Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HLA-DQ2/DQ8 frequency in adult patients with celiac disease, their first-degree relatives, and normal population in Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Celiac disease is an autoimmune, familial disease that results in susceptibility to gluten in cereal and cereal products in genetically susceptible individuals. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 in patients with celiac disease, their first-degree relatives, and healthy community. MATERIALS AND METHODS HLA-DQ2/DQ8 analysis was performed in adult patients with celiac disease >18 years old (94 patients), their first-degree relatives (89 people), and healthy group (102 individuals). Anemia, osteoporosis, and diarrhea were interrogated in the celiac patient group and also anti-tissue transglutaminase, anti-endomysium, and anti-gliadin antibodies were recorded. RESULTS There was a significant relationship between HLA-DQ2/DQ8 presence in all groups, and the distribution of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 in all groups was different (p=0.000). No statistically significant correlation was found between the HLA tissue groups and diarrhea (p=0.087), osteoporosis (p=0.215), anemia (p=1.000), tissue transglutaminase antibodies (p=0.295), anti-gliadin antibodies (p=0.104), and anti-endomysium antibodies (p=0.243) in the celiac patient group. CONCLUSION HLA-DQ2/DQ8 can be used to diagnose celiac disease particularly when the tests are useless and to screen first-degree relatives.
The − 174 G / C variant of IL 6 as risk factor for mortality and technique failure in a large cohort of peritoneal dialysis patients

Background. Functional variants in the IL6 gene, in particular the −174G/C polymorphism (rs1800795), affect the mortality risk in dialysis patients. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients harbouring the C allele of the −174G/C polymorphism of IL6 showed faster peritoneal transport. The aim of this study was to investigate this IL6 variant as risk factor for mortality and technique failure in a large cohort of Caucasian PD patients. Methods. A Dutch multicentre cohort of 398 incident PD patients (NECOSAD) was analysed. Survival analysis was performed for death and technique failure with a maximum follow-up of 5 years. A combined PD cohort from Amsterdam (Academic Medical Center, N = 71) and Brussels (Université catholique de Louvain Medical School, N = 102) was used for independent replication. Results. In NECOSAD, 105 patients died on dialysis [incidence rate 10.3/100 person-years (py)], and 138 patients experienced technique failure (16.2/100 py), with peritonitis as important cause. Patients with the C/C genotype had a 71% increased mortality risk compared to patients with the G/G genotype (95% confidence interval 0.98– 2.98); this effect was mainly a long-term effect: a 2.7-fold increased mortality risk was found in patients having survived 2 years since the start on dialysis, and a 1.7-fold increased risk for the combined end point (mortality or technique failure). In the combined replication cohort, no increased risks were found in patients with the C/C genotype. Conclusions. The C/C genotype of the −174G/C polymorphism was associated with an increased mortality risk in 398 Dutch incident PD patients. The existence of substantial differences between the two academic replication cohorts and the discovery cohort from NECOSAD and the limited power of these cohorts prevented an independent replication of the NECOSAD findings.
Mixed-Phase Cloud Feedbacks 1

3 This chapter introduces cloud feedbacks and describes salient features of their structure. 4 One particularly pronounced feature simulated by global climate models (GCMs), is the 5 contrast between the subtropics where cloud cover decreases with warming (a positive 6 feedback) and the midand high-latitudes where cloud albedo increases with warming (a 7 negative feedback). This increase in cloud albedo appears to be due to mixed-phase 8 clouds (MPCs) transitioning from a more ice-dominated to more liquid-dominated state. 9 The representation of this behavior in GCMs is discussed and is compared to satellite 10 observations. Observational constraints on the mixed-phase cloud feedback show that the 11 current generation of GCMs have too strong an increase in planetary albedo due to ice 12 transitioning to liquid in the midand high-latitudes, indicating a potential 13 underestimation of climate sensitivity. This behavior appears to be at least partially due to 14 an inability to maintain supercooled liquid water at sufficiently low temperatures. 15
Are annual nitrous oxide fluxes sensitive to warming and increasing precipitation in the Gurbantunggut Desert?

Temperate desert soils are an important source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O). However, it is uncertain how N2O emissions respond to warming, increased rainfall and nitrogen (N) addition in such soils. A multifactorial field manipulation study was carried out in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China's second largest desert, to investigate how these factors influence desert soil N2O emissions and to assess inter‐year variation. In our 3‐year study, under current climatic conditions, the annual flux of N2O in this temperate desert soil was 0.13 ± 0.02 kg N ha−1 yr−1, with the period of no plant growth contributing 43% of the annual emission. Surprisingly, there was no significant change in annual N2O flux under warming (+1°C) or increased precipitation (30%, +60 mm yr−1). In contrast, N2O emissions were significantly affected by extreme drought followed by precipitation. Additional N input, at 30 or 60 kg N ha−1 yr−1, greatly elevated annual N2O emission by 55–133%. The combined impact of N deposition and increasing rainfall on N2O emission was greater than that of any single factor, except for N deposition. This suggests that N2O emissions in this desert are driven primarily by soil available N content and are less sensitive to variations in soil temperature and moisture.
Optical intra-day variability in 3C 66A: 10 years of observations

We present results based on the observations of the blazar 3C 66A from 2005 November 06 to 2016 February 14 in the BVR and I broadbands using 1.2m telescope of the Mt. Abu InfraRed Observatory (MIRO). The source was observed on 160 nights out of which on 89 nights it was monitored for more than 1 hr to check for the presence of any intra-day variability (IDV). The blazar 3C 66A exhibited significant variations in the optical flux on short and long term time scales. However, unlike highly variable S5 0716+71, it showed IDV duty cycle of about 8% only. Our statistical studies suggest the IDV time scales ranging from $\sim$ 37 min to about 3.12 hours and, in one case, a possibility of the quasi-periodic variations with characteristic timescale of $\sim$ 1.4 hrs. The IDV amplitudes in R$-$band were found to vary from 0.03 mag to as much as 0.6 mag, with larger amplitude of variation when the source was relatively fainter. The typical rate of the flux variation was estimated to be $\sim$0.07 mag hr$^{-1}$ in both, the rising and the falling phases. However, the rates of the brightness variation as high as 1.38 mag/hr were also detected. The shortest timescale of the variation, 37 min, sets an upper limit of $6.92 \times 10^{14}$ cm on the size of the emission region and about $3.7 \times 10^8\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ as an estimate of the mass of the black hole, assuming the origin of the rapid optical variability is in close vicinity of the central SMBH. The long-term study suggests a mild bluer-when-brighter behavior, typical for BL Lacs.
Mining Software Repositories for Predictive Modelling of Defects in SDN Controller

In Software Defined Networking (SDN) control plane of forwarding devices is concentrated in the SDN controller, which assumes the role of a network operating system. Big share of today’s commercial SDN controllers are based on OpenDaylight, an open source SDN controller platform, whose bug repository is publicly available. In this article we provide a first insight into 8k+ bugs reported in the period over five years between March 2013 and September 2018. We first present the functional components in OpenDaylight architecture, localize the most vulnerable modules and measure their contribution to the total bug content. We provide high fidelity models that can accurately reproduce the stochastic behaviour of bug manifestation and bug removal rates, and discuss how these can be used to optimize the planning of the test effort, and to improve the software release management. Finally, we study the correlation between the code internals, derived from the Git version control system, and software defect metrics, derived from Jira issue tracker. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a comprehensive analysis of bug characteristics in a production grade SDN controller.
- Aided Pilot Contamination Avoidance for Massive MIMO Systems

ilot contamination, defined as the interference during the channel estimation process due to reusing the same pilot sequences in neighboring cells, can severely degrade the performance of massive multiple-input multiple-output systems.ilot contamination, defined as the interference during the channel estimation process due to reusing the same pilot sequences in neighboring cells, can severely degrade the performance of massive multiple-input multiple-output systems.P In this paper, we propose a location-based approach to mitigating the pilot contamination problem for uplink multiple-input multiple-output systems. Our approach makes use of the approximate locations of mobile devices to provide good estimates of the channel statistics between the mobile devices and their corresponding base stations. Specifically, we aim at avoiding pilot contamination even when the number of base station antennas is not very large, and when multiple users from different cells, or even in the same cell, are assigned the same pilot sequence. First, we characterize a desired angular region of the target user at the serving base station based on the number of base station antennas and the location of the target user, and make the observation that in this region the interference is close to zero due to the spatial separability. Second, based on this observation, we propose pilot coordination methods for multi-user multi-cell scenarios to avoid pilot contamination. The numerical results indicate that the proposed pilot contamination avoidance schemes enhance the quality of the channel estimation and thereby improve the percell sum rate offered by target base stations.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ARTERIAL OXYGEN TENSION DURING ANAESTHESIA WITH ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION

Factors influencing oxygenation of the arterial blood were studied in 26 patients, during routine anaesthesia with artificial ventilation. The mean minute volume was 10 l. /min and the arterial Pco3 27 mm Hg. The mean oxygen consumption was 215 ml/min (STPD) and the physiological deadspace 36 per cent of tidal volume (no allowance being made for the volume of the air passages bypassed by the endotracheal tube). At high levels of inspired oxygen concentration, the mean alveolar-arterial Po, gradient was 145 mm Hg, corresponding to a calculated shunt of 11 per cent. At an alveolar Po3 of 155 mm Hg the gradient was 52 mm Hg, corresponding to a calculated venous admixture of 9 per cent. There was no progressive increase in venous admixture during anaesthesia in patients under the age of 43 but most of the older patients showed falls and their mean change was significant. Attempts were made to reduce the venous admixture by hyperinflation of the lungs. This was successful in some patients, when a pressure of 40 cm H , 0 was maintained for 40 seconds. Lower pressures, and the use of a sustained expiratory pressure of 5 cm H2O were not effective. Indices of disordered respiratory function found in this study were not significantly different from those in a comparable study of anaesthetized patients breathing spontaneously.
Cultural conditions and antioxidant activity of astaxanthin produced by Mucor circinelloides f. circinelloides

*Corresponding Author E-mail: galba_takaki@yahoo.com. br Tel. : +55-81-2119-4017; Fax: +55-81-2119-4043. Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll, a very common red-colored pigment of marine organisms that are in increasing demand in the market because of their applications in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Particularly, astaxanthin has been found to play protective roles against many chronic human diseases, and diseases associated with oxidative stresses caused by excess free radicals and other reactive oxygen species. Mucor circinelloides f. circinelloides is able to accumulate astaxanthin by stress conditions. The aim of this study was to produce astaxanthin by M. circinelloides f. circinelloides cultivated in the presence of exogenous stress conditions using a natural medium of cassava wastewater (CWW), continuous illumination with blue LED and fluorescent lamps in a bioreactor for 96 hours. The best condition for astaxanthin was under a fluorescent lamp (150 μg/g per dry biomass). The carotenoid fraction was extracted using acetone, followed by separation and purification by thin-layer chromatography. The astaxanthin was identified and quantified using spectrophotometry, based on the absorption coefficients. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) DPPH, and a higher antioxidant effect was observed by fluorescent lamp. This is one of the first reports on antioxidant activity in astaxanthin produced by Mucor circinelloides and the biotechnological potential for this fungus was demonstrated.
Meta-Analysis The Incidence of Esophageal Cancer and High-Grade Dysplasia in Barrett ’ s Esophagus : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Barrett’s esophagus is a well-recognized precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Surveillance of Barrett’s esophagus patients is recommended to detect high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or early cancer. Because of wide variation in the published cancer incidence in Barrett’s esophagus, the authors undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of cancer and HGD incidence in Barrett’s esophagus. Ovid Medline (Ovid Technologies, Inc., New York, New York) and EMBASE (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) databases were searched for papers published between 1950 and 2006 that reported the cancer/HGD risk in Barrett’s esophagus.Where possible, early incident cancers/HGDwere excluded, as were patients with HGD at baseline. Forty-seven studies were included in the main analysis, and the pooled estimate for cancer incidence in Barrett’s esophagus was 6.1/1,000 personyears, 5.3/1,000 person-years when early incident cancers were excluded, and 4.1/1,000 person-years when both early incident cancer and HGD at baseline were excluded. Corresponding figures for combined HGD/cancer incidence were 10.0 person-years, 9.3 person-years, and 9.1/1,000 person-years. Compared with women, men progressed to cancer at twice the rate. Cancer or HGD/cancer incidences were lower when only high-quality studies were analyzed (3.9/1,000 person-years and 7.7/1,000 person-years, respectively). The pooled estimates of cancer and HGD incidence were low, suggesting that the cost-effectiveness of surveillance is questionable unless it can be targeted to those with the highest cancer risk.
A case-control study of sporadic infection with O 157 and nonO 157 verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli

Potential risk factors for sporadic verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) infection in Belgium were investigated in a matched case-control study. Thirty-seven cases, 8 infected with O157 VTEC strains (all eaeA-positive), 29 with non-O157 VTEC strains (13 eaeA-positive and 16 eaeA-negative) and 69 matched controls were interviewed. In a conditional logistic regression analysis, consumption of fish appeared to be a risk factor for infection (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3±25, P ̄ 0±04). Contact with dogs (OR 0±27, P ̄ 0±04) and consumption of shellfish (OR 0±19, P ̄ 0±05) showed a negative association, corresponding to a decrease in risk. These findings might be explained if low level environmental exposure to VTEC induces protective immunity. Eating raw meat, a frequent habit in Belgium, or hamburgers, or eating in a fast-food restaurant was not more frequently reported by cases than controls. The exposures causing sporadic infections with VTEC, in particular non-O157 strains, may be very different from those which led to outbreaks, and may account for more cases overall.
Pressure-induced Phase Transition and Residual Stress Studies on a Meteorite Fall at Nathdwara, India

We shall review some of the author's recent results concerning geometric and topological features of the boolean model on a stationary point processes. While study of geometric features of the Poisson boolean model span a very rich literature, the literature for topological features of the Poisson boolean model is very nascent and that for a general stationary point process is very little. In particular, the focus will be on asymptotics of geometric or topological statistics of the boolean model on a stationary point process. We shall mainly give details about topological phase transitions and central limit theorem for geometric and topological statistics.
Teacher autonomy and collaboration as part of integrative teaching – Reflections on the curriculum approach in Finland

ABSTRACT This study builds on previous work in curriculum studies by providing insight into manifestations of the interplay between curriculum traditions, that are interested in education on a global scale and emphasized in the newest curriculum reform in Finland. This reform proposes a shift towards a competency-based curriculum, emphasizes integrative teaching and obligates to multidisciplinary teaching. Here, the suggestions are analysed from teachers’ perspectives. This data-based case study uses qualitative content analysis to examine interviews conducted with five teachers from three Finnish schools. The results reveal growing diversity as a result of multiple implementations of integrative teaching in Finland. Autonomy was maintained in teaching activity and provided possibilities for professional development. That being said, some limitations and challenges for integrative teaching were identified. This study argues that the ongoing curriculum reform process, which emphasizes integrative teaching, is a fruitful starting point for expanding teacher autonomy and collaboration. Further study is needed to follow the teachers’ changing perceptions of teacher autonomy.
Ecophysiological Responses of Acacia raddiana savi and Acacia nilotica (L.) During Seedling Establishment in Extreme Arid Conditions

THE PRESENT investigation involves the studies of physiological responses of A. raddiana (savi) Brenan and A. nilotica (L.) seedlings under extreme arid conditions.Experiments were performed in a hyper arid environment to study the effects of drought stress using different water regimes at 12%, 9%, 6%, 4% and 2%. Photosynthesis and transpiration rate were measured under full Photosynthetic Active Radiationrange (0-2500μmols-1m-2) and instantaneous water use efficiency was calculated.A. raddiana and A. nilotica showed maximum photosynthesis rate under 4% and 12% soil moisture content, respectively at high Photosynthetic Active Radiation levels, maximum transpiration rate of A. raddiana recorded at 4% soil moisture content and at 9% soil moisture content in A. nilotica at highest Photosynthetic Active Radiation. The maximum instantaneous water use efficiency was noticed in A. raddiana at 12% soil moisture content, while A. nilotica showed maximum instantaneous water use efficiency at 6% soil moisture content at high Photosynthetic Active Radiation level.A. raddiana acted as water spender ideal desert plant at high Photosynthetic Active Radiation. Other wise A. nilotica maximised photosynthesis rate and minimised transpiration rate giving maximum instantaneous water use efficiency at high Photosynthetic Active Radiation and low soil moisture content levels.
Measurement report: Aircraft observations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds over Hebei Province, China

Abstract. To provide insight into the planetary boundary layer (PBL) production of ozone (O3) over the North China Plain, the Air chemistry Research in Asia (ARIAs) campaign conducted aircraft measurements of air pollutants over Hebei Province, China, between May and June 2016. We evaluate vertical profiles of trace gas species including O3, nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and relate to rates of O3 production. This analysis shows measured O3 levels ranged from 45 to 146 ppbv, with the peak median concentration (∼ 92 ppbv) occurring between 1000 and 1500 m. The NOx concentrations exhibited strong spatial and altitudinal variations, with a maximum of 53 ppbv. Ratios of CO∕CO2 indicate the prevalence of low-efficiency combustion from biomass burning and residential coal burning but indicate some success of regional pollution controls compared to earlier studies in China. Concentrations of total measured VOCs reveal alkanes dominate the total measured volume mixing ratio of VOCs (68 %), and sources include vehicular emissions, fuel and solvent evaporation, and biomass burning. Alkanes and alkenes/alkynes are responsible for 74 % of the total VOC reactivity assessed by calculating the OH loss rates, while aromatics contribute the most to the total ozone formation potential (OFP) (43 %) with toluene, m/p-xylene, ethylene, propylene, and i-pentane playing significant roles in the aloft production of O3 in this region. In the PBL below 500 m, box model calculations constrained by measured precursors indicate the peak rate of mean O3 production was ∼ 7 ppbv h−1. Pollution frequently extended above the PBL into the lower free troposphere around 3000 m, where NO2 mixing ratios (∼ 400 pptv) led to net production rates of O3 up to ∼ 3 ppbv h−1; this pollution can travel substantial distances downwind. The O3 sensitivity regime is determined to be NOx-limited throughout the PBL, whereas it is more VOC-limited at low altitudes near urban centers, demonstrating that control of both VOCs and NOx is needed to reduce aloft O3 pollution over Hebei.
Refined Semiclassical Asymptotics for Fractional Powers of the Laplace Operator

We consider the fractional Laplacian on a domain and investigate the asymptotic behavior of its eigenvalues. Extending methods from semi-classical analysis we are able to prove a two-term formula for the sum of eigenvalues with the leading (Weyl) term given by the volume and the subleading term by the surface area. Our result is valid under very weak assumptions on the regularity of the boundary.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) On the origin of gravity and the laws of Newton Verlinde

Starting from first principles and general assumptions we present a heuristic argument that shows that Newton’s law of gravitation naturally arises in a theory in which space emerges through a holographic scenario. Gravity is identified with an entropic force caused by changes in the information associated with the positions of material bodies. A relativistic generalization of the presented arguments directly leads to the Einstein equations. When space is emergent even Newton’s law of inertia needs to be explained. The equivalence principle auggests that it is actually the law of inertia whose origin is entropic.