Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Association Study of Lithium-Induced Dry Mouth in Bipolar I Disorder

Dry mouth is a rather common unpleasant adverse drug reaction (ADR) to lithium treatment in bipolar disorders that often lead to poor adherence or early dropout. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic variants of dry mouth associated with lithium treatment in patients with bipolar I (BPI) disorder. In total, 1242 BPI patients who had ever received lithium treatment were identified by the Taiwan Bipolar Consortium for this study. The proportions of patients who experienced impaired drug compliance during lithium medication were comparable between those only with dry mouth and those with any other ADR (86% and 93%, respectively). Dry mouth appeared to be the most prevalent (47.3%) ADR induced by lithium treatment. From the study patients, 921 were included in a genome-wide association study (GWAS), and replication was conducted in the remaining 321 patients. The SNP rs10135918, located in the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IGH), showed the strongest associations in the GWAS (p = 2.12 × 10−37) and replication groups (p = 6.36 × 10−13) (dominant model) for dry mouth with a sensitivity of 84.9% in predicting dry mouth induced by lithium. Our results may be translated into clinical recommendation to help identify at-risk individuals for early identification and management of dry mouth, which will improve medication adherence.
Aircraft Interior Comfort and Design

This book focuses on interior comfort in aircraft. It is based on 10,032 passenger trip reports gathered in 2009. Factors found to have the largest impact on comfort include: leg room, hygiene, crew, and seat design. An overview of previous studies done on passenger comfort and suggestions for ideal seat design are also included.
Determinants of Financial Performance of Insurance Companies: Empirical Evidence Using Kenyan Data

The drivers of financial success of the insurance industry are of interest to several players in any economy including the government; policymakers; policyholders; and investors. In Kenya; there have been relatively few studies on this topic; most of which look at narrow elements that determine insurance companies’ performance. This article sought to explore the components contributing to the financial performance of insurance firms. We employed a sample consisting of 37 general insurers and 16 life insurers for the period running from 2009 to 2018 and utilised panel data methods in order to establish the determinants of financial performance of Kenyan insurers. The pooled OLS; fixed effects and random effects models were estimated with the financial performance measures (proxied by either ROA or ROE) as the dependent variables. The results of the study documented that insurer financial performance and size were positively related. The study also found that insurer financial performance was negatively related to the age variable. The study also unraveled that higher leveraged insurance companies performed better than their lowly geared peers. This article provides broad analyses of the various drivers of financial performance of the insurance industry in Kenya. The findings of this study contribute to the academic literature on the financial performance of the insurance sector in Kenya and Africa as a whole. Furthermore; it gives pointers to the management of insurance companies on the aspects of their business that would need greater attention to drive and sustain superior financial performance.
Investigating the use of multimeters to measure quantized Hall resistance standards

A new generation of digital multimeters was used to compare the ratios of the resistances of wire-wound reference resistors and quantized Hall resistances (QHRs). Specifically, a digital multimeter was used to compare the DC voltage ratio of a QHR sample with that of a reference resistor connected in series with the sample. The accuracies are better than 0.1 p.p.m. for ratios as large as 4:1 if the multimeters are calibrated with a Josephson array. <<ETX>>
Window Use in Mixed-Mode Buildings: A Literature Review

Designs for low-energy office buildings increasingly incorporate operable windows for the benefits of personal control, environmental quality, and architectural value. However, integrating operable windows with mechanical systems to achieve their full benefits is an unresolved energy challenge. If operable windows are left up to the control of the occupants, designers run the risk of putting unpredictable or unnecessary loads on the HVAC system, causing air pressure balancing issues, or causing unreliable or unwanted air change rates. However, if windows are automated for natural ventilation, the building design loses the comfort benefits, amenity, appeal and robustness of manually-controlled windows. New buildings with operable windows situate themselves in an ongoing debate about the efficiency benefits of manual versus automatic building control. The decision to use manually-operated windows rests on assumptions about their value and a faith in the idea that occupants will actively participate in maintaining indoor environmental quality (compared to a conventional, sealed office environment). Concurrent with this debate, there has been growing interest in occupant behavior as the new low- hanging fruit for improving a building’s energy performance and closing the gap between predicted and actual performance. Emerging research that is relevant to these topics includes studies that better characterize and model behavior, as well as those that look at the impact of information systems and feedback on energy-using behaviors. However, these research questions are seldom considered together. This literature review draws together a number of topics that contribute to our understanding of building-occupant control interactions in mixed-mode buildings, beginning with the known (and as- yet unresolved) benefits and limits of operable windows when combined with mechanical cooling.
Inclusion of the Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus Pentameric Complex in a Live Virus Vaccine Aids Efficacy against Congenital Infection but Is Not Essential for Improving Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

The development of a vaccine against congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is a major priority. The pentameric complex (PC) of virion envelope proteins gH, gL, UL128, UL130, and UL131A is a key vaccine target. To determine the importance of immunity to the homologous PC encoded by guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV) in preventing congenital CMV, PC-intact and PC-deficient live-attenuated vaccines were generated and directly compared for immunogenicity and efficacy against vertical transmission in a vertical transmission model. A virulent PC-intact GPCMV (PC/intact) was modified by galK mutagenesis either to abrogate PC expression (PC/null; containing a frame-shift mutation in GP129, homolog of UL128) or to delete genes encoding three MHC Class I homologs and a protein kinase R (PKR) evasin while retaining the PC (3DX/Δ145). Attenuated vaccines were compared to sham immunization in a two-dose preconception subcutaneous inoculation regimen in GPCMV seronegative Hartley guinea pigs. Vaccines induced transient, low-grade viremia in 5/12 PC/intact-, 2/12 PC/null-, and 1/11 3DX/Δ145-vaccinated animals. Upon completion of the two-dose vaccine series, ELISA titers for the PC/intact group (geometic mean titer (GMT) 13,669) were not significantly different from PC/null (GMT 8127) but were significantly higher than for the 3DX/Δ145 group (GMT 6185; p < 0.01). Dams were challenged with salivary gland-adapted GPCMV in the second trimester. All vaccines conferred protection against maternal viremia. Newborn weights were significantly lower in sham-immunized controls (84.5 ± 2.4 g) compared to PC/intact (96 ± 2.3 g), PC/null (97.6 ± 1.9 g), or 3DX/Δ145 (93 ± 1.7) pups (p < 0.01). Pup mortality in sham-immunized controls was 29/40 (73%) and decreased to 1/44 (2.3%), 2/46 (4.3%), or 4/40 (10%) in PC/intact, PC/null, or 3DX/Δ145 groups, respectively (all p < 0.001 compared to control). Congenital GPCMV transmission occurred in 5/44 (11%), 16/46 (35%), or 29/38 (76%) of pups in PC/intact, PC/null, or 3DX/Δ145 groups, versus 36/40 (90%) in controls. For infected pups, viral loads were lower in pups born to vaccinated dams compared to controls. Sequence analysis demonstrated that infected pups in the vaccine groups had salivary gland-adapted GPCMV and not vaccine strain-specific sequences, indicating that congenital transmission was due to the challenge virus and not vaccine virus. We conclude that inclusion of the PC in a live, attenuated preconception vaccine improves immunogenicity and reduces vertical transmission, but PC-null vaccines are equal to PC-intact vaccines in reducing maternal viremia and protecting against GPCMV-related pup mortality.
Mask performance improvement with mapping

Current high end chips require an extremely precise fabrication of lithographic masks. Some of the most critical parameters are the placement of structures on the masks as well as their dimensional tolerances. Improving these two key parameters has always been one of the central objectives of the Advanced Mask Technology Center (AMTC). To this end, the AMTC has complemented its process development by a set of enhancement schemes which are used to compensate residual process signatures. In this paper, improvements achieved in the area of CD uniformity (CDU) and pattern placement are shown. The correction schemes take first principle considerations as well as empirical findings into account. Based on this, a set of design and process parameters is used to determine the spatial corrections which will optimize mask quality parameters. This enables the AMTC to tailor the writing parameters to the needs of each mask design. Latest results for the 32nm technology show that values as low as 5nm image placement error and 3nm CDU can be reached at the same time.
Little Support for Discrete Item Limits in Visual Working Memory

Some theorists argue that working memory is limited to a discrete number of items and that additional items are not encoded at all. Adam et al. (2017) presented evidence supporting this hypothesis: Participants reproduced visual features of up to six items in a self-chosen order. After the third or fourth response, error distributions were indistinguishable from guessing. I present four experiments with young adults (each N = 24) reexamining this finding. Experiment 1 presented items slowly and sequentially. Experiment 2 presented them simultaneously but longer than in the experiments of Adam et al. Experiments 3 and 4 exactly replicated one original experiment of Adam et al. All four experiments failed to replicate the evidence for guessing-like error distributions. Modeling data from individuals revealed a mixture of some who do and others who do not produce guessing-like distributions. This heterogeneity increases the credibility of an alternative to the item-limit hypothesis: Some individuals decide to guess on hard trials even when they have weak information in memory.
Refining a primary care shared decision-making aid for lifestyle change: a mixed-methods study

Background The important role of primary care in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours needs informed support. Aim To elicit views on a 39-item shared decision-making (SDM) aid (SHARE-D) for lifestyle change and refine it to improve implementation. Design & setting Mixed-methods study. Method Health professionals, patients, and support workers, with experience of managing or a history of cardio- or cerebrovascular disease, were purposively recruited based on age, sex, and urban/rural location (n = 34). Participants completed a survey, rating the importance of including each item in a decision-aid, designed for use by patients with health professionals, and suggesting modifications. Semi-structured interviews (n = 30/34) were conducted and analysed thematically. Results Substantial agreement was observed on rating item inclusion. Based on survey and interview data, 9/39 items were removed; 13 were amended. Qualitative themes were: 1) core content of the decision-aid; 2) barriers to use; 3) motivation for lifestyle change; and 4) primary care implementation. ‘Self-reflective’ questions and goal setting were viewed as essential components. The paper-based format, length, clarity, and time required were barriers to its use. Optional support considered within the aid was seen as important to motivate change. A digital version, integrated into patient record systems was regarded as critical to implementation. A revised 30-item aid was considered suitable for facilitating brief conversations and promoting patient autonomy. Conclusion The SHARE-D decision aid for healthy lifestyle change appears to have good content validity and acceptability. Survey and interview data provided in-depth information to support implementation of a refined version. Further studies should examine its effectiveness.
Empirical Analysis of Decision-Making and Tour Formation Process

The decision-making processes behind activity–travel planning and tour formation are still insufficiently understood. This lack of understanding is especially true in regard to seniors, the fastest growing age group in the United States. To understand these processes, activity–travel planning data collected in the Urban Travel Route and Activity Choice Survey for Chicago, Illinois, were analyzed. In this analysis, the activity planning behavior exhibited by respondents 65 years of age and older was compared with that of respondents younger than 65. The planning horizons and flexibilities of activity–travel attributes as well as the motivations for planning decisions were analyzed. Results revealed that elderly people tended to make fewer routine and more preplanned decisions, whereas younger people made more routine or impulsive decisions. People were highly inflexible in regard to activity location choice, but they were much more flexible when making timing decisions. An analysis of tour formation revealed that advanced age played a role in trip chaining behavior and that differences between younger and older people were observed in temporal distribution of tours, the activity planning horizon, and multistop-tour mode choice. These results re important because of the general unavailability of such decision-making process data.
Mapping consistent, reproducible, and transcriptionally relevant functional connectome hubs of the human brain

Human brain connectomes include sets of densely connected regions, known as connectome hubs, which play a vital role in understanding global brain communication, cognitive processing, and brain disorders. However, the consistency and reproducibility of functional connectome hubs’ anatomical localization have not been established to date and the genetic signatures underlying robust connectome hubs remain unknown. Here, we conduct the first worldwide, harmonized meta-connectomic analysis by pooling resting-state functional MRI data of 5,212 healthy young adults across 61 independent cohorts. We identify highly consistent and reproducible functional connectome hubs in heteromodal and unimodal regions both across cohorts and across individuals. These connectome hubs show heterogeneous connectivity profiles and are critical for both intra- and inter-network communications. Using post-mortem gene expression data, we show that these connectome hubs have a spatiotemporally distinctive transcriptomic pattern dominated by genes involved in the neuropeptide signaling pathway, neurodevelopmental processes, and metabolic processes. These results highlight the robustness of macroscopic connectome hubs and their potential cellular and molecular underpinnings.
Influence of a Honeycomb Facing on the Flow Through a Stepped Labyrinth Seal

This paper reports numerical predictions and measurements of the flow field in a stepped labyrinth seal. The theoretical work and the experimental investigations were successfully combined to gain a comprehensive understanding of the flow patterns existing in such elements. In order to identify the influence of the honeycomb structure, a smooth stator as well as a seal configuration with a honeycomb facing mounted on the stator wall were investigated. The seal geometry is representative of typical three-step labyrinth seals of modern aero engines. The flow field was predicted using a commercial finite volume code with the standard k-e turbulence model. The computational grid includes the basic seal geometry as well as the three-dimensional honeycomb structures.
Pharmaceutical properties of sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Toward an ideal treatment for Hypertension

High blood pressure is the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease and should be controlled primarily by changes in lifestyle, such as regular exercise, a low-salt diet, and weight loss in overweight or obesity. If lifestyle changes are not enough, many types of medications can be used to control high blood pressure; however, side effects constitute one of the most critical limitations of conventional medicines associated with high blood pressure. For this reason, the use of traditional and herbal medicines has been welcomed by the public for many years. Sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is one of the most suitable herbal medicines for hypertension. According to research results, sour tea has the same effect as conventional medicines without serious side effects. The present study introduces sour tea as a suitable herbal medicine for high blood pressure to provide readers of this article with a comprehensive understanding of the medicinal properties of sour tea for the treatment of hypertension and its effects on several other common diseases, including cancer.
Bonding properties of third-generation zirconia CAD-CAM blocks for monolithic restorations to composite and resin-modified glass-ionomer cements.

PURPOSE To compare the interfacial fracture toughness (IFT) of two MDP-based composite cements and a resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC) with third-generation zirconia CAD-CAM restorations using two different airborne-particle abrasion (AB) pressures. METHODS Blocks were cut into prisms (n=60), split and sintered to the desired equilateral half prisms. Half-prisms were divided into two groups for AB at 0.5 or 2.5 bar with 50 µm Al2O3 particles. Each group was then further divided into 3 subgroups, and half-prisms were bonded to their counterparts with Panavia V5 (V5), Panavia Self Adhesive Cement Plus (SA), or RMGIC Fuji Plus (n=10/group). The IFT was determined using the Notchless Triangular Prism test in a water bath at 36°C after thermocycling (10,000 cycles). Surface roughness and SEM analyses were performed for representative zirconia samples after AB, and composite cements were tested for flexural strength and wettability. RESULTS SA (2.5 bar) showed a significantly higher IFT. The 3 other groups with SA and V5 showed no significant difference in their IFT values regardless of the AB pressure (1-way ANOVA). Weibull analysis of SA was higher than V5. All RMGIC samples debonded while thermocycling, and were, therefore, not included in the statistical analysis. Surface roughness increased with increasing AB pressure, and both cements showed similar flexural strength values and good wettability. CONCLUSION Contrary to RMGIC, composite cements show high performance with zirconia after AB. Increasing AB pressure enhances the micromechanical retention of composite cement. Future perspectives should include study of the effect of AB pressure on zirconia surface properties.
Pantograph/Catenary Dynamics and Control

SUMMARY The pantograph-catenary system with its dynamic behaviour turned out to be a crucial component for new train systems required to run at higher speeds. With the present systems, operational limitations have to be accepted when running with several pantographs in the train set, when tilting trains are employed, when running on low quality catenary sections or when stricter noise reduction regulations are forcing lower noise emissions also for the pantographs. This paper gives an overview of the methods to describe the catenary and the pantograph system dynamics. Furthermore, aspects concerning the interaction between current collectors and overhead equipment, the acquisition of the model data and the verification are presented. Finally various constructions of passive pantographs and proposals for active control concepts are discussed.
An advanced numerical model of elastomeric seismic isolation bearings

The nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi in March 2011 has led the nuclear community to consider seismic isolation for new large light water and small modular reactors to withstand the effects of beyond design basis loadings, including extreme earthquakes. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sponsoring a research project that will quantify the response of low damping rubber (LDR) and lead rubber (LR) bearings under loadings associated with extreme earthquakes. Under design basis loadings, the response of an elastomeric bearing is not expected to deviate from well‐established numerical models, and bearings are not expected to experience net tension. However, under extended or beyond design basis shaking, elastomer shear strains may exceed 300% in regions of high seismic hazard, bearings may experience net tension, the compression and tension stiffness will be affected by isolator lateral displacement, and the properties of the lead core in LR bearings will degrade in the short‐term because of substantial energy dissipation.
Use of voltage stressing at wafer probe for reliability predictions

In two independent evaluations, good correlation has been found between I/sub DDQ/ degradation due to voltage stressing at wafer probe and the reliability of devices built from a given wafer or wafer lot. This provides a useful reliability predictor and screening tool at the wafer level. This technique also provides a useful vehicle for the manufacturing facility to better understand and modify those portions of their wafer fabrication process where reliability improvements are warranted. The usefulness of this method should be applicable to evolving integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing technologies that have reduced feature sizes and operating voltages, provided proper precautions are taken in the selection of voltage stress values.
A Model for Junction Growth of a Spherical Contact Under Full Stick Condition

The evolution of the contact area (junction growth) of an elastic-plastic preloaded spherical contact subjected to an additional tangential loading is investigated theoretically. The normal preloading, under full stick condition, leads to the formation of a junction that can support additional tangential load. A gradual increase of this tangential load, while the normal preload remains constant, can incept plasticity of the contact zone in case the initial normal preload was elastic or enhance an existing one, thus lowering the tangential stiffness of the junction. Finally, the tangential stiffness approaches zero, which corresponds to sliding inception (i.e., loss of stability). The evolution of the contact area during the tangential loading prior to sliding inception reveals an essential junction growth which depends on the magnitude of the normal preload. The mechanism causing this junction growth seems to be new points of the sphere surface, which originally lay outside of the initial contact area that are coming into contact with the rigid flat during the tangential loading. The theoretical results for the junction growth obtained in the present work correlate well with some limited experiments.