Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological analysis and follow‐up of human rhinovirus infection in children with asthma exacerbation

To determine the prevalence of human rhinovirus (HRV) infection in children with acute asthma exacerbations, investigation of HRV viral load and severity of asthma exacerbations is also required. Nasopharyngeal aspirates and swabs were collected and assessed for respiratory viruses. HRV‐positive samples were sequenced to identify types and determine viral load. Outpatients with asthma exacerbations underwent follow‐up evaluations, their swabs were collected and clinical outcomes were recorded at their next clinic visit 4 weeks later. One hundred forty‐three inpatients and 131 outpatients, including 88 patients with asthma exacerbations and 43 controls with stable asthma were recruited. HRV‐A was mainly detected in September and February (45.5% and 33.3%, respectively), while HRV‐C was mainly detected in November and April (70.0% and 55.6%, respectively). HRV‐C was the primary type and was primarily found in inpatients with severe asthma exacerbations. HRV‐A viral load in the group of inpatients with severe exacerbations was higher than in the mild and moderate groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0.022). The HRV‐A viral load of both inpatients and outpatients was higher than that of HRV‐C (P < 0.001 and P = 0.036). The main genotypes were HRV‐C53 and HRV‐A20 among inpatients, and this genotype caused more severe clinical manifestations. HRV persisted for no more than 4 weeks, and their symptoms or signs of disease were well‐controlled well. HRV‐C was most frequently detected in asthma exacerbations. HRV‐A with high viral load led to severe asthma exacerbations.
Specialized nutritional support interventions in critically ill patients on renal replacement therapy

Purpose of reviewOptimal nutritional requirements and nutrient intake composition for patients with acute kidney injury remain a partially unresolved issue. Targeting nutritional support to the actual protein and energy needs improves the clinical outcome of critically ill patients, yet very few data are currently available on this topic in acute kidney injury. In this specific clinical condition the risk for underfeeding and overfeeding may be increased by factors interfering on nutrient need estimation, such as rapidly changing body weight due to fluid balance variations, nutrient losses and hidden calorie sources from renal replacement therapy. Moreover, as acute kidney injury is now considered a kidney-centered inflammatory syndrome, the renoprotective role of specific pharmaconutrients with anti-inflammatory properties remains to be fully defined. This review is aimed at discussing recently published results concerning quantitative and qualitative aspects of the nutritional approach to acute kidney injury in critically ill patients. Recent findingsNutrient needs in patients with acute kidney injury can be difficult to estimate, and should be directly measured, especially in the ICU setting. In fact, recent findings suggest that hidden calorie sources not routinely taken into account – for example, calories from anticoagulants and replacement solutions for renal replacement therapy – could be quantitatively relevant in these patients. Moreover, recent experimental data indicate a possible role for some pharmaconutrients with anti-inflammatory effects (glutamine, and omega-3 fatty acids), in both the prevention of renal function worsening, and in the fostering of renal function recovery after an episode of acute kidney injury. SummaryAcute kidney injury includes a highly heterogeneous group of patients with widely varying nutrient needs and intakes. Nutritional requirements, in their quantitative and qualitative aspects, should be frequently assessed, individualized, and carefully integrated with renal replacement therapy, in order to avoid both underfeeding and overfeeding, as well as to exploit possible positive pharmacologic effects of specific nutrients.
Naïve creature learns to cross a highway in a simulated CA-like environment

We present a model of simple cognitive agents, called “creatures”, and their learning process, a type of “social observational learning”, that is each creature learns from the behaviour of other creatures. The creatures may experience fear and/or desire, and are capable of evaluating if a strategy has been applied successfully and of applying this strategy again with small changes to a similar but new situation. The creatures are born as “tabula rasa”; i.e. without built-in knowledge base of their environment and as they learn they build this knowledge base. We study learning outcomes of a population of such creatures when they are learning how to safely cross various types of highways. The highways are implemented as a modified Nagel-Schreckenberg model, a CA based highway model, and each creature is provided with mechanism to reason to cross safely the highway. We present selected simulation results and their analysis.
The influence of fluid-structure interaction on cloud cavitation about a hydrofoil

The dynamics of cloud cavitation about rigid and flexible 3D hydrofoils is investigated in a cavitation tunnel. The two hydrofoils have identical undeformed geometry of tapered planform, NACA-0009 section and cantilevered setup at the hydrofoil root. The rigid model is made of stainless steel and the flexible model of carbon and glass-fibre reinforced epoxy resin with an effectively quasi-isotropic lay-up without material bend-twist coupling. Tests were conducted at a fixed incidence of 6°, a chord-based Reynolds number of 0.7×106 and a cavitation number ranging from 1.0 to 0.2. Unsteady force measurements were made simultaneously with high-speed imaging to enable correlation of forces and with cavity dynamics. High-resolution force spectra at discrete cavitation numbers and separate pressure sweeps were taken to acquire spectrograms of frequency response as a function of cavitation number. Three shedding modes, designated as types 1, 2 and 3, are apparent for both rigid and flexible hydrofoils although significant differences in peak amplitudes were observed. Types 2 and 3 shedding occur at high cavitation numbers where frequency varied with cavitation number and high-speed imaging showed the dominant shedding mechanism to be due to re-entrant jet formation. The type 1 shedding that developed with reduction in cavitation number, once cavity lengths grew to about full-chord, occurred at a nominally constant frequency. In this case, the imaging showed the dominant mechanism to be shockwave formation. This behaviour has been reported upon extensively in literature although there are some new features apparent from the data. The flexibility of the composite hydrofoil was found to increase the magnitude of the force fluctuations for the low frequency type 1 mode compared to the rigid hydrofoil. However, hydrofoil flexibility was seen to dampen the fluctuating magnitude of the high-frequency type 2 and 3 modes, despite being close to the hydrofoil’s natural frequency.
Response and recovery of hybrid sturgeon from subchronic oral administration of cyanobacteria

A 90‐day growth trial was conducted on hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baeri ♀ × A. gueldenstaedtii ♂) to investigate the effect of dietary inclusion of cyanobacteria on growth, feed utilization, and fish tissue microcystins (MCs) accumulation and the recovery of fish when they were free of cyanobacteria. Four diets were formualted isonitrogenous and isocaloric to contain different MCs concentrations: the control diet (free of cyanobacteria), low cyanobacteria diet (LCD, 26.60 μg MCs/g diet), medium cyanobacteria diet (MCD, 78.82 μg MCs/g diet), and high cyanobacteria diet (HCD, 201.03 μg MCs/g diet). During the first 47 days, each diet was fed to fish in five replicates and then all fish were fed the control diet during the next 43 days. The results showed that a dose‐dependent decrease in feeding rate (FR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were observed in the fish fed with MCD and HCD. MCs contents in fish liver, intestine, and dorsal white muscle increased with dietary MCs and were time dependent (P < 0.05). After the 43‐day recovery, there were no significant differences in FR or SGR between the fish previously fed LCD or MCD and the fish fed with the control diet (P > 0.05), while the fish previously fed HCD showed higher FR and SGR than those fed the control diet (P < 0.05). MCs clearance in fish liver and intestine showed time‐dependence during the 43‐day recovery. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 2009.
Radio Emission from Magnetars

We discuss properties of the expected radio emission from soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) during their bursting activity in the framework of the model of Thompson, Lyutikov, & Kulkarni, in which the high-energy emission is powered by the dissipation of superstrong magnetic fields in the magnetospheres through reconnection-type events. Drawing on analogies with solar flares, we predict that coherent radio emission resembling solar type III radio bursts may be emitted in SGRs during X-ray bursts. The radio emission should have correlated pulse profiles with X-rays, a narrowband-type radio spectrum with Δν ≤ ν, with the typical frequency ν ≥ 10 GHz, and, possibly, a drifting central frequency. We encourage sensitive radio observations of SGRs during the bursting activity.
OF MULE DUCKS WITH SUBCLINICAL MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY UNDER ECOLOGICAL COMFORT AND STRESS CONDITIONS

BOZAKOVA, N. , K. STOYANCHEV, S. POPOVA-RALCHEVA, N. GEORGIEVA, V. GERZILOV and E. VALKOVA, 2012. Behavioral study of mule ducks with subclinical muscular dystrophy under ecological comfort and stress conditions. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 18: 511-518 The purpose of the study was to trace behavioral changes of mule ducks during the alimentary induction and treatment of subclinical muscular dystrophy (MD) under conditions of environmental comfort and stress. The study included 40 Mule ducks, divided into 4 groups: group I control healthy mule ducks, reared under ecological comfort; group II control healthy mules under ecological stress conditions, group III – mules with provoked MD (MD-mules), under ecological comfort conditions and group IV MD-mules under stress ecological conditions. The mule duck behavior was recorded for four consecutive days by video cameras for 12 hours a day: from 58 to 61 days of age (at the beginning of subclinical MD) and from 68 to 71days of age (4 days after the end of treatment). During the subclinical MD significantly differences in mule behavior were found in water intake, in gregarious and aggressive behavior of birds reared under different conditions. In MD-mules, reared under stress conditions less number of standing (P <0.01), moving (P <0.05) and feather cleaning birds (P <0.05) was recorded compared to MD-mules under comfortable conditions. This confirms the aggravating role of stress conditions on the locomotor activity and subclinical course of MD in mule ducks. The behavioral differences betwееn MD-mules and control mules under comfortable conditions disappeared four days after the end of the MDtreatment. Simultaneously the number of standing (P <0.05) and bathing (P <0.01) MD-mules was lower than that in healthy controls reared under stress conditions. A greater number water drinking birds (P <0.001), more aggression (P <0.01) and less standing birds (P <0.001) were registered in treated MD-mules under stress conditions compared to those under comfort conditions, which confirms the poor locomotor activity and healthy state in treated under stress conditions mule ducks.
Recent advances: Rheumatology

The health consequences and fiscal burden of musculoskeletal diseases has been acknowledged but never fully addressed. An agenda unveiled by the World Health Organization to redress the balance sets specific goals for the next 10 years (the bone and joint decade). These include a 25% reduction in the expected increase in morbidity from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. We have reviewed advances in rheumatology that can be easily integrated into routine clinical practice and highlighted areas where appropriate treatment has been shown to prevent later disability or morbidity. References are supplied for published trials and systematic reviews. The chronic disease model of illness advocates patients as managers of their disease. In a trial to assess this model in 211 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, Mazzuca et al reported greater benefits over one year in a self care group compared with standard treatment.1 ### Diet Cross sectional studies and studies of longitudinal cohorts have shown that obesity increases the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee in both men and women,2 primarily by increasing forces across the knee. An imbalance of growth factors affecting the cartilage and underlying bone may also contribute. Weight loss reduces symptoms as well as improving functional ability.3 High vitamin C intake is associated with a threefold reduction in progression of osteoarthritis of the knee.4 Progression of osteoarthritis of the knee and hip is faster in people with lower vitamin D concentrations. 5 6 However, as yet there is no evidence that vitamin supplementation improves symptoms. ### Physical activity Previous knee surgery and injury are risk factors for osteoarthritis of the knee, as are occupational kneeling and squatting. Observations in the Framingham heart cohort confirm that heavy physical occupational and leisure activity, particularly in obese people, predispose to subsequent osteoarthritis of the knee.7 #### Recent advances Weight loss of even …
Contributions to the background report of the third research report Impact of education and training

This review provides an in-depth appraisal of a wide body of international research that examines the links between education and training in a country and its macroeconomic growth. An initial analysis of broad statistics for all EU Member States suggests a loose correlation between investment in human resources and growth in gross national product (GNP), but clear causal relationships are difficult to establish. Increased investment in education is shown to lead to higher productivity and earnings for the individual and similarly, such investment results in significant social rates of return. The returns on investment in vocational training are more difficult to demonstrate. This study reviews a large number of growth models that attempt to specify and quantify the GNP and human resource relationship. Wide differences are found in the model specifications, the quality of the data inputs and the results obtained. Other links between investment in human capital and economic performance are reviewed using diverse literature sources on human resource management, corporate market value, company size and industry structure. The indirect impact of education on non-economic benefits is also examined in the context of the technological, spatial and environmental gains to society. It is concluded that, overall, the impact of investment in education and training on national economic growth is positive and significant. Some policy conclusions are drawn and directions for future research in this area are suggested. 1. Executive summary: key findings 13
Life cycle of Cryptosporidium muris in two rodents with different responses to parasitization

SUMMARY This study focuses on mapping the life cycle of Cryptosporidium muris in two laboratory rodents; BALB/c mice and the southern multimammate rat Mastomys coucha, differing in their prepatent and patent periods. Both rodents were simultaneously experimentally inoculated with viable oocysts of C. muris (strain TS03). Animals were dissected and screened for the presence of the parasite using a combined morphological approach and nested PCR (SSU rRNA) at different times after inoculation. The occurrence of first developmental stages of C. muris in stomach was detected at 2·5 days post-infection (dpi). The presence of Type II merogony, appearing 36 h later than Type I merogony, was confirmed in both rodents. Oocysts exhibiting different size and thickness of their wall were observed from 5 dpi onwards in stomachs of both host models. The early phase of parasitization in BALB/c mice progressed rapidly, with a prepatent period of 7·5–10 days; whereas in M. coucha, the developmental stages of C. muris were first observed 12 h later in comparison with BALB/c mice and prepatent period was longer (18–21 days). Similarly, the patent periods of BALB/c mice and M. coucha differed considerably, i.e. 10–15 days vs chronic infection throughout the life of the host, respectively.
Evaluation of Perceived Persuasiveness Constructs by Combining User Tests and Expert Assessments

To develop effective behaviour change support systems, persuasive technology can be used. The persuasive systems design model offers a framework to identify and operationalize such elements. In this pilot study, we evaluate the questionnaire developed to measure perceived persuasiveness of information technology. We analyzed verbatim user-test transcripts, and performed expert-assessments of the Nurse Antibiotic Information App (NAIA). These data were compared to questionnaire results on this app. Expert-assessment identified task support, perceived persuasiveness, unobtrusiveness, credibility, perceived effort and perceived effectiveness (as defined in the Persuasive Systems Design model) as being present within the NAIA. These constructs also scored satisfactory in the questionnaire. User-test transcripts are in line with questionnaire results. Given the consistent results in this pilot study, our approach seems promising for evaluating the questionnaire and will be applied to other settings and websites/applications
Sensor-Based Statistical Models of Human Interruptibility Research

Computing and communication systems are at the core of the modern office worker’s everyday experience. At any given point in time, a person might be notified of the arrival of a new email, receive an instant message from a colleague, be reminded by a calendar program of an upcoming appointment, receive a phone call on their office or mobile phone, and be involved in a face-to-face interaction with a colleague. Any one of these demands for attention can be addressed relatively easily, but the sum of repeated or simultaneous demands can become disruptive. Current systems interrupt at inappropriate times or unduly demand attention because they have no way to determine when an interruption is appropriate. A person preparing to make a telephone call typically has no way to know that the callee is in the middle of a face-to-face meeting, and an email client about to announce the arrival of a new message cannot determine whether an obvious or subtle notification is currently more appropriate.
The physical properties of Lyα emitting galaxies: not just primeval galaxies?

Aims. We have analyzed a sample of Lyman break galaxies from z ~ 3.5 to z ~ 6 selected from the GOODS-S field as $B, V$, and i -dropouts, and with spectroscopic observations showing that they have the Ly α line in emission. Our main aim is to investigate their physical properties and their dependence on the emission line characteristic and to shed light on the relation between galaxies with Ly α emission and the general LBG population. Methods. The objects were selected from their optical continuum colors and then spectroscopically confirmed by the GOODS collaboration and other campaigns. From the public spectra we derived the main properties of the Ly α emission such as total flux and rest frame EW . We then used complete photometry, from U band to mid-infrared from the GOODS-MUSIC database, and through standard spectro-photometric techniques we derived the physical properties of the galaxies, such as total stellar mass, stellar ages, star formation rates, and dust content. Finally we investigated the relation between emission line and physical properties. Results. Although most galaxies are fit by young stellar populations, a small but non negligible fraction has SEDs that cannot be represented well by young models and require considerably older stellar component, up to ~1 Gyr. There is no apparent relation between age and EW : some of the oldest galaxies have high line EW , and should be also selected in narrow-band surveys. Therefore not all Ly α emitting galaxies are primeval galaxies in the very early stages of formation, as is commonly assumed. We also find a range of stellar populations, with masses from 5 $\times$ 10 8 $M_\odot$ to 5 $\times$ 10 10 $M_\odot$ and SFR from few to 60 $M_\odot$ yr -1 . Although there is no net correlation between mass and EW , we find a significant lack of massive galaxies with high EW , which could be explained if the most massive galaxies were either dustier and/or if they contained more neutral gas than less massive objects. Finally we find that more than half of the galaxies contain small but non negligible amounts of dust: the mean $E(B-V)$ derived from the SED fit and the EW are well-correlated, although with a large scatter, as already found at lower redshift.
Linear-assisted DC/DC converters with variable frequency: On their complex control strategies

Linear-assisted DC/DC converters (or linear-switching hybrid DC/DC converters) consist of a voltage linear regulator (classic NPN or nMOS topologies and LDO) connected in parallel with a switching DC/DC converter. In order to control these hybrid structures, different strategies exist, allowing to fix the switching frequency as a function of some parameters of the linear regulator. This article compares two control strategies that, although can be applied to the same circuital structure of linear-assisted converter, are sensibly different. The first one, reported in previous literature, cancels completely the average current through the linear regulator in steady state to achieve a reduction of the losses. Thus the efficiency of the whole system increases and almost equals the one of the standalone switching converter. The proposed approach, in spite of a slightly increment of linear regulator's losses, reduces the output ripple due to the crossover distortion of linear regulator output stage.
An integrated anycast end-to-end QoS routing on DiffServ networks

An anycast service in a QoS-based network requires to setup paths with bandwidth guarantees and to select a server with capacity guarantees. This paper proposes an architecture which integrates both network layer anycasting service and application layer anyscasting service in order to select both a path and a server that satisfies the client QoS constrain in DiffServ networks. To perform a path selection algorithm, the proposed protocol uses the idea of residual capacity to select all paths which match the client bandwidth requirement. To perform the server selection process, each server resource management (SRM) uses server weight of each server to select a best server that has available capacity for the client request. Furthermore, the design of multiple SRMs eliminates the single point of failure and increases reliability in a DiffServ network. The simulation results have shown that the proposed protocol has much faster server response time and has lowest request blocking rate than other existing protocols, especially in the case where the traffic load is high.
The systematic behavior of water vapor estimates using four years of GPS observations

The authors have used four years of Global Positioning System (GPS) data to study the amount of integrated water vapor (IWV) in the atmosphere. They find that the presence of certain radomes at some sites highly affects the water vapor estimates at other sites. These effects are eliminated by using a technique in which data from each station are processed individually.