Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-power high-frequency converter modelling using Dommel's and Runge-Kutta methods in ABC and DQ frame

As the future DC grids will involve numerous converter systems, the accuracy and speed of their modeling becomes of high importance. This paper develops and compares four average models for high frequency converters like DC/DC or DC hubs: the average model in the ABC frame using Dommel's method (Model 1), the average model in the dq frame using Dommel's method (Model 2), the average model in the ABC frame using Runge-Kutta method (Model 3) and the average model in the dq frame using Runge-Kutta method (Model 4). Schematics and principles of the numerical algorithms for the four models are presented. Detailed switching model of a 500MW, 2kHz, ±200kV /±400kV DC/DC converter is taken as benchmark for comparing the four average models. It is found that Model 2 is numerically unstable. Model 1 and Model3 need the same small solution time step as the detailed switching model to give accurate results. Model 4 is the recommended average model for high frequency (1-3kHz) converter. It gives accurate result as the detailed switching model at the benefit of 100 times faster simulation speed.
Cell-specific epigenome-wide DNA methylation profile in long-term cultured minor salivary gland epithelial cells from patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Objectives The aetiology of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), also referred to as autoimmune epithelitis, is incompletely understood but includes an epigenetic contribution. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate DNA methylation in salivary gland epithelial cells (SGEC), and to compare results with those publicly available from pSS B and T cells. Methods Long-term cultured SGEC were selected to conduct an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) in patients with pSS with comparison to controls using the HumanMethylation 450 K array from Illumina. Results The analysis of differentially methylated CpG (DMC) uncovered 4662 positions corresponding to 2560 genes, and 575 genes with two or more DMC sites (DMCs), in SGEC as compared with controls. Further analysis highlighted an important proportion of interferon-regulated genes (61%), the calcium pathway (hypomethylated) and the Wnt pathway (hypermethylated). When comparing SGEC with pSS T and/or B cell results, an important overlap was observed with respect to differentially methylated genes (38.8%) and pSS risk factors (71.4%), although such assertion was not true when comparing DMCs. Conclusions This study conducted in SGEC emphasises the role of DNA methylation in pSS pathogenesis and supports the necessity to conduct pure cell analysis for future EWAS studies when analysing salivary glands from patients with pSS.
Correlation of cytomorphological patterns and acid-fast Bacilli positivity in tuberculous lymphadenitis in a rural population of southern India

Background: One of the most common causes of lymphadenopathy in India is tuberculosis. It can be diagnosed by a minimally invasive procedure known as fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and thereby unnecessary surgical interventions are avoided. Aim: This study was undertaken to evaluate cytomorphological patterns of tuberculous lymphadenitis including human immunodeficiency virus-positive cases, to correlate the acid-fast Bacilli (AFB) positivity with cytomorphological patterns and also to find out overall AFB positivity. Materials and Methods: In this study, a total of 212 cases of cytologically proven tuberculous lymphadenitis were retrieved and analyzed retrospectively between March 2012 and March 2015 for three different cytomorphological patterns (epithelioid granuloma without necrosis [pattern A], epithelioid granuloma with necrosis [pattern B], and necrosis without epithelioid granuloma [pattern C]) and bacillary loads on Ziehl-Neelsen stain (ZN) for AFB. Results: Pattern A through C was observed in 40 (18.9%), 102 (48.1%), and 70 (33%) cases, respectively. AFB positivity was found in 2 (5%) cases of pattern A, 62 (60.8%) cases of pattern B, and 54 (77.1%) cases of pattern C. The highest percentage of AFB positivity (64.7%) was observed in aspirate containing purulent/pus and caseous/cheesy material. The overall AFB positivity was seen in 55.7% (118/212) cases. On grading of AFB positivity, Grade 1+ was observed in 29.7%, Grade 2+ was observed in 28.8%, and Grade 3+ was observed in 41.5% cases. Conclusion: FNAC is a sensitive, simple, convenient, safe, minimally invasive procedure to diagnose tuberculous lymphadenitis. Study of both cytomorphological patterns and ZN staining for AFB can improve the diagnostic yield. Regardless of the presence of granuloma, ZN stain must be employed whenever infective pathology is suspected.
Understanding hospital performance: The role of network ties and patterns of competition

Background: To improve efficiency and quality, a number of policies have recently been implemented to increase competition and cooperation within the health systems of many countries. We theorize how hospital performance, measured as productivity, is contingent upon network embeddedness, the extent to which a hospital is involved in a network of interconnected interorganizational relationships. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the effects on hospital productivity resulting from both collaborative network ties and competitive relationships between providers. Methodology: We used panel data collected between 2003 and 2007 from 35 hospitals in Abruzzo, one of the most populated regions of central Italy. We used secondary data of hospital activities regarding both clinical and administrative aspects. For each year, we examined the intensity of interhospital competition and the unique position each provider has within a larger network of relationships with other hospitals. Other idiosyncratic organizational characteristics were examined as well. Findings: Our results show that hospital productivity is negatively related to the degree of competition that a hospital faces and positively related to the degree with which hospitals establish collaborative relationships. We also found that the negative impact on hospital productivity due to competition was lessened when hospitals were more likely to create cooperative network ties. Practice Implications: Because interhospital collaboration and competition are related to hospital productivity, they should constitute a core element in the strategic planning of a hospital's operation. Health administrators should implement policies that favor collaborative network ties at the regional level and mitigate interorganizational rivalries when establishing collaborative relationships with local competitors.
Open-label trial regarding the use of acupuncture and yin tui na in Parkinson's disease outpatients: a pilot study on efficacy, tolerability, and quality of life.

OBJECTIVES This study evaluates the effects of sequential tui na massage, acupuncture, and instrument-delivered qigong for patients with Parkinson disease (PD) over a 6-month period. DESIGN Patients received weekly treatments, which included tui na massage prior to acupuncture followed by instrument-delivered qigong. Each patient was assessed at baseline and at 6 months. SETTING The setting was an outpatient research/academic clinic for patients with PD and nonacademic acupuncture clinic. SUBJECTS Twenty-five (25) patients with idiopathic PD were the subjects. OUTCOME MEASURES Before and after treatment patients were evaluated with the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr Staging (H&Y), Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living (S & E), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) quality of life assessment, and patient global assessments. RESULTS There were no significant improvements in treatment measures; however, there was a 2.4-point worsening in UPDRS motor scores (24.0 versus 26.4, p = 0.018). There was a 16% improvement in the PDQ- 39 total score (23.2 versus 19.6, p = 0.044) and a 29% improvement in the BDI (9.6 versus 6.8, p = 0.006). Sixteen (16) patients reported moderate to marked improvement. There were no adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture is safe and well tolerated in patients with PD. Most patients reported subjective improvement. The BDI and PDQ-39 total score, measuring depression and quality of life, demonstrated some improvement, but UPDRS motor scores worsened.
Connecting Employers and Workers: Can Recommendations from the Public Employment Service Act as a Substitute for Social Contacts?

This article investigates how employers value recommendations from the public employment service (PES) compared to recommendations from a social contact for their hiring decision. The importance of social contacts in the labour market creates inequality by putting those with a weak social network at a disadvantage. It is therefore important to know if public agencies acting as labour market intermediaries (LMI) can compensate for this disadvantage. This question is investigated by means of a factorial survey experiment conducted among Swiss human resources professionals. The results demonstrate that employers value recommendations from social contacts as well as the PES. However, the latter is not able to fully substitute for the effect of social networks.
Morphology and connectivity of the small bistratified A8 amacrine cell in the mouse retina

Amacrine cells comprise ∼30 morphological types in the mammalian retina. The synaptic connectivity and function of a few γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic wide‐field amacrine cells have recently been studied; however, with the exception of the rod pathway‐specific AII amacrine cell, the connectivity of glycinergic small‐field amacrine cells has not been investigated in the mouse retina. Here, we studied the morphology and connectivity pattern of the small‐field A8 amacrine cell. A8 cells in mouse retina are bistratified with lobular processes in the ON sublamina and arboreal dendrites in the OFF sublamina of the inner plexiform layer. The distinct bistratified morphology was first visible at postnatal day 8, reaching the adult shape at P13, around eye opening. The connectivity of A8 cells to bipolar cells and ganglion cells was studied by double and triple immunolabeling experiments by using various cell markers combined with synaptic markers. Our data suggest that A8 amacrine cells receive glutamatergic input from both OFF and ON cone bipolar cells. Furthermore, A8 cells are coupled to ON cone bipolar cells by gap junctions, and provide inhibitory input via glycine receptor (GlyR) subunit α1 to OFF cone bipolar cells and to ON A‐type ganglion cells. Measurements of spontaneous glycinergic postsynaptic currents and GlyR immunolabeling revealed that A8 cells express GlyRs containing the α2 subunit. The results show that the bistratified A8 cell makes very similar synaptic contacts with cone bipolar cells as the rod pathway‐specific AII amacrine cell. However, unlike AII cells, A8 amacrine cells provide glycinergic input to ON A‐type ganglion cells. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:1529–1547, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigating factors associated with depression of older women in Macau.

BACKGROUND Mental health burdens pose a grave threat to quality of life and economic productivity worldwide. Women must balance the economic, emotional and health needs of the household with their own emotional and health needs. AIMS The purpose of this study is to explore the depression level of a group of older women in the community in Macau, and to identify factors associated with depression. DESIGN A descriptive survey. RESEARCH METHOD The survey was conducted during the period July and August 2004 in six parishes in Macau; 1042 older people aged 60-98 completed a structured questionnaire. OUTCOME MEASURES Four main outcome variables were employed in the study: predisposing characteristics, physical, psychosocial and health needs/behaviours outcomes. RESULTS Among the women, 11.9% (n = 124) had been identified as depressed. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify a model to predict older women who will have depression. The results showed that variables like having hypertension (p = 0.010), a poor social network (p < 0.001), low self-perceived scores on health status (p < 0.001) and ability to meet living costs (p < 0.001), and a low level of ability to do housework (p < 0.001) were significant risk factors for depression. CONCLUSION Providing a suitable living environment and improving health conditions for older people may improve depressive symptoms, and maintaining their cognitive function and improving their functional abilities may be crucial for preventing suffering from depressive symptoms. Apart from the findings, these conclusions resonate with recent Macau guidance on managing depression in older women. This stresses the importance of prevention, early detection and stepped care, with more intensive treatment for greater severity of illness and a multifaceted approach to management. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE It is important to regularly screen for depressive symptoms among older women in the community. Focusing on older women with increasing physical disability and social isolation should help in both the prevention and recognition of onset of depression. Light therapy and antidepressants were suggested and providing a suitable living environment and improving health conditions for older people may improve depressive symptoms; maintaining their cognitive function and improving their functional abilities may be crucial for preventing suffering from depressive symptoms.
Thalidomide in Low Doses is Effective for the Treatment of Resistant or Relapsed Multiple Myeloma and for Plasma Cell Leukaemia

Thalidomide is an effective treatment for relapsed multiple myeloma (MM), but is associated with a significant side effect profile at higher doses. In a recent study, only half of the enrolled patients were able to tolerate the maximum dose of 800 mg/day [Singhal, S. , et al. (1999) "Antitumor activity of thalidomide in refractory multiple myeloma", New Engl. J. Med. 341, 1565-1571]. Moreover, the dose-response relationship has not been defined. We report our use of low dose thalidomide in a small cohort of 12 patients--eight with relapsed or refractory MM and four with plasma cell leukaemia (PCL). Five of the 12 (42%) patients had a partial response, showing a median fall in their PP/BJP of 80% (63-90%) at a median dose of 175 mg (100-300 mg) with negligible side effects. Three of four patients with PCL showed an impressive response to treatment with thalidomide as a single agent. No patient who failed to show any evidence of response at low dose (<150 mg/day) responded to higher doses. In this study, thalidomide induces a similar rate of response at a lower and better tolerated dose than previously reported and produced "best ever" responses in patients with resistant PCL.
Violent Extremism and Mental Disorders

learned. Helpdesk reports are not rigorous or systematic reviews; they are intended to provide an introduction to the most important evidence related to a research question. They draw on a rapid desk-based review of published literature and consultation with subject specialists. Helpdesk reports are commissioned by the UK Department for International Development and other Government departments, but the views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of DFID, the UK Government, K4D or any other contributing organisation. For further information, please contact helpdesk@k4d.info. Helpdesk Report
Attitudes Toward Migrants in a Highly Impacted Economy: Evidence From the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan

With international migration at a record high, a burgeoning literature has explored the drivers of public attitudes toward migrants. However, most studies to date have focused on developed countries, which have relatively fewer migrants and more capacity to absorb them. We address this sample bias by conducting a survey of public attitudes toward Syrians in Jordan, a developing country with one of the largest shares of refugees. Our analysis indicates that neither personal- nor community-level exposure to the economic impact of the refugee crisis is associated with antimigrant sentiments among natives. Furthermore, an embedded conjoint experiment validated with qualitative evidence demonstrates the relative importance of humanitarian and cultural concerns over economic ones. Taken together, our findings weaken the case for egocentric and sociotropic economic concerns as critical drivers of antimigrant attitudes and demonstrate how humanitarian motives can sustain support for refugees when host and migrant cultures are similar.
Assessing the impact of tax administration reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa

This proposal investigates the impact of adopting tax reforms such as the Value Added Tax (VAT), the Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU), and the Semi-Autonomous Revenue Agency (SARA) on tax revenue performance revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the increasing adoption of these reforms, the literature on tax reforms effectiveness in Sub-Saharan is controversial. This proposal adds to the debate by using an Ordinary Least Square Fixed effect model controlling for countries and years fixed effects as well as a set of relevant covariates. We use a panel dataset of 46 countries from 1980 to 2013 and show that, in contrast to existing findings, there is no robust evidence that the three tax reforms increased tax collection performance in Sub-Saharan Africa. We find that controlling for time fixed effects and relevant covariates removes the statistical significance of all the tax reforms. Therefore, we conclude that there is little statistical robustness to support a significance of these reforms on tax collection in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Enabling Process Discipline: Lessons from the Journey to CMM Level 5

A growing number of organizations are using the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) Capability Maturity Model? (CMM? ) to improve their software development process. Following a Total Quality Management philosophy, the CMM defines five successively higher levels of process maturity, each requiring progressively more discipline in development. Some critics believe such organizational discipline burdens and demotivates developers. Computer Science Corporation's experience, however, has been more positive. This article presents lessons that two Computer Sciences Corporation units learned in their journey to Level 5. Interviews with developers and managers found that although the higher levels of CMM imposed considerable paperwork burden, team members usually experienced the resulting discipline as enabling rather than coercive. We found four key factors needed for successful CMM implementation: creating sufficient strategic impetus to pursue CMM certification, sustaining management commitment to the requisite investments of time and resources, orchestrating broad staff participation in defining and refining processes, and facilitating organizational socialization to encourage software developers' buy-in to CMM-style discipline.
Expression of Helios, an Ikaros Transcription Factor Family Member, Differentiates Thymic-Derived from Peripherally Induced Foxp3+ T Regulatory Cells

Helios, a member of the Ikaros transcription factor family, is preferentially expressed at the mRNA level by regulatory T cells (Treg cells). We evaluated Helios protein expression using a newly generated mAb and demonstrated that it is expressed in all thymocytes at the double negative 2 stage of thymic development. Although Helios was expressed by 100% of CD4+CD8−Foxp3+ thymocytes, its expression in peripheral lymphoid tissues was restricted to a subpopulation (∼70%) of Foxp3+ T cells in mice and humans. Neither mouse nor human naive T cells induced to express Foxp3 in vitro by TCR stimulation in the presence of TGF-β expressed Helios. Ag-specific Foxp3+ T cells induced in vivo by Ag feeding also failed to express Helios. Collectively, these results demonstrate that Helios is potentially a specific marker of thymic-derived Treg cells and raises the possibility that a significant percentage of Foxp3+ Treg cells are generated extrathymically.
Feasibility and efficacy of an internet treatment for postnatal depression utilising a behavioural activation approach

Commentary on: O'Mahen HA, Woodford J, McGinley J, et al. Internet-based behavioral activation—treatment for postnatal depression (Netmums): a randomised controlled trial. J Affect Disord 2013;150:814–22. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Postnatal depression (PND) is prevalent and debilitating, and presents unique barriers to appropriate treatment. Many new mothers do not access help due to stigma, a lack of specialised treatments, the difficulty of scheduling appointments around … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BAffect%2BDisord%26rft.volume%253D150%26rft.spage%253D814%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.jad. 2013.03. 005%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23602514%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=10.1016/j.jad. 2013.03. 005&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=23602514&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F17%2F4%2F102.atom
Force fields and molecular dynamics simulations

The objective of this review is to serve as an introductory guide for the non-expert to the exciting field of Molecular Dynamics (MD). MD simulations generate a phase space trajectory by integrating the classical equations of motion for a system of N particles. Here I review the basic concepts needed to understand the technique, what are the key elements to perform a simulation and which is the information that can be extracted from it. I will start defining what is a force field, which are the terms composing a classical force field, how the parameters of the potential are optimized, and which are the more popular force fields currently employed and the lines of research to improve them. Then the Molecular Dynamics technique will be introduced, including a general overview of the main algorithms employed to integrate the equations of motion, compute the long-range forces, work on different thermodynamic ensembles, or reduce the computational time. Finally the main properties that can be computed from a MD trajectory are briefly introduced.