Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
‘I’m almost never sick’: Everyday life experiences of children and young people with home mechanical ventilation

Developments in medical technology and treatment have increased the survival rates of children with serious illnesses or injuries, including those receiving home mechanical ventilation, which is a small but growing group. The aim of this study was to explore everyday life experiences of children and young people living with home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Data were obtained through interviews with nine participants. The interviews were supported by photovoice methodology: photographs taken by the participants before or during the interviews were used to facilitate conversation. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that everyday life on a ventilator can be described as including power but simultaneously as characterized by vulnerability to the outside world, comparable to balancing on a tightrope. Various types of technology, both information and communication technology (ICT) and vital medical technology, enabled the participants to engage with the world around them. This study contributes knowledge about the experiences of children and young people with HMV, who depict their lives as good and valuable. The study also underscores, when designing plans and home support, it is necessary to take a sensible approach to personal experiences of what a good life is and what resources are needed to attain and maintain health.
Type II Toxoplasma gondii KU80 Knockout Strains Enable Functional Analysis of Genes Required for Cyst Development and Latent Infection

ABSTRACT Type II Toxoplasma gondii KU80 knockouts (Δku80) deficient in nonhomologous end joining were developed to delete the dominant pathway mediating random integration of targeting episomes. Gene targeting frequency in the type II Δku80 Δhxgprt strain measured at the orotate (OPRT) and the uracil (UPRT) phosphoribosyltransferase loci was highly efficient. To assess the potential of the type II Δku80 Δhxgprt strain to examine gene function affecting cyst biology and latent stages of infection, we targeted the deletion of four parasite antigen genes (GRA4, GRA6, ROP7, and tgd057) that encode characterized CD8+ T cell epitopes that elicit corresponding antigen-specific CD8+ T cell populations associated with control of infection. Cyst development in these type II mutant strains was not found to be strictly dependent on antigen-specific CD8+ T cell host responses. In contrast, a significant biological role was revealed for the dense granule proteins GRA4 and GRA6 in cyst development since brain tissue cyst burdens were drastically reduced specifically in mutant strains with GRA4 and/or GRA6 deleted. Complementation of the Δgra4 and Δgra6 mutant strains using a functional allele of the deleted GRA coding region placed under the control of the endogenous UPRT locus was found to significantly restore brain cyst burdens. These results reveal that GRA proteins play a functional role in establishing cyst burdens and latent infection. Collectively, our results suggest that a type II Δku80 Δhxgprt genetic background enables a higher-throughput functional analysis of the parasite genome to reveal fundamental aspects of parasite biology controlling virulence, pathogenesis, and transmission.
Error reduction in the finite helical axis for knee kinematics

Abstract Traditionally the FHA is calculated stepwise between data points (sFHA), requiring down sampling to achieve a sufficiently large step size to minimize error. This paper proposes an alternate FHA calculation approach (rFHA), using a unique reference position to reduce error associated with small rotation angles. This study demonstrated error reduction using the rFHA approach relative to the sFHA approach. Furthermore, the rFHA in the femur is defined at each time point providing a continuous representation of joint motion. These characteristics enable the rFHA to quantify small differences in knee joint motion, providing an excellent measure to quantify knee joint stability.
Proper Generalized Decomposition Applied on a Rotating Electrical Machine

The proper generalized decomposition (PGD) is a model order reduction method which allows to reduce the computational time of a numerical problem by seeking for a separated representation of the solution. The PGD has been already applied to study an electrical machine but at standstill without accounting the motion of the rotor. In this paper, we propose a method to account for the rotation in the PGD approach in order to build an efficient metamodel of an electrical machine. Then, the machine metamodel will be coupled to its electrical and mechanical environment in order to obtain accurate results with an acceptable computational time on a full simulation.
Gene mutations and actionable genetic lesions in mantle cell lymphoma

Mutations and epigenetic alterations are key events in transforming normal cells to cancer cells. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the B-cell, is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis especially for those patients who are resistant to the frontline drugs. There is a great need to describe the molecular basis and mechanism of drug resistance in MCL to develop new strategies for treatment. We reviewed frequent somatic mutations and mutations involving the B-cell pathways in MCL and discussed clinical trials that attempted to disrupt these gene pathways and/or epigenetic events. Recurrent gene mutations were discussed in the light of prognostic and therapeutic opportunity and also the challenges of targeting these lesions. Mutations in the ATM, CCND1, TP53, MLL2, TRAF2 and NOTCH1 were most frequently encountered in mantle cell lymphoma. Translational models should be built that would assess mutations longitudinally to identify important compensatory, pro-survival and anti-apoptic pathways and actionable genetic targets.
Investigation on additive manufacturing with conductive PLA filament for realisation of low-loss suspended microstrip microwave circuits

In this paper we investigate the applicability of additive manufacturing with conductive Polylactic Acid (PLA) based filament for realization of low-loss suspended microstrip microwave circuits. Filament is used to 3D print case which serve three major functions: provides mechanical enclosure and support for the circuit, provides appropriate elevation of the thin laminate with circuit mosaic over the ground plane and can potentially serve as the ground plane. The influence of the bulk conductivity of the utilized filament on total losses within the structure has been studied. Moreover, an exemplary transmission line hosted in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printed case has been manufactured and measured. Graphene-enhanced PLA material having volume conductivity of ≈ 166 S/m has been used yielding total loss of ≈ 0.14 dB/cm/GHz while reference case with copper foil ground plane yields total loss of ≈ 0.04 dB/cm/GHz.
Effects of ammonium-based ionic liquids and 2,4-dichlorophenol on the phospholipid fatty acid composition of zebrafish embryos

Ionic liquids consisting of a combination of herbicidal anions with a quaternary ammonium cation act as efficient herbicides, which are under consideration to be used in the agriculture. In the present study, we used embryos of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model to assess the toxic potential of ammonium-based ionic liquids for aquatic organisms. As we assumed interference of the partially hydrophobic ionic liquid cation with lipids, we investigated the adaptation response in the lipid composition of the zebrafish embryos, triggered by the ionic compound. Therefore, the impact of ammonium-based ionic liquids with different lengths of the alkyl chain ([C6,C6,C1,C1N][Br], [C8,C8,C1,C1N][Br]) on the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profile of zebrafish embryos up to 72 hours post fertilization (hpf) was examined. Furthermore, the changes in the unsaturation index (UI) of PLFAs, as the sum parameter of membrane fluidity in eukaryotic cells, were presented. The PLFA’s UI in the zebrafish embryos upon exposure to quaternary ammonium salts was compared to the UI of the embryos upon exposure to nonionic 2,4-dichlorophenol, which has a similar hydrophobicity but is structurally different to [C8,C8,C1,C1N][Br]. It was shown that for ammonium-based ionic liquid precursors non-specific mode of action occurs and the toxic effect on lipid composition of zebrafish embryos can be well predicted based on chemical properties, like hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the changes in PLFAs, expressed by the UI, can be useful to study toxic effects of organic contamination. However, for zebrafish embryos, after ionic liquids and 2,4-DCP exposure, the changes were observed at high lethal concentrations, which caused the incidence of lethality of 30 and 50% of a group of test animals.
Performance analysis of filtering antennas

Multifunction module performing both filtering and radiating functions called filtering antenna or filtenna becomes inevitable in modern wireless communication system. This paper discusses the implementation of various filtering antennas and analyzes the performance of these antennas in terms of parameters such as gain, selectivity, bandwidth, harmonic suppression, and polarization. Various techniques, issues, and challenges post in the design of filtering antenna and methods used to enhance the performance of filtering antennas are discussed.
Cognitive trajectories and spectrum of neuropathology in SuperAgers: The first 10 cases

On average, memory capacity is significantly higher in populations of 50–60 year olds than in populations of 80 year olds. We define SuperAgers as individuals 80 or older whose episodic memory capacity is at least as good as that of cognitively average individuals in their 50s and 60s. SuperAgers therefore have memory capacity that is superior for age. Previous work showed that SuperAgers have greater cortical volumes and greater resistance to age‐related cortical atrophy than “cognitively average” individuals of the same age. Here we report on the cognitive, personality, and neuropathologic characteristics of the first 10 autopsy cases in the Northwestern SuperAging Program. During the follow‐up period, seven SuperAgers maintained episodic memory performance within or above the average range for 50–65 year‐old norms and all 10 SuperAgers maintained episodic memory scores within normal limits for their own age. Extraversion scores tended to be high on the NEO‐PI‐R measure of personality. The 10 autopsy specimens showed variable findings within the spectrum of Alzheimer pathology. The hippocampus and entorhinal cortex contained neurofibrillary degeneration mostly in the Braak II–III stages. However, even these limbic areas contained many healthy appearing neurons and the neocortex was generally free of neurofibrillary degeneration. In contrast, neocortical areas in at least five of the cases contained moderate to high densities of neuritic plaques. These findings need to be placed in context by comparing them to the neuropathology of cognitively average individuals of the same age. Future research on SuperAgers is likely to offer insights into factors that either prevent the emergence of involutional changes in the brain or that makes cognitive function more resistant to their consequences.
Tracking Working Set Sizes of Virtual Machines Using Miss Ratio Curves by Sarandeth Reth

Working sets are sets of pages that have been most recently accessed by virtual machines (VMs). They are often used within the memory scheduler of a hypervisor to estimate the memory demands of VMs running on the hypervisor. In order to manage the memory resources of the hypervisor efficiently, it is essential that these working set sizes be estimated accurately at any given point in time. Currently, a statistical sampling strategy is used within VMware ESX hypervisors to estimate the working set sizes of VMs. Using this technique, a small number of random pages is selected to form a sample set. Access to these sampled pages is then tracked and the percentage of sampled pages that are accessed is used to estimate the working set size of a VM. This technique, though simple, does not provide a very accurate estimation of the working set size. A more promising tool that can be used to accurately estimate the working set size of a VM is a miss ratio curve (MRC). An MRC is a curve that plots the predicted miss ratio of a VM against the total available memory given to the VM. Even though MRCs can estimate working set sizes of VMs with much better accuracy, they are still not widely used in practice because building these curves incurs too much overhead, thus affecting the overall system performance. However, a recent study has found a way to reduce the cost of building these curves, making them a promising tool that can be used to estimate working set sizes. In this thesis, I propose that MRCs be used as an alternative to the statistical sampling strategy currently employed within VMware ESX. I will demonstrate how to apply the state of the art technique found in the recent study to construct accurate MRCs without incurring too much overhead, and use these curves to track working set sizes of VMs. I will also show that these curves can estimate working set sizes of VMs with much better accuracy than the statistical sampling strategy. Thesis Supervisor: Saman Amarasinghe Title: Professor Thesis Co-Supervisor: Yuri Baskakov
Identifying the content area for the 51-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire: results from focus groups with visually impaired persons.

OBJECTIVE To identify the content area for a questionnaire designed to measure vision-targeted health-related quality of life and to determine whether problems with vision-related functioning are qualitatively similar across different common eye diseases. DESIGN Twenty-six condition-specific focus groups were conducted with 246 patients from 5 geographic regions to identify the content area for a questionnaire for use among persons with diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cytomegalovirus retinitis, and cataract. A standard protocol was used to structure each focus group discussion. Sessions were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded in preparation for a content analysis. SETTINGS Five university-based ophthalmology practices and 1 nonprofit eye care foundation. PARTICIPANTS Eligible participants had to have 1 of the following eye conditions: age-related cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, primary open angle glaucoma, cytomegalovirus retinitis, or low vision from any cause. All eligible persons were older than 21 years, spoke English, and had sufficient cognitive function to provide informed consent. RESULTS Among the 246 participants, 2623 problems with vision-related functioning were mentioned. The mean number of problems per person ranged from 13.5 for those with diabetic retinopathy to 7.9 for persons with glaucoma. For the sample overall, reading problems were mentioned most frequently, followed by driving, general problems with seeing clearly, and mental health complaints caused by vision. Although the proportion of persons who reported each problem varied by condition, at least some persons with each eye disease reported each problem. The 3 most common descriptors associated with each problem were difficulty or ease of performance (13%), psychological distress associated with performance of the activity (11%), and complete inability to participate in a visual activity (11%). CONCLUSION An item-generation strategy for a new questionnaire using a standardized focus group method identified content areas and aspects of visual disability that are not included in currently available vision-specific instruments that assess the impact of common eye diseases on visual functioning in every-day life. Although participants mentioned problems that were unique to their disease, across conditions the problems mentioned were similar. These findings provide empirical evidence of content validity for a vision-targeted, health-related quality-of-life survey designed for use across conditions.
Processing of Particle‐Stabilized Wet Foams Into Porous Ceramics

Direct foaming of colloidal suspensions is a simple and versatile approach for the fabrication of macroporous ceramic materials. Wet foams produced by this method can be stabilized by long-chain surfactants or by colloidal particles. In this work, we investigate the processing of particle-stabilized wet foams into crack-free macroporous ceramics. The processing steps are discussed with particular emphasis on the consolidation and drying process of wet foams. Macroporous alumina ceramics prepared using different consolidation and drying methods are compared in terms of their final microstructure, porosity, and compressive strength. Consolidation of the wet foam by particle coagulation before drying resulted in porous alumina with a closed-cell structure, a porosity of 86.5%, an average cell size of 35 μm, and a remarkable compressive strength of 16.3 MPa. On the other hand, wet foams consolidated via gelation of the liquid within the foam lamella led to porous structures with interconnected cells in the size range from 100 to 150 μm. The tailored microstructure and high mechanical strength of the macroporous ceramics can be of interest for the manufacture of bio-scaffolds, thermal insulators, impact absorbers, separation membranes, and light weight ceramics.
Association between World Trade Center exposure and excess cancer risk.

CONTEXT The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, resulted in the release of known and suspected carcinogens into the environment. There is public concern that exposures may have resulted in increased cancers. OBJECTIVE To evaluate cancer incidence among persons enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Observational study of 55,778 New York State residents enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry in 2003-2004, including rescue/recovery workers (n = 21,850) and those not involved in rescue/recovery (n = 33,928), who were followed up from enrollment through December 31, 2008. Within-cohort comparisons using Cox proportional hazards models assessed the relationship between intensity of World Trade Center exposure and selected cancers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Cases were identified through linkage with 11 state cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and sex were computed with 2003-2008 New York State rates as the reference, focusing on cancers diagnosed in 2007-2008 as being most likely to be related to exposure during September 11 and its aftermath. The total and site-specific incidence rate differences (RDs) per 100,000 person-years between the study population and the New York State population in 2007-2008 also were calculated. RESULTS There were 1187 incident cancers diagnosed, with an accumulated 253,269 person-years (439 cancers among rescue/recovery workers and 748 among those not involved in rescue/recovery). The SIR for all cancer sites combined in 2007-2008 was not significantly elevated (SIR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.99 to 1.30]; RD, 67 [95% CI, -6 to 126] per 100,000 person-years among rescue/recovery workers vs SIR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.83 to 1.03]; RD, -45 [95% CI, -106 to 15] per 100,000 person-years among those not involved in rescue/recovery). Among rescue/recovery workers, the SIRs had significantly increased by 2007-2008 for 3 cancer sites and were 1.43 (95% CI, 1.11 to 1.82) for prostate cancer (n = 67; RD, 61 [95% CI, 20 to 91] per 100,000 person-years), 2.02 (95% CI, 1.07 to 3.45) for thyroid cancer (n = 13; RD, 16 [95% CI, 2 to 23] per 100,000 person-years), and 2.85 (95% CI, 1.15 to 5.88) for multiple myeloma (n = 7; RD, 11 [95% CI, 2 to 14] per 100,000 person-years). No increased incidence was observed in 2007-2008 among those not involved in rescue/recovery. Using within-cohort comparisons, the intensity of World Trade Center exposure was not significantly associated with cancer of the lung, prostate, thyroid, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or hematological cancer in either group. CONCLUSIONS Among persons enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry, there was an excess risk for prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, and myeloma in 2007-2008 compared with that for New York State residents; however, these findings were based on a small number of events and multiple comparisons. No significant associations were observed with intensity of World Trade Center exposures. Longer follow-up for typically long-latency cancers and attention to specific cancer sites are needed.
Incorporation of Zolpidem into Hair and Its Distribution after a Single Administration

To obtain fundamental information on the drug incorporation into hair, time-course changes in drug distribution along single-strand hair were observed after a single oral administration of zolpidem (ZP), one of the most frequently used hypnotic agents. Quantitative sectional hair analyses of 1-mm segments were performed for each single-strand hair using a validated LC-MS/MS procedure. ZP was detected in all specimens plucked at 10 and 24 hours after a single dose, and the distribution ranged over the whole hair root (4–5 mm in length). A significantly high concentration of ZP was detected in the hair bulb region, whereas much lower concentrations were widely observed in the upper part of the hair root of those samples; this suggested that the incorporation of ZP occurred in two regions, mainly in the hair bulb and to a lesser extent in the upper dermis zone. The ZP-positive area formed lengths of up to 10–12 mm after a single administration, indicating that its incorporation from the hair bulb would continue for about 2 weeks. Time-course changes in the ZP concentration in the hair root additionally revealed that only a small portion of ZP that initially concentrated in the bulb was successively incorporated into the hair matrix and moved toward the keratinized region as hair grew. These findings should be taken into account upon discussing individual drug-use history based on hair analysis. The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging of ZP in the same kinds of hair specimens was also successfully achieved.
Functional performance and quality of life in high-risk comorbid patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis.

Aims We assessed the impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on functional performance and quality of life (QoL) in a high-risk patient population with multiple comorbidities. Methods and results Between January 2009 and December 2014, 145 high-risk patients (EuroSCORE II 7.3% [4.9; 14.9]) with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis (AS) underwent TAVI in a single centre. We prospectively evaluated New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), and QoL using the validated Dutch version of the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) descriptive assessment and a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) at baseline, 30 days, as well as 6, 12, and 24 months after TAVI. All patients were eligible for analysis. New York Heart Association functional class improved significantly at 30-day, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up (P < 0.001 for all). The absolute 6MWD improved significantly at 30 days (+19.3 ± 8.2 m; P= 0.0499) and at 6 months (+23.3 ± 8.1 m; P = 0.0194). A favourable trend was maintained at 12 months (+17.1 ± 8.8 m; P = 0.1879), whereas at 24 months 6MWD was similar to baseline values. No significant change in the descriptive assessment of QoL (EQ5D) was observed, whereas the EQ-VAS showed a significant improvement in QoL up to 24 months (P < 0.0180 for all time-points). Conclusion In high-risk comorbid patients with symptomatic AS, TAVI results in a significant but temporary improvement of functional performance when assessed with objective measures of 6MWD but not of EQ-5D. Moreover, TAVI has a significant and sustained impact on subjective well-being and exercise capacity assessed with the EQ-VAS and NYHA score.