Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Make no bones about it: increasing epidemiologic evidence links vitamin D to pulmonary function and COPD.

H ighlighting the article by Black and colleagues 1 in the current issue of CHEST (see page 3792) on the association between vitamin D and lung function is important for many reasons. Reduced maximally attained lung function and the accelerated decline of pulmonary function are markers of an individual's increased susceptibility to COPD, which is a potentially preventable disease with significant health and economic impact in the United States and worldwide. 2,3 Moreover, reduced lung function is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independent of smoking. 4 Thus, while historically dubbed the " Cinderella pulmonary condition , " we are seeing a well-deserved increase in research support, studies, and publications related to COPD and determinants of lung function given the projected growing public health impact. 2,5 The factors examined thus far in epidemiologic studies, including smoking, which has received the most attention, account for only a portion of the risk, 6 suggesting that adult lung function is influenced by as-yet-undefined chemical, psychological, behav-ioral, or biological factors that influence host susceptibility. Black and colleagues 1 examined the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and lung function in a cross-sectional analysis of the Third National Health, Nutrition and Examination Survey, a large representative sample (approximately 14,000 subjects) of the US population. They examined the relationship between percent predicted FEV 1 and FVC values and the circulating concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and demonstrated a significant relationship between higher vitamin D levels and increased lung function with a suggested dose-response effect Epidemiologic observational studies suggest associations but do not prove causality. Rather, the inference that the observed association represents a cause-effect relationship should be considered in light of a number of epidemiologic criteria for causality, as follows: biological plausibility; strength of the association; reduced likelihood of alternative explanations due to confounding; temporal sequence of events; dose-response relationship; and consistency across studies in different populations. Evidence Supporting Biological Plausibility Evidence is increasing that suggests an expanded role for vitamin D in health outcomes apart from its classic actions on the gut and bone. The vitamin D3 metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its synthetic analogs also have potent antiproliferative, dif-ferentiative, and immunomodulatory activities, exerting these effects through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The authors cite evidence linking vitamin D to modulation of the formation of metalloproteinases and fibroblast proliferation, which is involved in lung remodeling, as potential pathways through which vitamin D may influence …
Designing a causally consistent protocol for geo-distributed partial replication

Modern internet applications require scalability to millions of clients, response times in the tens of milliseconds, and availability in the presence of partitions, hardware faults and even disasters. To obtain these requirements, applications are usually geo-replicated across several data centres (DCs) spread throughout the world, providing clients with fast access to nearby DCs and fault-tolerance in case of a DC out-age. Using multiple replicas also has disadvantages, not only does this incur extra storage, bandwidth and hardware costs, but programming these systems becomes more difficult. To address the additional hardware costs, data is often partially replicated, meaning that only certain DCs will keep a copy of certain data, for example in a key-value store it may only store values corresponding to a portion of the keys. Additionally, to address the issue of programming these systems, consistency protocols are run on top ensuring different guarantees for the data, but as shown by the CAP theorem, strong consistency, availability, and partition tolerance cannot be ensured at the same time. For many applications availability is paramout, thus strong consistency is exchanged for weaker consistencies allowing concurrent writes like causal consistency. Unfortunately these protocols are not designed with partial replication in mind and either end up not supporting it or do so in an inefficient manner. In this work we will look at why this happens and propose a protocol designed to support partial replication under causal consistency more efficiently.
A Generalization of Some Huang-Johnson Semifields

In [H. Huang, N.L. Johnson: Semifield planes of order $8^2$, Discrete Math. , 80 (1990)], the authors exhibited seven sporadic semifields of order $2^6$, with left nucleus ${\mathbb F}_{2^3}$ and center ${\mathbb F}_2$. Following the notation of that paper, these examples are referred as the Huang–Johnson semifields of type $II$, $III$, $IV$, $V$, $VI$, $VII$ and $VIII$. In [N. L. Johnson, V. Jha, M. Biliotti: Handbook of Finite Translation Planes , Pure and Applied Mathematics, Taylor Books, 2007], the question whether these semifields are contained in larger families, rather then sporadic, is posed. In this paper, we first prove that the Huang–Johnson semifield of type $VI$ is isotopic to a cyclic semifield, whereas those of types $VII$ and $VIII$ belong to infinite families recently constructed in [N.L. Johnson, G. Marino, O. Polverino, R. Trombetti: Semifields of order $q^6$ with left nucleus ${\mathbb F}_{q^3}$ and center ${\mathbb F}_q$, Finite Fields Appl. , 14 (2008)] and [G.L. Ebert, G. Marino, O. Polverino, R. Trombetti: Infinite families of new semifields, Combinatorica , 6 (2009)]. Then, Huang–Johnson semifields of type $II$ and $III$ are extended to new infinite families of semifields of order $q^6$, existing for every prime power $q$.
An Ultralow-Power On-Die PMU in a 28-nm CMOS SoC With Direct Li-Ion Battery-Attach Capability

This paper introduces an on-die power management unit (PMU) within Blackghost 1.0—a test chip for Qualcomm’s newest Blackghost ultralow-power mixed-signal system-on-chip product family. Specifically targeted at battery-powered Internet-of-Things, wearables, and e-medical applications, Blackghost delivers unparalleled power efficiency through low-power innovations from software, architecture, and circuit design [Y. Pu <italic>et al., Proc. IEEE Symp. Low-Power High-Speed Chips (COOL CHIPS)</italic>, Apr. 2017, pp. 1–3]. It integrates a small footprint sensor/control processor based on ARM Cortex M0, an on-die PMU with direct Li-ion battery-attach capability, a computer vision classifier processor, a programmable DSP hardware accelerator, and an ultralow-power analog front end on a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3 \times 3$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm<sup>2</sup> die in the TSMC 28LP CMOS process technology. The on-die PMU consists of a bandgap reference, a low-frequency RC clock, a high-frequency RC clock, a low drop-out linear regulator, and two switch mode power supply (SMPS) buck regulators. It supports direct Li-ion battery-attach by accepting input voltages up to 5 V. The total quiescent current of the entire PMU is only <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9~\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Its SMPS maintains high efficiencies (around 80%) with load currents as low as <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10~\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.
Preventable hospitalizations and socioeconomic status.

"Preventable" hospitalizations have been proposed as indicators of poor health plan performance. In this study of elderly Medicare beneficiaries, however, we found that preventable hospitalizations are also more common among elders of lower socioeconomic status (SES). The relationship persisted even when an up-to-date severity-of-illness adjustment system was used. To the extent that indicators of health plan "performance" reflect enrollees' characteristics, plans will be rewarded for marketing their services to wealthier, healthier, and better-educated patients. Further work is needed to clarify issues of accountability for preventable hospitalizations and other putative indices of health plan performance.
An Epidemiologic Study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Flood Victims in Hunan China

Objective: To estimate the occurrence and to assess the determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in flood victims. Method: We carried out a retrospective study to examine the occurrence and the determinants of PTSD in victims of flood in 1998 and 1999 in Hunan, China. We used multistage sampling to select the subjects from the flood areas, and we ascertained PTSD according to DSM-IV criteria. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews carried out by experienced research assistants using a preconstructed questionnaire. We used a multiple logistic regression model to analyze the data. Results: A total of 33 340 subjects (86.0% of the selected subjects, aged 7 years or over) in the study villages were interviewed. Among them, 2875 (8.6%) had symptoms that met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Significant risk factors for PTSD included female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.21), older age (age 18 to 59 years OR 2.28; 95%CI, 2.02 to 2.57, and age > 60 years OR 2.42; 95%CI, 2.05 to 2.85), flood type (collapsed embankment OR 1.84; 95%CI, 1.64 to 2.05, and flash flood OR 3.12; 95%CI, 2.76 to 3.52), and flood severity (intermediate OR 4.05; 95%CI, 3.55 to 4.62, and severe OR 2.98; 95%CI, 2.60 to 3.41). Conclusions: PTSD is a common mental disorder in flood victims, which implies the need for improved health services, especially mental health services, for this population.
Colossal Photovoltaic Effect Driven by the Singular Berry Curvature in a Weyl Semimetal

The non-trivial evolution of wavefunctions in momentum space leads to novel phases and responses. As with any topological property, a key challenge lies in finding experiments that identify the non-local characteristics. Indeed, revealing this Berry curvature often requires extreme conditions and/or surface sensitive probes. These rely on measuring the Berry phase acquired through a closed loop evolution in momentum space, or through the bulk-boundary correspondence leading to new states at the surface. Alternatively, various components of the electronic structure can be detected by the bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) where non-linearity rectifies light to dc currents. Weyl semimetals are particularly promising, as their non-degenerate, Dirac-like, chiral states produce diverging Berry curvature. Here we report a room temperature, colossal BPVE in the Weyl semimetal TaAs, which is an order of magnitude larger than any previous measurement. By varying the polarization of light with respect to the crystal axis, we establish the collosal BPVE resulting from the non-trivial topology of Weyl fermions, i.e. the diverging Berry curvature near the Weyl nodes. The BPVE in Weyl semiemtals we uncover can be exploited for detecting electron topology, broadband detectors, and solar/thermal energy conversion.
WIDE COMPANIONS TO HIPPARCOS STARS WITHIN 67 pc OF THE SUN

A catalog of common-proper-motion (CPM) companions to stars within 67 pc of the Sun is constructed based on the SUPERBLINK proper-motion survey. It contains 1392 CPM pairs with angular separations 30″ < ρ < 1800″, relative proper motion between the two components less than 25 mas yr−1, and magnitudes and colors of the secondaries consistent with those of dwarfs in the (MV, V − J) diagram. In addition, we list 21 candidate white dwarf CPM companions with separations under 300″, about half of which should be physical. We estimate a 0.31 fraction of pairs with red dwarf companions to be physical systems (about 425 objects), while the rest (mostly wide pairs) are chance alignments. For each candidate companion, the probability of a physical association is evaluated. The distribution of projected separations s of the physical pairs between 2 kAU and 64 kAU follows f(s)∝s−1.5, which decreases faster than Öpik's law. We find that solar-mass dwarfs have no less than 4.4% ± 0.3% companions with separations larger than 2 kAU, or 3.8% ± 0.3% per decade of orbital separation in the 2–16 kAU range. The distribution of mass ratio of those wide companions is approximately uniform in the 0.1 < q < 1.0 range, although we observe a dip at q ≃ 0.5 which, if confirmed, could be evidence of bimodal distribution of companion masses. New physical CPM companions to two exoplanet host stars are discovered.
Roundup inhibits steroidogenesis by disrupting steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein expression.

Recent reports demonstrate that many currently used pesticides have the capacity to disrupt reproductive function in animals. Although this reproductive dysfunction is typically characterized by alterations in serum steroid hormone levels, disruptions in spermatogenesis, and loss of fertility, the mechanisms involved in pesticide-induced infertility remain unclear. Because testicular Leydig cells play a crucial role in male reproductive function by producing testosterone, we used the mouse MA-10 Leydig tumor cell line to study the molecular events involved in pesticide-induced alterations in steroid hormone biosynthesis. We previously showed that the organochlorine insecticide lindane and the organophosphate insecticide Dimethoate directly inhibit steroidogenesis in Leydig cells by disrupting expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein. StAR protein mediates the rate-limiting and acutely regulated step in steroidogenesis, the transfer of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane where the cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage (P450scc) enzyme initiates the synthesis of all steroid hormones. In the present study, we screened eight currently used pesticide formulations for their ability to inhibit steroidogenesis, concentrating on their effects on StAR expression in MA-10 cells. In addition, we determined the effects of these compounds on the levels and activities of the P450scc enzyme (which converts cholesterol to pregnenolone) and the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) enzyme (which converts pregnenolone to progesterone). Of the pesticides screened, only the pesticide Roundup inhibited dibutyryl [(Bu)(2)]cAMP-stimulated progesterone production in MA-10 cells without causing cellular toxicity. Roundup inhibited steroidogenesis by disrupting StAR protein expression, further demonstrating the susceptibility of StAR to environmental pollutants. ImagesFigure 1Figure 2Figure 3Figure 4Figure 5Figure 6Figure 7Figure 8Figure 9
Early life rhinovirus infection exacerbates house-dust-mite induced lung disease more severely in female mice

ABSTRACT Purpose: Recent studies have employed animal models to investigate links between rhinovirus infection and allergic airways disease, however, most do not involve early life infection, and none consider the effects of sex on responses. Materials and Methods: Here, we infected male and female mice with human rhinovirus 1B (or control) on day 7 of life. Mice were then subjected to 7 weeks of exposure to house-dust-mite prior to assessment of bronchoalveolar inflammation, serum antibodies, lung function, and responsiveness to methacholine. Results: There were significant differences in responses between males and females in most outcomes. In males, chronic house-dust-mite exposure increased bronchoalveolar inflammation, house-dust-mite specific IgG1 and responsiveness of the lung parenchyma, however, there was no additional impact of rhinovirus infection. Conversely, in females, there were additive and synergistic effects of rhinovirus infection and house-dust-mite exposure on neutrophilia, airway resistance, and responsiveness of the lung parenchyma. Conclusions: We conclude that early life rhinovirus infection influences the development of house-dust-mite induced lung disease in female, but not male mice.
Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on patient with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND This study reported the incidence and prognostic outcome of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS Between January 2002 and May 2011, totally 1554 consecutive patients who experienced STEMI undergoing primary PCI were enrolled into the study. RESULTS Of the 1554 patients, 124 (9.7%) with diagnosis of COPD and 1430 (90.3%) without COPD were categorized into group 1 and group 2. Although no difference in in-hospital mortality was noted between the two groups (p = 0.726). However, the hospitalization duration was notably longer (p = 0.003), the incidences of recurrent MI and re-hospitalization for congestive heart failure were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (all p < 0.02). Although Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the incidence of freedom from one-year major adverse clinical outcome (MACO) (defined as recurrent MI, re-admission for congestive heart failure was significantly lower in group 1 than group 2 (p = 0.012), multivariate Cox regression analysis showed COPD was not an independent predictor of MACO-free time after adjusting traditional risk factors. CONCLUSION COPD was not an independent predictor of short-term and medium-term MACO in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.
Characterization of DNS Usage Profiles

On the last few years it was possible to notice a sharp growth on the use of the Internet and also on its importance for the society. This growth was only possible due to the ability of the Internet to ease some tasks and to speed processes, but also because of the existence of some tools that made easy the navigation on the Internet. One of those tools is the Domain Name System (DNS), which allows the assignment of intuitive names to the Web pages and makes the correspondence of those names with the correspondent IP addresses. With this growth, and according to the saying "if it is not on the Internet it doesn’t exist", may organizations started to use it for commercial activities. With the adoption of the Internet for this kind of activities, distance is no longer a market limitation and it enabled globalisation, since organizations are one click away from their customers, but also increased the number of competitors. With the increase of the market offer to customers, organizations felt the need of distinguish from their competitors in order to gain a competitive advantage. Theoretically it can be achieved in several ways, from a price reduction to the improvement of the quality of the product or serviced provided, however, this is not always possible. Another possibility of achieving a competitive advantage is with the improvement of the relation with customers. When a user is surfing on the Internet, although without noticing, every time that he requests a Web site some records are created and stored on servers, like servers from the Web site or ISP. These navigational records, if properly analysed, may be the source of useful knowledge that may lead to the discovery of clients’ preferences and needs. With this information it is possible to improve the service provided, the relation between the organization and its customers, the business performance, and other aspects. This kind of studies involve the application of different methodologies, from simple statistical analysis to more complex data mining techniques. Some fields of study already focus on the analysis of some types of navigational records, like the Query Log Analysis, which studies the queries made on search engines, or the Web Usage Mining, which analyses the navigation of the users on Web pages. However the analysis of DNS records is still a field scarcely explored, at least in relation to the number of published works. On this work the DNS records made by the clients of the Internet service provided by SAPO were analysed. With them it was possible to make a characterization of those clients, according to the available information on the records. Some data mining techniques were also employed to discover association rules and sequential patterns among the domains requested by the clients.
Cardiovascular Risk in Early Psychosis: Relationship with Inflammation and Clinical Features 6 Months after Diagnosis

Abstract Background We aimed to investigate the state of cardiovascular risk/protection factors in early psychosis patients. Methods A total 119 subjects were recruited during the first year after their first episode of psychosis. Eighty-five of these subjects were followed during the next 6 months. Cardiovascular risk/protection factors were measured in plasma and co-variated by sociodemographic/clinical characteristics. Multiple linear regression models detected the change of each biological marker from baseline to follow-up in relation to clinical scales, antipsychotic medication, and pro-/antiinflammatory mediators. Results Glycosylated hemoglobin is a state biomarker in first episode of psychosis follow-up patients and inversely correlated to the Global Assessment of Functioning scale. We found opposite alterations in the levels of VCAM-1 and E-selectin in first episode of psychosis baseline conditions compared with control that were absent in the first episode of psychosis follow-up group. Adiponectin levels decreased in a continuum in both pathological time points studied. E-Selectin plasma levels were inversely related to total antipsychotic equivalents and adiponectin levels inversely co-related to the Global Assessment of Functioning scale. Finally, adiponectin levels were directly related to antiinflammatory nuclear receptor PPARγ expression in first episode of psychosis baseline conditions and to proinflammatory nuclear factor nuclear factor κB activity in follow-up conditions, respectively. Conclusions Our results support the need for integrating cardiovascular healthcare very early after the first episode of psychosis.