Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting patient-acceptable symptom states and treatment decision in familial Mediterranean fever

Background/aim Familial Mediterranean fever [FMF] is the most common autoinflammatory disease characterized by inflammatory attacks of fever and polyserositis. Patients’ quality of life is significantly affected due to recurrent excruciating pain attacks and complications. This study is performed to evaluate the parameters most affecting patients’ satisfaction from treatment. Materials and methods Three hundred and forty-six consecutive patients diagnosed with FMF were enrolled in this study. Current treatment, acute phase proteins, number, type, and severity of predominant attacks, absenteeism from work/school in the last three months were recorded, and the participants were asked whether they needed additional treatment to evaluate Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) status. Results Mean age of the overall group was 38.2 ± 11.7 years (62.4% female, 37.6% male). Two hundred and twenty-seven patients were treated with colchicine, 97 patients with colchicine plus Interleukin-1 (IL-1) antagonist, and 22 only with IL-1 antagonist (67.1%, 26.3%, 6.64% in order). Of the overall group, 33.8% (n = 117) believed to need additional treatment options. Additional treatment need of patients was significantly affected by work impairment due to attacks, absent days from work, disease activity, the discomfort of patients during attacks, the number of attacks, and treatment options; but not by the level of acute-phase proteins between attacks. Conclusion PASS score is significantly related to clinical parameters and quality of life. Patients’ PASS scores and treatment choices are notably affected by the severity and frequency of attacks and absenteeism from work/school. Clinical activity and quality of life should be evaluated at every visit to provide patients’ satisfaction with treatment.
Increased muscle activity during sleep and more RBD symptoms in H1N1-(Pandemrix)-vaccinated narcolepsy type 1 patients compared with their non-narcoleptic siblings

Abstract Study Objectives Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is characterized by unstable sleep-wake and muscle tonus regulation during sleep. We characterized dream enactment and muscle activity during sleep in a cohort of post-H1N1 NT1 patients and their siblings, and analyzed whether clinical phenotypic characteristics and major risk factors are associated with increased muscle activity. Methods RBD symptoms and polysomnography m. tibialis anterior electromyographical signals [long (0.5–15 s); short (0.1–0.49 s)] were compared between 114 post-H1N1 NT1 patients and 89 non-narcoleptic siblings. Association sub-analyses with RBD symptoms, narcoleptic symptoms, CSF hypocretin-1 levels, and major risk factors [H1N1-(Pandemrix)-vaccination, HLA-DQB1*06:02-positivity] were performed. Results RBD symptoms, REM and NREM long muscle activity indices and REM short muscle activity index were significantly higher in NT1 patients than siblings (all p < 0.001). Patients with undetectable CSF hypocretin-1 levels (<40 pg/ml) had significantly more NREM periodic long muscle activity than patients with low but detectable levels (40–150 pg/ml) (p = 0.047). In siblings, REM and NREM sleep muscle activity indices were not associated with RBD symptoms, other narcolepsy symptoms, or HLA-DQB1*06:02-positivity. H1N1-(Pandemrix)-vaccination status did not predict muscle activity indices in patients or siblings. Conclusion Increased REM and NREM muscle activity and more RBD symptoms is characteristic of NT1, and muscle activity severity is predicted by hypocretin deficiency severity but not by H1N1-(Pandemrix)-vaccination status. In the patients’ non-narcoleptic siblings, neither RBD symptoms, core narcoleptic symptoms, nor the major NT1 risk factors is associated with muscle activity during sleep, hence not indicative of a phenotypic continuum.
Proof of Concept of the Radiosensitizing Effect of Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles in Cell Spheroids and a Tumor-Implanted Murine Model of Chondrosarcoma

Purpose Chondrosarcomas (CHSs), which represent 20% of primary bone tumors in adults, are mostly resistant to radio- and chemotherapy. It is therefore essential that new therapeutic approaches, targeted to the tumour, be developed to improve the prognosis of patients. The effectiveness, as a radiosensitizing agent, of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (GdoNP, AGuIX®) nanoparticles in CHS was evaluated in vitro, in spheroid CHS models allowing to reproduce cell-cell extracellular matrix interactions, and, in vivo, in a nude mouse model with heterotopic tumour xenograft. Methods Spheroids from SW1353 and HEMC-SS cells were characterized by confocal microscopy with or without GdoNP treatment. Real-time microscopy enabled quantification of cell viability, cell migration and invasion. In vivo, the efficacy of the association of GdoNP combined with a single (4Gy) or fractionated (4x1Gy) irradiation was evaluated in HEMC-SS tumor-bearing mice by monitoring tumor growth, mouse survival and gene expression profile. Results The expression of proteoglycans in the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) of spheroids demonstrated the relevance of the 3-D model. The combination of GdoNP with single or fractionated irradiation increased the lethal effects of irradiation on 2-D- and 3-D-cultured cells. In vivo, a single or a fractionated dose of 4 Gy associated with IT or IV injection of GdoNP decreased tumor growth significantly. Only IT injection increased mice survival. Unexpectedly, the radiosensitizing effect of GdoNP was associated, in vitro, with a significant decrease in invasion-migration capacities and, in vivo, with the decreased expression of PTX3, a protein involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process, suggesting a potential impact of GdoNP on metastasis formation. Conclusion These results provide the first proof of concept of the radiosensitizing effect of GdoNP in CHSs and opened the way for a multicentre, randomized Phase 2 trial evaluating the association of GdoNP with radiotherapy for the therapeutic management of patients with symptomatic inoperable musculoskeletal tumor lesions.
The Impact of Household Appliances and Devices: Consider Their Reactive Power and Power Factors

In recent years, there has been a noticeable change in the flow of reactive power in power network systems around the world. A part of this change could be due to residential household appliances, particularly with the increasing use of LEDs and battery-powered devices with switch-mode power supplies. This study investigates the power characteristics of 56 modern appliances and devices. The results indicate a major change in the electrical behavior across these household appliances and devices. In particular, LED technology and switch mode power supplies are likely to increase household reactive power injection, which will increase as penetration of these products grows, particularly with government programs often incentivizing their uptake. A variety of avenues are available to address these issues, including governments requiring appliance manufacturers to display the power factor of their appliances or device. In time, appliance manufacturers may develop new products that have built-in power factor correction. Overall, the findings highlight how efforts to be sustainable with energy use may have unintended consequences on other parts of the electrical system that need to be considered for the sustainability of the system as a whole.
Evaluating the species distribution patterns of the genus Saurauia Willd. in the Philippines using geospatial analysis

Understanding the species distribution patterns of endemic and threatened species is very useful for conservation planning and actions. However, research on the distribution of many important and often overlooked species in the country, such as the Saurauia, is extremely limited. This paper provided an overview of the distribution patterns of Saurauia species across the Philippine archipelago based solely on the existing digital checklist of vascular plants. Specifically, the study produced distribution maps of the 56 endemic Saurauia species and determined their climatic distribution ranges. The methods involved geospatial and geoprocessing analysis in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. The findings showed that 29 Saurauia species are currently distributed in a single province, whereas seven (7) species have only been recorded in a certain region. Furthermore, 35 species was found to have a single type of climate. The Saurauia species identified in this paper that have only a single provincial or regional distribution record and are restricted to a single type of climate are recommended for conservation because they are mostly likely to be affected by environmental and climatic changes. Finally, the information and data derived in this paper could serve as a baseline for assessing conservation status, habitat modelling studies, species-level conservation planning, and understanding climate change impacts.
Study on Stability for Interconnected Uncertain Fractional-Order Systems Based on Vector-Bounded Technique

This brief studies with problem of stability for interconnected uncertain fractional-order systems (IUFSs). Consider time-varying norm-bounded uncertainties, model for the IUFS is built. On the basis of fractional calculus theory, new order-dependent stability criteria are obtained by vector-bounded technique of trivial solutions. Finally, validity of criteria is verified by a few examples. In comparison with existing works, the derived results are more general and extendable. In addition, related results can be applied to some practical systems, such as interconnected power systems and brushless DC motors (BLDCM) system. Two examples are given for illustration.
Towards the Laboratory Maintenance of Haemagogus janthinomys (Dyar, 1921), the Major Neotropical Vector of Sylvatic Yellow Fever

Haemagogus (Haemagogus) janthinomys (Dyar, 1921), the major neotropical vector of sylvatic yellow fever virus, is notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity. It has never been reared beyond an F1 generation, and almost no experimental transmission studies have been performed with this species since the 1940s. Herein we describe installment hatching, artificial blood feeding, and forced-mating techniques that enabled us to produce small numbers of F3 generation Hg. janthinomys eggs for the first time. A total of 62.8% (1562/2486) F1 generation eggs hatched during ≤10 four-day cycles of immersion in a bamboo leaf infusion followed by partial drying. Hatching decreased to 20.1% (190/944) in the F2 generation for eggs laid by mosquitoes copulated by forced mating. More than 85% (79/92) female F2 mosquitoes fed on an artificial blood feeding system. While we were unable to maintain a laboratory colony of Hg. janthinomys past the F3 generation, our methods provide a foundation for experimental transmission studies with this species in a laboratory setting, a critical capacity in a region with hyper-endemic transmission of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, all posing a risk of spillback into a sylvatic cycle.
Dynamics and rheology of elastic particles in an extensional flow

Abstract We investigate the dynamics and rheology of elastic particles in a viscous extensional flow under Stokes flow conditions by means of the large deformation method developed by Gao, Hu & Ponte Castañeda (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 687, 2011, pp. 209–237). The particles are assumed to be homogeneous, incompressible and neo-Hookean solids. When subjected to extensional flow, an initially ellipsoidal (elliptical) elastic particle stretches and rotates simultaneously, tending to deform into a stable ellipsoidal shape with the initial major axis aligned with the extension direction. However, the steady-state solutions may not exist when the particle stiffness is lower than a certain critical value. By using the solution of a single particle, the macroscopic rheological properties are evaluated for a dilute suspension of elastic particles under extension. Similar to some polymer blends, softer particles lead to a larger extensional viscosity for the suspension.
An inverse problem for the strongly damped wave equation with memory

We consider the identification problem which consists of determining simultaneously the function u and the convolution kernel h in the strongly damped wave equation with memory given suitable initial boundary conditions and additional measurements of u represented by where Ω is an open bounded set in and f, G, ϕ and g are given functions. We prove a global-in-time existence and unique result in the case where f(u, ∇u) has a suitable regularity and sublinear growth using a technique recently developed for parabolic equations. In the case that we assume only regularity conditions on f(u, ∇u), but we do not give any growth condition, we are able to prove a local-in-time existence theorem and a global-in-time uniqueness result.
Evaluation of Dhaincha Genotypes Based on Seedling Biomass Yield

To improve the fertility of the soil, several green manure crops are being cultivated. Dhaincha, is an ideal green manure crop used for the improvement of soil fertility and it also reclaims problematic soils. To screen out the Dhaincha genotypes based on the seedling biomass, a pot culture experiment was carried out at the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli, with four different genotypes namely Vellore local, Villupuram local, Sivagangai local and Pant dhaincha. Root length, shoot length, fresh and dry weight of root & shoot, base diameter, and biomass per plant were recorded at ten day of intervals till sixty days after sowing. All the parameters showed significant variation and increased steadily every ten days after sowing. Sivagangai local recorded the highest growth parameters than the other genotypes. The highest biomass yield was observed in Villupuram local (0.029 g/plant) at 10 DAS, indicating that it produces more biomass during the early stages of growth. At 60 DAS, Vellore local recorded a high total biomass yield (2.3 g/plant), followed by Villupuram local (1.2 g/plant), Sivagangai local (1.08 g/ plant), and Pant dhaincha (0.9 g/ plant). Based on the growth parameters and High biomass yield per plant Sivagangai local and Vellore local can be selected for further crossing programmes.
Examining the representation of locally threatened species in North American zoos

A perceived dissonance exists between the stated conservation mission of modern zoos and the composition of species in their care. A bias toward charismatic taxa over threatened ones has been demonstrated in several studies. However, these prior examinations have principally relied on species threat status derived from global lists, and threat status reported for species on national and subnational lists often differ from global assessments. It has been suggested that some globally non‐threatened species maintained in zoos might fulfill local conservation priorities. In this study, we compare local threat status and zoo population size for native bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species in North American zoos to assess the representation of locally threatened taxa. We found that native locally threatened species were kept in North American zoos slightly less than would be expected by chance; however, of the species that were represented in zoos, those that were threatened in more of the subnational regions where they occurred averaged larger populations within zoos. This suggests that the direct contribution from zoo animals to the conservation of locally threatened species is relatively limited with respect to taxonomic coverage, but this contribution may be underestimated by strictly counting the threatened species kept in zoos.
The Association of Corticosteroids and Pediatric Sepsis Biomarker Risk Model (PERSEVERE)-II Biomarker Risk Stratification With Mortality in Pediatric Septic Shock*

OBJECTIVES: Mortality risk stratification may identify a subset of children who benefit from or are harmed by corticosteroid administration. The Pediatric Sepsis Biomarker Risk Model (PERSEVERE)-II score is a biomarker-based mortality risk stratification tool for pediatric sepsis. Our objective was to assess the association of corticosteroid administration with 28-day mortality within different levels of baseline mortality risk (PERSEVERE-II) in a cohort of children with septic shock. DESIGN: We performed a secondary analysis using prospectively collected data (January 2015 to December 2018). SETTING: PICUs in 13 tertiary care, academic centers in the United States. PATIENTS: Children with septic shock. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We assessed the association of corticosteroid administration within PERSEVERE-II risk score categories and 28-day mortality, ICU-free days, and maximum failed organs in children with septic shock. We analyzed a total of 461 patients (215 with corticosteroids exposure, 246 without corticosteroid exposure) with an average age of 7.1 years (interquartile range, 2.2–13.6 yr). In the subgroup of patients with a high PERSEVERE-II score, corticosteroid administration was associated with an increased adjusted risk of 28-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] 4.10 [95% CI 1.70–9.86]; p = 0.002), but not in the low risk group (OR 0.20 [95% CI 0.02–1.73]; p = 0.15). A significant interaction between PERSEVERE-II score and corticosteroids was seen for both secondary outcomes complicated course (p = 0.01) and maximum failed organs (p < 0.001). Corticosteroid exposure was associated with fewer ICU-free days (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In our multicenter observational study, corticosteroid administration was associated with increased mortality in a subgroup of children with a high PERSEVERE-II risk score.
Synthesis of unequally spaced arrays using dynamic programming

The application of dynamic programming to the synthesis of unequally spaced symmetrical antenna arrays is further investigated. The design criterion is to obtain a combination of elements, in a quantized aperture which has the lowest value of the peak sidelobe level over a specified angular interval. A 25- element array in an aperture length of 50\lambda is synthesized, and it is shown that the designs obtained are considerably superior to those obtained by other investigators using different techniques.
Generalized Ray Theory for an Inhomogeneous Medium

Summary The impulse response of a plane layered medium can be studied by the generalized ray method, often called the Cagniard-de Hoop method. The response of an inhomogeneous medium can be simulated by approximating the model by many thin homogeneous layers. This method is extended to allow the response of an inhomogeneous medium to be obtained directly. The technique can be adapted for a spherical stratified model using the Earth flattening transformation. It is shown that the seismogram of first order reflections is not exact even for the first motion. The result for the response of an inhomogeneous medium is sufficiently simple that the effect of model perturbations can be derived directly.
Nonlinear acoustic waves in nonthermal dusty or pair plasmas

Using a Sagdeev pseudopotential formalism where nonlinear structures are stationary in a comoving frame, large dust-acoustic solitary waves and double layers have been studied in plasmas with negative cold dust or heavier ions, in the presence of nonthermal electrons and protons/positrons. The existence domain of negative solitary waves is limited by infinite compression of the negative dust or heavy ion species, that of positive solitary waves by the occurrence of positive double layers. These double layers require a sufficient degree of nonthermality of the hot species. There are parameter ranges where both negative and positive solitary structures can occur; sometimes both of the solitary wave type or sometimes one solitary wave and the other a double layer. Great emphasis is placed on the determination of the existence domains in compositional parameter space, with the help of strong analytical results, before typical Sagdeev pseudopotentials and solitary wave profiles are presented. Subject to simple adjustments, these results apply equally to a conjugate plasma model of positive dust or heavy ions, together with nonthermal electrons and protons/positrons.
Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers

Climate change is affecting the distribution of species and subsequent biotic interactions, including hybridization potential. The imperiled Golden‐winged Warbler (GWWA) competes and hybridizes with the Blue‐winged Warbler (BWWA), which may threaten the persistence of GWWA due to introgression. We examined how climate change is likely to alter the breeding distributions and potential for hybridization between GWWA and BWWA.
Nonlinear model identification and statistical verification using experimental data with a case study of the UR5 manipulator joint parameters

Abstract The identification of nonlinear terms existing in the dynamic model of real-world mechanical systems such as robotic manipulators is a challenging modeling problem. The main aim of this research is not only to identify the unknown parameters of the nonlinear terms but also to verify their existence in the model. Generally, if the structure of the model is provided, the parameters of the nonlinear terms can be identified using different numerical approaches or evolutionary algorithms. However, finding a non-zero coefficient does not guarantee the existence of the nonlinear term or vice versa. Therefore, in this study, a meticulous investigation and statistical verification are carried out to ensure the reliability of the identification process. First, the simulation data are generated using the white-box model of a direct current motor that includes some of the nonlinear terms. Second, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to identify the unknown parameters of the model among many possible configurations. Then, to evaluate the results of the algorithm, statistical hypothesis and confidence interval tests are implemented. Finally, the reliability of the PSO algorithm is investigated using experimental data acquired from the UR5 manipulator. To compare the results of the PSO algorithm, the nonlinear least squares errors (NLSE) estimation algorithm is applied to identify the unknown parameters of the nonlinear models. The result shows that the PSO algorithm has higher identification accuracy than the NLSE estimation algorithm, and the model with identified parameters using the PSO algorithm accurately calculates the output torques of the joints of the manipulator.
Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation–Induced Local Field Potential Changes in Dystonia

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation is an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease and induced local field potential (LFP) changes that have been linked with clinical improvement. STN stimulation has also been used in dystonia although the internal globus pallidus is the standard target where theta power has been suggested as a physiomarker for adaptive stimulation.