Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving prediction accuracy in agent based modeling systems under dynamic environment

Considering the dynamic and complex nature of real systems, it is not easy to build an accurate artificial simulation. Agent Based Modeling Simulations used to build such simulated models are often oversimplified and not realistic enough to predict reliable results. In addition to this, the validation of such Agent Based Model (ABM) involves great difficulties thus putting a question mark on their effective usage and acceptability. One of the major problems affecting the reliability of ABM addressed in this work is the dynamic nature of the environment. An ABM initially validated at a given time stamp is bound to become invalid with the inevitable change in the environment over time. Thus, an ABM that does not learn regularly from its environment cannot sustain its validity over a longer period of time. It should therefore have the ability to absorb changes in the environment upon their detection. Thus, in this paper we present a novel approach for incorporating adaptability and learning in an ABM simulation, thereby making it capable to be consistently synchronized with the changing environment and provide reliable results. One phase of our method explores the use of Data Mining (DM) in ABM for detecting environment trends and dynamics. Another phase addresses different methods for finding similarity between the knowledge represented by two different decision trees, for detecting a change in the simulation's environment.
Leishmania EF-1α Activates the Src Homology 2 Domain Containing Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-1 Leading to Macrophage Deactivation*

The human leishmaniasis are persistent infections of macrophages caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania.The chronic nature of these infections is in part related to induction of macrophage deactivation, linked to activation of the Src homology 2 domain containing tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) in infected cells. To investigate the mechanism of SHP-1 activation, lysates ofLeishmania donovani promastigotes were subjected to SHP-1 affinity chromatography and proteins bound to the matrix were sequenced by mass spectrometry. This resulted in the identification ofLeishmania elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) as a SHP-1-binding protein. Purified Leishmania EF-1α, but not host cell EF-1α, bound directly to SHP-1 in vitro leading to its activation. Three independent lines of evidence indicated thatLeishmania EF-1α may be exported from the phagosome thereby enabling targeting of host SHP-1. First, cytosolic fractions prepared from macrophages infected with [35S]methionine-labeled organisms containedLeishmania EF-1α. Second, confocal, fluorescence microscopy using Leishmania-specific antisera detectedLeishmania EF-1α in the cytosol of infected cells. Third, co-immunoprecipitation showed that Leishmania EF-1α was associated with SHP-1 in vivo in infected cells. Finally, introduction of purified Leishmania EF-1α, but not the corresponding host protein into macrophages activated SHP-1 and blocked the induction of inducible nitric-oxide synthase expression in response to interferon-γ. Thus, Leishmania EF-1α is identified as a novel SHP-1-binding and activating protein that recapitulates the deactivated phenotype of infected macrophages.
Observations on the neotropical disk-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor spix.

Study of 42 marked Thyroptera tricolor in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica, revealed that the animals live in groups of six to seven individuals. The members of each group always roost together in a rolled leaf of a plant, usually of the genus Heliconia. Each roost is occupied for one day. Each group seems to occupy an exclusive roosting area that averages 3000 square meters. The disk-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor Spix, is one of two species in the Neotropical family Thyropteridae. It occurs from southern Mexico through much of tropical South America. A second species, T. discifera, occurs in parts of Central and South America. These small, delicately built bats (average weight about 4 grams) have forwardly directed funnel-shaped ears and very small eyes like funnel-eared bats (family Natalidae) and smoky bats (family Furipteridae). Thyroptera differs from bats of these other two Neotropical families, however, in having well-developed suction disks located at the wrist and on the ventral surface of the hind foot. These disks, the anatomy and functioning of which have been studied in detail by Wimsatt and Villa (1970), allow the animal to attach itself to smooth surfaces, such as leaves or glass. So far disk-winged bats are known to roost only inside the rolled new leaves of members of the banana family (Musaceae) or related plants. Within the leaves the bats arrange themselves in a vertical row in a head-up posture, attaching themselves to the leaves by means of the suction disks. Our studies of these bats in lowland Costa Rica revealed that the number of suitable roosts in a given area on any given day is very limited. Thus it is possible to locate all the potential roosts and find the resident bats with a considerable degree of predictability. After capture the animals may be marked for future recognition, and relocated at will. Here we present the results of two weeks of study of these intriguing little bats in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. Our findings suggest that the bats are organized into roosting colonies, that the members of each colony remain together, rejoining even if separated, and that each colony occupies an exclusive roosting area.
The comparative study on the combination of ketorolac tromethamine and sufentanil for postoperative analgesia in patients receiving traumatic lower limb surgery : a randomized controlled trial

Postoperative pain can cause a series of physiological and psychological changes, also impact systems of human body. Intravenous analgesia mainly with opioids, has been widely used in clinical practice and well accepted by patients. However, the adverse events, which may be caused by opioids influence and restrict its application. In the present study, we conducted a single-center, controlled randomized clinical trial to investigate whether the use of toradol combined with sufentanil could exert equivalent postoperative analgesic effect as with sufentanil alone in adults receiving general anesthesia after traumatic orthopedic surgery with reduced dosage of opioids. The primary endpoint was the patients’ pain scores after surgery. The secondary endpoint was the Ramsay sedation scale. Total dosage of analgesics during the analgesia period, side effects, adverse events and vital signs during the study were also observed. Sixty-three patients completed the study and the outcomes for these patients were analyzed. Statistical analysis showed the combination of ketorolac tromethamine and sufentanil for postoperative analgesia in patients receiving traumatic orthopedic surgery can not only play a favourable analgesic and sedative effect, but also significantly reduce the dosage of sufentanil, with relatively less related adverse events accompanied.
Subcutaneous panniculitis by Epstein‐Barr virus‐infected natural killer (NK) cell proliferation terminating in aggressive subcutaneous NK cell lymphoma

We describe here a case involving a patient presenting initially with subcutaneous panniculitis, which developed after 12 years into aggressive subcutaneous natural killer (NK) cell lymphoma with peripheral blood involvement and hemophagocytosis. The surface marker of lymphoid cells in peripheral blood was CD2+3–7+8–16+56+. Skin biopsies were taken in May 1986 and June 1998. The initial biopsy revealed a diffuse proliferation of atypical lymphoid cells in the subcutaneous tissue with panniculitis, while the second biopsy revealed the presence of large lymphoid cells in the subcutaneous tissue with necrotic changes, consistent with a diagnosis of malignant lymphoma (diffuse pleomorphic type). The lymphoid cells from these two specimens were positive for CD56 and such cytotoxic molecules as T‐cell intracellular antigen‐1 (TIA‐1), granzyme B, and, interestingly, also positive for Epstein‐Barr (EB) virus by in situ hybridization. This suggests that chronic EB virus infections play an important role in the early stages of tumorigenesis and in the progression of NK cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Am. J. Hematol. 64:221–225, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Probiotic treatment of rat pups normalises corticosterone release and ameliorates colonic dysfunction induced by maternal separation

Background: We previously showed that neonatal maternal separation (MS) of rat pups causes immediate and long-term changes in intestinal physiology. Aim: To examine if administration of probiotics affects MS-induced gut dysfunction. Methods: MS pups were separated from the dam for 3 h/day from days 4 to 19; non-separated (NS) pups served as controls. Twice per day during the separation period, 108 probiotic organisms (two strains of Lactobacillus species) were administered to MS and NS pups; vehicle-treated pups received saline. Studies were conducted on day 20, when blood was collected for corticosterone measurement as an indication of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity, and colonic function was studied in tissues mounted in Ussing chambers. Ion transport was indicated by baseline and stimulated short-circuit current (Isc); macromolecular permeability was measured by flux of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) across colonic tissues; and bacterial adherence/penetration into the mucosa was quantified by culturing tissues in selective media. Colonic function and host defence were also evaluated at day 60. Results: Isc and HRP flux were significantly higher in the colon of MS versus NS pups. There was increased adhesion/penetration of total bacteria in MS pups, but a significant reduction in Lactobacillus species. Probiotic administration ameliorated the MS-induced gut functional abnormalities and bacterial adhesion/penetration at both day 20 and 60, and reduced the elevated corticosterone levels at day 20. Conclusions: The results indicate that altered enteric flora are responsible for colonic pathophysiology. Probiotics improve gut dysfunction induced by MS, at least in part by normalisation of HPA axis activity.
Effect of Exogenous Siderophores on Iron Uptake Activity of Marine Bacteria under Iron-Limited Conditions

ABSTRACT More than 60% of species examined from a total of 421 strains of heterotrophic marine bacteria which were isolated from marine sponges and seawater were observed to have no detectable siderophore production even when Fe(III) was present in the culture medium at a concentration of 1.0 pM. The growth of one such non-siderophore-producing strain, alpha proteobacterium V0210, was stimulated under iron-limited conditions with the addition of an isolated exogenous siderophore,N,N′-bis (2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-O-serylserine from aVibrio sp. Growth was also stimulated by the addition of three exogenous siderophore extracts from siderophore-producing bacteria. Radioisotope studies using 59Fe showed that the iron uptake ability of V0210 increased only with the addition of exogenous siderophores. Biosynthesis of a hydroxamate siderophore by V0210 was shown by paper electrophoresis and chemical assays for the detection of hydroxamates and catechols. An 85-kDa iron-regulated outer membrane protein was induced only under iron-limited conditions in the presence of exogenous siderophores. This is the first report of bacterial iron uptake through an induced siderophore in response to exogenous siderophores. Our results suggest that siderophores are necessary signaling compounds for growth and for iron uptake by some non-siderophore-producing marine bacteria under iron-limited conditions.
The Term Structure of Variance Swaps and Risk Premia

We study the term structure of variance swaps, equity and variance risk premia. A model-free analysis reveals a significant price jump component in variance swap rates. A model-based analysis shows that investors' willingness to ensure against volatility risk increases after a market drop. This effect is stronger for short horizons and more persistent for long horizons. During the financial crisis investors demanded large risk premia to hold equities but the risk premia largely depended and strongly decreased with the holding horizon. The term structure of equity and variance risk premia responds differently to various economic indicators.
Attenuation of Circulatory Response to Laryngoscopy and Tracheal Intubation: A Comparison of Two Methods of Topical Anaesthesia

Circulatory responses to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation were compared between throe groups of patients, two of which were subjected to a procedure of topical anaesthesia before induction of general anaesthesia. Topical anaesthesia, achieved with either a lidocaine dose aerosol or by gargling with viscous lidocaine, attenuated the magnitude of the pressor response to laryngoscopy and intubation but had no effect on the heart rate response. Lidocaine aerosol had some advantages over viscous lidocaine; these were the significantly smaller haemodynamic response to the local anaesthetic procedure itself and probably shorter duration of the circulatory changes produced by intubation. It is concluded that both of these simple methods are relatively ineffective in preventing haemodynamic changes associated with laryngoscopy and intubation and should probably be combined with another preventive method.
Professional Team Sports Clubs: Cases of soft budget constraints in capitalist economies?

: Professional football in Europe is characterized by persistent deficits, growing debts and additional financial problems among the majority of the top league clubs. Despite these problems, these clubs have an abnormally high survival rate. This paper focuses on this apparent paradox and poses the question: Why do only very few European professional football clubs go out of business even though they operate chronically close to the edge of financial failure? By applying the soft budget constraint concept - originally developed by the Hungarian Economist János Kornai - to professional football in Europe, this paper argues that professional team sports clubs (PTSCs) are cases of an economic phenomenon normally found in socialist or post-socialist economies.
Algorithm and implementation of radio frequency fingerprinting based on multi-resolution analysis

Wireless device accessing security is a great challenge in wireless communication networks, especially RFID and some other mini wireless terminals with limited computing power are facing higher strength security challenges because of the high cost caused by the traditional cryptographic. As an important non-cryptographic authentication technology, radio frequency fingerprinting technology, due to its full use of non-imitation of the radio frequency characteristics, has been gaining increasing attention to be a lightweight authentication scheme. Aiming at the shortcomings of traditional radio frequency fingerprint feature extracting methods, this paper constructs a system for the feature extraction of radio frequency fingerprint based on multi-resolution analysis. Meanwhile, BP neural network is designed to optimize features. Finally, a better separable metric algorithm and threshold value are selected according to the actual identification accuracy rate.
Optimal CT breathing protocol for combined thoracic PET/CT.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the optimal breathing protocol for combined PET/CT scans of the thorax. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Eighty combined PET/CT scans were obtained in 64 patients (30 women, 34 men; mean age, 57 years; range, 19-86 years). The 80 PET/CT scans consisted of five group of patients (16 PET/CT scans per group) who underwent whole-body combined 18F-FDG PET/CT with different CT breathing protocols: expiration, mid suspended breath-hold, quiet breathing, small breath in, and regular breath in. The quality of alignment was analyzed at the diaphragm, aortic arch, heart, thoracic spine, and lung apices using a scale of ratings from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare alignment between breathing protocols for each anatomic reference point. RESULTS Alignment of the PET and CT data sets was excellent with three breathing protocols: expiration, mid suspended breath-hold, and quiet breathing, with no statistical differences. Significant misalignment occurred at the diaphragm (p < 0.0001) and heart (p < 0.0001) with the small breath-in and regular breath-in techniques. CONCLUSION Excellent image fusion of combined PET/CT data sets in the thorax, especially at the diaphragm and heart, can be achieved with expiration, mid suspended breath-hold, or quiet breathing. Quiet breathing is recommended for optimal patient comfort during acquisition of attenuation-correction CT data sets.
Association of cytochrome P450 2C19 genotype with the antiplatelet effect and clinical efficacy of clopidogrel therapy.

CONTEXT Clopidogrel therapy improves cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes and following percutaneous coronary intervention by inhibiting adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-dependent platelet activation. However, nonresponsiveness is widely recognized and is related to recurrent ischemic events. OBJECTIVE To identify gene variants that influence clopidogrel response. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In the Pharmacogenomics of Antiplatelet Intervention (PAPI) Study (2006-2008), we administered clopidogrel for 7 days to 429 healthy Amish persons and measured response by ex vivo platelet aggregometry. A genome-wide association study was performed followed by genotyping the loss-of-function cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19*2 variant (rs4244285). Findings in the PAPI Study were extended by examining the relation of CYP2C19*2 genotype to platelet function and cardiovascular outcomes in an independent sample of 227 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation in response to clopidogrel treatment and cardiovascular events. RESULTS Platelet response to clopidogrel was highly heritable (h(2) = 0.73; P < . 001). Thirteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 10q24 within the CYP2C18-CYP2C19-CYP2C9-CYP2C8 cluster were associated with diminished clopidogrel response, with a high degree of statistical significance (P = 1.5 x 10(-13) for rs12777823, additive model). The rs12777823 polymorphism was in strong linkage disequilibrium with the CYP2C19*2 variant, and was associated with diminished clopidogrel response, accounting for 12% of the variation in platelet aggregation to ADP (P = 4.3 x 10(-11)). The relation between CYP2C19*2 genotype and platelet aggregation was replicated in clopidogrel-treated patients undergoing coronary intervention (P = .02). Furthermore, patients with the CYP2C19*2 variant were more likely (20.9% vs 10.0%) to have a cardiovascular ischemic event or death during 1 year of follow-up (hazard ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-4.99; P = .02). CONCLUSION CYP2C19*2 genotype was associated with diminished platelet response to clopidogrel treatment and poorer cardiovascular outcomes.
Equine laminitis induced with oligofructose.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Experimental induction of equine laminitis with a reliable and clinically relevant model should facilitate understanding of the disease. Successful induction with oligofructose (OF) could link pasture consumption to laminitis. OBJECTIVES To determine whether alimentary administration of OF induces laminitis. METHODS Twelve horses were dosed with OF and 6 received a sham (placebo) treatment. Clinical observations were made and blood collected at 4 h intervals over a 48 h study period. Stained sections of the hoof wall lamellae, examined by light microscopy, were graded for laminitis severity. RESULTS All horses administered OF, but no sham-treated controls, developed clinical and histological laminitis. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE Alimentary overload with OF is a valid induction model for studying the pathogenesis of laminitis. A link is therefore established between field cases of laminitis and pasture fructan content.
Sequence analysis Human genomes as email attachments

Summary: The amount of genomic sequence data being generated and made available through public databases continues to increase at an ever-expanding rate. Downloading, copying, sharing and manipulating these large datasets are becoming difficult and time consuming for researchers. We need to consider using advanced compression techniques as part of a standard data format for genomic data. The inherent structure of genome data allows for more efficient lossless compression than can be obtained through the use of generic compression programs. We apply a series of techniques to James Watson’s genome that in combination reduce it to a mere 4 MB, small enough to be sent as an email attachment. Availability: Our algorithms are implemented in C++ and are freely available from http://www.ics.uci.edu/∼xhx/project/DNAzip. Contact: chenli@ics.uci.edu; xhx@ics.uci.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Extracellular NM23 Signaling in Breast Cancer: Incommodus Verum

The notion that breast cancers can survive in an individual patient in a dormant state only to grow as metastatic disease in the future, is in our view incontrovertibly established. Convincing too is the evidence that surgery to remove the primary tumor often terminates dormancy resulting in accelerated relapses. Accepting that many deaths due to breast cancer might be averted were we to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying escape from dormancy, we have examined the extracellular signals produced by breast cancers derived from women with metastatic breast disease. In this perspective, we explore the role of extracellular nucleotide signaling that we have proposed constitutes a pathological axis from the transformed tumor cell to the endothelium in the service of intravasation, dissemination, extravasation and angiogenesis. A role for the dinucleotide kinase NM23/NDPK (nucleoside diphosphate kinase) secreted by breast tumor cells in the generation of signals that stimulate vascular leakiness, anti-thrombosis, endothelial migration and growth, constitutes a mechanistic basis for escape from latency and offers putative therapeutic targets for breast cancer management not previously appreciated.
Essential principles for practical analog BIST

Most IC-design engineers understand the operation principles of digital BIST. It generates pseudorandom bit patterns with an LFSR (linear-feedback shift register) and applies them to a circuit under test using the flip-flops configured temporarily into serial shift registers. Digital BIST also captures responses using the same flip-flops, compresses the shifted-out result into a digital signature, and then bitwise-compares it to a correct signature. Although the details of industriallogic BIST are more complex, the basic principles still apply for accommodating multiple clock domains, multicycle delay paths, and power-rail noise, for example.
Response to the AAP Section on Urology Concerns About the AAP Urinary Tract Infection Guideline

* Abbreviations: AAP — : American Academy of Pediatrics CKD — : chronic kidney disease SOU — : Section on Urology UTI — : urinary tract infection VCUG — : voiding cystourethrogram The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Urology (SOU)1 raises several concerns regarding the new AAP Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Clinical Practice Guideline.2 The SOU takes issue with the 6 randomized controlled trials that assess the effectiveness of prophylaxis.3–8 Specifically, the SOU draws attention to the use of bag specimens; the lack of information about circumcision, elimination habits, and compliance; and the small number of subjects in the individual studies. Address correspondence to Kenneth B. Roberts, MD, 3005 Bramblewood Dr, Mebane, NC 27302. E-mail: kenrobertsmd{at}gmail.com