Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The predictive value of specific immunoglobulin E levels for the first diagnosis of cow's milk allergy. A critical analysis of pediatric literature

Investigators have tried to identify a level of seric specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) that had a sufficient predictive value to diagnose a food allergy without having will resort to the food challenge. To search in literature, all the studies that have estimated the possibility to identify a level of seric specific cow milk IgE with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 95% for the first diagnosis of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in pediatric age. We have identified six studies, nearly all studies suffer from relevant methodological bias. Proposed cut‐off are all different. The studied pediatric populations were highly selected. Also neglecting the methodological bias of the studies and the great difference of value between the proposed cut‐off, it always remains to consider that the pre‐test probability of having a CMA between the children enrolled in the six studies included in this review is particularly high. The likelihood ratio helps to transfer the results of a study on a diagnostic test just to our population, and it is more realistic rather than to entrust itself to the PPV or the negative predictive value, that are much influenced from the prevalence of the disease in the studied population.
Relationship between initial chemical reactions and oxidative recovery metabolism for single isometric contractions of frog sartorius at 0 degrees C.

1. Measurements of intitial chemical changes and recovery oxygen consumption (deltaO2) were made in unpoisoned aerobic frog sartorius muscles at 0 degrees C to provide independent measures of the chemical energy used for isometric tetani of various durations. 2. DeltaO2 was measured polarographically and increased in a curvilinear fashion with stimulus duration. For stimulations longer than 4 sec deltaO2 was a linear function of the tension‐time integral. 3. Measurements of the changes in the content of phosphorylcreatine, 'free' creatine and inorganic phosphate were made in muscles rapidly frozen during a tetanus. The average of these quantities, delta approximately P, was used to measure the initial 'high energy' phosphate utilization. No break‐down of 'high‐energy' phosphate compounds was detected up to 200 sec after relaxation of tension. Changes in the content of ATP were not observed except for a small decrease (‐0‐25+/‐0‐1 mumole/g) in muscles tetanized for 1 sec. 4. Delta approximately P also increase curvilinearly with tetanus duration and, for tetanic durations greater than 4 sec, was a linear function of the tension‐time integral. 5. Both deltaO2 and delta approximately P were quantitatively related by a constant scaling factor of about 4‐3 (delta approximately P/deltaO2) throughout the range of tetanic durations studied. The constancy of this ratio.provides evidence against the hypothesis that a significant 'missing reaction' provides energy during any one portion of the tetanus. Several hypothesis may account for the numerical value of the ration delta approximately P/deltaO2.
Modeling and analysis of grain-orientation effects in emerging metal-gate devices and implications for SRAM reliability

This work introduces an analytical approach to model the random threshold voltage (Vth) fluctuations in emerging high-k/metal-gate devices caused by the dependency of metal work-function (WF) on its grain orientations. It is shown that such variations can be modeled by a multi-nomial distribution where the key parameters of its probability distribution function (pdf) can be calculated in terms of the physical dimensions of the devices and properties of the materials. It is highlighted for the first time that such variations can have significant implications for the performance and reliability of minimum sized circuits such as SRAM cells.
Impaired protein metabolism: interlinks between obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation

Metabolic and structural changes in skeletal muscle that accompany obesity are often associated with the development of insulin resistance. The first events in the pathogenesis of this disorder are considered as an accumulation of lipids within skeletal muscle due to blunted muscle capacity to oxidize fatty acids. Fat infiltration is also associated with muscle fibre typology modification, decrease in muscle mass and impairments in muscle strength. Thus, as a result of obesity, mobility and quality of life are affected, and this is in part due to quantitative and qualitative impairments in skeletal muscle. In addition, the insulin resistance related to obesity results not only in defective insulin‐stimulated glucose disposal but has also detrimental consequences on protein metabolism at the skeletal muscle level and whole‐body level. This review highlights the involvement of fat accumulation and insulin resistance in metabolic disorders occurring in skeletal muscle during the development of obesity, and the impairments in the regulation of protein metabolism and protein turnover in the links between obesity, metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance.
In vitro study of the potential role of guanidines in leukocyte functions related to atherogenesis and infection.

BACKGROUND The blunted immune response upon stimulation in chronic renal failure (CRF) is often coupled to a baseline inflammatory status which has been related to atherogenesis. Uremic biologic fluids and several specific uremic retention solutes alter cell-mediated immune responses, as well as the interaction of calcitriol with the immune system. METHODS The present study evaluated the influence of different guanidino compounds on DNA synthesis, chemiluminescence production, and CD14 expression of undifferentiated and calcitriol-differentiated HL-60 cells. In a second setup, these guanidino compounds were evaluated for their specific effect on normal human leukocyte oxidative burst activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression. RESULTS First, several guanidino compounds elicited proinflammatory effects on leukocytes. Methylguanidine and guanidine stimulated the proliferation of undifferentiated HL-60 cells and the antiproliferative effect of calcitriol (P < 0.05) was neutralized in the presence of methylguanidine (P < 0.05) and guanidinosuccinic acid (P < 0.05). The phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA)-stimulated chemiluminescence production of the calcitriol differentiated HL-60 cells was enhanced in the presence of guanidine (P < 0.05). Methylguanidine and guanidinoacetic acid enhanced the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated intracellular production of TNF-alpha by normal human monocytes (P < 0.05). Second, several guanidino compounds inhibited the function of leukocytes if they were activated. The PMA-stimulated chemiluminescence production of the calcitriol differentiated HL-60 cells was inhibited by the presence of methylguanidine (P < 0.05), guanidinoacetic acid (P < 0.05) and guanidinosuccinic acid (P < 0.05). After incubation of whole blood in the presence of methylguanidine, the Escherichia coli stimulated oxidative burst activity of the granulocyte population was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05). In addition, guanidinosuccinic acid had an inhibitory effect on the LPS-stimulated intracellular production of TNF-alpha by human monocytes (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Guanidino compounds exert proinflammatory as well as anti-inflammatory effects on monocyte/macrophage function. This could contribute to the altered prevalence of cardiovascular disease and propensity to infection in patients with CRF.
Differential regulation of gelatinase b and tissue‐type plasminogen activator expression in human bowes melanoma cells

A comparison of the production of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (t‐PA) and gelatinases A and B was made at the mRNA and protein levels in human Bowes melanoma cells treated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Immunocytochemical analysis confirmed previous quantitative data on PMA‐mediated induction of t‐PA. It also showed that t‐PA immunoreactivity can be restrained to the local environment of the producing cell, most probably by interaction with extracellular matrix components. Zymographical analysis showed that gelatinase B protein was induced by PMA, whereas gelatinase A remained at the constitutive level. Protein kinase C (PKC) appeared to be involved in this regulation since, after PMA treatment (I) the PKC activity was found to be translocated from the cytosol to the particulate fraction of the cells and (2) addition of staurosporine and H‐7 blocked the gelatinase B increase. Northern‐blot hybridization showed a transient rise in t‐PA and gelatinase B mRNA levels whereas gelatinase A mRNA levels remained unchanged. When c‐fos and c‐jun mRNAs were investigated, only that of c‐fos was affected by PMA. Activation by PMA can be kinetically ordered as follows: translocation of PKC to the membrane fraction, transcription of the c‐fos gene and eclipsing of gelatinase B mRNA, increase in steady‐state mRNA levels of t‐PA and gelatinase B and, finally, secretion of t‐PA and gelatinase B glycoproteins. Our data also suggest that various proteases that are known to cooperate in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix can be differently regulated in one tumor‐cell type.
Effect of puberty on body composition

Purpose of reviewHere we examine the effect of puberty on components of human body composition, including adiposity (total body fat, percentage body fat and fat distribution), lean body mass and bone mineral content and density. New methods and longitudinal studies have expended our knowledge of these remarkable changes. Recent findingsHuman differences in adiposity, fat free mass and bone mass reflect differences in endocrine status (particularly with respect to estrogens, androgens, growth hormone and IGF-1), genetic factors, ethnicity and the environment. During puberty, males gain greater amounts of fat free mass and skeletal mass, whereas females acquire significantly more fat mass. Both genders reach peak bone accretion during the pubertal years, though males develop a greater skeletal mass. Body proportions and fat distribution change during the pubertal years as well, with males assuming a more android body shape and females assuming a more gynecoid shape. Pubertal body composition may predict adult body composition and affects both pubertal timing and future health. SummarySexual dimorphism exists to a small degree at birth, but striking differences develop during the pubertal years. The development of this dimorphism in body composition is largely regulated by endocrine factors, with critical roles played by growth hormone and gonadal steroids. It is important for clinicians and researchers to know the normal changes in order to address pathologic findings in disease states.
Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy Interventions for Lower-Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review

Lower-extremity (LE) musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can have a major impact on the ability to carry out daily activities. The effectiveness of interventions must be examined to enable occupational therapy practitioners to deliver the most appropriate services. This systematic review examined the literature published between 1995 and July 2014 that investigated the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for LE MSDs. Forty-three articles met the criteria and were reviewed. Occupational therapy interventions varied on the basis of population subgroup: hip fracture, LE joint replacement, LE amputation or limb loss, and nonsurgical osteoarthritis and pain. The results indicate an overall strong role for occupational therapy in treating clients with LE MSDs. Activity pacing is an effective intervention for nonsurgical LE MSDs, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation is effective for LE joint replacement and amputation. Further research on specific occupational therapy interventions in this important area is needed.
MOTILITY IN PROCARYOTIC ORGANISMS: PROBLEMS, POINTS OF VIEW, AND PERSPECTIVES

1. Procaryotic motility mechanisms are more difficult to investigate than those of the generally larger, hence more easily observable, eucaryotic forms. Furthermore, although the function—namely translational locomotion—is the same, the biomechanisms by which this end is accomplished may be, in fact, quite distinct in the two forms.
Optimization of the MMF function of fractional slot concentrated windings

In this paper a novel method of determining optimal stator winding layouts for the permanent magnet with fractional slot concentrated winding machines is presented. This method based on a multiobject if genetic algorithm coupled to an analytical model of the MMF produced by the stator windings aims to reduce the harmonic content while maintaining a good winding factor for the working harmonic. The advantage of such an approach is that new degrees of freedom (irregular slot distribution, non-uniform distribution of the number of turns) likely to improve the distribution of the MMF waveform are taken into account. The example of application is given for two specific three phase windings; the first is characterized by a working harmonic of order five and the second by a working harmonic of order seven.
Pornography Consumption, Cocaine Use, and Casual Sex among U.S. Adults

This study utilized nationally representative longitudinal survey data from the 2006–2008 General Social Survey (GSS) to explore the interplay between U.S. adults' self-reported past pornography consumption, past cocaine use, and recent participation in casual sex. Participants in the longitudinal component of the 2006–2008 GSS were 867 women and 669 men (N = 1,536) ranging in age from 18 to at least 89 years (M = 45.46; SD = 16.91). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the data. After controlling for past casual sex and demographic covariates, the interaction of past pornography consumption and past cocaine use on recent casual sex was significant. Past cocaine users were more likely than non-cocaine users to have had recent casual sex (OR = 4.56), but past pornography consumption was unrelated to recent casual sex for past cocaine users (OR = 0.20). Conversely, past pornography consumption was associated with an increase in the odds of recent casual sex for non-cocaine users (OR = 2.74).
A geometric perspective on   the robustness of deep networks

Deep neural networks have recently shown impressive classification performance on a diverse set of visual tasks. When deployed in real-world (noise-prone) environments, it is equally important that these classifiers satisfy robustness guarantees: small perturbations applied to the samples should not yield significant losses to the performance of the predictor. The goal of this paper is to discuss the robustness of deep networks to a diverse set of perturbations that may affect the samples in practice, including adversarial perturbations, random noise, and geometric transformations. Our paper further discusses the recent works that build on the robustness analysis to provide geometric insights on the classifier’s decision surface, which help in developing a better understanding of deep nets. The overview finally presents recent solutions that attempt to increase the robustness of deep networks. We hope that this review paper will contribute shedding light on the open research challenges in the robustness of deep networks, and will stir interest in the analysis of their fundamental properties.
A Clustering Routing Protocol Based on HCMC in WSNs

Recent advances in wireless sensor networks have led to many new protocols specifically designed for sensor networks where energy awareness is an essential consideration. Most of the attention, however, has been given to the routing protocols. The paper presents a new clustering scheme named HCMC based on improved Monte-Carlo localization algorithm MCBR. We also exploit multi-hop scheme between clusters to increase the energy efficiency of the protocol. The results show that our approach distributes the energy dissipation more evenly than other clustering schemes, reduces overall energy consumption and improves network lifetime.
Restriction in participation in leisure activities after joint replacement: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND currently, assessment of outcomes after joint replacement is predominantly centred on impairment and activity limitation (e.g. walking), with little consideration of participation restriction. METHOD structured telephone interviews about participation in leisure activities were conducted with 56 total hip replacement (THR) and 60 total knee replacement (TKR) patients before and 1 year after joint replacement. FINDINGS before surgery, THR patients participated in 209 leisure activities, with an average of four leisure activities per person. TKR patients participated in 171 leisure activities, with an average of three leisure activities per person. The leisure activities were coded into four categories: sports/exercise, hobbies, social activities and holidays. Between 89 and 95% of leisure activities were rated as important by THR and TKR patients prior to surgery. Before surgery, THR patients rated 82% of leisure activities as difficult to perform because of joint problems, which decreased to 25% of leisure activities by 1-year after surgery. TKR patients rated 86% of leisure activities as difficult to perform because of joint problems, which decreased to 32% after surgery. CONCLUSION this research highlights that participation in leisure activities is important to patients undergoing joint replacement, but that approximately a quarter of patients are unable to perform their valued leisure activities after surgery.
Verification of a brick Wang tiling algorithm

We have implemented a certified Wang tiling program for tiling a rectangular region using a brick Wang tile set. A brick Wang tile set is a special Wang tile set introduced in 2015 by A. DerouetJourdan et al. in computer graphics to model the texture of wall patterns. We have implemented a tiling algorithm using the Coq proof assistant and have presented its proof, which assures the existence of a tiling of any brick Wang tile set for a rectangle of any size. The essential points of the proof are the existence of a tiling for a 2× 2 rectangle and a simple induction process. Since the brick Wang tile set is a set of tiles of infinite types, the proof is not straightforward and there are many conditional branches in the proof of the algorithm. The certification with Coq assures that there are no lack of conditions.
Chemical Defense of Mediterranean Sponges Aplysina cavernicola and Aplysina aerophoba

The Mediterranean sponges Aplysina aerophoba and A. cavernicola accumulate brominated isoxazoline alkaloids including aplysinamisin-1 (1), aerophobin-2 (2), isofistularin-3 (3) or aerothionin (4) at concentrations up to 10% of their respective dry weights. In laboratory feeding experiments employing the polyphagous Mediterranean fish Blennius sphinx crude extracts of both Aplysina sponges were incorporated into artificial fish food at their physiological concentrations (based on volume) and offered to B. sphinx in choice feeding experiments against untreated control food. In addition to the Aplysina sponges, extracts from nine other frequently occurring Mediterranean sponges were likewise included into the experiments. Both Aplysina species elicited strong feeding deterrence compared to the other sponges tested. Bioassay-guided fractionation of A. cavernicola yielded the isoxazoline alkaloids aerothionin (4) and aplysinamisin-1 (1) as well as the 3,4-dihydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid (8) as major deterrent constituents when tested at their physiological concentrations as present in sponges. Aeroplysinin-1 (5) and dienone (6), however, which are formed in A. aerophoba and A. cavernicola from isoxazoline precursors through bioconversion reactions upon tissue injury showed no or only little deterrent activity. Fractionation of a crude extract of A. aerophoba yielded aerophobin-2 (2) and isofistularin-3 (3) as major deterrent constituents against B. sphinx. We propose that the isoxazoline alkaloids 1-4 of Mediterranean Aplysina sponges as well as the 3,4-dihydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid (8) (in the case of A. cavernicola) act as defensive metabolites against B. sphinx and possibly also against other predators while the antibiotically active bioconversion products aeroplysinin-1 (5) and dienone (6) may protect sponges from invasion of bacterial pathogens.
Comparative analysis of protein interaction networks

Recent advances in proteomics and computational biology have lead to a flood of protein interaction data and resulting interaction networks (e.g. (Gavin et al., 2002)). Here I first analyse the status and quality of parts lists (genes and proteins), then comparatively assess large-scale protein interaction data (von Mering et al., 2002) and finally try to identify biological meaningful units (e.g. pathways, cellular processes) within interaction networks that are derived from the conservation of gene neighborhood (Snel et al., 2002). Possible extensions of gene neighborhood analysis to eukaryotes (von Mering and Bork, 2002) will be discussed.
AN USE CASE ABOUT EVENT-BASED SYSTEMS APPLIED TO SERVICES-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE AT SERASA EXPERIAN

This article describes the experience and deliverables of a research supported and sponsored by Serasa Experian as part of its program for incentive of academic research. The aim of this project was to introduce the event driven architecture story to the company and how it extends the service-oriented architecture. In order to achieve this main objective, a real use case of an event-based system based on corporate scenarios at Serasa Experian was modeled and implemented using an integrated development environment (IDE) that is part of this research. This IDE based on Eclipse offers support for development of distributed event-based systems and has visual editors for modeling and specification of these systems. The use case was also deployed on a controlled runtime environment also described in this article, so its execution and the deployment effort could be simulated and tested. This paper presents the contributions of this experience of implementing a real corporate event flow and how this opportunity influenced this work.
Unraveling the divergent results of pre-exposure prophylaxis trials for HIV prevention

Although the balance of recent evidence supports the efficacy of antiretroviral (ARV)-based pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV-1 infection, recent negative trial results are perplexing. Of seven trials with available HIV endpoints, three different products have been tested: tenofovir 1% vaginal gel, oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) tablets, and TDF/emtricitabine tablets. Six of these trials were conducted exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa; all found the products to be well tolerated, and four demonstrated effectiveness. Furthermore, the HIV Prevention Trial Network (HPTN) 052 trial recently confirmed that antiretroviral treatment leads to 96% reduction in transmission to HIV-negative partners in HIV-serodiscordant couples. These results, along with human and animal data, provide substantial evidence for the efficacy of antiretroviral-based HIV prevention. Yet assessment of oral TDF/emtricitabine in the FEM-PrEP study and of oral and vaginal tenofovir in the Microbicide Trial Network (MTN)-003 trial (VOICE) was stopped for futility. How do we make sense of these discrepant results? We believe that adherence is a key factor, although it cannot be the only factor. Expanding upon a recent editorial in the Lancet, we discuss the impact of suboptimal product adherence on PrEP efficacy in the context of variable drug concentration at the exposure site, integrity of the vaginal epithelium, and the role of acute infection.