Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-inflammatory effects of vagus nerve stimulation in pediatric patients with epilepsy

Introduction The neural control of the immune system by the nervous system is critical to maintaining immune homeostasis, whose disruption may be an underlying cause of several diseases, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Methods Here we studied the role of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Vagus nerve stimulation is widely used as an alternative treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Thus, we studied the impact that VNS treatment has on PBMCs isolated from a cohort of existing patients with medically refractory epilepsy. A comparison of genome-wide changes in gene expression was made between the epilepsy patients treated and non-treated with vagus nerve stimulation. Results The analysis showed downregulation of genes related to stress, inflammatory response, and immunity, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect of VNS in epilepsy patients. VNS also resulted in the downregulation of the insulin catabolic process, which may reduce circulating blood glucose. Discussion These results provide a potential molecular explanation for the beneficial role of the ketogenic diet, which also controls blood glucose, in treating refractory epilepsy. The findings indicate that direct VNS might be a useful therapeutic alternative to treat chronic inflammatory conditions.
Teaching the normal and the pathological: educational technologies and the material reproduction of medicine

ABSTRACT That pathology and normality exist on a complex spectrum of bodily manifestation is an enduring problem at the heart of the philosophy, anthropology and history of medicine. As the primary locus for the reproduction of medicine, medical schools are important sites for cultivating knowledge of what is normal and what is not. Here students come to engage with the slippery concepts of normality and pathology in collaboration with a wide range of educational technologies – the cadavers, plastic models, illustrations and diagnostic tools which corral student knowledge of the body in both health and disease. These technologies are not universally employed across medical faculties, and variations in their use contributes to various constructions of pathology and normality. Ethnographic observation and historical research in medical faculties in Hungary, the Netherlands and Ghana, shows that educational practices are shaped by the epistemic traditions which manifest in the material environment of the medical school, and that these different sociomaterial settings contribute to inconsistent notions of normalcy. Although educational technologies often tend towards fixity in their representations of the body in health and disease, medical school practice in the north of Ghana resists the imposition of the often alien standards typically found in teaching materials imported from Europe or North America. By teaching around and beyond these materials, Ghanaian educators also challenge their assuredness and the intellectual history of contemporary medicine.
Predictions for Fourier‐resolved X‐ray spectroscopy from the model of magnetic flare avalanches above an accretion disc with hot ionized skin

The magnetic flare avalanches model of Poutanen & Fabian for X-ray variability of accreting black holes is combined with computations of the vertical structure of illuminated accretion discs in hydrostatic equilibrium. The latter predict the existence of a hot ionized skin, caused by the thermal instability of X-ray-illuminated plasma. The presence of such an ionized skin, with properties dependent on the disc radius, introduces a dependence of the emitted X-ray spectrum on the position on the disc. If the position is related to the time-scale of the flares, the X-ray energy spectra (both the primary continuum and the reprocessed component) gain an additional dependence on the Fourier frequency, beside that resulting from spectral evolution during a flare. We compute the Fourier frequency-resolved spectra in this model and demonstrate that the presence of the hot skin introduces trends opposite to those observed in black hole binaries. Furthermore, the flare profile is strongly constrained, if the Fourier frequency dependence arising from spectral evolution is to agree with observations.
Synbiotic Supplementation May Relieve Anterior Uveitis, an Ocular Manifestation in Behcet’s Syndrome

Patient: Female, 49 Final Diagnosis: Behcet’s syndrome (with anterior uveitis) Symptoms: Ocular problems: redness • tearing • severe pain • photophobia • blurred vision Medication: Synbiotic supplementation Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Nutrition and Dietetics Objective: Rare disease Background: To relieve the signs and symptoms of anterior uveitis (AU), an ocular manifestation of Behcet’s syndrome, we prescribed a synbiotic supplementation (probiotics and prebiotics) for a 49-year-old woman. Case Report: Seven strains of bacteria – Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, each 108 colony-forming units (CFU) – and fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS; 100 mg) were given as a capsule 2 times per day. After 7-month treatment, AU was improved and serum inflammatory markers – C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), and estimated sedimentation rate (ESR) – were suppressed. Now, if a mild AU attack occurs, the problem is resolved by treatment with 1 gtt (from the Latin “guttae”, meaning drops) eye drop (prednisolone 1%) for 1 week. Conclusions: Synbiotic supplementation may contribute to treating AU, which is one of the most disastrous manifestations of BS, by controlling the proinflammatory processes.
Impact of IFRS adoption on the disclosure of management forecasts by industry concentration

ABSTRACT We aim to investigate the impact of the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on a firm’s strategic voluntary disclosure decisions under different product market conditions. In the corporate world, firms tactically decide the level of voluntary disclosures considering their benefits, like resolving information asymmetry in the financial market, and costs, like providing proprietary information to their rivals. The adoption of IFRS has affected the demands in the financial market for complementary information, and therefore, it would affect the incentive to withhold corporate information in consideration of proprietary costs in the product market. Using a sample of Korean firms, we find that the likelihood of withholding management forecasts in concentrated industries is weaker in the post-IFRS adoption phase than in the pre-IFRS adoption phase. This is because there are greater demands for corporate disclosures for firms in concentrated industries in the post-IFRS adoption phase than earlier. Moreover, we find that the influence of IFRS on the decision of firms in concentrated industries to disclose management forecasts is significant only for firms with higher market power and higher financial leverage.
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia in Pediatric Age: Focus on Genetics and Diagnosis

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) or Rendu–Osler–Weber Syndrome (ROW) is an autosomal dominant vascular disease, with an estimated prevalence of 1:5000. Genes associated with HHT are ACVRL1, ENG, SMAD4, and GDF2, all encoding for proteins involved in the TGFβ/BMPs signaling pathway. The clinical diagnosis of HHT is made according to the “Curaçao Criteria,” based on the main features of the disease: recurrent and spontaneous epistaxis, muco-cutaneous telangiectases, arteriovenous malformations in the lungs, liver, and brain, and familiarity. Since the clinical signs of HHT can be misinterpreted, and the primary symptom of HHT, epistaxis, is common in the general population, the disease is underdiagnosed. Although HHT exhibits a complete penetrance after the age of 40, young subjects may also present symptoms of the disease and are at risk of severe complications. Here we review the literature reporting data from clinical, diagnostic, and molecular studies on the HHT pediatric population.
Compositionally Complex Alloys: Some Insights from Photoemission Spectroscopy

Photoemission spectroscopy (PES) is an underrepresented part of current and past studies of compositionally complex alloys (CCA) such as high-entropy alloys (HEA) and their derivatives. PES studies are very important for understanding the electronic structure of materials, and are therefore essential in some cases for a correct description of the intrinsic properties of CCAs. Here, we present several examples showing the importance of PES. First, we show how the difference between the split-band structure and the common-band structure of the valence band (VB), observed by PES, can explain a range of properties of CCAs and alloys in general. A simple description of the band crossing in CCAs composed from the early and late transition metals showing a split band is discussed. We also demonstrate how a high-accuracy PES study can determine the variation in the density of states at the Fermi level as a function of Cu content in Ti-Zr-Nb-Ni-Cu metallic glasses. Finally, the first results of an attempt to single out the contributions of particular constituents in Cantor-type alloys to their VBs are presented. The basic principles of PES, the techniques employed in studies presented, and some issues associated with PES measurements are also described.
Linear stability of spiral and annular Poiseuille flow for small radius ratio

For the radius ratio $\eta\,{\equiv}\,R_i/R_o\,{=}\,0.1$ and several rotation rate ratios $\mu\,{\equiv}\,\Omega_o/\Omega_i$, we consider the linear stability of spiral Poiseuille flow (SPF) up to ${\hbox {\it Re}}\,{=}\,10^5$, where $R_i$ and $R_o$ are the radii of the inner and outer cylinders, respectively, ${\hbox {\it Re}}\,{\equiv}\,\overline V_Z(R_o\,{-}R_i)/\nu$ is the Reynolds number, $\Omega_i$ and $\Omega_o$ are the (signed) angular speeds of the inner and outer cylinders, respectively, $\nu$ is the kinematic viscosity, and $\overline V_Z$ is the mean axial velocity. The Re range extends more than three orders of magnitude beyond that considered in the previous $\mu\,{=}\,0$ work of Recktenwald et al. (Phys. Rev. E, vol. 48, 1993, p. 444). We show that in the non-rotating limit of annular Poiseuille flow, linear instability does not occur below a critical radius ratio $\hat\eta\,{\approx}\,0.115$. We also establish the connection of the linear stability of annular Poiseuille flow for $0\,{<}\,\eta\,{\leq}\,\hat\eta$ at all Re to the linear stability of circular Poiseuille flow ($\eta\,{=}\,0$) at all Re. For the rotating case, with $\mu\,{=}\,{-}1$, ${-}\,0.5$, ${-}\,0.25$, 0 and 0.2, the stability boundaries, presented in terms of critical Taylor number ${\hbox {\it Ta}}\,{\equiv}\,\Omega_i(R_o\,{-}R_i)^2/\nu$ versus Re, show that the results are qualitatively different from those at larger $\eta$. For each $\mu$, the centrifugal instability at small Re does not connect to a high-Re Tollmien–Schlichting-like instability of annular Poiseuille flow, since the latter instability does not exist for $\eta\,{<}\,\hat\eta$. We find a range of Re for which disconnected neutral curves exist in the $k$–Ta plane, which for each non-zero $\mu$ considered, lead to a multi-valued stability boundary, corresponding to two disjoint ranges of stable Ta. For each counter-rotating ($\mu\,{<}\,0$) case, there is a finite range of Re for which there exist three critical values of Ta, with the upper branch emanating from the ${\hbox {\it Re}}\,{=}\,0$ instability of Couette flow. For the co-rotating ($\mu\,{=}\,0.2$) case, there are two critical values of Ta for each Re in an apparently semi-infinite range of Re, with neither branch of the stability boundary intersecting the Re = 0 axis, consistent with the classical result of Synge that Couette flow is stable with respect to all small disturbances if $\mu\,{>}\,\eta^2$, and our earlier results for $\mu\,{>}\,\eta^2$ at larger $\eta$.
Illumina RNA and SMRT Sequencing Reveals the Mechanism of Uptake and Transformation of Selenium Nanoparticles in Soybean Seedlings

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for mammals, and its deficiency in the diet is a global problem. Agronomic biofortification through exogenous Se provides a valuable strategy to enhance human Se intake. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have been regarded to be higher bioavailability and less toxicity in comparison with selenite and selenate. Still, little has been known about the mechanism of their metabolism in plants. Soybean (Glycine max L.) can enrich Se, providing an ideal carrier for Se biofortification. In this study, soybean sprouts were treated with SeNPs, and a combination of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing was applied to clarify the underlying molecular mechanism of SeNPs metabolism. A total of 74,662 nonredundant transcripts were obtained, and 2109 transcription factors, 9687 alternative splice events, and 3309 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were predicted, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs revealed that metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and peroxisome were most enriched both in roots and leaves after exposure to SeNPs. A total of 117 transcripts were identified to be putatively involved in SeNPs transport and biotransformation in soybean. The top six hub genes and their closely coexpressed Se metabolism-related genes, such as adenylylsulfate reductase (APR3), methionine-tRNA ligase (SYM), and chloroplastic Nifs-like cysteine desulfurases (CNIF1), were screened by WGCNA and identified to play crucial roles in SeNPs accumulation and tolerance in soybean. Finally, a putative metabolism pathway of SeNPs in soybean was proposed. These findings have provided a theoretical foundation for future elucidation of the mechanism of SeNPs metabolism in plants.
Line Strength Gradients in Elliptical and Brightest Cluster Galaxies

Line strengths and their gradients in Mg, Fe, and H beta have been determined for seven elliptical and nine brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in order to study their stellar populations and investigate their relationship to one another. We find that BCGs follow the same relationship between central Mg b line strength and central velocity dispersion found for elliptical galaxies. Brightest cluster galaxies are in agreement with the known trend toward more massive elliptical galaxies having larger [Mg/Fe] ratios, while the internal gradients within our BCG and E galaxies are consistent with a roughly constant [Mg/Fe] ratio. We find that a correlation exists between the central [Mg/Fe] ratio and average H beta line strength in the sense that both BCG and elliptical galaxies with larger [Mg/Fe] ratios have lower [H beta] strengths. For our sample, H beta is the best predictor of [Mg/Fe] ratio. If the dominant contribution to the H beta feature is from turnoff stars then this relation predicts that more massive elliptical galaxies are older than less massive ones. If, however, the main source of the H beta index is from horizontal-branch stars, then the observed {[Mg/Fe],H beta} relation could be the result of more massive elliptical galaxies having flatter IMFs for high-mass stars than less massive elliptical galaxies. The [H beta] line strengths of the objects in our sample span a range of values. The BCGs generally have low global H beta line strengths, which, under the assumption that the H beta feature can be used as an age discriminant, indicates that the bulk of these systems underwent their last major episode of star formation greater than or similar to 8-10 Gyr ago. For both the elliptical galaxies and BCGs we find that within a galaxy, the H beta profile is flat for objects whose H beta absorption can be reliably measured. In the presence of a declining metallicity gradient this suggests that the centers of elliptical galaxies and BCGs are similar to 1-3 Gyr younger than their outer regions. The metal line strength gradients for the elliptical galaxies and BCGs are similar and consistent with an average gradient of Delta[Fe/H]/Delta log r = -0.25 +/- 0.1, corresponding to a reduction in the mean metallicity of the stellar population by a factor of similar to 2 over a factor of 10 in radius. No strong correlations are found between the metallicity gradient sizes and either kinematic or line strength parameters of the galaxies. For the galaxy NGC 4073, the brightest member of the poor cluster MKW 4, we find enhanced H beta absorption in the region coincident with the counterrotating stellar core. These observations are consistent with a scenario in which the accreted object was a younger system and/or a recent episode of star formation was triggered by an interaction.
Effect of Gestational Weight Gain during the First Half of Pregnancy on the Incidence of GDM, Results from a Pregnant Cohort in Northern Greece

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of gestational weight gain (GWG) up to 23+6 weeks of gestation on the incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). A pregnant cohort of 5948 women in Northern Greece was recruited. Anthropometric features before and during pregnancy were recorded, the GWG by 23+6 weeks was calculated and a Generalized Linear Regression Model (GLM) with subgroup analyses based on weight status were computed. GDM was diagnosed in 5.5% of women. GLM results showed that GDM likelihood increased with maternal age (MA) and pre-pregnancy BMI (aOR: 1.08, 95%CI: [1.06, 1.11] and aOR: 1.09, 95%CI: [1.09, 1.11], respectively). Ιn the normal pre-pregnancy weight group, when the extra weight gain was >8 kgs, the odds of GDM increased (OR: 2.13, 95%CI: [0.98, 4.21], p = 0.03). Women with pre-pregnancy level 2 clinical obesity (OB2 pre) (BMI > 35 and <40 kg/m2) that shifted to OB3 category (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) had an increased GDM likelihood (OR: 4.85, 95%CI: [1.50, 15.95]). Women of higher MA may require stricter monitoring for GDM from early pregnancy, while in obese women, recommended GWG may need to be re-evaluated, since refraining from any weight gain may have a preventive effect for GDM.
In Search of HL Tauri

We present infrared polarimetric images that demonstrate that the T Tauri star HL Tau is not seen in direct light at λ ≤ 2.2 μm. The position of the intensity centroid moves monotonically southwest from V (0.555 μm) through J (1.25 μm) and H (1.65 μm) to K (2.2 μm) wave bands. Furthermore, the mean position of the J, H, and K polarimetric centroids—which marks the position of the illuminating source of extensive reflection nebulosity—is displaced ~1'' southwest of the position of the K-band intensity peak. This offset is in the same direction as the offset between the K-band intensity peak and the centroid of previously detected 3.6 cm emission. We conclude that, at optical and near-IR wavelengths, all of the observed radiation is scattered light from the circumstellar nebula. Our polarimetric images of HL Tau show a “polarization disk” at PA 134° and therefore support a model in which the projection of the equatorial plane of the protoplanetary disk is aligned at PA 134°. These results reinforce the contention that HL Tau is younger and more deeply embedded than typical T Tauri stars.
X-Type Five-Level Current Source Inverter

Current source inverters (CSIs) feature superior features such as low dv/dt, reliable short circuit protection, etc. Among the CSI-based topologies, the five-level CSIs are attracting attention in multiple applications thanks to their superior harmonic performance. However, existing five-level CSI topologies suffer a couple of issues, for example, the current imbalance issue which requires complicated balancing controls. In this article, an X-type five-level CSI is proposed. It features an inherent current balancing due to the process of charging the inductors in series. In addition, the proposed inverter has less switch count than the existing ones. An space vector modulation (SVM)-based modulation is proposed for the inverter. Detailed analysis and calculations regarding inverter gain, passive components, transient voltage analysis, and efficiency are provided. The performance of the converter is verified by both simulation and lab-scaled experiments.
On simple waves and weak shock theory for the equations of alluvials river hydraulics

This paper considers the hydraulic equations governing alluvial river dynamics. The shock-wave classes for this system were described and fully analysed by Needham & Hey (1991). The complementary expansion wave classes are determined in this paper. In addition, more general simple waves are considered and a weak-shock theory is established. This is used to consider several practical examples, including the dynamics of dredged river sections, the propagation of sediment slugs and the effects of sediment blocking and extraction.
Numerical Study of Non-Gray Radiation and Natural Convection Using the Full-Spectrum k-Distribution Method

The interaction of non-gray radiation and natural convection in a 2-D cavity is studied numerically. The aim of this work is to analyze the thermal and flow behaviors of real cases with a small temperature difference using the full-spectrum k-distribution method. In addition, the results are obtained for different medium assumptions like pure convection, transparent medium, and gray medium to investigate which assumption is appropriate to be used instead of non-gray calculations. The results show that the gray medium assumption for radiative heat transfer is suitable to be used in cavities with normal air mixture at normal room conditions.
Organizing Art and Culture Management Practices in a Public School

Abstract This paper aims to analyze the organizing of art and culture management practices in a federal education institute. To that end, we utilize the contributions of two epistemological approaches, organizing and the practice lens. The study is characterized as qualitative research, developed in two main steps: an exploratory step, which involves the analysis of documents and two projective interviews; and a field immersion step, characterized by participant observation and by the analysis of management practices in the implantation of an Art and Culture Nucleus at the studied institute. As a result, an organizing approach articulated with art and culture management practices enables one to understand school management in a less orthodox manner in opposition to the usual binarism of the school management research field, which involves the disputes between elements and ideologies of the traditional school management and the democratic school management approaches. The study contributes by characterizing the process of re-signification of material aspects in the practice of school management, which makes it possible to problematize the use of administrative planning and the role of contextuality in the attribution of competences of group dynamics, and to point out the effects of decision-making in school management.
A Non-Conventional Platinum Drug against a Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Line

A dinuclear Pt(II) complex with putrescine as bridging polyamine ligand ([Pt2Put2(NH3)4]Cl4) was synthesized and assessed as to its potential anticancer activity against a human non-small cell lung cancer line (A549), as well as towards non-cancer cells (BEAS-2B). This effect was evaluated through in vitro cytotoxicity assays (MTT and SRB) coupled to microFTIR and microRaman spectroscopies, the former delivering information on growth-inhibiting and cytotoxic abilities while the latter provided very specific information on the metabolic impact of the metal agent (at the sub-cellular level). Regarding cancer cells, a major impact of [Pt2Put2(NH3)4]Cl4 was evidenced on cellular proteins and lipids, as compared to DNA, particularly via the Amide I and Amide II signals. The effect of the chelate on non-malignant cells was lower than on malignant ones, evidencing a promising low toxicity towards healthy cells.