Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Benralizumab in Patients with Severe Eosinophilic Asthma: A Multicentre Real-Life Experience

Background: Mepolizumab and benralizumab are monoclonal antibodies directed against anti-IL-5 and anti-IL5R, respectively, and their use reduces the exacerbation rate and maintains oral corticosteroid requirements in severe eosinophilic asthma. Previous studies have tested the therapeutic switch between two biologics with excellent results, further demonstrating the heterogeneity of asthmatic disease and the complexity of the therapeutic choice. It remains unclear if such patients may improve following a switch from mepolizumab to benralizumab. Aims: Within a multicentre real-life setting, we decided to evaluate the potential effectiveness of a therapeutic switch to benralizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma initially treated with mepolizumab, who experienced sub-optimal responses. The secondary aim was to identify the clinical factors associated with a better response to benralizumab. Methods: We retrospectively assessed patients with severe eosinophilic asthma treated at six Italian specialist centres, who were switched from mepolizumab to benralizumab following a sub-optimal response, defined as a partial or total lack of clinical remission (i.e., frequent severe exacerbations and/or poorly controlled symptoms and/or higher OCS daily use in patients with a poor or moderate response in the global evaluation of treatment effectiveness scale), after at least 12 months of treatment. Results: Twenty-five patients were included in the analysis (mean age 56.76 ± 11.97 years, 65% female). At 6 months of treatment with benralizumab, the ACT score was significantly higher than the ACT score with mepolizumab (20.24 ± 3.38 vs. 16.77 ± 3.48, p < 0.0001); the mean number of daily SABA inhalations was significantly lower after 6 months and 12 months of treatment with benralizumab than that after treatment with mepolizumab; OCS intake and the prednisone median dosage at 6 months of treatment with benralizumab were significantly lower than those with mepolizumab. Benralizumab treatment resulted in a marked improvement in asthma control, suppressed blood eosinophil levels and reduction in the number of exacerbations in the subgroup of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and nasal polyposis. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with severe eosinophilic asthma who experience a partial response to mepolizumab could benefit from switching to benralizumab, and even more those who have nasal polyposis.
Receding horizon control for the stabilization of the wave equation

Stabilization of the wave equation by the receding horizon framework is investigated. Distributed control, Dirichlet boundary control, and Neumann boundary control are considered. Moreover for each of these control actions, the well-posedness of the control system and the exponential stability of Receding Horizon Control (RHC) with respect to a proper functional analytic setting are investigated. Observability conditions are necessary to show the suboptimality and exponential stability of RHC. Numerical experiments are given to illustrate the theoretical results.
Involvement of P2Y1, P2Y6, A1 and A2A Receptors in the Purinergic Inhibition of NMDA-Evoked Noradrenaline Release in the Rat Brain Cortex

In the cerebral cortex, glutamate activates NMDA receptors (NMDARs), localized in noradrenergic neurons, inducing noradrenaline release that may have a permissive effect on glutamatergic transmission, and therefore, on the modulation of long-term plasticity. ATP is co-released with noradrenaline, and with its metabolites (ADP and adenosine) is involved in the purinergic modulation of electrically-evoked noradrenaline release. However, it is not known if noradrenaline release evoked by activation of NMDARs is also under purinergic modulation. The present study aimed to investigate and to characterize the purinergic modulation of noradrenaline release evoked by NMDARs. Stimulation of rat cortical slices with 30 µM NMDA increased noradrenaline release, which was inhibited by ATP upon metabolization into ADP and adenosine and by the selective agonists of A1 and A2A receptors, CPA and CGS2680, respectively. It was also inhibited by UTP and UDP, which are mainly released under pathophysiological situations. Characterization of the effects mediated by these compounds indicated the involvement of P2Y1, P2Y6, A1 and A2A receptors. It is concluded that, in the rat brain cortex, NMDA-evoked noradrenaline release is modulated by several purinergic receptors that may represent a relevant mechanism to regulate the permissive effect of noradrenaline on NMDA-induced neuroplasticity.
Internal Rotation in the Globular Cluster M53

We present an analysis of the internal bulk rotation in the metal-poor globular cluster (GC) NGC 5024 (M53) using radial velocities (RVs) of individual cluster members. We use RV measurements from a previous abundance study of M53 done using the Hydra multi-object spectrograph on the WIYN 3.5 m telescope. The Hydra sample greatly increases the number of RVs available in the central regions of the cluster where the internal rotation is the strongest. The sample of cluster members is further increased through two previous kinematic studies of M53. The combined total sample contains 245 cluster members. With our sample, we are able to create a velocity dispersion profile of the cluster and derive a central velocity dispersion we find that M53 inner regions are characterized by a peak amplitude of rotation equal to corresponding to a relatively high value of the ratio of the rotation speed to central velocity dispersion ( ). Our data also reveal a radial variation in the orientation of the projected rotation axis suggesting complex internal kinematics.
Loss of ficolin-3 expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Ficolin-3 (FCN3) is a well-known circulating pattern recognition molecule which plays a role in host immune responses to cancer via activation of the lectin complement pathway. Nevertheless, the clinical significance of FCN3 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Methods: Eighty-seven HCC patients who received hepatectomy at our hospital were included. Immunohistochemical staining was used to assess the FCN3 expression in both tumorous and non-tumorous tissues from the patients, who were classified into high and low expression groups. Differences in clinicopathological characteristics between the two groups were then analyzed. Results: Survival was significantly associated with FCN3 immunohistochemical score (p for trend = 0.048). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a higher overall survival rate in the patients with a high FCN3 expression than in those with a low FCN3 expression (p=0.031). A high FCN3 expression in tumor tissue was independently associated with better overall survival (p=0.042). However, multivariate analysis showed that FCN3 expression was not an independent risk factor for overall survival. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that FCN3 is significantly related to the prognosis of HCC. FCN3 may be a prognostic marker in patients with HCC.
Female information and communication technology professionals’ perceptive description of work and home intricacies

Abstract Based on biographical interviews from a telecommunications organisation, this study aims to contribute to the debate on understanding and accounting for the work-life balance intricacies of female Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals. An exploratory cross-sectional design adopting a qualitative case study approach with semi-structured interviews with 16 female ICT professionals was used. In male-dominated sectors, understanding female ICT Professionals’ perceptive description of work and home intricacies is essential. It leads to an understanding of the issues emanating from work-life balance. Participants perceived their careers as a large part of their self-identity and were very proud of the dedication and hard work required in the ICT field. Participants also found a sense of collegiality and camaraderie in the workplace, which gave them a sense of belonging and benefit to their self-worth. The findings may be used to adapt various organisational practices and understand the concept of family in ways that include responsibilities other than being a caregiver or homemaker. A more in-depth insight into individuals’ work-life balance intricacies was achieved by adopting a qualitative case study approach. The telecommunications organisation could utilise the results from this study to develop appropriate work-life balance and Human Resource strategies to create ﬂexible workplaces conducive to the attraction, motivation, and retention of highly valued women.
Family visits to a biodiversity exhibit: An analysis of emotional responses during free visits and visits mediated by explainers

In this study, we analyse the role of emotion in the context of informal science education experiences, specifically seeking to understand: (a) which emotions can be stimulated in families visiting interactive expositions, and (b) the extent to which parents/caregivers and museum explainers engage the children's emotional expressiveness. To this end, a protocol based on the core affect model was employed to examine the visits of 10 family groups (26 individuals) who visited an exhibit on biodiversity in a science museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Five families went on free visits and the other five had their visits mediated by explainers. We observed that, in general, positive emotions, such as excitement and surprise, were among those most often expressed. Negative emotions, such as disagreement and doubt, also stood out in this study, but they were not exclusively associated with the negative aspects of the experience, and were instead linked to challenging moments that facilitated the construction of meaning by the families. The data suggest that visits mediated by explainers occasioned more frequent emotional displays than free visits, indicating the importance of explainers in families’ interactions and emotional responses.
The Implementation of Creative Problem Solving Model in Teaching of Biodeviersity at Senior High School

Abstract: Making students to be creative thinking need exercises in the form of tasks. Creative problem solving is the constructivist learning model to create creative, imaginative, and innovative solutions in the aim of training and teaching individuals to think differently in solving problems.The research focus was to find out students' learning outcome and creative thinking skills using creative problem solving-based learning. The participants were tenth grade of senior high school in the school year 2019/2020 which were divided into science class as the control class (N=33), and X IPA 2 class as the experimental class (N=33). The research instrument used was a description test on biodiversity content with creative problem solving indicators, namely Clarify, Ideate, Develop, and Implement. Quantitative data analysis used was MANOVA test at a significant level of 5%. The results of this study were the average values for each indicator of creative thinking and learning outcomes in the experimental and control classes showing that the control class was lower than the experimental class. It means that learning outcomes and creative thinking skills through creative problem solving had an impact than the classes using creative problem solving. Therefore, there was a significant influence and a relationship among the creative problem-solving model, creative thinking skills, and learning outcomes which was indicated by the value of. 0.000<0.05.
Comparing the Poisson-Boltzmann Equation to Alternative Electrostatic Theories and Improving Stochastic Techniques for Implicit Solvent Models

The Poisson-Boltzmann equation, PBE, the linearized PBE, LPBE, and generalized Born, GB, model are implicit solvent methods that accelerate biophysical calculations by eliminating the need to integrate across the solvent’s degrees of freedom. This thesis compares the predictions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, PBE, to those of another electrostatic theory, the counterion condensation theory, CCT. It demonstrates that the CCT’s predictions of the salt dependence, SK = ∂∆∆G bind ∂ log[NaCl] , of the electrostatic binding free energy, ∆∆Gel bind, where [NaCl] is the 1:1 salt concentration, agree with those of the PBE, but its predictions of ∆∆Gel bind itself do not. This observation is explained by deriving a simple analytical expression for SK from the GB model. This expression indicates that essentially any electrostatic theory with the same long-distance predictions will predict the same SK, it explains the observed correlations between SK and various empirical quantities, and it provides a rapid method for predicting the change in SK upon mutation of the charged residues of the binding partners. Implicit solvent models do include several approximations whose validity should be evaluated to determine the reliability of their estimates of experimental quantities. In this thesis the effect of finite ion sizes upon PBE solutions is examined with the size-modified PBE, SMPBE. These findings show that the SMPBE predicts different dependences of electrostatic energies upon ion size than the PBE, but whether these changes lead to different predictions for observable quantities is not clear. Additionally, the ion-exclusion layer does not match the dependences on ion size given by the SMPBE, and combined with the superior physical basis of the SMPBE, the use of the ion-exclusion layer is called into question. Additionally, this thesis improves stochastic solvers of the LPBE and presents a new stochastic solver of the GB model. By optimizing the bias-generating parameters in a walk-on-spheres, WOS, LPBE solver, dividing the variance evenly across the atoms of the molecule, and using an approximate nearest-neighbor solver, WOS solvers can solve the LPBE in times comparable to deterministic solvers. The stochastic GB solver has the advantage over traditional analytical solvers of the GB in that analytical solutions to the GB model must approximate a set of parameters called the Born radii, and the error due to this approximation cannot usually be evaluated. The stochastic solver, on the other hand quantifies this error and converges to the exact GB model with additional computation time. This behavior allows the validity of the Born approximation itself to be evaluated, and the results presented here indicate that the GB model gives different estimates of ∆∆Gel bind than the LPBE. More research will be required to refine the GB approximation to better compute ∆∆Gel bind, and that the radii in the stochastic method are arbitrarily precise indicates that the stochastic solver will be useful in this endeavor.
Higher Order Perturbative QCD and Non-perturbative Higher Twist Correctionto $F_2^{NS}$ Structure Function

We have determined the FNS 2 structure function by means solving the DGLAP evolution equations with perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics(pQCD) corrections upto next-next-to-leading order(NNLO) using a Q2 dependent regge ansatz as the initial input. In addition we have extracted the higher twist contribution to the structure function FNS 2 in NNLO perturbative orders and then incorporated them to our results. Our NNLO results along with higher twist corrections are observed to be compatible with corresponding experimental data and other phenomenological analysis. c ⃝ Electronic Journal of Theoretical Physics. All rights reserved.
The Transient High Energy Sky and Early Universe Surveyor (THESEUS)

The Transient High-Energy Sky and Early Universe Surveyor (THESEUS) is a mission concept developed in the last years by a large European consortium and currently under study by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the three candidates for next M5 mission (launch in 2032). THESEUS aims at exploiting high-redshift GRBs for getting unique clues to the early Universe and, being an unprecedentedly powerful machine for the detection, accurate location (down to arcsec) and redshift determination of all types of GRBs (long, short, high-z, under-luminous, ultra-long) and many other classes of transient sources and phenomena, at providing a substantial contribution to multi-messenger time-domain astrophysics. Under these respects, THESEUS will show a strong synergy with the large observing facilities of the future, like E-ELT, TMT, SKA, CTA, ATHENA, in the electromagnetic domain, as well as with next-generation gravitational-waves and neutrino detectors, thus greatly enhancing their scientific return.
Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review

Parentification occurs when youth are forced to assume developmentally inappropriate parent- or adult-like roles and responsibilities. This review thoroughly examines current empirical research on parentification, its outcomes, and related mechanisms to outline patterns of findings and significant literature gaps. This review is timely in the large context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when pandemic-induced responsibilities and demands on youth, and the shifting family role may exacerbate parentification and its consequences. We used the 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to identify 95 studies (13 qualitative, 81 quantitative, 1 mixed methods) meeting eligibility criteria. Representation from six continents highlights parentification as a global phenomenon. Using thematic analysis, we identified five themes from qualitative studies and five from quantitative studies. These were further integrated into four common themes: (1) some parentified youth experienced positive outcomes (e.g., positive coping), albeit constructs varied; (2) to mitigate additional trauma, youth employed various protective strategies; (3) common negative outcomes experienced by youth included internalizing behaviors, externalizing problems, and compromised physical health; and (4) youths’ characteristics (e.g., rejection sensitivity, attachment style), perceived benefits, and supports influenced parentification outcomes. Future methodological and substantive directions are discussed.
Testing cosmological models with isotropic and anisotropic components of BAO data

We conduct a selective analysis of the isotropic ($D_V$) and anisotropic ($AP$) components of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data. We find that these components provide significantly different constraints and could provide strong diagnostics for model selection, also in view of more precise data to arrive. We complemented the BAO data with the Supernova Ia (SNIa) and Observational \textit{Hubble} datasets to perform a joint analysis on the $\Lambda$CDM model and its standard extensions. From this analysis, we find a value of $H_0 = 69.4 \pm 1.7$ \text{Km/s Mpc$^{-1} $} in the $\Lambda$CDM scenario, which is now consistent with both the Planck and the direct estimates of Riess et al. We also comment on the possible bias on $H_0$ estimates introduced by approximate formulae for the sound horizon at drag epoch ($r_d$). We find that the evidence for acceleration using the BAO data alone is more than $\sim 5.8\sigma$, which increases to $8.4 \sigma$ in our joint analysis. Using the BAO data alone, we find a $2.2 \sigma$ deviation from the concordance model in a two-parameter extension of $\Lambda$CDM, where both $\Omega_k$ and $w$ are considered as free parameters, leaving space for new physics.
Students’ expectation toward teacher’s teaching style and contribution to students’ English performance

Students’ expectation of their teacher’s teaching style is one of the factors that can affect academic performance. However, it is unclear how much students’ expectation affects the English academic performance of students. The objectives of this study were: (1) to find the students’ expectation on their English teacher’s teaching style, (2) to find whether the English teacher’s teaching style matches with the students’ expectation, and (3) to find the contribution of students’ expectation toward teacher’s teaching style toward their English academic performance. The study’s sample was one English teacher from each public senior high school in Sukarami District, SMA N 13, SMA N 17, and SMA N 21, along with 11th-grade students they taught. This research used descriptive quantitative design. The data were collected by questionnaire and documents as quantitative data, and interview as qualitative data. Pearson Product Moment correlation and regression were used to analyze quantitative data while transcribing was used to analyze qualitative data. The findings showed that (1) the students expected their English teacher to use Expert and Facilitator teaching style, (2) the student’s expectation is not perfectly fulfilled as the teachers prefer Expert and Formal Authority teaching style, and (3) there was no contribution of students’ expectation toward their English teacher’s teaching style to their English academic performance.
Refinement of HMM Model Parameters for Punjabi Automatic Speech Recognition (PASR) System

ABSTRACT An automatic speech recognition system follows an approach of pattern matching, which consists of a training phase and testing phase. Despite advancement in training phase, the performance of the acoustic model is adverse while adopting the statistical technique like hidden Markov model (HMM). However, HMM-based speech system faces high computational complexity and becomes challenging to provide accuracy during isolated Punjabi lexicon. As the corpus of the system increases, the complexity of training phase will also increase drastically. The redundancy and confusion occurred between feature distributions in training phase of the system. This paper proposes an approach for the generation of HMM parameters using two hybrid classifiers such as GA+HMM and DE+HMM. The proposed technique focuses on refinement of processed feature vectors after calculating its mean and variance. The refined parameters are further employed in the generation of HMM parameters that help in reduction of training complexity of the system. The proposed techniques are compared with an existing technique such as HMM on benchmark database and self-developed corpus in clean, noisy, and real-time environments. The results show the performance improvement in pattern matching of spoken utterance when demonstrated on large vocabulary isolated Punjabi lexicons.
Spatial coordinate systems within the parietal cortex

III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . VI DECLARATION . VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS . X TABLE OF FIGURES . XV GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS . XVII 1 PARIETAL CORTEX AND SPATIAL NAVIGATION . 1 1.