Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Patient Partnership in Designing Research on Neuropsychiatric Issues in Hypoparathyroidism

Abstract Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disease that is associated with hypocalcemia and insufficient parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Neuropsychiatric complaints are common in hypoparathyroidism. Yet there is a large knowledge gap in our understanding of cognitive dysfunction in hypoparathyroidism and partnering with patients is essential for filling this hole. Input from hypoparathyroid patients is needed to define objective, performance-based cognitive impairments. Creating patient advisory boards that provide input for planning clinical trials would enable patient perspectives to be shared. This would ensure that meaningful, standardized neuropsychological instruments that prioritize patients’ cognitive concerns are selected. Patient partnership is also needed to understand the wide inter-individual variability of cognitive symptoms in hypoparathyroidism, as well as mechanisms aside from calcium shifts that might explain cognitive symptoms, such as low PTH itself, alterations in brain structure, or other hypoparathyroidism-associated comorbidities. With new PTH replacement therapies on the horizon, patient input about studying how these therapies impact, and maybe even reverse, cognitive impairment will also be critical. Ultimately, the inclusion of patient partners in hypoparathyroidism research will advance the design of neuropsychiatric studies and generate key input for understanding how to reduce the burden of this disease.
Exact Generation of Acyclic Deterministic Finite

We give a canonical representation for trim acyclic deterministic finite automata (ADFA) with n states over an alphabet of k symbols. Using this normal form, we present a backtracking algorithm for the exact generation of ADFAs. This algorithm is a non trivial adaptation of the algorithm for the exact generation of minimal acyclic deterministic finite automata (MADFA), presented by Almeida et al.
The use of a walking aid before surgery is not related to worse short-term outcomes after simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty

Introduction: No study has been performed to compare patients’ pre- and post-operative knee disability, functional status, and length of hospital stay after surgery between patients with and without using a walking aid. Methods: One-hundred forty-five patients were enrolled and divided into four groups based on whether they used any walking aids before surgery: no walking aid, one cane, one elbow crutch, and two elbow crutches. The groups were compared for knee disability (Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score), functional status (Iowa Level of Assistance Scale (ILAS)), and length of hospital stay. Results: For the pre-operative HSS knee scores, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups (p > 0.05). For the pre-operative ILAS scores, the patients without using walking aids had better functional status than those using any walking aids (p < 0.05). For the post-operative outcomes, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the HSS knee and the ILAS scores and length of hospital stay after surgery. Conclusion: In this population, using any walking aids before surgery is related to worse pre-operative functional status but not to the pre-operative knee disability. Furthermore, it is not related to the short-term outcomes after surgery.
Convergence rate of stochastic gradient with constant step size

We show that the basic stochastic gradient method applied to a strongly-convex differentiable function with a constant step-size achieves a linear convergence rate (in function value and iterates) up to a constant proportional the step-size (under standard assumptions on the gradient). 1 Overview and Assumptions We want to minimize f(x) = E[fi(x)], where the expectation is taken with respect to i. The most common case is minimizing a finite sum, min x∈Rd 1 n n ∑
Social and Institutional Factors Affecting Language Learning Activities

This article aims to contribute to an understanding of how social and institutional factors affect the language learning environments of university students studying less-commonly taught languages (Turner, 1958), at beginner level by distance online. The empirical material is drawn from longitudinal case studies of students who enrolled in beginner-level distance courses in LCTLs at a regional Swedish university in the early 2010s. The study supports previous research illustrating the importance of sociocultural factors in learning activities. Furthermore, the study adds to research showing that for LCTLs an online learning context provides affordances that simply may not exist in campus settings and makes the study of LCTLs accessible to people for whom it would otherwise not be, an important contribution to linguistic diversity. The novel finding of this study is the direct and clearly articulated effect of different policies and frameworks on individuals’ choices of how, when and where to study, which suggests a need to examine further the ways that government and supranational entities shape the decisions made by adult learners.
A Prospective Cohort Study on Spectrum of Community Acquired Late Onset Neonatal Pneumonia: An Eye Opener for Neonatal Care

Background Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in infants in low- and middle-income countries. We emphasize the differences in presentation and outcome between viral and bacterial origin community acquired ALRTI in late neonatal period. Methods All consecutively admitted neonates, aged 7 days or older, with features of ALRTI were included in the study, other than babies referred with prior hospital stay, congenital airway malformations and heart disease. Relevant investigations including nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and blood culture were done for etiological diagnosis. The predisposing factors, presenting features and short-term outcomes were compared between viral and bacterial etiology cohorts. Results Half of the 89 babies had primary viral infections, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) being predominant (n = 21, 23.6%); 27 (30.3%) had bacterial infections, while no organisms were identified in 18% cases. Ten babies (11.2%) had COVID-19 and 4 (4.5%) had pertussis. Small for date (n = 15, 55.5%, p < .001) and history of past sick neonatal care unit admission were significantly higher (n = 20, 74.1%, p = .009) in babies with bacterial isolates. Median age of presentation was day 10 (interquartile range [IQR] 8-12). Bacterial ALRTI was more severe with significantly high respiratory score (p < .001), need for invasive ventilation (p < .001), systemic complications, and mortality (p = .012), while viral ALRTI group required longer respiratory support and hospital stay (p < .001). Conclusions PCR based methods are important in etiological diagnosis of community acquired late onset neonatal pneumonia. Such ALRTI is mostly of viral origin, and this is less likely to be fatal but require longer hospital stay than bacterial pneumonia.
Engineers’ perceptions of the importance of empathy and care: initial insights from engineers practicing in Australia

Empathy and care influence aspects of engineering practice including collaboration and teamwork, stakeholder engagement, and quality of work. Empathy has been identified as a key employability skill for professionals, and is the foundation for many skills and attributes anticipated as required by future engineers. Therefore, the understanding of empathy and care, and consideration of the development of empathetic and caring competencies are increasingly relevant for engineering education. Recent studies have explored the conceptualisation of and value placed on empathy and care in engineering practice, from the perspectives of practicing engineers in US and German contexts. We broaden this to include the Australian setting. Engineers’ perceptions of empathy and care within Australian engineering practice were collected using an online version of the Empathy and Care Questionnaire (ECQ) instrument developed by Hess, Strobel, Pan and Wachter Morris (N = 183). Statistical analysis of survey questions relating to the perceived importance and benefits of empathy and care to engineers, and relevance within a range of engineering practice situations was undertaken. Analysis of gender, years of experience, and organisational role indicated that female engineers perceived empathy and care to be more important, and more impactful on engineering practice than male engineers. Perceptions of empathy and care did not vary with duration of engineering work experience, however engineers in positions of organisational leadership placed greater importance on empathy and care in their roles than others. These differences contrast with results of the US and German studies. Further analysis is required to understand where, when and why these differences occur.
Integrated Multi-Omics Reveals Significant Roles of Non-Additively Expressed Small RNAs in Heterosis for Maize Plant Height

Heterosis is a complex biological phenomenon regulated by genetic variations and epigenetic changes. However, the roles of small RNAs (sRNAs), an important epigenetic regulatory element, on plant heterosis are still poorly understood. Here, an integrative analysis was performed with sequencing data from multi-omics layers of maize hybrids and their two homologous parental lines to explore the potential underlying mechanisms of sRNAs in plant height (PH) heterosis. sRNAome analysis revealed that 59 (18.61%) microRNAs (miRNAs) and 64,534 (54.00%) 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) clusters were non-additively expressed in hybrids. Transcriptome profiles showed that these non-additively expressed miRNAs regulated PH heterosis through activating genes involved in vegetative growth-related pathways while suppressing those related to reproductive and stress response pathways. DNA methylome profiles showed that non-additive methylation events were more likely to be induced by non-additively expressed siRNA clusters. Genes associated with low-parental expression (LPE) siRNAs and trans-chromosomal demethylation (TCdM) events were enriched in developmental processes as well as nutrients and energy metabolism, whereas genes associated with high-parental expression (HPE) siRNAs and trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) events were gathered in stress response and organelle organization pathways. Our results provide insights into the expression and regulation patterns of sRNAs in hybrids and help to elucidate their potential targeting pathways contributing to PH heterosis.
Utilization Trend of Parenteral Antidiabetic Drugs in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Covered by Iran Health Insurance Organization from 2011 to 2030

Background: Exploring and analyzing the cost of medicines is an important tool for their management and planning. This study aims to analyze the utilization and costs of parenteral anti-diabetic medications during the past decade and predict the future trend of these medications from 2021 to 2031 in people that are covered by Iran Health Insurance Organization (IHIO). Methods: This study was based on secondary analysis of data routinely reported to IHIO from 2011 to 2019. For each drug, the Defined Daily Dose (DDDs) and DDDs per 1000 inhabitants per day were calculated for the last 9 years according to the WHO protocol. Then a regression analysis was used to predict the utilization trend of each drug for the following 10 years. Results: The overall utilization of injectable antidiabetic drugs has constantly increased during the last nine years. This increasing trend is estimated to continue during the next decade. Conclusion: In Iran, the increase in the diabetic population and better access in the future will be the main reasons for the increase in the utilization of various insulins. The increasing trend of utilizing injectable anti-diabetic drugs in Iran might be partly due to new patients and partly because of improvement in patient access to new treatments. This also suggests that, compared to the average in the commonwealth countries, Iranian diabetic patients has faced lack of drug utilization in the past decade that is gradually reducing.
Sur la nature analytique des solutions des équations aux dérivées partielles. Premier mémoire

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Association of Peripheral Inflammatory Biomarkers and Growth Factors Levels with Sex, Therapy and Other Clinical Factors in Schizophrenia and Patient Stratification Based on These Data

Multiple lines of evidence are known to confirm the pro-inflammatory state of some patients with schizophrenia and the involvement of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of psychosis. The concentration of peripheral biomarkers is associated with the severity of inflammation and can be used for patient stratification. Here, we analyzed changes in serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-21, APRIL, BAFF, PBEF/Visfatin, IFN-α, and TNF-α) and growth/neurotrophic factors (GM-CSF, NRG1-β1, NGF-β, and GDNF) in patients with schizophrenia in an exacerbation phase. IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, BAFF, IFN-α, GM-CSF, NRG1-β1, and GDNF increased but TNF-α and NGF-β decreased in schizophrenia compared to healthy individuals. Subgroup analysis revealed the effect of sex, prevalent symptoms, and type of antipsychotic therapy on biomarker levels. Females, patients with predominantly negative symptoms, and those taking atypical antipsychotics had a more pro-inflammatory phenotype. Using cluster analysis, we classified participants into “high” and “low inflammation” subgroups. However, no differences were found in the clinical data of patients in these subgroups. Nevertheless, more patients (17% to 25.5%) than healthy donors (8.6% to 14.3%) had evidence of a pro-inflammatory condition depending on the clustering approach used. Such patients may benefit from personalized anti-inflammatory therapy.
Augmentation of Docetaxel-Induced Cytotoxicity in Human PC-3 Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Cells by Combination With Four Natural Apoptosis-Inducing Anticancer Compounds

Docetaxel (DTX) is the treatment of choice for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, developing drug resistance is a significant challenge for achieving effective therapy. This study evaluated the anticancer and synergistic effects on DTX of four natural compounds (calebin A, 3′-hydroxypterostilbene, hispolon, and tetrahydrocurcumin) using PC-3 androgen-resistant human prostate cancer cells. We utilized the CellTiter-Glo® luminescent cell viability assay and human PC-3 androgen-independent prostate cancer cells to determine the antiproliferative effects of the four compounds alone and combined with DTX. Cytotoxicity to normal human prostate epithelial cells was tested in parallel using normal immortalized human prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1). We used cell imaging and quantitative caspase-3 activity to determine whether these compounds induce apoptosis. We also measured the capacity of each drug to inhibit TNF-α-induced NF-kB using a colorimetric assay. Our results showed that all four natural compounds significantly augmented the toxicity of DTX to androgen-resistant PC-3 prostate cancer cells at IC50. Interestingly, when used alone, each of the four compounds had a higher cytotoxic activity to PC-3 than DTX. Mechanistically, these compounds induced apoptosis, which we confirmed by cell imaging and caspase-3 colorimetric assays. Further, when used either alone or combined with DTX, the four test compounds inhibited TNF-α-induced NF-kB production. More significantly, the cytotoxic effects on normal immortalized human prostate epithelial cells were minimal and non-significant, suggesting prostate cancer-specific effects. In conclusion, the combination of DTX with the four test compounds could effectively enhance the anti-prostate cancer activity of DTX. This combination has the added value of reducing the DTX effective concentration. We surmise that calebin A, 3′-hydroxypterostilbene, hispolon, and tetrahydrocurcumin were all excellent drug candidates that produced significant antiproliferative activity when used alone and synergistically enhanced the anticancer effect of DTX. Further in vivo studies using animal models of prostate cancer are needed to confirm our in vitro findings.
Quantifying the sensitivity of distributive fluvial systems to changes in sediment supply and lake level using stratigraphic forward modelling

Stratigraphic forward modelling has been used to quantify the sensitivity of sandbody connectivity in a distributive fluvial system to changes in sediment supply and lake level. Recent stratigraphic forward modelling using SedsimX from StrataMod Pty Limited of the Oligocene to Miocene Huesca distributive fluvial system in northern Spain was used as a base‐case for this sensitivity analysis. Based on literature research and initial modelling, a sediment supply sensitivity range of 0.22 to 21.85 km3/kyr and lake‐level sensitivity range of −1000 to 1000 mm/kyr were used. Results show that the stratigraphic architecture of the modelled distributive fluvial system is more sensitive to changes in sediment supply than to changes in lake level. While an increase in the rate of sediment supply results in an increase in preserved average grain size, aggradation rates and sandbody connectivity at the same distance from the apex, the average grain size, aggradation rate and sandbody connectivity all decrease with increasing distance from fan apex. The main difference in the stratigraphic architecture can be found in the proximal zones. Only oversupplied models, with much higher sediment supply than the base‐case, deposited fully amalgamated channelized deposits with laterally continuous, tabular beds with occasional scoured surfaces. Models with base‐case sediment supply contain channelized sandy deposits within a fine‐grained floodplain environment. Models with sediment supply much lower than the base‐case had no deposition in the proximal zone. Lake‐level rise leads to reduced distal erosion of sediments, concentration of silts close to the lake shore, and higher aggradation rates and thicker sandbodies in the proximal zone. The sensitivity analysis highlights that the parameters governing the formation of distributive fluvial systems have different weightings but are ultimately all interconnected and interdependent. This quantitative framework can be used as a predictive tool for subsurface exploration in distributive fluvial systems.
Impact of Stress on Periodontal Health: Literature Revision

Stress is a physiological response of the body to stressful life events but may not be when the individual is persistently exposed to the stress trigger, and it negatively affects certain physiological functions, thus triggering psychosomatic diseases. In literature, chronic stress and inadequate coping strategies are found to mediate the risk and development of periodontitis; mechanisms have therefore been proposed to explain the effects of stress on the periodontium. Since stress is a prevalent problem in modern life and given the importance of maintaining oral health, the present literature review aimed to estimate the association between stress and periodontal disease. The research question adopted is the following: “Are psychological stress and periodontal disease related? ” The search was conducted in August 2022 and limited to articles in electronic databases from 2017 to 2022 in English, excluding reviews and literature reviews. From the electronic databases, a total of 532 articles were identified and became 306 after reviews and duplicates were removed. An additional bibliographic search was conducted through the same electronic databases, controlled terms and keywords including only systematic reviews, which were previously excluded. Through the bibliography cited in the systematic reviews, an additional 18 articles were identified, with a new total of 324. As a result of reading the title and abstract of these 324 articles, an additional 295 were excluded. Reading the full text of the remaining 29 studies, 2 articles were excluded due to non-adherence to the eligibility criteria. The remaining 27 results were included in our literature review. It has been suggested in the literature that adverse socioeconomic conditions elicit a stress response, which can trigger periodontal inflammation. Most of the 27 articles included in the study confirm and demonstrate a positive association between psychological stress and periodontal disease. Numerous studies have shown the mechanisms through which chronic stress negatively affects periodontal tissues. Therefore, in the light of the results obtained from this review, it is important that oral health professionals, also for general health purposes, consider stress factors among the risk factors of periodontal disease, its severity and decreased efficacy of treatments. It is therefore advisable to act preventively through the interception of chronic stress.
From strong to ultrastrong coupling in circuit QED architectures

The field of cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) studies the interaction between light and matter on a fundamental level: a single atom interacts with a single photon. If the atom-photon coupling is larger than any dissipative effects, the system enters the strong-coupling limit. A peculiarity of this regime is the possibility to form coherent superpositions of light and matter excitations - a kind of 'molecule' consisting of an atomic and a photonic contribution. The novel research field of circuit QED extends cavity QED concepts to solid-state based system. Here, a superconducting quantum bit is coupled to an on-chip superconducting one-dimensional waveguide resonator. Owing to the small mode-volume of the resonant cavity, the large dipole moment of the 'artificial atom' and the enormous engineering potential inherent to superconducting quantum circuits, remarkable atom-photon coupling strengths can be realized. This thesis describes the theoretical framework, the development of fabrication techniques and the implementation of experimental characterization techniques for superconducting quantum circuits for circuit QED applications. In particular, we study the interaction between superconducting flux quantum bits and high-quality coplanar waveguide resonators in the strong-coupling limit. Furthermore, we report on the first experimental realization of a circuit QED system operating in the ultrastrong-coupling regime, where the atom-photon coupling rate reaches a considerable fraction of the relevant system frequencies. In these experiments we could observe phenomena that can not be explained within the renowned Jaynes-Cummings model.
Discontinuous Games and Endogenous Sharing Rules

This paper proposes a new approach to the study of economic problems that have hitherto been modeled as games with discontinuous payoffs. Typically, the discontinuities arise from indeterminacies in the underlying problem. The authors' point of departure from the conventional approach is to view the sharing rules that resolve these indeterminacies as part of the solution rather than as part of the description of the model. A solution to the authors' model is a sharing rule, together with a profile of (mixed) strategies that satisfies the usual (Nash) best response criterion. Their main result is that such a solution always exists. Copyright 1990 by The Econometric Society.