Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of blood pressure and sympathetic activity of rabbits in their home cage and the laboratory environment

Methodological improvements in measuring cardiovascular parameters have meant that data can be collected from freely moving animals in their home cage. However, experiments in rabbits still often require them to be restrained in a laboratory setting. The aim of this study was to determine whether measurements collected when rabbits were placed in a holding box in the laboratory are representative of values obtained in freely moving conscious rabbits. Nine New Zealand White rabbits received two radiotelemetry implants to monitor mean arterial pressure (MAP) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). The MAP measured in the laboratory (71 ± 1 mmHg) was similar to that in the home cage (69 ± 1 mmHg), but there was less MAP variability. The RSNA was also similar in both environments. In contrast, laboratory heart rate (HR) was 7% lower than home cage HR (181 ± 4 beats min−1, P < 0.001), but HR variability was similar. Baroreflex gain, assessed by spectral analysis, was 19% higher in the laboratory than in the home cage due to lower MAP mid‐frequency variability in the laboratory. Home cage circadian patterns of MAP and HR were strongly influenced by feeding and activity. Nevertheless, MAP and RSNA laboratory measurements were the same as average 24 h values and remained similar over several weeks. We conclude that while HR is generally lower in the laboratory, a valid representation of MAP and RSNA can be given by laboratory measurements.
Resolution of disputes concerning the physical mechanism and DC/AC stress/recovery modeling of Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) in p-MOSFETs

Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) is due to interface trap generation (ΔN<inf>it</inf>) and trapping of holes in gate insulator traps (ΔN<inf>It</inf>). However, the isolation methods and the relative dominance of ΔN<inf>it</inf> and ΔN<inf>it</inf>, time constants of ΔN<inf>it</inf> and ΔN<inf>it</inf> for stress, recovery and associated temperature (T) activation, and whether ΔN<inf>it</inf> recovers or remains permanent after stress, are widely debated. The resolution of such disputes is necessary to develop a reliable NBTI model. This work uses carefully designed measurements and simulations to resolve the aforementioned disputes. The contribution of ΔN<inf>it</inf> and ΔN<inf>it</inf> on overall threshold voltage shift (ΔN<inf>t</inf>) is determined. Kinetics of ΔN<inf>it</inf> and ΔN<inf>it</inf> during stress and recovery, T activation and associated time constants are verified in both large and small area devices. Existing theoretical models for ΔN<inf>it</inf> and ΔN<inf>it</inf> are benchmarked and validated against DC and AC experiments. Capability of the existing models for predicting end-of-life ΔN<inf>t</inf> is demonstrated.
Analysis of wind power cost based on learning curve

Based on the statistics of the history data of wind power cost and installed capacity,the learning curve models of wind power cost of Germany and China are set.The models are used to analyze the economy of wind cost in Germany and China.The wind power cost of China in 2025 is predicted based on several assumptions of growth rate of the wind installed capacity.Several tips are put forward to the development of wind power industry.
Nigerian oil and gas industry local content development: A stakeholder analysis

This paper undertakes the first stakeholder analysis of the Nigerian oil and gas industry local content development (LCD) policy to gain a better understanding of the extent of stakeholders’ interactions and how such interactions align to conditions conducive to local content development. Drawing from policy documents and semi-structured interviews, 15 stakeholder groups are identified, and seven of them categorized as key “players. ” A social network analysis then reveals that (i) a significant proportion of relationships between key players are unidirectional; (ii) a marginal role is played by higher education institutions within the network; (iii) it is international oil companies rather than indigenous operators that exhibit “global centrality” within the industry network, with the former stakeholder group pivotally determining industry activities. Our findings provide a valuable first step toward the development of a polycentric framework for the appraisal of the Nigerian local content development policy.
Cloning of the Koi Herpesvirus Genome as an Infectious Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Demonstrates That Disruption of the Thymidine Kinase Locus Induces Partial Attenuation in Cyprinus carpio koi

ABSTRACT Koi herpesvirus (KHV) is the causative agent of a lethal disease in koi and common carp. In the present study, we describe the cloning of the KHV genome as a stable and infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone that can be used to produce KHV recombinant strains. This goal was achieved by the insertion of a loxP-flanked BAC cassette into the thymidine kinase (TK) locus. This insertion led to a BAC plasmid that was stably maintained in bacteria and was able to regenerate virions when permissive cells were transfected with the plasmid. Reconstituted virions free of the BAC cassette but carrying a disrupted TK locus (the FL BAC-excised strain) were produced by the transfection of Cre recombinase-expressing cells with the BAC. Similarly, virions with a wild-type revertant TK sequence (the FL BAC revertant strain) were produced by the cotransfection of cells with the BAC and a DNA fragment encoding the wild-type TK sequence. Reconstituted recombinant viruses were compared to the wild-type parental virus in vitro and in vivo. The FL BAC revertant strain and the FL BAC-excised strain replicated comparably to the parental FL strain. The FL BAC revertant strain induced KHV infection in koi carp that was indistinguishable from that induced by the parental strain, while the FL BAC-excised strain exhibited a partially attenuated phenotype. Finally, the usefulness of the KHV BAC for recombination studies was demonstrated by the production of an ORF16-deleted strain by using prokaryotic recombination technology. The availability of the KHV BAC is an important advance that will allow the study of viral genes involved in KHV pathogenesis, as well as the production of attenuated recombinant candidate vaccines.
Association between the functional PTPN22 G788A (R263Q) polymorphism and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases: A meta-analysis.

This study explored whether the functional protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor 22 (PTPN22) G788A (R263Q) polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. A meta-analysis was conducted using 23 comparative studies with a total of 16,719 patients and 17,783 controls. The meta-analysis showed an association between the A allele of the PTPN22 G788A polymorphism and decreased risk of autoimmune diseases in all subjects (p < 0.001). Analysis after stratification by ethnicity indicated that the PTPN22 788A allele was significantly associated with autoimmune diseases in Europeans (p < 0.001) but not in Latin Americans. Meta-analysis by autoimmune disease type showed a significant negative association between the PTPN22 788A allele and systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) (p = 001), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (p = 0.008), ulcerative colitis (UC) (p = 0.016), but not Crohn's disease (CD). A single study for each showed no association between the PTPN22 788A allele and systemic sclerosis, giant cell arteritis, Henoch-schonlein purpura, uveitis, and Grave's disease. This meta-analysis demonstrates that the PTPN22 G788A polymorphism confers protection against SLE, RA, and UC, supporting evidence of association of the PTPN22 gene with a subgroup of autoimmune diseases.
Fusarium: The versatile pathogen

Fusarium is an emerging human opportunistic pathogen of growing importance, especially among immunosuppressed haematology patients due to an increased incidence of disseminated infections over the past two decades. This trend is expected only to continue due to the advances in medical and surgical technologies that will prolong the lives of the severely ill, making these patients susceptible to rare opportunistic infections. Production of mycotoxins, enzymes such as proteases, angio-invasive property and an intrinsically resistant nature, makes this genus very difficult to treat. Fusarium is frequently isolated from the cornea and less commonly from nail, skin, blood, tissue, Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) fluid, urine and pleural fluid. Conventional microscopy establishes the genus, but accurate speciation requires multilocus sequence typing with housekeeping genes such as internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor-1α and RPB1 and 2 (largest and second largest subunits of RNA polymerase), for which expansive internet databases exist. Identifying pathogenic species is of epidemiological significance, and the treatment includes immune reconstitution by granulocyte–colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage–colony-stimulating factor and a combination of the most active species – specific antifungals, typically liposomal amphotericin-B and voriconazole. However, patient outcome is difficult to predict even with in vitro susceptibility with these drugs. Therefore, prevention methods and antifungal prophylaxis have to be taken seriously for these vulnerable patients by vigilant healthcare workers. The current available literature on PubMed and Google Scholar using search terms 'Fusarium', 'opportunistic invasive fungi' and 'invasive fusariosis' was summarised for this review.
The value of the lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury model in respiratory medicine

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a syndrome characterized by pulmonary edema and acute inflammation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component in Gram-negative bacteria, has been used to induce ALI/ARDS. LPS-induced animal models highlight ways to explore mechanisms of multiple diseases and provide useful information on the discovery of novel biomarkers and drug targets. However, each model has its own merits and drawbacks. The goal of this article is to summarize and evaluate the results of experimental findings in LPS-induced ALI/ARDS, and the possible mechanisms and treatments elucidated. Advantages and disadvantages of such models in pulmonary research and new directions for future investigations are also discussed.
Study on time domain reconstruction from non-uniform azimuth sampling in SAR signal

Wide-swath and high-resolution impose contradicting requirements on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system design and parameters choice. To solve non-uniform sampling in the azimuth in the displaced phase centers multiple azimuth beams (DPCMAB) system, the time domain reconstruction algorithm based on the generalized sampling theorem is proposed, and a set of analytical formulas on the quadruple channels DPCMAB system is derived in detail. In addition, the performances and computational complexity of this algorithm are discussed. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the time domain reconstruction algorithm can eliminate the spurious image from non-uniform sampling and suppress paired echo below -60 dB.
Wideband hybrid precoder design in MU-MIMO based on channel angular information

Millimeter wave (mmWave) is one of the key technology in the fifth generation mobile communication system. In mmWave system, hybrid precoding is applied to reduce the number of radio frequency (RF) chains. Although narrow band multiuser hybrid precoding is widely studied, only a few works focus on wideband hybrid precoding. The main problem is that all subcarrier share the same analog precoding matrix but the channel information in frequency domain are different. In this paper, we propose a wideband hybrid precoding method based on channel angular information in multiuser-MIMO (MU-MIMO) scenario. Since the channel state information (CSI) in time domain are the same for all subcarriers, we first construct a autocorrelation channel matrix by angular information, which is available for all subcarriers. Then, we propose an iterative method using manifold optimization for analog precoders and combiners to achieve higher sum data rate. Simulation results show that our proposed method is superior to the existing hybrid precoding method and has a close performance to digital ZF precoding.
Mechanisms of cartilage growth: modulation of balance between proteoglycan and collagen in vitro using chondroitinase ABC.

OBJECTIVE To examine the cartilage growth-associated effects of a disruption in the balance between the swelling pressure of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and the restraining function of the collagen network, by diminishing GAG content prior to culture using enzymatic treatment with chondroitinase ABC. METHODS Immature bovine articular cartilage explants from the superficial and middle layers were analyzed immediately or after incubation in serum-supplemented medium for 13 days. Other explants were treated with chondroitinase ABC to deplete tissue GAG and also either analyzed immediately or after incubation in serum-supplemented medium for 13 days. Treatment- and incubation-associated variations in tissue volume, contents of proteoglycan and collagen network components, and tensile mechanical properties were assessed. RESULTS Incubation in serum-supplemented medium resulted in expansive growth with a marked increase in tissue volume that was associated with a diminution of tensile integrity. In contrast, chondroitinase ABC treatment on day 0 led to a marked reduction of GAG content and enhancement of tensile integrity, and subsequent incubation led to maturational growth with minimal changes in tissue volume and maintenance of tensile integrity at the enhanced levels. CONCLUSION The data demonstrate that a manipulation of GAG content in articular cartilage explants can distinctly alter the growth phenotype of cartilage. This may have practical utility for tissue engineering and cartilage repair. For example, the expansive growth phenotype may be useful to fill cartilage defects, while the maturational growth phenotype may be useful to induce matrix stabilization after filling defect spaces.
SCADA system for real-time measuring and evaluation of river water quality

Protection of the natural water resources becomes more and more important issue. Usual way to deal with this problem is to build on-site monitoring station capable for independent measurement of water quality parameters where all the measurement equipment is installed and where all measurements are done. But, in this case a dedicated person is needed which on regular basis will collect the data from the station, in order to compare them with laboratory measurements. In this way, delay between emerging and noted data is introduced. It is here presented possible solution of this problem developing completely independent real-time measuring station using industrial SCADA system. Real-time monitoring of the water quality and quantity parameters gives on-time alert and time for reaction. This SCADA system provides continues (24/7) monitoring of the diverse physical, chemical, biological parameters enabling fast and reliable detection of the pollutants. Saved data give chance for additional (off-site) analysis of the measured parameters and their connections. System is consisted of Central Monitoring Station (located at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Skopje), Local Monitoring Station (located near town Demir Kapija), and several mobile monitoring stations. Specially designed Local Monitoring Station has been automated with the use of industrial PLC in order to integrate the work of all diverse instruments, real-time measuring devices, analytical measuring devices and station functionality equipment. Data gathered at the Remote real-time stations is continuously sent to CMS for further analysis.
Longitudinal Study of Postconcussion Syndrome: Not Everyone Recovers.

We examined recovery from postconcussion syndrome (PCS) in a series of 285 patients diagnosed with concussion based on international sport concussion criteria who received a questionnaire regarding recovery. Of 141 respondents, those with postconcussion symptoms lasting less than 3 months, a positive computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), litigants, and known Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM)-positive cases were excluded, leaving 110 eligible respondents. We found that only 27% of our population eventually recovered and 67% of those who recovered did so within the first year. Notably, no eligible respondent recovered from PCS lasting 3 years or longer. Those who did not recover (n = 80) were more likely to be non-compliant with a do-not-return-to-play recommendation (p = 0.006) but did not differ from the recovered group (n = 30) in other demographic variables, including age and sex (p ≥ 0.05). Clustergram analysis revealed that symptoms tended to appear in a predictable order, such that symptoms later in the order were more likely to be present if those earlier in the order were already present. Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that the more symptoms reported, the longer the time to recovery (p = 7.4 × 10-6), with each additional symptom reducing the recovery rate by approximately 20%. This is the first longitudinal PCS study to focus on PCS defined specifically as a minimum of 3 months of symptoms, negative CT and/or MRI, negative TOMM test, and no litigation. PCS may be permanent if recovery has not occurred by 3 years. Symptoms appear in a predictable order, and each additional PCS symptom reduces recovery rate by 20%. More long-term follow-up studies are needed to examine recovery from PCS.
Effectiveness of radiation for prevention of mastectomy in older breast cancer patients treated with conservative surgery

A recent clinical trial concluded that radiation therapy (RT) does not lower the risk of mastectomy and, thus, may be omitted in older women with stage I, estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive breast cancer who undergo conservative surgery (CS). However, it is not known whether this finding applies to patients outside of clinical trials. Accordingly, we used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare observational cohort to determine the effect of RT on the risk of mastectomy among older women with stage I, ER‐positive breast cancer.
Bioequivalence Study of 10 mg Olanzapine Tablets in Healthy Thai

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the bioequivalence of 10 mg tablets of olanzapine between a generic drug (Olapin ® -10; Unison Laboratories Co., Ltd., Thailand) and a reference drug (Zyprexa ® ,Eli Lilly, England) in healthy volunteers. Subjects and methods: A single dose, randomized, 2-period, 2-sequence, crossover study was conducted in 24 healthy Thai male and female volunteers. Each volunteer received a 10 mg tablet of the reference or test drug under fasting condition with a washout period of at least 21 days. Blood samples were obtained at pre-dose and at various time points up to 120 hours after dosing. Olanzapine plasma concentrations were quantified by a validated method employing liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results: 24 volunteers completed both treatment periods. The geometric mean ratios (GMR) (test/reference) between the two formulations of olanzapine were 95.76% (90%CI, 88.55-103.55%) for C max ; 103.77% (97.49- 110.46%) for AUC0-120; and 104.39% (98.20-110.98%) for AUC0-∞(obs). There was no statistical difference of the Tmax between the two formulations (p>0.05). One hundred and eight adverse events were reported from both formulations. Most of the adverse events were judged to be mild in intensity and did not require additional medical treatment. Conclusion: No significant difference in the analysed pharmacokinetic parameters was found between the two formulations of 10 mg olanzapine in the healthy Thai volunteers. The 90%CI of GMR of the pharmacokinetic parameters was entirely within the equivalence criteria (80-125%). Therefore, it can be concluded that this two olanzapine tablet formulations were considered bioequivalent.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Evaluation of Matrix Factorisation Approaches for Muscle Synergy Extraction

The muscle synergy concept provides a widely-accepted paradigm to break down the complexity of motor control. In order to identify the synergies, diﬀerent matrix factorisation techniques have been used in a repertoire of ﬁelds such as prosthesis control and biomechanical and clinical studies. However, the rele-vance of these matrix factorisation techniques is still open for discussion since there is no ground truth for the underlying synergies. Here, we evaluate factorisation techniques and investigate the factors that aﬀect the quality of estimated synergies. We compared commonly used matrix factorisation methods: Principal component analysis (PCA), Independent component analysis (ICA), Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) and second-order blind identiﬁcation (SOBI). Publicly available real data were used to assess the synergies extracted by each factorisation method in the classiﬁcation of wrist movements. Synthetic datasets were utilised to explore the eﬀect of muscle synergy sparsity, level of noise and number of channels on the extracted synergies. Results suggest that the sparse synergy model and a higher number of channels would result in better estimated synergies. Without dimensionality reduction, SOBI showed better results than other factorisation methods. This suggests that SOBI would be an alternative when a limited number of electrodes is available but its performance was still poor in that case. Otherwise, NMF had the best performance when the number of channels was higher than the number of synergies. Therefore, NMF would be the best method for muscle synergy extraction.
Free and fixed‐ratio combinations of basal insulin and GLP‐1 receptor agonists versus basal insulin intensification in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

A meta‐analysis is presented of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing free or fixed combinations of a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist plus basal insulin versus insulin intensification on metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Electronic databases were searched for RCTs assessing changes in HbA1c, proportion of patients at HbA1c target of <7% (53 mmol/mol), hypoglycaemia and body weight. A random‐effect model was used to calculate the weighted mean difference (WMD) or relative risk (RR) with 95% CI. Eleven RCTs were identified, lasting 24–30 weeks and involving 6176 patients. In the overall analysis, the combination therapy led to a mean HbA1c decrease significantly greater than insulin up‐titration (WMD −0.53%, 95% CI, −0.66, −0.40%, P < 0.001), more patients at HbA1c target (RR 1.69, 95% CI, 1.42, 2.00, P < 0.001), similar hypoglycaemic events (RR 0.97, 95% CI, 0.84, 1.12, P = 0.114), and reduction in body weight (WMD −1.9, 95% CI −2.3, −1.4, P < 0.001), with heterogeneity (I2 > 71%, P < 0.001). Results did not differ in either the free or fixed combination subgroups. Combination strategies, either free or fixed, represent a good option for intensifying basal insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes who need amelioration of glycaemic control.