Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Re: Repeatability of sodium and chloride in exhaled breath condensates, Zacharasiewicz et al. Pediatr Pulmonol 2004;37:273–275

The recent article by Zacharasiewicz et al. addressed a basic problem that is intrinsic to the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) approach. This noninvasive technique has become an increasingly popular method for collecting respiratory fluid. Increases in concentrations of more than a dozen inflammatory mediators have been found in the EBC obtained from patients with various forms of inflammatory lung disease. However, these increases in EBC concentrations may be due to increases in either the number or volume of respiratory droplets deposited in the EBC, rather than increases in the corresponding concentrations in respiratory fluid. Most of the EBC is derived from water vapor, which is formed by evaporation from lung surfaces, of which the alveoli represent the predominant portion. In contrast, respiratory droplets are generated from the surface of the airways by convection. There is no reason to believe that these processes are linked in any way, or that the concentrations of nonvolatile solutes in the EBC should remain constant. Because the saturation of exhaled air withwater is nearly complete, the loss of water from the airways is virtually set by the minute ventilation. In contrast, the production of respiratory droplets should be enhanced by increases in airway secretions and by local shear forces in the bronchi. Observed increases in EBCmediators could reflect increased airway secretions and turbulence, which would be expected in inflammatory lung disease and are often audible as rales. We suggested that the dilution of respiratory droplets by water vapor could be estimated by comparing the concentrations of electrolytes and/or urea in EBC with those in the plasma. The fact that the EBC:plasma ratios of total cations, total nonvolatile ions, and urea are similar supports the reliability of this approach. Zacharaseiewicz et al. made measurements of EBC concentrations of Naþ and Cl with ion electrodes with a detection limit of 1 mmole/liter. Unfortunately, the concentrations of Naþ and Cl in EBC are much lower than those that can be measured by this equipment. As judged by flame photometry and ion chromatography of cations and chloride, by the conductivity of lyophilized samples, and by urea measurements, the concentrations of Naþ and Kþ in the condensate are about 1,000 times lower than those reported by Zacharaseiewicz et al. The dilution of respiratory droplets by water vapor averages 1:20,000 in normal subjects, and as expected, concentrations of electrolytes are very variable, even when repeated with successive trials in the same subject. We suggested that if NH4 þ is removed from the condensates by lyophilization, the dilution of respiratory droplets bywater vapor can be determined by a simple and inexpensive measurement of conductivity. Unless estimates are made of dilution and unless investigators can demonstrate that they can measure concentrations of the mediators at these extreme dilutions, the EBC approach will remain fundamentally flawed.
Relevance of positive cardiovascular outcome trial results in clinical practice: perspectives from the Academy for Cardiovascular Risk, Outcomes and Safety Studies in Type 2 Diabetes (ACROSS T2D)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) imposes a substantial disease burden, predominantly from cardiovascular disease (CVD), which accounts for >50% of deaths in this population and leads to a 12-year reduction in the life expectancy of a 60-year-old male patient with T2D and CVD compared with the general population. The results from mandatory cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) are therefore of great interest in the field. The Academy for Cardiovascular Risk, Outcomes and Safety Studies in Type 2 Diabetes meeting program aims to bring together experts from several associated disciplines to provide fair and balanced resources for those involved in the management of patients with T2D. This publication represents the opinions of the faculty on the key learnings from the meeting held in Vienna in the spring of 2017. In particular, we detail how data from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® [cardiovascular outcomes trial of empagliflozin] and Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcome Results (LEADER®) (liraglutide) CVOTs can be practically interpreted across clinical specialities. It is hoped that this translation of CVOT data will achieve a dual treatment paradigm for the management of both raised glucose levels and CV risk in patients with T2D.
De Sterke-Kanten-Benadering : Persoonlijke kwaliteiten als hefboom voor verandering

Hoe kunnen we mensen helpen om hun functioneren, prestaties, gezondheid en welbevinden te verbeteren? De sterke-kanten-benadering biedt een inspirerende aanpak voor persoonlijke en professionele ontwikkeling, die zowel in de zorg, in het onderwijs, als in het personeelsmanagement kan worden toegepast. De kern van deze benadering is dat niet de problemen, gebreken en tekortkomingen, maar juist de successen, persoonlijke kwaliteiten en sterke kanten van mensen het vertrekpunt vormen voor verandering. In dit hoofdstuk bespreken we de basisfilosofie, de theorie, de empirische onderbouwing en de praktische toepassing van deze positief-psychologische veranderingsmethodiek.
Evaluation of Fractional Integrals and Derivatives of Elementary Functions: Overview and Tutorial

Several fractional-order operators are available and an in-depth knowledge of the selected operator is necessary for the evaluation of fractional integrals and derivatives of even simple functions. In this paper, we reviewed some of the most commonly used operators and illustrated two approaches to generalize integer-order derivatives to fractional order; the aim was to provide a tool for a full understanding of the specific features of each fractional derivative and to better highlight their differences. We hence provided a guide to the evaluation of fractional integrals and derivatives of some elementary functions and studied the action of different derivatives on the same function. In particular, we observed how Riemann–Liouville and Caputo’s derivatives converge, on long times, to the Grünwald–Letnikov derivative which appears as an ideal generalization of standard integer-order derivatives although not always useful for practical applications.
PERFIL CLÍNICO E ENDOSCÓPICO DE PACIENTES COM DOENÇA INFLAMATÓRIA INTESTINAL PROCEDENTES DE UMA POPULAÇÃO MISCIGENADA

Doenca inflamatoria intestinal (DII), doenca de Crohn (DC) e retocolite ulcerativa (RCU) sao doencas cronicas, potencialmente incapacitantes e progressivas. Atingem adultos em fase produtiva e podem evoluir com sequelas de grande impacto. Estudos sobre a epidemiologia sao de grande relevância, pois, proporcionam esclarecimentos sobre a interferencia de multiplos fatores e facilitam a identificacao das areas de maior prevalencia para o investimento adequado em saude. O objetivo e tracar o perfil clinico e endoscopico dos pacientes com doenca inflamatoria intestinal (retocolite ulcerativa e doenca de Crohn) acompanhados em ambulatorio de referencia de doenca inflamatoria intestinal do estado da Bahia. Trata-se de estudo do tipo transversal, com pacientes acompanhados ambulatorialmente em servico de referencia no estado da Bahia. Analise retrospectiva do prontuario para obtencao de dados socio-demograficos, historia da doenca atual e pregressa e coleta de informacoes referentes aos exames laboratoriais e endoscopicos. Classificados conforme criterios de localizacao e atividade atraves de indices especificos. Analise exploratoria e descritiva dos dados. 105 pacientes fazem parte desta analise. Dentre eles, 38 do sexo masculino e 67 do sexo feminino. O diagnostico de RCU foi observado em 60 pacientes, com maioria feminina (66,7%), e 45 com diagnostico de DC, com maioria feminina em 60,0% (p=0,482). A media de idade na DII foi de 39,6, variando entre 18 e 88 anos. A autoclassificacao de “raca” revelou 38 negros, 50 mulatos e 17 brancos. Existe predominio do diagnostico de RCU em relacao a DC, predominam pacientes de uma faixa etaria de adultos jovens, maioria do sexo feminino seja na Doenca de Crohn ou na Retocolite Ulcerativa, autoclassificados como mulatos. O comportamento dominante na DC foi o nao estenosante e nao penetrante, com a maioria dos pacientes em remissao. No grupo com RCU, a localizacao mais comum foi a colite esquerda e a maior parte apresentou hiperemia/enantema/edema e atividade, tendo a atividade clinica leve predominado entre os pacientes. Atraves do IBDQ notou-se que quanto melhor a atividade clinica maior a pontuacao nesse score.
Pharmaceutical Drug Misuse, Industry of Employment and Occupation

We contribute to the existing literature on drug consumption by analysing the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs, which has attracted scant attention in the economics literature. Specifically, using individual level data, we explore the determinants of pharmaceutical drug misuse and focus on potential industry and occupation effects, which have been associated with the consumption of other (licit and illicit) drugs. In order to place the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs into context, we also consider other illicit drugs: namely cannabis, speed, and ecstasy. We find a positive association between the consumption of pharmaceutical drugs and employment in the hospitality industry, which contrasts with an inverse relationship in the case of the retail, and finance and insurance industries. In addition, our findings suggest that individuals employed in managerial, professional, sales and clerical/administration occupations are less likely to consume pharmaceuticals relative to labourers, indicating a clear disparity across white collar and blue collar occupations.
Variation in human β‐defensin genes: new insights from a multi‐population study

Human β‐defensin 2 (hBD‐2) and hBD‐3, encoded by DEFB4 and DEFB103A, respectively, have shown anti‐HIV activity, and both genes exhibit copy number variation (CNV). Although the role of hBD‐1, encoded by DEFB1, in HIV‐1 infection is less clear, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DEFB1 may influence viral loads and disease progression. We examined the distribution of DEFB1 SNPs and DEFB4/103A CNV, and the relationship between DEFB1 SNPs and DEFB4/103A CNV using samples from two HIV/AIDS cohorts from the United States (n = 150) and five diverse populations from the Coriell Cell Repositories (n = 46). We determined the frequencies of 10 SNPs in DEFB1 using a post‐PCR, oligonucleotide ligation detection reaction–fluorescent microsphere assay, and CNV in DEFB4/103A by real‐time quantitative PCR. There were noticeable differences in the frequencies of DEFB1 SNP alleles and haplotypes among various racial/ethnic groups. The DEFB4/103A copy numbers varied from 2 to 8 (median, 4), and there was a significant difference between the copy numbers of self‐identified whites and blacks in the US cohorts (Mann–Whitney U‐test P = 0.04). A significant difference was observed in the distribution of DEFB4/103A CNV among DEFB1 ‐52G/A and ‐390T/A genotypes (Kruskal–Wallis P = 0.017 and 0.026, respectively), while not in the distribution of DEFB4/103A CNV among ‐52G/A_‐44C/G_‐20G/A diplotypes. These observations provide additional insights for further investigating the complex interplay between β‐defensin genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility to, or the progression or severity of, HIV infection/disease.
Ten Minutes of α-tACS and Ambient Illumination Independently Modulate EEG α-Power

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) sees increased use in neurosciences as a tool for the exploration of brain oscillations. It has been shown that tACS stimulation in specific frequency bands can result in aftereffects of modulated oscillatory brain activity that persist after the stimulation has ended. The general relationship between persistency of the effect and duration of stimulation is sparsely investigated but previous research has shown that the occurrence of tACS aftereffects depends on the brain state before and during stimulation. Early alpha neurofeedback research suggests that particularly in the alpha band the responsiveness to a manipulation depends on the ambient illumination during measurement. Therefore, in the present study we assessed the brain’s susceptibility to tACS at the individual alpha frequency during darkness compared to ambient illumination. We measured alpha power after 10 min of stimulation in 30 participants while they continuously performed a visual vigilance task. Our results show that immediately after stimulation, the alpha power in the illumination condition for both the stimulated and sham group has increased by only about 7%, compared to about 20% in both groups in the ‘dark’ condition. For the group that did not receive stimulation, the power in darkness remained stable after stimulation, whereas the power in light increased by an additional 10% during the next 30 min. For the group that did receive stimulation, alpha power during these 30 min increased by another 11% in light and 22% in darkness. Since alpha power already increased by about 10% without stimulation, the effect of illumination does not seem to have interacted with the effect of stimulation. Instead, both effects seem to have added up linearly. Although our findings do not show that illumination-induced differences in oscillatory activity influence the susceptibility toward tACS, they stress the importance of controlling for factors like ambient light that might add an independent increase or decrease to the power of brain oscillations during periods, where possible persistent effects of stimulation are explored.
Structure of the Tetraspanin Main Extracellular Domain

The tetraspanin family of membrane glycoproteins is involved in the regulation of cellular development, proliferation, activation, and mobility. We have attempted to predict the structural features of the large extracellular domain of tetraspanins (EC2), which is very important in determining their functional specificity. The tetraspanin EC2 is composed of two subdomains: a conserved three-helix subdomain and a variable secondary structure subdomain inserted within the conserved subdomain. The occurrence of key disulphide bridges and other invariant residues leads to a conserved relative topology of both subdomains and also suggests a structural classification of tetraspanins. Using the CD81 EC2 structure as a template, the structures of two other EC2s were predicted by homology modeling and indicate a conserved shape, in which the variable subdomain is located at one side of the structure. The conserved and variable subdomains might contain sites that correspond, respectively, to common and specific interactions of tetraspanins. The tetraspanin EC2 seems to correspond to a new scheme of fold conservation/variability among proteins, namely the insertion of a structurally variable subdomain within an otherwise conserved fold.
Alport syndrome and mental retardation: clinical and genetic dissection of the contiguous gene deletion syndrome in Xq22.3 (ATS-MR)

X linked Alport syndrome (ATS, OMIM 301050) is a hereditary glomerulonephritis resulting from either point mutations or intragenic deletions of the COL4A5 gene encoding the α5 chain of type IV collagen.1–3 Contiguous gene syndromes are phenotypically complex disorders associated with the deletion of multiple adjacent genes. There are several examples of such syndromes on the X chromosome.4, 5 Until recently, the only known contiguous gene syndrome involving the COL4A5 gene was Alport syndrome and diffuse leiomyomatosis (ATS-DL, OMIM 308940),6–9 in which the deletion extends towards the centromere to include the first two exons of the adjacent COL4A6 gene. In 1998, we described a new Xq22.3 contiguous gene syndrome which we named AMME (OMIM 300194) because of the distinctive features observed in affected males: Alport syndrome (A), mental retardation (M), midface hypoplasia (M), and elliptocytosis (E). 10 After the original publication, clinical re-evaluation of the family showed alterations of cardiac rhythm and morphology on echocardiography.11 To elucidate the molecular basis of this complex syndrome, we cloned three genes from the deleted region: FACL4 ,12 AMMECR1 ,13 and KCNE1L ,11 recently renamed KCNE5 . 14 Now we report the characterisation of the deletion, which extends for about 2 Mb, and the identification of a second family which bears a smaller deletion of about 1 Mb. Comparison with two other deletions extending beyond COL4A5 in the telomeric direction and generating only ATS allowed us to define the critical region for mental retardation (MR), which contains four candidate genes. We now propose renaming this condition ATS-MR, so that consistent terminology is used to describe the known ATS contiguous gene syndromes. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridisation) analysis was performed essentially as described by Lichter et al 15 with minor modifications. Somatic hybrid construction from a lymphoblastoid …
Using a clinic based creativity initiative to reduce HIV related stigma at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda.

BACKGROUND Stigma has been associated with chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, leprosy, tuberculosis, Mental illness and Epilepsy. Different forms of stigma have been identified: enacted stigma, perceived stigma, and self stigma. Stigma is increasingly regarded as a key driver of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and has a major impact on public health interventions. OBJECTIVES The initiative was to provide activities in the clinic while patients waited to be seen by healthcare professionals. It was envisaged this would contribute to reduction of clinic based stigma felt by clients. METHODS This was a repeated cross-sectional survey (October-November 2005 and March-April 2007) that was conducted at the Infectious Diseases Institute clinic (IDC) at Mulago, the national referral hospital in Uganda. We utilized quantitative (survey) and qualitative (key informants, focus group discussions) methods to collect the data. Data were collected on stigma before the creativity initiative intervention was implemented, and a second phase survey was conducted to assess effectiveness of the interventions. RESULTS Clients who attended the IDC before the creativity intervention were about twice as likely to fear catching an infection as those who came after the intervention. The proportion that had fears to be seen by a friend or relative at the clinic decreased. Thus during the implementation of the Creativity intervention, HIV related stigma was reduced in this clinic setting. CONCLUSIONS The creativity intervention helped to build self esteem and improved communication among those attending the clinic; there was observed ambiance at the clinic and clients became empowered, with creative, communication and networking skills. Improved knowledge and communication are key in addressing self stigma among HIV positive individuals.
Fragmentation of the Large Subunit of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase by Reactive Oxygen Species Occurs near Gly-329*

The large subunit (LSU) of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) in the illuminated lysates of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) chloroplasts is broken down by reactive oxygen radicals into 37- and 16-kDa polypeptides. Analysis of the terminal amino acid residues of both fragments revealed that the C terminus of the 37-kDa fragment was Ser-328 and the N terminus of the 16-kDa fragment was Thr-330. Gly-329, which links the two fragments, was missing, suggesting that the fragmentation of the LSU in the lysates driven by oxygen-free radicals occurs at Gly-329. Purified rubisco, exposed to a hydroxyl radical-generating system, was also cleaved at the same site of the LSU. The cleavage site was positioned at the N-terminal end of the flexible loop (loop 6) within the β/α-barrel domain, constituting the catalytic site of rubisco. The binding of a reaction intermediate analogue, 2-carboxyarabinitol 1,5-bisphosphate, to the active form of rubisco completely protected the enzyme from the fragmentation. The fragmentation was differentially affected by CO2, Mg2+, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, or 2-carboxyarabinitol 1,5-bisphosphate. All these results indicate that the conformation of the catalytic site of the enzyme is involved as an important factor determining the breakdown of rubisco by reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species generated at its catalytic site by a Fenton-type reaction may trigger the site-specific degradation of the LSU in the lysates of chloroplasts in the light.
Enhancing Frequency Response Control by DFIGs in the High Wind Penetrated Power Systems

As wind power retains a significant proportion of generation mix in the electric system, we foresee that less fossil fuel units will be on service. Under this situation, it may impact system's frequency security due to the lack of frequency support from units. To make up for such a system change, wind turbines should actively provide frequency response upon request. For wind turbines to achieve this goal, active power output of the wind turbine should be controllable so that the generating margin could be preserved for frequency response. Therefore, the presentation of this paper will begin with the demonstration of the control scheme for the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the methodology in regulating wind power upon operator's request, while stability is assured under variant wind speeds. Following that, this paper will explore several operating strategies for DFIGs to support system frequency with less sacrifice in the wind energy production. Simulation results show that the proposed strategies can enhance regulation performance in the high wind penetrated power system.
Evaluation of Machine Learning Classifiers for Predicting Deep Convection

The realistic representation of convection in atmospheric models is paramount for skillful predictions of hazardous weather as well as climate, yet climate models especially suffer from large uncertainties in the parameterization of clouds and convection. In this work, we examine the use of machine learning (ML) to predict the occurrence of deep convection from a state‐of‐the‐art atmospheric reanalysis (ERA5). Logistic regression, random forests, gradient‐boosted decision trees, and deep neural networks were trained with lightning data to predict thunderstorm occurrence (TO) in Central and Northern Europe (2012–2017) and in Sri Lanka (2016–2017). Up to 40 input variables were used, representing, for example, instability, humidity, and inhibition. Feature importances derived for the various models emphasize the high importance of conditional instability for deep convection in Europe, while in Sri Lanka, TO is more strongly regulated by humidity. The Precision‐Recall curve indicates more than a twofold improvement in skill over convective available potential energy for short‐term (0–45 min) predictions of TO in Europe by using neural networks or gradient‐boosted decision tree and a larger improvement in the tropical domain. The diurnal cycle of deep convection is closely reproduced, suggesting that ML could be used to trigger convection in climate models. Finally, a strong relationship was found between area‐mean monthly TO and ML predictions, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.94 in all domains. Convective available potential energy has a similar level of correlation with monthly thunderstorm activity only in Northern Europe. The results encourage the use of reanalyses and ML to study climate trends in convective storms.