in California and Childhood Cancer

Background: Motor vehicle emissions are a major source of air pollution in California. Past studies have suggested that traffic-related exposures can increase the risk of childhood cancer, particularly leukemia. Methods: From California’s statewide, population-based cancer registry, we identified cancers diagnosed in children younger than 5 years of age between 1988 and 1997. We matched these cases to California birth certificates. For each case, we randomly selected 2 control birth certificates, matched by birth date and sex. For each mother’s residential address at the time of her child’s birth, we calculated road density by summing the length of all roads within a 500-foot radius of the residence. Traffic density was based on road lengths and vehicle traffic counts for highways and major roads. Results: The distributions of road and traffic density values were very similar for the 4369 cases and 8730 matched control subjects. For all cancer sites combined, the odds ratio (OR) for the highest road density exposure category, compared with the lowest, was 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75–1.00). For all sites combined and for leukemia, the ORs were also below 1.0 for the highest traffic density exposure category (0.92 for both). For central nervous system tumors, the OR was 1.22 (CI = 0.87–1.70). Conclusions: In a large study with good power, we found no increased cancer risk among offspring of mothers living in high traffic density areas for all cancer sites or leukemia.
Thermodynamic studies on subunit assembly in human hemoglobin. Self-association of oxygenated chains (alphaSH and betaSH): determination of stoichiometries and equilibrium constants as a function of temperature.

The homogeneous self-association of isolated alphaSH chains and betaSH chains from human hemoglobin has been studied by analytical molecular sieve chromatography over the concentration range 0.004 to 15.2 mg/ml. Detailed studies were carried out as a function of temperature at pH 7.4 in 0.1 M Tris/HCl, 0.1 M NaCl, 1 mM Na2EDTA in order to establish stoichiometries, equilibrium constants, and enthalpies for the self-association reactions. The dissociation data best describe the alphaSH system as being a monomer-dimer equilibrium (2alpha1 in equilibrium alpha2). Under the same conditions the betaSH system is best described by a monomer-tetramer equilibrium (4beta1 in equilibrium beta4). van't Hoff enthalpies were determined from the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constants. For the 2alpha in equilibrium alpha2 reaction the molar enthalpy delta H = 4.3 +/- 0.5 kcal, and for the reaction 4beta1 in equilibrium beta4, deltaH = 23.5 +/- 1.0 kcal. Unitary entropies were determined to be: deltaSu = 40.6 e.u., deltaSu = 177.5 e.u., respectively. Thermodynamic parameters for association of the two types of chains are roughly comparable in magnitude if four bonding interactions are assumed in the beta4 tetramer. Both reactions are entropy-driven, and the overall results (including salt effects) are consistent with a dominant role of hydrophobic interactions. Increasing the NaCl concentration to 2 M at 21.5 degrees under the same buffer conditions increases the association constant for both the alphaSH and betatsh chains. This increase in the association constants with increasing salt concentration is attributable to the increased binding of salt, or the release of bound water upon formation of the association complexes, or both. The present results do not distinguish between these possibilities. The introduction of inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) was found to have no effect upon subunit association in betaSH chains. This result and the previously observed effect of IHP upon oxygenation of beta chains imply that oxygenation and self-association are completely unlinked in this system. Accurate determinations of (a) the enthalpy changes for homogeneous reactions of isolated chains, carried out in this study and of (b) the enthalpy of forming alpha2beta2 tetramers from alphabeta dimers provide a basis for the interpretation of (c) calorimetric studies on reconstitution of hemoglobin from the isolated chains, described in accompanying papers.
Precision feeding: Innovative management of broiler breeder feed intake and flock uniformity

&NA; Achieving high lifetime productivity with broiler breeder flocks is challenging because feed restriction intensity continues to increase due to selection for efficient, fast growing, and high yielding broilers. Flock uniformity is compromised by intense competition for limited feed. Equitable feed allocation and stable metabolic rates are likely to increase reproductive efficiency. A prototype precision feeding (PF) station was developed to sequentially feed birds according to their individual needs. If pullets were under target BW, the station provided small amounts of feed during short feeding bouts. The objectives of the current study were to determine whether a sequential PF system could control BW of individual group‐housed pullets by matching real‐time BW to BW targets, and to quantify fluctuations in metabolic rate using continuous or stepwise increases in target BW. Two treatments were used in a completely randomized design: CON, the Ross 708 target BW curve interpolated hourly; and STEP, the Ross 708 BW curve updated every 21 days. Twenty Ross 708 broiler breeder pullets were assigned to the treatments (n = 10 per treatment). All pullets were fed by one PF station in a single pen from 35 to 140 d of age. Feed intake and BW records were used to evaluate BW and BW variation to estimate maintenance ME requirements, and to evaluate feeding patterns. Differences were reported as significant where P < 0.05. Precision feeding allowed different feeding programs to be evaluated in the same pen. In both treatments, BW CV decreased to less than 2% by wk 20. Complex temporal differences in feed intake and BW reflected treatment‐specific target growth trajectories. Metabolic rate in the STEP treatment increased 70 to 100% during wk in which rapid growth was permitted, compared with wk in which BW targets were held constant. Precision feeding shows promise both as a data acquisition system for poultry researchers and breeders, and as a means of increasing broiler breeder flock uniformity.
The relation of type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Increasing evidence indicates that individuals with type 2 diabetes (diabetes) are at elevated risk for several common human malignancies, including cancers of the colon, breast, endometrium, pancreas, and liver. In particular, the consistent positive results reported by prospective investigations make it unlikely that methodologic issues, occult tumors, or chance results could explain the findings. Since diabetes and impaired fasting glucose together affect >25% of Americans above age 50, even a moderate etiologic association (e.g., relative risk = 1.5) would explain >10% of involved malignancies. Laboratory studies have suggested biologically plausible mechanisms. Insulin, for example, is typically at high levels during the development and early stages of diabetes. Activation of the insulin receptor by its ligand, or cross-activation of the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor, has been shown to be mitogenic and promote tumorigenesis in various model systems. A "unifying concept," in fact, holds that hyperinsulinemia may underlie the cancer associations of several additional risk factors, including high waist circumference, visceral fat, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, sedentary lifestyle, and energy intake. In this review, we assess current evidence regarding the relation of type 2 diabetes with cancer, and evaluate the findings in terms of well-accepted criteria for establishing causality.
In‐hospital medical complications associated with patient dependency after acute ischemic stroke: data from the China National Stroke Registry

Background The mortality of stroke patients is strongly affected by medical complications. However, there are limited data investigating the effect of in‐hospital medical complications on the dependency of stroke patients worldwide. We prospectively and systematically investigated the effect of medical complications on dependency of patients at 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke using the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR). Methods This prospective cohort study collected data of patients age >18 years with acute ischemic stroke in 132 clinical centers distributed across 32 provinces and four municipalities (including Hong Kong region) of China, from September 2007 to August 2008. Data on medical complications, dependency and other information were obtained from paper‐based registry forms. Medical complications associated with stroke outcomes were assessed using multivariable Logistic regression. Results Of 11 560 patients with acute ischemic stroke, 1826 (15.80%) presented with in‐hospital medical complications. In‐hospital medical complications were independent risk factors for dependency of patients at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.367, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.021‐2.771), 6 months (adjusted OR 2.257, 95% CI 1.922‐2.650), and 12 months (adjusted OR 1.820, 95% CI 1.538‐2.154) after acute ischemic stroke. Conclusion The results demonstrated that the short‐term and long‐term dependency of acute ischemic stroke patients is significantly associated with in‐hospital medical complications in China.
p53 alterations in chemically induced hamster cheek‐pouch lesions

To confirm that the hamster cheek‐pouch carcinogenesis model reflects development of human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we determined if and when p53 mutations occur in the development of SCC in this model by using immunohistochemical staining and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis plus direct DNA sequencing. Twenty‐four hamster cheek‐pouches were treated with a solution of 0.5% 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in mineral oil three times a week for 16 wk. The malignant endophytic and exophytic tumors induced with this protocol are preceded by a sequence of premalignant lesions such as hyperplasia with or without dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, similar to the development of this cancer in humans. For this study, p53 protein accumulation was evaluated by immunostaining of various hamster cheek‐pouch exophytic and endophytic SCCs as well as flat dysplastic hyperplasia and carcinomas in situ. A moderate percentage (33.3%) of exophytic lesions and most endophytic carcinomas (90%) showed positive p53 staining. In addition we also found p53‐positive staining in a number of preneoplastic lesions, including areas of focal hyperplasia, dysplastic hyperplasia, and carcinomas in situ. To determine whether the alterations in p53 staining were due to p53 gene mutation, we used PCR‐SSCP analysis and direct sequencing. PCR products corresponding to exons 5a, 6, 7, and 8 from 40 tumors with the highest percentage of p53‐stained cells were analyzed. We detected shifted bands in 17 lesions. Direct sequencing of eight selected shifted bands revealed four mutations, including two G→T transversions in codons 216 (tumor #1) and 252 (tumor #2) and one G→C transversion in codon 282 (tumor #3). Tumor #4 contained a frameshift mutation in codon 251. These mutations are consistent with those reported in many human cancers. Therefore, we concluded that in the hamster cheek‐pouch model, p53 protein accumulation occurs frequently and early in carcinogenesis, as it does in human SCCs, and some of these p53 alterations are due to p53 gene mutations. These findings may help us better define the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the hamster cheek‐pouch model, and p53 alterations may be an early biomarker of progression for chemoprevention studies. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular Detection of Leishmania DNA in Wild-Caught Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) From a Cave in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract Leishmania spp. are distributed throughout the world, and different species are associated with varying degrees of disease severity. In Brazil, Leishmania transmission involves several species of phlebotomine sand flies that are closely associated with different parasites and reservoirs, and thereby giving rise to different transmission cycles. Infection occurs during the bloodmeals of sand flies obtained from a variety of wild and domestic animals, and sometimes from humans. The present study focused on detection of Leishmania DNA in phlebotomine sand flies from a cave in the state of Minas Gerais. Detection of Leishmania in female sand flies was performed with ITS1 PCR-RFLP (internal transcribed spacer 1) using HaeIII enzyme and genetic sequencing for SSUrRNA target. The survey of Leishmania DNA was carried out on 232 pools and the parasite DNA was detected in four: one pool of Lutzomyia cavernicola (Costa Lima, 1932), infected with Le. infantum (ITS1 PCR-RFLP), two pools of Evandromyia sallesi (Galvão & Coutinho, 1939), both infected with Leishmania braziliensis complex (SSUrRNA genetic sequencing analysis), and one pool of Sciopemyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte, 1927), infected with subgenus Leishmania (SSUrRNA genetic sequencing analysis). The present study identified the species for Leishmania DNA detected in four pools of sand flies, all of which were captured inside the cave. These results represent the first molecular detection of Lu. cavernicola with Le. infantum DNA, Sc. sordellii with subgenus Leishmania DNA, and Ev. sallesi with Leishmania braziliensis complex DNA. The infection rate in females captured for this study was 0.17%.
Abrogation of postentry restriction of HIV-1-based lentiviral vector transduction in simian cells

HIV-1 replication in simian cells is restricted at an early postentry step because of the presence of an inhibitory cellular factor. This block reduces the usefulness of HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors in primate animal models. Here, we demonstrate that substitution of the cyclophilin A (CyPA) binding region in the capsid of an HIV-1-based lentiviral vector (LV) with that of the macrophage tropic HIV-1 Ba-L resulted in a vector that was resistant to the inhibitory effect and efficiently transduced simian cells. Notably, the chimeric gag LV efficiently transduced primary simian hematopoietic progenitor cells, a critical cellular target in gene therapy. The alterations in the CyPA binding region did not affect CyPA incorporation; however, transduction by the gag chimeric LV seemed to be relatively insensitive to cyclosporin A, indicating that it does not require CyPA for early postentry steps. In dual infection experiments, the gag chimeric LV failed to remove the block to transduction of the WT LV, suggesting that the gag chimeric LV did not saturate the inhibitory simian cellular factor. These data suggest that the CyPA binding region of capsid contains a viral determinant involved in the postentry restriction of HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the host range of HIV-1-based LV can be altered by modifications in the packaging construct.
Ractopamine hydrochloride induces behavioral alterations and oxidative status imbalance in zebrafish

ABSTRACT The occurrence of ractopamine (RAC) hydrochloride in water bodies is of significant concern due to its ecological impacts and toxicity to humans. RAC hydrochloride is a β-adrenergic agonist drug used as a feed additive to (1) improve feed efficiency, (2) rate of weight gain, and (3) increase carcass leanness in animals raised for their meat. This drug is excreted by animals in urine and introduced into the environment affecting nontarget organisms including fish. In wastewater released from farms, RAC concentrations were detected from 0.124 µg/L to 30.1 µg/L, and in levels ranging from 1.3 × 10−5 to 5.4 × 10−4 μg/L in watersheds. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of exposure to RAC at 0.1, 0.2, 0.85, 8.5, or 85 µg/L dissolved in water on behavior and oxidative status in adult zebrafish. At 0.85 µg/L, RAC treatment increased exploratory behavior of zebrafish; while at 8.5 µg/L, decreased locomotor and exploratory activities were noted. With respect to oxidative stress biomarkers, results showed that RAC at 0.2 µg/L induced lipid peroxidation and elevated total thiol content in zebrafish brain. All drug tested concentrations produced a fall in nonprotein thiol content. Finally, RAC at 0.85, 8.5, or 85 µg/L increased catalase enzyme activity. Our results demonstrated that the exposure to RAC induced behavioral alterations and oxidative stress in zebrafish.