Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of oral bioavailability of lovastatin by using nanostructured lipid carriers

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have been one of the systems of choice for improving the oral bioavailability of drugs with poor water solubility. In the present study, lovastatin (LVT)-loaded NLCs (LVT-NLCs) were successfully prepared by hot high-pressure homogenization method with high entrapment efficiency, drug loading, and satisfactory particle size distribution. The particles had almost spherical and uniform shapes and were well dispersed with a particle size of <50 nm (23.5±1.6 nm) and a low polydispersity index (0.17±0.05 mV). The result of stability showed that the LVT-NLCs dispersion maintained excellent stability without exhibiting any aggregation, precipitation, or phase separation at 4°C for 6 months of storage. The LVT release data from all developed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and NLCs were best fitted to a Ritger–Peppas kinetic model (0.9832 and 0.9783 for NLCs and SLNs, respectively). This indicated that the release of LVT from the SLNs and NLCs was due to a combination of drug diffusion and erosion from the lipid matrix. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic results show that LVT-NLCs were better compared to free drug, which could be attributed to an increase in bioavailability.
HEN DO VOTERS SANCTION INCUMBENT PARTIES FOR HIGH HOMICIDE RATES ?

Do voters sanction incumbent parties for their performance in office? I argue that how governments are held to account depends upon when voters consume information about the relevant incumbent party. If news consumption follows electoral cycles, short-term performance indicators in the news prior to elections may powerfully shape voting behavior. In the context of local homicides and Mexican municipal elections, I test this theory’s central implications using three distinct sources of plausibly exogenous variation. First, I show that voters indeed consume more news before local elections, and that homicides before such elections increase the salience of public security and reduce confidence in the mayor. Second, electoral returns confirm that preelection homicide shocks substantially decrease the incumbent party’s vote share and re-election probability. However, such sanctioning is limited to mayoral elections, and is barely impacted by longer-term homicide rates. Finally, the punishment of homicide shocks relies on, and increases with, access to local broadcast media stations. These effects are only pronounced among less-informed voters, who principally engage with politics around elections. The findings demonstrate the importance of when voters consume news, and may thus explain the electoral volatility and mixed electoral accountability often observed outside consolidated democracies and in federal systems.
Predictors of New Graduate Nurses’ Organizational Commitment During a Nurse Residency Program

Retaining newly graduated nurses is critical for organizations because of the significant cost of turnover. Since commitment to an organization is associated with decreased turnover intent, understanding factors that influence new graduates’ organizational commitment is important. In a sample of nurse residency program participants, predictors of organizational commitment over time were explored. Perceptions of the work environment, particularly job satisfaction and job stress, were found to be most influential.
Deep Feature Learning Network for Fault Detection and Isolation

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) approaches typically involve several signal processing and feature engineering steps. The state of the art on feature engineering, comprising feature extraction and feature dimensionality reduction, often only provides specific solutions for specific problems, but rarely supports transferability or generalization: it often requires expert knowledge and extensive intervention. In this paper, we propose a new integrated feature learning approach for jointly achieving fault detection and fault isolation in high-dimensional condition monitoring data. The proposed approach, based on Hierarchical Extreme Learning Machines (HELM) demonstrates a good ability to detect and isolate faults in large datasets comprising signals of different natures, non-informative signals, non-linear relationships and noise. The method includes stacked auto-encoders that are able to learn the underlying high-level features, and a one-class classifier to combine the learned features in an indicator that represents the deviation from the normal system behavior. Once a deviation is identified, features are used to isolate the most deviating signal components. Two case studies highlight the benefits of the approach: First, a synthetic dataset with the typical characteristics of condition monitoring data and different types of faults is applied to evaluate the performance with objective metrics. Second, the approach is tested on data stemming from a power plant generator interturn failure. In both cases, the results are compared to other commonly applied approaches for fault isolation.
Interactive comment on “ Ozonolysis of α-phellandrene , Part 1 : Gas-and particle-phase characterisation ” by Felix A . Mackenzie-Rae

The ozonolysis of α-phellandrene, a highly reactive conjugated monoterpene largely emitted by Eucalypt species, is characterised in detail for the first time using a smog chamber at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Gas-phase species were monitored by a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF), with yields from a large number of products obtained, including formaldehyde (5– 9 %), acetaldehyde (0.2–8 %), glyoxal (6–23 %), methyl glyoxal (2–9 %), formic acid (22–37 %) and acetic acid (9–22 %). Higher m/z second-generation oxidation products were also observed, with products tentatively identified according to a constructed degradation mechanism. OH yields from α-phellandrene and its first-generation products were found to be 35± 12 and 15± 7 %, respectively, indicative of prominent hydroperoxide channels. An average first-generation rate coefficient was determined as 1.0± 0.7× 10−16 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at 298 K, showing ozonolysis as a dominant loss process for both αphellandrene and its first-generation products in the atmosphere. Endocyclic conjugation in α-phellandrene was also found to be conducive to the formation of highly condensible products with a large fraction of the carbon mass partitioning into the aerosol phase, which was monitored with a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a high-resolution timeof-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). Nucleation was observed almost instantaneously upon ozonolysis, indicating the rapid formation of extremely low-volatility compounds. Particle nucleation was found to be suppressed by the addition of either NO2 or a Criegee scavenger, with it being proposed that stabilised Criegee intermediates are important for new particle formation in the system. Aerosol yields ranged from 25 to 174 % depending on mass loadings, with both firstand second-generation products identified as large contributors to the aerosol mass. In short, with a high chemical reactivity and aerosol-forming propensity, α-phellandrene is expected to have an immediate impact on the local environment to which it is emitted, with ozonolysis likely to be an important contributor to the significant blue haze and frequent nocturnal nucleation events observed over Eucalypt forests.
Chapter 7 Real and Simulated Altitude Training and Performance

The use of altitude training to compliment normal training at sea level is widely used by coaches and athletes. There are a number of different altitude training models which range from living and training at moderate and high altitude to breathing hypoxic gas while living and training normally at sea level. In this chapter we will briefly overview the history of alti‐ tude training and touch on the science and practice of the various models of altitude train‐ ing. We also discuss the beneficial effects reported in the scientific literature and give firsthand accounts of the effectiveness of the various methods from high performance coaches. Benefits and drawbacks from each altitude method will be discussed along with advice on preparing athletes prior to altitude training.
The Relative Impacts of Climate and Land-Use Change on Conterminous United States Bird Species from 2001 to 2075

Species distribution models often use climate data to assess contemporary and/or future ranges for animal or plant species. Land use and land cover (LULC) data are important predictor variables for determining species range, yet are rarely used when modeling future distributions. In this study, maximum entropy modeling was used to construct species distribution maps for 50 North American bird species to determine relative contributions of climate and LULC for contemporary (2001) and future (2075) time periods. Species presence data were used as a dependent variable, while climate, LULC, and topographic data were used as predictor variables. Results varied by species, but in general, measures of model fit for 2001 indicated significantly poorer fit when either climate or LULC data were excluded from model simulations. Climate covariates provided a higher contribution to 2001 model results than did LULC variables, although both categories of variables strongly contributed. The area deemed to be “suitable” for 2001 species presence was strongly affected by the choice of model covariates, with significantly larger ranges predicted when LULC was excluded as a covariate. Changes in species ranges for 2075 indicate much larger overall range changes due to projected climate change than due to projected LULC change. However, the choice of study area impacted results for both current and projected model applications, with truncation of actual species ranges resulting in lower model fit scores and increased difficulty in interpreting covariate impacts on species range. Results indicate species-specific response to climate and LULC variables; however, both climate and LULC variables clearly are important for modeling both contemporary and potential future species ranges.
Impact of cabazitaxel on 2-year survival and palliation of tumour-related pain in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated in the TROPIC trial

Background Cabazitaxel significantly improves overall survival (OS) versus mitoxantrone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after docetaxel failure. We examined patient survival at 2 years and tumour-related pain with cabazitaxel versus mitoxantrone. Methods Updated TROPIC data (cut-off 10 March 2010) were used to compare 2-year survival between treatment groups and assess patient demographics and disease characteristics. Factors prognostic for survival ≥2 years were assessed. Pain and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status were evaluated in the overall patient population. Results Median follow-up was 25.5 months. After 2 years, more patients remained alive following cabazitaxel than mitoxantrone [odds ratio 2.11; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33–3.33]. Treatment with cabazitaxel was prognostic for survival ≥2 years. Demographics/baseline characteristics were balanced between treatment arms irrespective of survival. Pain at baseline and pain response were comparable between treatment groups. Average daily pain performance index was lower for cabazitaxel versus mitoxantrone (all cycles; 95% CI –0.27 to –0.01; P = 0.035) and analgesic scores were similar. Grade ≥3 peripheral neuropathies were uncommon and comparable between treatment groups. Conclusions Cabazitaxel prolongs OS at 2 years versus mitoxantrone and has low rates of peripheral neuropathy. Palliation benefits of cabazitaxel were comparable to those of mitoxantrone. The study was registered with www.ClinicalTrials. gov (NCT00417079).
Changes in sinking of plankton--like particle: comparison between observations and numerical model

Sinking and resuspension are the most important processes determining the distribution of bentho--pelagic diatoms in the water column and influencing their variability. From the bentho--pelagic time series 1991-2008 we analyzed weekly concentrations of the diatom Paralia sulcata in the German Bight. The analysis was carried out for lower wind ranges (<10 m/s) at two different seasons characterized by distinct sea surface conditions. Our results showed that the relationship between wind and diatom concentrations was much influenced by seasonal conditions: the decrease of abundances at higher winds was more pronounced in summer. Additional sampling procedure of species at two different water depths (bottom and surface layers) in the years 2007-2009 showed that in summer the surface abundance of species decreased substantially with increasing wind. In contrast, in winter the decrease of the surface concentration of species was less pronounced. To explain observed seasonal variations numerical simulations of plankton--like particles were performed using a two--dimensional turbulence model. Numerical simulations were carried using parameters corresponding to averaged winter and summer temperature and salinity at the study site. We showed that the reduction of cell counts was possibly linked to the changes in sinking of diatoms due to the altered buoyancy of algal cells. Our numerical results identified reduction of sinking speed of particles for the parameters corresponding to winter conditions.
Testing a Bell inequality in multipair scenarios

To date, most efforts to demonstrate quantum nonlocality have concentrated on systems of two (or very few) particles. It is, however, difficult in many experiments to address individual particles, making it hard to highlight the presence of nonlocality. We show how a natural setup with no access to individual particles allows one to violate the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality with many pairs, including in our analysis effects of noise and losses. We discuss the case of distinguishable and indistinguishable particles. Finally, a comparison of these two situations provides insight into the complex relation between entanglement and nonlocality.
Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire: associations with BMI in Portuguese children

The objective of this study was to examine the association between the scores of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and BMI in a sample of Portuguese children. Using a cross-sectional design, a sample of 240 children (123 females and 117 males) aged 3–13 years were recruited from clinic and community-based settings. Parents completed the CEBQ to indicate their child's eating style for three ‘food approach’ and four ‘food avoidant’ sub-scales. Factor analyses revealed an underlying structure similar to the original CEBQ. Children's height and weight were measured to calculate BMI and Centre for Disease Control BMI z-scores. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for gender, age and socioeconomic status indicated that all CEBQ sub-scales were significantly associated with BMI z-scores (P = 0·03 to < 0·001). Food approach scales were positively related to BMI z-scores (β = 0·33–0·51) and food avoidance negatively related (β = − 0·17 to − 0·46). Our results support the use of the CEBQ to further understand eating style as a behavioural pathway to obesity.
Palliative care for patients with Parkinson’s disease: an interdisciplinary review and next step model

: Late stage Parkinson’s and Parkinson-plus patients have increased needs beyond motor symptom management that cannot be fully addressed in a typical neurology clinic visit. Complicating matters are the concurrent increasing emotional and physical demands on caregivers, which, if addressed, further stretch clinic time constraints. The complex and extensive patient and caregiver needs warrant a dedicated clinic to provide the necessary interdisciplinary care. In contrast to a typical model where the neurology clinician refers the patient to various ancillary treatment groups resulting in multiple separate clinic visits, the interdisciplinary model supports direct communication between the different disciplines during the clinic visit, allowing for a more coordinated response that takes into account multiple perspectives. Such an interdisciplinary model has been utilized in neurologic disorders with complex end-stage disease needs, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with notable improvement in quality of life and survival. The Oregon Health & Science University Parkinson Center and Movement Disorders Clinic has developed an interdisciplinary clinic called Next Step composed of neurology clinicians, a physical therapist, a speech pathologist, a social worker, and a nursing coordinator. The clinic focuses on palliative care issues, including complex late stage motor symptoms, nonmotor symptoms, and quality of life goals of both the patient and caregiver(s). This article describes the Next Step clinic structure and processes, while reviewing the literature and incorporating clinical expertise from the perspective of each discipline.
Building Deep Networks on Grassmann Manifolds

Learning representations on Grassmann manifolds is popular in quite a few visual recognition tasks. In order to enable deep learning on Grassmann manifolds, this paper proposes a deep network architecture by generalizing the Euclidean network paradigm to Grassmann manifolds. In particular, we design full rank mapping layers to transform input Grassmannian data to more desirable ones, exploit re-orthonormalization layers to normalize the resulting matrices, study projection pooling layers to reduce the model complexity in the Grassmannian context, and devise projection mapping layers to respect Grassmannian geometry and meanwhile achieve Euclidean forms for regular output layers. To train the Grassmann networks, we exploit a stochastic gradient descent setting on manifolds of the connection weights, and study a matrix generalization of backpropagation to update the structured data. The evaluations on three visual recognition tasks show that our Grassmann networks have clear advantages over existing Grassmann learning methods, and achieve results comparable with state-of-the-art approaches.
Microparticle image velocimetry approach to flow measurements in isolated contracting lymphatic vessels

Abstract. We describe the development of an optical flow visualization method for resolving the flow velocity vector field in lymphatic vessels in vitro. The aim is to develop an experimental protocol for accurately estimating flow parameters, such as flow rate and shear stresses, with high spatial and temporal resolution. Previous studies in situ have relied on lymphocytes as tracers, but their low density resulted in a reduced spatial resolution whereas the assumption that the flow was fully developed in order to determine the flow parameters of interest may not be valid, especially in the vicinity of the valves, where the flow is undoubtedly more complex. To overcome these issues, we have applied the time-resolved microparticle image velocimetry (μ-PIV) technique, a well-established method that can provide increased spatial and temporal resolution that this transient flow demands. To that end, we have developed a custom light source, utilizing high-power light-emitting diodes, and associated control and image processing software. This paper reports the performance of the system and the results of a series of preliminary experiments performed on vessels isolated from rat mesenteries, demonstrating, for the first time, the successful application of the μ-PIV technique in these vessels.
Neuroimaging findings in post-traumatic stress disorder

Background Findings from neuroimaging studies complement our understanding of the wide-ranging neurobiological changes in trauma survivors who develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Aims To determine whether neuroimaging studies had identified structural and functional changes specific to PTSD. Method A review of all functional and structural neuroimaging studies of subjects with PTSD was carried out. Studies were identified using general medical and specific traumatic stress databases and paper searches of current contents and other secondary sources. Results The most replicated structural finding is hippocampal volume reduction, which may limitthe proper evaluation and categorisation of experience. Replicated localised functional changes include increased activation ofthe amygdala after symptom provocation (which may reflect its role in emotional memory) and decreased activity of Broca's area at the same time (which may explain the difficulty patients have in labelling their experiences). Conclusions Evidence from neuroimaging studies has suggested areas ofthe brain that may be damaged by psychological trauma. The clinical implications ofthese neuroimaging findings need to be investigated further because they challenge traditional therapeutic approaches.
Toxicokinetic Modeling of Persistent Organic Pollutant Levels in Blood from Birth to 45 Months of Age in Longitudinal Birth Cohort Studies

Background: Despite experimental evidence that lactational exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can impact health, results from epidemiologic studies are inconclusive. Inconsistency across studies may reflect the inability of current methods to estimate children’s blood levels during specific periods of susceptibility. Objectives: We developed a toxicokinetic model to simulate blood POP levels in children from two longitudinal birth cohorts and aimed to validate it against blood levels measured at 6, 16, and 45 months of age. Methods: The model consisted of a maternal and a child lipid compartment connected through placental diffusion and breastfeeding. Simulations were carried out based on individual physiologic parameters; duration of breastfeeding; and levels of POPs measured in maternal blood at delivery, cord blood, or breast milk. Model validity was assessed through regression analyses of simulated against measured blood levels. Results: Simulated levels explained between 10% and 83% of measured blood levels depending on the cohort, the compound, the sample used to simulate children’s blood levels, and child’s age when blood levels were measured. Model accuracy was highest for estimated blood POP levels at 6 months based on maternal or cord blood levels. However, loss in model precision between the 6th and the 45th month was small for most compounds. Conclusions: Our validated toxicokinetic model can be used to estimate children’s blood POP levels in early to mid-childhood. Estimates can be used in epidemiologic studies to evaluate the impact of exposure during hypothesized postnatal periods of susceptibility on health.
Effects of color, pattern, and sound on the movement of houseflies

As diseases spread by flies have continuously increased in frequency since the 1970s, methods to control the flies’ motion have been studied. In this paper, a novel method is proposed by examining the impact of diverse sensory stimuli on houseflies’ motion. Among various patterns and colors, red striped pattern was the best as fly repellent, and the pattern of white circles on a blue background the best attraction. For sound, a frequency of 10 kHz and 20 kHz had repelling power. When examined for its relationship with the alluring smell of food, red stripes repelled more than 26.3% of flies from the smell. Under the same conditions, 10 kHz and 20 kHz each showed repelling power over about 19% in the presence of an olfactory luring factor. Therefore, the pattern of red stripes and the auditory stimuli of 10 kHz or 20 kHz should be incorporated into various aspects of our lives, along with the living environment of disease-stricken areas.