Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphism Predicts the Outcome of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Better knowledge about the possible role of genetic factors in modulating the response to multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, including rehabilitation, known to promote neural plasticity, could improve the standard of care for this disease. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms are associated with MS risk, probably because of the role played by vitamin D in regulating inflammatory and reparative processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the most important functional VDR SNPs (TaqI (T/C), ApaI (A/C), and FokI (C/T)) with functional outcome in MS patients undergoing multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation (MDR) treatment, in order to determine whether genetic profiling might be useful to identify subjects with a higher chance of recovery. To this end, 249 MS inpatients with a diagnosis of either progressive (pMS; n = 155) or relapsing remitting (RRMS; n = 94) disease who underwent MDR treatment (average duration = 5.1 weeks) were genotyped for VDR SNPs by real-time allelic discrimination. The rehabilitation outcome was assessed using the modified Barthel Index (mBI), Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and pain numerical rating scores (NRS) at the beginning and the end of MDR treatment. A positive correlation was observed in RRMS patients between the VDR TaqI major allele (TT) and mBI increase (i.e., better functional recovery), as assessed by the linear and logistic regression analysis adjusted for gender, age, disease duration, time of hospitalization, HLA-DRB1*15.01 positivity, and number of rehabilitative interventions (Beta = 6.35; p = 0.0002). The VDR-1 TaqI, ApaI, FokI: TCC haplotype was also associated with mBI increase in RRMS patients (Beta = 3.24; p = 0.007), whereas the VDR-2: CAC haplotype was correlated with a lower mBI increase (Beta = −2.18 p = 0.04) compared with the other haplotypes. VDR TaqI major allele (TT), as well as the VDR-1 TaqI, ApaI, FokI: TCC haplotype could be associated with a better rehabilitation outcome in RRMS patients.
Evaluating the public health risks of methylmercury exposure and benefits from omega-3 fatty acids and selenium from fish consumption

approved: ______________________________________________________ Anna K. Harding Although fish are a nutritious food source, they also are the main source of methylmercury exposure in U.S. populations. This research examined the risks from methylmercury and benefits from omega-3 fatty acids and selenium from fish consumption. The first study provided the first region-specific quantitative risk/benefit analysis for nine commonly consumed freshwater fish species in the Columbia River Basin; which is home to many Native American Tribes and subsistence fishermen who consume large quantities of locally caught fish. (Donatuto and Harper 2008; Harper and Harris 2008)(Donatuto and Harper 2008; Harper and Harris 2008) My results showed that mountain whitefish and rainbow trout provided a net benefit for cardiovascular risk and improved infant visual response memory scores across all consumption rates in all subregions in which they were sampled. The second study examined the associations between region of residence, demographic characteristics and total blood mercury concentrations in a nationally representative sample of women of childbearing age, using the 1999-2010 NHANES database. Women who live in the Atlantic and Pacific coastal regions have the highest, and women in the Midwest have the lowest, methymercury concentrations in their blood. The third study analyzed intraand inter-specific variability in selenium: mercury molar ratios in ten species of freshwater fish from the Columbia River Basin to determine the potential application for fish consumption guidelines. Variability in selenium:mercury molar ratios was high within the fish species regardless of fish size. This variability within fish species warrants caution in using selenium:mercury ratios in risk assessment calculations. Overall, this research demonstrates the complexities involved in crafting guidelines that consider both the risks and benefits of fish consumption.
Wireless Time-Triggered Federated Learning with Adaptive Local Training Optimization

Traditional synchronous and asynchronous federated learning suffer from limitations, such as straggler, high communication overhead, and model staleness problems. As a generalization of the former two, time-triggered federated learning (TT-Fed) offers a new perspective to alleviate these problems and provides better trade-off between communication and training efficiencies. In this paper, we consider the dynamic aggregation frequency optimization problem under constrained system resources for TT-Fed. We analyze how the number of local training epochs affects the performance of TT-Fed and quantify the impacts of distributed data heterogeneity and model staleness heterogeneity to its convergence upper bound. Based on the derived upper bound, we propose an adaptive local training optimization algorithm to minimize the system loss under constrained resource budget. Numerical simulations show that compared to TT-Fed with fixed number of local training epochs, our proposed adaptive optimization algorithm can provide near optimal results under different degrees of non-IID data distributions.
METHODOLOGIES FOR CALIBRATION AND PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS OF A WATERSHED MODEL 1

ABSTRACT: The use of a fitted parameter watershed model to address water quantity and quality management issues requires that it be calibrated under a wide range of hydrologic conditions. However, rarely does model calibration result in a unique parameter set. Parameter nonuniqueness can lead to predictive nonuniqueness. The extent of model predictive uncertainty should be investigated if management decisions are to be based on model projections. Using models built for four neighboring watersheds in the Neuse River Basin of North Carolina, the application of the automated parameter optimization software PEST in conjunction with the Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran (HSPF) is demonstrated. Parameter nonuniqueness is illustrated, and a method is presented for calculating many different sets of parameters, all of which acceptably calibrate a watershed model. A regularization methodology is discussed in which models for similar watersheds can be calibrated simultaneously. Using this method, parameter differences between watershed models can be minimized while maintaining fit between model outputs and field observations. In recognition of the fact that parameter nonuniqueness and predictive uncertainty are inherent to the modeling process, PEST's nonlinear predictive analysis functionality is then used to explore the extent of model predictive uncertainty.
Pre-Travel Medical Preparation of Business and Occupational Travelers

Objectives: The aim of the study was to understand more about pre-travel preparations and itineraries of business and occupational travelers. Methods: De-identified data from 18 Global TravEpiNet clinics from January 2009 to December 2012 were analyzed. Results: Of 23,534 travelers, 61% were non-occupational and 39% occupational. Business travelers were more likely to be men, had short times to departure and shorter trip durations, and commonly refused influenza, meningococcal, and hepatitis B vaccines. Most business travelers indicated that employers suggested the pre-travel health consultation, whereas non-occupational travelers sought consultations because of travel health concerns. Conclusions: Sub-groups of occupational travelers have characteristic profiles, with business travelers being particularly distinct. Employers play a role in encouraging business travelers to seek pre-travel consultations. Such consultations, even if scheduled immediately before travel, can identify vaccination gaps and increase coverage.
Effect of Country Governance on Cross-Border Renewable Energy Investment and Climate Actions in Emerging Countries

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effect of country governance on climate actions, specifically climate-change mitigation and adaptation, through cross-border renewable energy investment (CB-REI). Using data from 74 emerging countries from 2008 to 2019, we find that the control of corruption, regulatory quality, citizens’ voices and accountability are the key governance pillars that attract CB-REI, which enhances climate actions. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the CB-REI channel effect is more evident in countries with higher governance quality and carbon emission levels. This study offers policy implications pertaining to governance-related obstacles for CB-REI in emerging countries and their transition toward low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.
Increased Expression of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1&agr; in Proliferating Neointimal Lesions in a Rat Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Introduction:The role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1&agr; (HIF-1&agr;) in pulmonary vascular remodeling is still undetermined. The objective of this study is to investigate the expression of HIF-1&agr; and its role in proliferating neointimal lesions in a rat model of pulmonary arterial hypertension induced by monocrotaline (MCT) administration after left pneumonectomy. Methods:The rats were subjected to MCT (60 mg/kg, subcutaneously) 7 days after left pneumonectomy or sham surgery; controls with vehicle treatment after left pneumonectomy or sham surgery were also studied. On day 35, hemodynamic parameters of the rats were measured. The right lower lobes of the lungs were fixed for morphometric analysis. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and survivin was detected with Western blot. The expressions of HIF-1&agr; and hexokinase-2 (HK-2) were detected with Western blot and immunohistochemistry assay. Results:The rats treated with MCT after pneumonectomy developed severe pulmonary arterial hypertension and marked medial thickening on day 35. The neointimal lesions in pulmonary arterioles were observed only in MCT-treated pneumonectomized rats. The severely injured pulmonary arterioles (intimal proliferation causing greater than 50% luminal occlusion) accounted for 40% of all the measured arterioles in rats treated by MCT after pneumonectomy. The intriguing finding showed that HIF-1&agr; was predominantly expressed in neointimal lesion areas, paralleled with the increased expression of HK-2 in MCT-treated pneumonectomized rats, which was not observed in rats undergoing MCT treatment alone. Conclusions:The activation of HIF-1&agr;/HK-2 axis is probably the key mediator responsible for the neointimal lesion formation in MCT-treated pneumonectomized rats.
The Role of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in the Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Setting

Microbiota changes during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has several known causes: conditioning chemotherapy and radiation, broad-spectrum antibiotic administration, modification in nutrition status and diet, and graft-versus-host disease. This article aims to review the current knowledge about the close link between microbiota and allogeneic stem cell transplantation setting. The PubMed search engine was used to perform this review. We analyzed data on microbiota dysbiosis related to the above-mentioned affecting factors. We also looked at treatments aimed at modifying gut dysbiosis and applications of fecal microbiota transplantation in the allogeneic stem cell transplant field, with particular interest in fecal microbiota transplantation for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), multidrug-resistant and clostridium difficile infections, and microbiota restoration after chemotherapy and antibiotic therapy.
Population size and breeding ecology of Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata, Dubois 1839) in Chelekleka wetland, Ethiopia

Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata) is a monomorphic African endemic dabbling duck protected by the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Water birds Agreement. This study was conducted to investigate the population size and breeding ecology of Yellow-billed Duck in Chelekleka wetland, Ethiopia from November 2020 to October 2021. Census was conducted during early morning from 6:30 - 10:00 hrs and late afternoon from 15:30 - 18:00 hrs twice per week when the birds are active. Direct observations as well as nest and egg morphometry measurements were conducted to collect data on breeding ecology of Yellow-billed Ducks. During the study period, eight active nests were identified and followed. Data were analysed using R version 4.2 software. A maximum of 315 individuals of Yellow-billed Ducks were counted, with a significantly high population size during dry season compared to wet season (Z = - 10.85, df = 63, p < 0.001). The female Yellow-billed Duck built a nest made up of herbs, defoliated leaves, dried grasses and thin twigs. The nest is circular shaped with a 26 - 32 cm in diameter and 7 - 11 cm in height. They laid eggs that are light brownish. Clutch size ranged from 5 - 8 eggs. The mean egg length, breadth and weight were 45.38 ± 1.65 mm, 39.17 ± 0.58 mm, and 45.4 ± 1.7 gm, respectively (n = 21). The average incubation period per nest was 19 ± 0.82 days (n = 4) with a high hatching success (98.1 %; n = 53). Supporting a considerable number of Yellow-billed Ducks, Chelekleka wetland is ecologically important for breeding and other related ecological requirements of the species. However, anthropogenic factors such as; burning of nesting bushes, wetland degradation, and agricultural expansions are highly threatened their survival. Therefore, sustainable conservation intervention is needed to minimize the threats on the species and its habitat.
Real‐world clinical practice of pulmonary arterial hypertension in Japan: Insights from a large administrative database

Abstract Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease that often occurs at an early age. In recent years, aggressive treatment with multiple drugs from the early‐stage diagnosis is expected to improve the prognosis. Indeed, a high rate of initial combination therapy and excellent treatment outcomes have been reported from specialized centers for PAH in Japan. However, information on PAH epidemiology, including non‐PAH specialized centers in Japan, is unclear. To address the above, we conducted a retrospective observational cohort study from April 2008 to September 2020 using real‐world evidence from a large‐scale administrative database (Medical Data Vision) to examine baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and treatment profiles of Japanese patients with PAH. Five hundred and eighteen patients with PAH (treatment‐naive PAH, age 67.2 ± 15.9) were identified through our comprehensive approach which combined PAH disease codes, medications, and diagnostic procedures. Moreover, we showed that a larger proportion of patients received monotherapy in their initial treatment (66%) compared to those receiving combination therapy (34%). During the 1‐year follow‐up after PAH diagnosis, 13% of patients increased their PAH medications while other patients either decreased their PAH medications (6%) or discontinued PAH treatment (27%). The 3‐ and 5‐year event‐free survival rates of all‐cause death were 72% and 64%, respectively. This is the first large‐scale administrative database study that provides insights into real‐world PAH management in Japan. This study highlighted a different PAH clinical landscape which included a larger portion of the elderly population, higher initial monotherapy treatment, and lower survival rates than previous studies.
Neonatal surgical mortality and morbidity at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, a tertiary university hospital in Rwanda: analysis of predicting factors

INTRODUCTION: Globally, high morbidity and mortality is associated with neonatal surgicalconditions. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the mortality in neonates withsurgical conditions at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK). METHOD: This was a prospective study from October 2019 to March 2020. Analysis of patientswas divided based on a diagnosis of gastroschisis versus non-gastroschisis conditions. Odds ratioswere calculated at a confidence interval of 95%. Factors with p-value <0.05 on bivariate analysiswere considered.RESULTS: Eighty-two neonates were enrolled. 45.1% were admitted within the first 24 hours of life,61% were males, 26.9% were preterm, and 51.2% had birth weight less than 2500g. Gastroschisis(n=43, 52.4%) was the most common diagnosis, followed by intestinal atresia (12.2%). The overallmortality rate was 57%. Mortality was more likely to occur among neonates with gastroschisiscompared to neonates with non-gastroschisis surgical conditions (76.7% vs 35.9%, OR=5.893,p<0.001). Among neonates with gastroschisis, factors associated with mortality were the failureof initiation of enteral feeding (100%, p=0.002) and sepsis (82.5%, p=0.001). Among neonates with non-gastroschisis surgical conditions, factors associated with mortalitywere prematurity (87.5%, OR:24, p=0.001), low birth weight (72.7% vs 21.4%, p=0.003), initiationof enteral feeding at more than 48 hours (33.3% vs 25.8%, p=0.006), sepsis (64.7% vs 13.6%,OR:11.61, p<0.001), and need of mechanical ventilation (63.6% vs 25%, OR:5.25, p=0.024,). CONCLUSION: Neonatal surgical mortality is still a burden and has many predicting factors.Improvement and advocacy are needed to reduce neonatal mortality.
COHERENT STRUCTURES IN THE TRANSITION OF COMPRESSIBLE PLANAR WAKES

Temporally evolving direct numerical simulations of transitioning plane wakes are conducted to study the influence of compressibility on the developed structures in the flow. Four cases are investigated with free stream Mach numbers of 0.3, 0.8 1.2 and 2.0. The growth rate of the inviscid linear stability approximation collapses the turbulence s tati tics in the linear region of the flow for the low compressible cases. At higher Mach, the scaling does not provide as good of an agreement. The investigation of the preferential wave lengths reveals an increased three-dimensionality with Ma ch number, a result that is supported by experimental observations but contradicts the linear stability results. We attr ibute the increased three-dimensionality to the receptivity of t he wake to the symmetric (varicose) mode. The varicose mode is two-dimensional at low Mach number but becomes oblique in the supersonic regime. In opposition to the mixing layer, the high-speed wake undergoes a spreading rate increase wit h increased Mach number during transition, despite a reduced linear growth rate. As the principal instability wavelengt h increases with compressibility, the developed rollers are la rger with a higher circulation. The pairing of these structures r sults in a stronger cross wake momentum transfer and consequently, an increased lateral spreading. In addition, th e instantaneous visualization of the braided structures revea ls an increased streamwise alignment with increasing compressi bility.
Maternal Dietary Protein Patterns and Neonatal Anthropometrics: A Prospective Study with Insights from NMR Metabolomics in Amniotic Fluid

This study aimed to characterize dietary protein patterns (DPPs) in a sample pool of 298 well-nourished pregnant women and explore potential associations between DPPs and neonatal anthropometrics. Maternal dietary data were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Neonatal anthropometrics were abstracted from health booklets. A hierarchical cluster analysis identified three DPPs: “Dairy-focused”, “Med-fusion”, and “Traditional-inspired”. The “Dairy-focused” DPP exhibited the highest protein intake (p < 0.001), predominantly animal protein (p < 0.001), while the “Traditional-inspired” DPP presented higher plant protein (p < 0.001) and fiber intakes (p < 0.001), and, therefore, a reduced carbohydrate-to-fiber quotient (p < 0.001). The “Med-fusion” DPP had the lowest protein-to-fat ratio (p < 0.001). Infants of women following the “Dairy-focused” DPP had the highest birth height centiles (p = 0.007) and the lowest ponderal index (p = 0.003). The NMR-metabolomics approach was implemented on a subset of women that provided amniotic fluid (AF) specimens (n = 62) to elucidate distinct metabolic signatures associated with DPPs. PCA and OPLS-DA models verified the adherence to three DPPs, revealing that the levels of several amino acids (AAs) were the highest in “Dairy-focused”, reflecting its protein-rich nature. The “Traditional-inspired” DPP showed decreased AAs and glucose levels. This knowledge may contribute to optimizing maternal dietary recommendations. Further research is needed to validate these findings and better understand the relationships between maternal diet, AF metabolic signature, and neonatal anthropometrics.
Morphologic examination of the stability of Pass Cavallo, Texas

Abstract : The study concerns the cross-sectional area stability of Pass Cavallo, a natural coastal inlet located in the southwest corner of Matagorda Bay, Texas. The width of Pass Cavallo has decreased since opening of the Matagorda Ship Channel (MSC) entrance to Matagorda Bay in 1966. The process of narrowing began after separation of Matagorda Bay into East Matagorda Bay and the present Matagorda Bay by formation of the Colorado River delta during 1929 1935. The deep-draft MSC enters the bay 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the north of Pass Cavallo and is a more efficient tidal channel by joining with a deeper and more central portion of the bay. Tidal inlets are maintained in a dynamic equilibrium through a balance of coastal and inlet processes. Conceptually, longshore transport of sediment by waves and the wave-induced current tends to fill an inlet, whereas the ebb-tide and flood-tide currents through the inlet scour its channel. The most reliable approach for examining inlet stability, and that taken here, is based upon accepted empirical predictive relations, supported by measurements made at Pass Cavallo. Collapse of a portion of the ebb-tidal shoal at Pass Cavallo after construction of the MSC entrance is posited as being responsible for much of the reduction in cross-sectional channel area of Pass Cavallo. Since the mid-1990s, the width of Pass Cavallo has been stable, suggesting the sediment load to the inlet from collapse of its ebb shoal has declined. Subject to the uncertainties that enter all coastal sediment processes studies, it is concluded that Pass Cavallo will remain open at its present dynamic cross-sectional channel area or undergo a moderate increase in channel area.
(A)dS4 in Bondi gauge

We obtain the general asymptotic solutions of Einstein gravity with or without cosmological constant in Bondi gauge. The Bondi gauge was originally introduced in the context of gravitational radiation in asymptotically flat gravity. In the original work, initial conditions were prescribed at a null hypersurface and the Einstein equations were shown to take a nested form, which may be used to explicitly integrate them asymptotically. We streamline the derivation of the general asymptotic solution in the asymptotically flat case, and derive the most general asymptotic solutions for the case of non-zero cosmological constant of either sign (asymptotically locally AdS and dS solutions). With non-zero cosmological constant, we present integration schemes which rely on either prescribing data on the conformal boundary or on a null hypersurface and part of the conformal boundary. We explicitly work out the transformation to Fefferman–Graham gauge and identity how to extract the holographic data directly in Bondi coordinates. We illustrate the discussion with a number of examples and show that for asymptotically AdS4 spacetimes the Bondi mass is constant.