Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prescribing and deprescribing antihypertensive medication in older people by Dutch general practitioners: a qualitative study

Objectives To explore general practitioners’ (GPs) routines and considerations on (de)prescribing antihypertensive medication (AHM) in older patients, their judgement on usability of the current guideline and needs for future support. Design Semistructured interviews. Setting Dutch general practice. Participants Fifteen GPs were purposively sampled based on level of experience and practice characteristics until saturation was reached. Results GPs appeared reluctant to start AHM, especially in patient >80 years. High systolic blood pressure and history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes were enablers to start or intensify treatment. Reasons to refrain from this were frailty and patient preference. GPs described a tendency to continue AHM regimens unchanged, influenced by daily time constraints, automated prescription routines and anticipating discomfort when disturbing patients’ delicate balance. GPs were only inclined to deprescribe AHM in terminally ill patients or after prolonged achievement of target levels in combination with side effects or patient preference. Deprescription was facilitated when GPs had experience with patients showing increased quality of life after deprescription and was withheld by anticipated regret (ie, GPs’ fear of a stroke after deprescribing). GPs felt insufficient guidance from current guidelines, especially on deprescription. Conclusions GPs are reluctant to start or deprescribe AHM in older people and have a propensity to continue AHM within a daily routine that insufficiently supports critical medication review. (De)prescription is influenced by patient preferences and anticipated regret and current guidelines provide insufficient guidance.
Physical Conditions in Orion’s Veil. II. A Multicomponent Study of the Line of Sight toward the Trapezium

Orion's Veil is an absorbing screen that lies along the line of sight to the Orion H II region. It consists of two or more layers of gas that must lie within a few parsecs of the Trapezium cluster. Our previous work considered the Veil as a whole and found that the magnetic field dominates the energetics of the gas in at least one component. Here we use high-resolution STIS UV spectra that resolve the two velocity components in absorption and determine the conditions in each. We derive a volume hydrogen density, 21 cm spin temperature, turbulent velocity, and kinetic temperature for each. We combine these estimates with magnetic field measurements to find that magnetic energy significantly dominates turbulent and thermal energies in one component, while the other component is close to equipartition between turbulent and magnetic energies. We observe H2 absorption for highly excited v, J levels that are photoexcited by the stellar continuum, and detect blueshifted S+2 and P+2 ions. These ions must arise from ionized gas between the mostly neutral portions of the Veil and the Trapezium and shields the Veil from ionizing radiation. We find that this layer of ionized gas is also responsible for He I λ3889 absorption toward the Veil, which resolves a 40 year old debate on the origin of He I absorption toward the Trapezium. Finally, we determine that the ionized and mostly atomic layers of the Veil will collide in less than 85,000 yr.
The Tomato Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase SlMPK1 Is as a Negative Regulator of the High-Temperature Stress Response1[OPEN]

Tomato mitogen-activated protein kinase SlMPK1 negatively regulates high-temperature tolerance by regulating antioxidant defense, and the phosphorylation of substrate SlSPRH1 is involved in this pathway. High-temperature (HT) stress is a major environmental stress that limits plant growth and development. MAPK cascades play key roles in plant growth and stress signaling, but their involvement in the HT stress response is poorly understood. Here, we describe a 47-kD MBP-phosphorylated protein (p47-MBPK) activated in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaves under HT and identify it as SlMPK1 by tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Silencing of SlMPK1 in transgenic tomato plants resulted in enhanced tolerance to HT, while overexpression resulted in reduced tolerance. Proteomic analysis identified a set of proteins involved in antioxidant defense that are significantly more abundant in RNA interference-SlMPK1 plants than nontransgenic plants under HT stress. RNA interference-SlMPK1 plants also showed changes in membrane lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities. Furthermore, using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified a serine-proline-rich protein homolog, SlSPRH1, which interacts with SlMPK1 in yeast, in plant cells, and in vitro. We demonstrate that SlMPK1 can directly phosphorylate SlSPRH1. Furthermore, the serine residue serine-44 of SlSPRH1 is a crucial phosphorylation site in the SlMPK1-mediated antioxidant defense mechanism activated during HT stress. We also demonstrate that heterologous expression of SlSPRH1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) led to a decrease in thermotolerance and lower antioxidant capacity. Taken together, our results suggest that SlMPK1 is a negative regulator of thermotolerance in tomato plants. SlMPK1 acts by regulating antioxidant defense, and its substrate SlSPRH1 is involved in this pathway.
Characterization of Water Channels in Wheat Root Membrane Vesicles

The functional significance of water channels in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) root membranes was assessed using light scattering to measure vesicle shrinking in response to osmotic gradients rapidly imposed in a stopped flow apparatus. Vesicles were obtained from both a plasma membrane fraction and a plasma membrane-depleted endomembrane fraction including tonoplast vesicles. Osmotic water permeability (Pos) in the endomembrane fraction was high (Pos= 86.0 [mu]m s-1) with a low activation energy (EA= 23.32 kJ mol-1 [plus or minus] 3.88 SE), and was inhibited by mercurials (K1= 40 [mu]M HgCl2, where K1 is the inhibition constant for half-maximal inhibition), suggesting participation of water channels. A high ratio of osmotic to diffusional permeability (Pd) (using D2O as a tracer, Pos/Pd = 7 [plus or minus] 0.5 SE) also supported this view. For the endomembrane fraction there was a marked decrease in Pos with increasing osmotic gradient that was not observed in the plasma membrane fraction. Osmotic water permeability in the plasma membrane fraction was lower (Pos= 12.5 [mu]m s-1) with a high activation energy (EA= 48.07 kJ mol-1 [plus or minus] 3.63 SE) and no mercury inhibition. Nevertheless, Pos/Pd was found to be substantially higher than one (Pos= 3 [plus or minus] 0.2 SE), indicating that water channels mediated water flow in this fraction, too. Possible distortion of the Pos/Pd value by unstirred layer effects was shown to be unlikely.
Pathological assessment of tumor biopsy specimen and surgical sentinel lymph node dissection in patients with melanoma.

INTRODUCTION Actual trends of cutaneous malignant melanoma show a faster increase then other forms of cancer. Early detection and diagnosis, and accurate pathologic interpretation of the biopsy specimen is extremely important for the treatment and prognosis of clinically localized melanoma. The surgical approach to cutaneous melanoma patients with clinically uninvolved regional lymph nodes remains controversial. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study of melanoma cases was conducted in the "Casa Austria" Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Emergency County Hospital, Timisoara, Romania. We have analyzed the medical records of 21 patients that underwent surgical treatment for different stages of melanoma in the period 2008-2012. For histopathological diagnosis of melanoma and the sentinel lymph node(s) status, tissular fragments were routinely processed. For the difficult cases, additional immunohistochemical investigation was done. RESULTS A positive family history was noted in two cases. The presence of different sizes and localization of pigmented nevi was found in 38% of the cases. Different types of melanoma like superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma or lentigo malignant melanoma and acral lentiginous melanoma was described. The surgical treatment consisted in all cases in wide excision of the primary tumor and prophylactic dissection of sentinel lymph node after lymphoscintigraphy examination. A positive biopsy of the sentinel lymph node was noted in 4.9% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS The surgical treatment combining the wide excision of the primary tumor with respect to safe oncological limits with the prophylactic dissection of sentinel lymph node after lymphoscintigraphy examination had the confirmation done by the pathologic interpretation of the biopsy specimen showing that all the patients had a Breslow index more than 1.5 mm.
Experimental Measurement Benchmark for Compressible Fluidic Unsteady Jet

A benchmark of different measurement techniques is presented to characterize the dynamic response of a synthetic jet actuator working in compressible regime. The setup involves a piston-based synthetic jet, as well as the benchmarked measurements are hot-wire, cold-wire, Laser Doppler Anemometry, pressure transducer, and Schlieren visualization. Measured flow temperatures range from 20 °C to 150 °C, pressure ranges from 0.5 atm to 4 atm, and velocity are up to 300 m/s. The extreme values of these ranges are reached in an oscillating fashion at a frequency ranging from 30 to 100 Hz. The measurements are pointing out the limitation of cold-wire measurements, due to its high thermic inertia. The results show consistency in the velocity measurements, within 10% in the worst case, between all measurement techniques and the errors are traced back to the calibration ranges, whose sensitivity is also studied.
A Distributed Transmission-Distribution-Coupled Static Voltage Stability Assessment Method Considering Distributed Generation

The recent rapid development of distributed generation (DG) necessitates the consideration of transmission–distribution interactions in voltage stability assessment (VSA), and how to perform a transmission–distribution-coupled static VSA (TDVSA) has become a pressing problem. To resolve this urgent issue, this paper first theoretically analyzes the impacts of the voltage-maintaining capacity and low-voltage tripping of DG units on the static voltage stability of an integrated transmission–distribution system and then proposes a distributed TDVSA method that fully considers these impacts when assessing the voltage stability of the integrated system. As the core of the method, a distributed continuation power flow algorithm is designed that includes a distribution-equivalencing-based predictor, a distributed transmission–distribution corrector, and a step-length regulator and requires only a limited amount of data to be exchanged between the transmission system operator (TSO) and the distribution system operator (DSO). Numerical simulations show that even in the case of low DG penetration, a cascading low-voltage tripping event can significantly degrade an integrated system's voltage stability, and only the proposed distributed TDVSA method can produce an accurate assessment. In addition, the number of iterations between the TSO and DSO is shown to be limited, indicating the potential of applying the proposed method to future grids.
Development of the Cerebral Cortex across Adolescence: A Multisample Study of Inter-Related Longitudinal Changes in Cortical Volume, Surface Area, and Thickness

Before we can assess and interpret how developmental changes in human brain structure relate to cognition, affect, and motivation, and how these processes are perturbed in clinical or at-risk populations, we must first precisely understand typical brain development and how changes in different structural components relate to each other. We conducted a multisample magnetic resonance imaging study to investigate the development of cortical volume, surface area, and thickness, as well as their inter-relationships, from late childhood to early adulthood (7–29 years) using four separate longitudinal samples including 388 participants and 854 total scans. These independent datasets were processed and quality-controlled using the same methods, but analyzed separately to study the replicability of the results across sample and image-acquisition characteristics. The results consistently showed widespread and regionally variable nonlinear decreases in cortical volume and thickness and comparably smaller steady decreases in surface area. Further, the dominant contributor to cortical volume reductions during adolescence was thinning. Finally, complex regional and topological patterns of associations between changes in surface area and thickness were observed. Positive relationships were seen in sulcal regions in prefrontal and temporal cortices, while negative relationships were seen mainly in gyral regions in more posterior cortices. Collectively, these results help resolve previous inconsistencies regarding the structural development of the cerebral cortex from childhood to adulthood, and provide novel insight into how changes in the different dimensions of the cortex in this period of life are inter-related. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Different measures of brain anatomy develop differently across adolescence. Their precise trajectories and how they relate to each other throughout development are important to know if we are to fully understand both typical development and disorders involving aberrant brain development. However, our understanding of such trajectories and relationships is still incomplete. To provide accurate characterizations of how different measures of cortical structure develop, we performed an MRI investigation across four independent datasets. The most profound anatomical change in the cortex during adolescence was thinning, with the largest decreases observed in the parietal lobe. There were complex regional patterns of associations between changes in surface area and thickness, with positive relationships seen in sulcal regions in prefrontal and temporal cortices, and negative relationships seen mainly in gyral regions in more posterior cortices.
Dietary patterns in urban Ghana and risk of type 2 diabetes

There is epidemiological evidence for associations between dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes. However, for sub-Saharan Africa, information on dietary patterns and their contribution to diabetes is lacking. The aim of the present study was to identify dietary patterns and their associations with type 2 diabetes in an urban Ghanaian population. In a hospital-based case–control study on risk factors for type 2 diabetes in Kumasi, a FFQ was administered to 675 controls and 542 cases. Dietary patterns were identified by using factor analysis including thirty-three food items. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations of dietary patterns with type 2 diabetes. Overall, two dietary patterns were identified: (1) a ‘purchase’ dietary pattern which positively correlated with the consumption of sweets, rice, meat, fruits and vegetables and (2) a ‘traditional’ dietary pattern that correlated with the intake of fruits, plantain, green leafy vegetables, fish, fermented maize products and palm oil. In the highest quintile of the ‘purchase’ dietary pattern, participants were younger, leaner and of higher socio-economic status than those in the lower quintiles. In contrast, participants in the highest quintile of the ‘traditional’ dietary pattern were older, heavier and more deprived compared with those in the lower quintiles. In the multivariate model, the ‘purchase’ dietary pattern was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes (OR per 1 sd 0·41, 95 % CI 0·33, 0·50); the ‘traditional’ dietary pattern increased the odds of diabetes per 1 sd by 54 % (95 % CI 1·35, 1·81). In conclusion, two diverse dietary patterns were identified and associated with type 2 diabetes in urban Ghana. The determinants of pattern adherence require further investigation.
Periodic thermal behavior of walls: an experimental approach

The need for testing methods that could verify the performance of building components is continuously increasing, as it is mandatory to reduce the overall energy need of the buildings. This work provides a method that determines the dynamic behavior of walls. The time-shift due to the thermal and physical properties of the component is measured using infrared thermography. A case study on a typical wall sample is proposed, validating the technique.
Implementation of Selective Emitter for Industrial-Sized PERCs Using Wet Chemical Etch-Back Process

This paper introduces a selective phosphorus emitter formed by screen-printed resist masking combined with a wet chemical etch-back process for an industrial-sized passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC). Applying the selective emitter (SE) concept is expected to decrease the recombination losses at the front surface of the PERC cell. With the SE structure, we observed an increase in the open-circuit voltage <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $(V_{{\rm{oc}}})$</tex-math></inline-formula> and short-circuit current density <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(J_{{\rm{sc}}})$</tex-math></inline-formula>, but a decrease in the fill factor (FF), compared with homogeneous emitter cells. The sheet resistance <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $(R_{{\rm{sheet}}})$</tex-math></inline-formula> of the lightly doped emitter (n<sup>+</sup>-emitter) by the etch-back process had a considerable impact on the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{{\rm{oc}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$J_{{\rm{sc}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> , which we attributed to the reduced emitter saturation current density <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $(J_{0e})$</tex-math></inline-formula> caused by a reduction in the Auger recombination in the n<sup>+</sup> -emitter. The diminished FF was owing to the higher <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{{\rm{sheet}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, resulting in an increased series resistance of the cell. These results suggest that an SE structure made by the wet etch-back process is a very promising technology to improve the conversion efficiency of industrial-sized PERC solar cells.
A Hydrogel Model Incorporating 3D-Plotted Hydroxyapatite for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering

The concept of biphasic or multi-layered compound scaffolds has been explored within numerous studies in the context of cartilage and osteochondral regeneration. To date, no system has been identified that stands out in terms of superior chondrogenesis, osteogenesis or the formation of a zone of calcified cartilage (ZCC). Herein we present a 3D plotted scaffold, comprising an alginate and hydroxyapatite paste, cast within a photocrosslinkable hydrogel made of gelatin methacrylamide (GelMA), or GelMA with hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA). We hypothesized that this combination of 3D plotting and hydrogel crosslinking would form a high fidelity, cell supporting structure that would allow localization of hydroxyapatite to the deepest regions of the structure whilst taking advantage of hydrogel photocrosslinking. We assessed this preliminary design in terms of chondrogenesis in culture with human articular chondrocytes, and verified whether the inclusion of hydroxyapatite in the form presented had any influence on the formation of the ZCC. Whilst the inclusion of HAMA resulted in a better chondrogenic outcome, the effect of HAP was limited. We overall demonstrated that formation of such compound structures is possible, providing a foundation for future work. The development of cohesive biphasic systems is highly relevant for current and future cartilage tissue engineering.
Comparative proteome analysis of propionate degradation by Syntrophobacter fumaroxidans in pure culture and in coculture with methanogens

Summary Syntrophobacter fumaroxidans is a sulfate‐reducing bacterium able to grow on propionate axenically or in syntrophic interaction with methanogens or other sulfate‐reducing bacteria. We performed a proteome analysis of S. fumaroxidans growing with propionate axenically with sulfate or fumarate, and in syntrophy with Methanospirillum hungatei, Methanobacterium formicicum or Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Special attention was put on the role of hydrogen and formate in interspecies electron transfer (IET) and energy conservation. Formate dehydrogenase Fdh1 and hydrogenase Hox were the main confurcating enzymes used for energy conservation. In the periplasm, Fdh2 and hydrogenase Hyn play an important role in reverse electron transport associated with succinate oxidation. Periplasmic Fdh3 and Fdh5 were involved in IET. The sulfate reduction pathway was poorly regulated and many enzymes associated with sulfate reduction (Sat, HppA, AprAB, DsrAB and DsrC) were abundant even at conditions where sulfate was not present. Proteins similar to heterodisulfide reductases (Hdr) were abundant. Hdr/Flox was detected in all conditions while HdrABC/HdrL was exclusively detected when sulfate was available; these complexes most likely confurcate electrons. Our results suggest that S. fumaroxidans mainly used formate for electron release and that different confurcating mechanisms were used in its sulfidogenic metabolism.
MetaGO : Predict Non-homologou Low-Resolution Prediction and P Network Mappin

Homology-based transferal remains the major approach to computational protein function annotations, but it becomes increasingly unreliable when the sequence identity between query and template decreases below 30%. We propose a novel pipeline, MetaGO, to deduce Gene Ontology attributes of proteins by combining sequence homology-based annotation with low-resolution structure prediction and comparison, and partner's homology-based protein–protein network mapping. The pipeline was tested on a large-scale set of 1000 nonredundant proteins from the CAFA3 experiment. Under the stringent benchmark conditions where templates with N30% sequence identity to the query are excluded, MetaGO achieves average F-measures of 0.487, 0.408, and 0.598, for Molecular Function, Biological Process, and Cellular Component, respectively, which are significantly higher than those achieved by other state-of-the-art function annotations methods. Detailed data analysis shows that the major advantage of the MetaGO lies in the new functional homolog detections from partner's homology-based network mapping and structure-based local and global structure alignments, the confidence scores of which can be optimally combined through logistic regression. These data demonstrate the power of using a hybrid model incorporating protein structure and interaction networks to deduce new functional insights beyond traditional sequence homology-based referrals, especially for proteins that lack homologous function templates. The MetaGO pipeline is available at http://zhanglab.ccmb. med. umich.edu/MetaGO/. © 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
3000PA - Towards a National Reference Corpus of German Clinical Language

We introduce 3000PA, a clinical document corpus composed of 3,000 EPRs from three different clinical sites, which will serve as the backbone of a national reference language resource for German clinical NLP. We outline its design principles, results from a medication annotation campaign and the evaluation of a first medication information extraction prototype using a subset of 3000PA.