Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduction of fractionated dissolved organic matter and their trihalomethane formation potential with enhanced coagulation

The trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) of the raw water supply from the U-Tapao Canal, Songkhla, Thailand and the THMFP of the hydrophobic organic fraction (HPO) and hydrophilic organic fraction (HPI) of the raw water supply were determined. The canal has been contaminated with treated and untreated wastewater from communities, agricultural processes, and industrial activities. Water samples were collected 3 times from an intake point of the water treatment plant located downstream of the canal. We found an average dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of 7.4 mg/l and a THMFP of 630 µg/l in the raw water. We also found a DOCHPO of 3.3 mg/l, a DOCHPI of 3.7 mg/l, a THMFPHPO of 281 µg/l, and a THMFPHPI of 348 µg/l. Strong fluorescent peaks of tryptophan-like and humic and fulvic acid-like substances were detected in the raw water. The optimal condition of polyaluminium chloride (PACl) coagulation for removing dissolved organic matter was obtained at a PACl of 40 mg/l at pH 7. Under such conditions, it could reduce the average DOC to 55% and THMFP to 48%. The PACl coagulation reduced the fluorescent intensity of humic and fulvic acid-like substances more than tryptophan-like substances. The best reduction observed of DOC was 76% and THMFP was 83%; this was obtained by using a PACl of 40 mg/l with 1 mg/l of polymer and 80 mg/l of powder activated carbon. Under such conditions, there was consistent removal of an average DOCHPO, DOCHPI, THMFPHPO, and THMFPHPI by 85, 68, 81, and 79%, respectively. Such a condition was capable of reducing trihalomethanes to meet the World Health Organization standards.
Quantitative assessment of constitutive G protein-coupled receptor activity with BRET-based G protein biosensors

Heterotrimeric G proteins constitute the primary transducers of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Besides mediating ligand-induced GPCR activation, G proteins transduce basal levels of activity in various physiological and pathophysiological settings evoked by constitutively active, native GPCRs or disease-related receptor mutants. Several generations of optical biosensors were developed and optimized to monitor GPCR ligand-induced G protein activation, however, quantitative approaches to detect constitutively active GPCRs are not available. Here, we designed and validated a set of eight bioluminescence-resonance-energy-transfer (BRET)-based G protein sensors, covering all four major families of G proteins, and established a protocol to identify constitutive GPCR/G protein signaling in living cells. These sensors rely on the encoding of all three G protein subunits on a single plasmid, enabling their cellular expression at desired relative levels and resulting in reduced signal variability in mammalian cells. Based on this sensor platform, we further present here an experimental protocol to quantify constitutive signaling of native and mutated GPCRs through these heterotrimeric transducers. This approach will aid in the characterization of constitutively active GPCRs and the exploration of their role in health and disease. One Sentence Summary This Resource article describes the validation of a biophysical approach to directly assess the constitutive signaling activity of G protein-coupled receptors through heterotrimeric G proteins in living cells using optical biosensors.
Quantum corrections for rate constants of diabatic and adiabatic reactions in solutions

A method for the calculation of quantized rate constants of chemical reactions in condensed phases is presented. The method focuses on the evaluation of nuclear tunneling corrections for classical activation free energies of diabatic and adiabatic reactions. The diabatic problem is treated by the quasiharmonic dispersed polaron model, using both a second order quantum mechanical rate constant, which is exact for quasiharmonic systems, and a semiclassical approximation based on an analytical density matrix formulation. The adiabatic free energy functionals are obtained by using the corresponding diabatic system as a reference state. A path integral formulation is also used both as a guide for the derivation of the adiabatic correction and as an alternative method for problems of limited dimensionality. The close relationship between the free energy functionals of the present approach and those developed in our earlier studies of electron transfer and proton transfer reactions is pointed out. The method is .
On the Use of Available Testing Methods for Verification & Validation of AI-based Software and Systems

Veriﬁcation and validation of software and systems is the essential part of the development cycle in order to meet given quality criteria including functional and non-functional requirements. Testing and in particular its automation has been an active research area for decades providing many methods and tools for automating test case generation and execution. Due to the increasing use of AI in software and systems, the question arises whether it is possible to utilize available testing techniques in the context of AI-based systems. In this position paper, we elaborate on testing issues arising when using AI methods for systems, consider the case of different stages of AI, and start investigating on the usefulness of certain testing methods for testing AI. We focus especially on testing at the system level where we are interesting not only in assuring a system to be correctly implemented but also to meet given criteria like not contradicting moral rules, or being dependable. We state that some well-known testing techniques can still be applied providing being tailored to the speciﬁc needs.
A Prognostic Model Based on RNA Binding Protein Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Dysregulation of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) is closely associated with tumor events. However, the function of RBPs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully elucidated. The RNA sequences and relevant clinical data of HCC were retrieved from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to identify distinct RBPs. Subsequently, univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the overall survival (OS)-associated RBPs. The expression levels of prognostic RBP genes and survival information were analyzed using a series of bioinformatics tool. A total of 365 samples with 1,542 RBPs were included in this study. One hundred and eighty-seven differently RBPs were screened, including 175 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated. The independent OS-associated RBPs of NHP2, UPF3B, and SMG5 were used to develop a prognostic model. Survival analysis showed that low-risk patients had a significantly longer OS and disease-free survival (DFS) when compared to high-risk patients (HR: 2.577, 95% CI: 1.793–3.704, P < 0.001 and HR: 1.599, 95% CI: 1.185–2.159, P = 0.001, respectively). The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database was used to externally validate the model, and the OS of low-risk patients were found to be longer than that of high-risk patients (P < 0.001). The Nomograms of OS and DFS were plotted to help in clinical decision making. These results showed that the model was effective and may help in prognostic stratification of HCC patients. The prognostic prediction model based on RBPs provides new insights for HCC diagnosis and personalized treatment.
Integrative Informatics Analysis of Transcriptome and Identification of Interacted Genes in the Glomeruli and Tubules in CKD

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex disease in which the renal function is compromised chronically. Many studies have indicated the crosstalk between the tubule and the glomerulus in CKD progression. However, our understanding of the interaction of tubular and glomerular injury remains incomplete. In this study, we applied a meta-analysis approach on the transcriptome of the tubules and glomeruli of CKD patients to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) signature. Functional analysis of pathways and Gene Ontology found that tubular DEGs were mainly involved in cell assembly and remodeling, glomerular DEGs in cell proliferation and apoptosis, and overlapping DEGs mainly in immune response. Correlation analysis was performed to identify the associated DEGs in the tubules and glomeruli. Secreted protein comparison and verification experiments indicated that WFDC2 from the tubule could downregulate PEX19 mRNA and protein levels at the glomeruli in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). This study revealed the distinctive pathways of the tubules and glomeruli and identified interacted genes during CKD progression.
Ten Vestibular Tools for Primary Care

Although primary care physicians (PCPs) regularly encounter patients with dizziness or vestibular symptoms, they often consider these patients as difficult, challenging or even heartsink (1, 2). Given the current scientific evidence and available “vestibular tools,” this is unnecessary. We will provide ten vestibular tools that should not be missed, following definition, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, respectively (Figure 1).
Analysis of Information Feedback on Residential Energy Conservation and the Implications: The Case of China

Household electricity consumption has increased significantly over the last two decades, leading to a series of policy interventions targeting to reduce electricity consumption in the residential sector. Information feedback regarding household electricity consumption is considered a cost-effective approach to promoting energy conservation. Various studies have so far covered the effects of information feedback on electricity consumption, yet the variations in both the types of feedback provided and the research methodologies have made it difficult to draw plausible conclusions. In China’s case, less due regard has been given to the effectiveness of various types of information feedback. This study has compared the effectiveness of information feedback between emailing electricity bills to households and installing smart meters in terms of promoting electricity conservation by employing empirical survey data from the Chinese General Social Survey with the help of the propensity score matching method. The results show that information provision via information bills curtails electricity consumption by around 20%, whereas information feedback via smart meters installation has no positive effects on household electricity conservation due to lack of access and knowledge to understand the displays of advanced meters. In light of the above results, the study suggests that policy-makers stress the importance of information feedback-based initiatives and improve the information feedback capacity of smart meters through training and education.
Knowing Students' Characteristics: Opportunities to Adapt Physical Education Teaching

Physical Education (PE) aims to convey the joy of exercise and by this educate students to lifelong physical activeness. Student motivation in PE decreases during the school career. This study therefore comprehensively analyzes student characteristics determining motivation in PE: General Personality Traits, Physical Self-Concept, Achievement Motive, Motives to be physically active, and Sports Interest. This contribution aims to describe students' prerequisites in the PE context by using an aggregated assessment of the abovementioned general plus sport specific characteristics and to detect gender, class, and school type differences. In total, 1,740 German secondary school students (58.1% female, M = 14.39 years) participate in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Descriptive analyses and between subjects MANOVAs followed by univariate ANOVAs with pairwise multiple comparison tests are applied. Gender explains the largest proportion of variance across all characteristics. Regarding individual dimensions, genders differed on 12, grades on two and school types on 11 out of 19 dimensions. PE teachers must adapt teaching to different gender dispositions. In general, group differences ascribe special meaning to student perception and teaching behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to the research area and their implementation in teaching practice as well as in PE teacher education or professional training, e.g., aligned teaching methods, arranged learning atmospheres, or adjusted content design of PE lessons.
Mobilized Multipotent Hematopoietic Progenitors Promote Expansion and Survival of Allogeneic Tregs and Protect Against Graft Versus Host Disease

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Allo-HSCT) is routinely performed with peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) mobilized by injection of G-CSF, a growth factor which not only modulates normal hematopoiesis but also induces diverse immature regulatory cells. Based on our previous evidence that G-CSF-mobilized multipotent hematopoietic progenitors (MPP) can increase survival and proliferation of natural regulatory T cells (Tregs) in autoimmune disorders, we addressed the question how these cells come into play in mice and humans in an alloimmune setting. Using a C57BL/6 mouse model, we demonstrate that mobilized MPP enhance the immunosuppressant effect exerted by Tregs, against alloreactive T lymphocytes, both in vitro and in vivo. They do so by migrating to sites of allopriming, interacting with donor Tregs and increasing their numbers, thus reducing the lethality of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Protection correlates likewise with increased allospecific Treg counts. Furthermore, we provide evidence for a phenotypically similar MPP population in humans, where it shares the capacity to promote selective Treg expansion in vitro. We postulate that G-CSF-mobilized MPPs might become a valuable cellular therapy to expand donor Tregs in vivo and prevent GVHD, thereby making allo-HSCT safer for the treatment of leukemia patients.
Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance as a Means of Improving Executive Functioning in Traumatized Adults

This article describes the pilot project Shadows & Light Within: Untold Stories—a two-phase, multi-partner community-based project that explores the hypothesis that Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance can help traumatized individuals to improve executive functioning. A group of 10 individuals ranging in age from 32 to 69, with lived experiences at the intersection of trauma, mental health, and the court system, were paired with theater mentor-coaches for a 10-month creative group process, in which they shaped their stories into autobiographical performance pieces, through movement, improvisation, story-telling, and self-discovery. In the second phase of the project, their stories were merged into a theater production, weaving movement, song, and voice, and performed by an ensemble of experienced actors from the community. Pre- and post-interviews and self-report standardized measures of executive functioning were used to assist in establishing criteria and direction for future research. The results suggest that the individuals involved in this pilot may have improved executive functioning and acquired more ability to engage in human service programs designed to increase job readiness and enhance adaptive living skills.
Improved Plant Nitrate Status Involves in Flowering Induction by Extended Photoperiod

The floral transition stage is pivotal for sustaining plant populations and is affected by several environmental factors, including photoperiod. However, the mechanisms underlying photoperiodic flowering responses are not fully understood. Herein, we have shown that exposure to an extended photoperiod effectively induced early flowering in Arabidopsis plants, at a range of different nitrate concentrations. However, these photoperiodic flowering responses were attenuated when the nitrate levels were suboptimal for flowering. An extended photoperiod also improved the root nitrate uptake of by NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1.1 (NRT1.1) and NITRATE TRANSPORTER 2.1 (NRT2.1), whereas the loss of function of NRT1.1/NRT2.1 in the nrt1.1-1/2.1-2 mutants suppressed the expression of the key flowering genes CONSTANS (CO) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), and reduced the sensitivity of the photoperiodic flowering responses to elevated levels of nitrate. These results suggest that the upregulation of root nitrate uptake during extended photoperiods, contributed to the observed early flowering. The results also showed that the sensitivity of photoperiodic flowering responses to elevated levels of nitrate, were also reduced by either the replacement of nitrate with its assimilation intermediate product, ammonium, or by the dysfunction of the nitrate assimilation pathway. This indicates that nitrate serves as both a nutrient source for plant growth and as a signaling molecule for floral induction during extended photoperiods.
Financial Forecasting With α-RNNs: A Time Series Modeling Approach

The era of modern financial data modeling seeks machine learning techniques which are suitable for noisy and non-stationary big data. We demonstrate how a general class of exponential smoothed recurrent neural networks (α-RNNs) are well suited to modeling dynamical systems arising in big data applications such as high frequency and algorithmic trading. Application of exponentially smoothed RNNs to minute level Bitcoin prices and CME futures tick data, highlight the efficacy of exponential smoothing for multi-step time series forecasting. Our α-RNNs are also compared with more complex, “black-box”, architectures such as GRUs and LSTMs and shown to provide comparable performance, but with far fewer model parameters and network complexity.
The Effect on the Kidney in Patients With Anti-N-methyl D-aspartate Receptor Antibody Encephalitis

Objectives: The function of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the kidney has been studied. However, the effect on the kidney from anti-NAMDAR antibody encephalitis has not been investigated thus far. Methods: Case data were collected from 82 patients with anti-NMDAR antibody encephalitis and 166 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Clinical characteristics, urinalysis [including urine pH and urine specific gravity (SG)], serum creatinine (Scr), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on Cr levels were evaluated. Results: At initial admission, urine pH levels and urine SG levels in anti-NMDAR antibody encephalitis patients were significantly higher and lower, respectively, than HCs (both p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in Scr and eGFR between anti-NMDAR antibody encephalitis patients and HCs. Urine pH levels in patients with anti-NMDAR antibody <1:32 were significantly lower than those in patients with anti-NMDAR antibody ≥1:32 (p = 0.029). Urine pH levels were significantly lower (p = 0.004) and urine SG levels were significantly higher (p = 0.027) in a follow-up evaluation 3 months after treatment. Conclusions: The changes in urinalysis occur in patients with anti-NMDAR antibody encephalitis. The pathophysiological changes in anti-NMDAR antibody encephalitis were not limited to the CNS.
Perceiving a Resourcefulness: Longitudinal Study of the Sequential Mediation Model Linking Between Spiritual Leadership, Psychological Capital, Job Resources, and Work-to-Family Facilitation

In order to improve our understanding of whether and how spiritual leadership promotes positive work-family outcomes from a resource perspective, this study proposed and tested for the first time a conceptual model incorporating job resources and psychological capital as the mediating factors between spiritual leadership and facilitation. We tested a theoretical model with date obtained from 529 Chinese workers who completed questionnaires in a four-wave survey. The results showed that the relationship between spiritual leadership and work-to-family facilitation was mediated by job resources alone, as well as job resources and psychological capital in sequence. Thus, this research may also pave the way for future spiritual leadership research on follower outcomes in other domains (e.g., community and school) by shifting the present spiritual leadership research focus from work outcomes to personal life. Implications for theory, managerial practices, limitation, and future research were discussed.
Effectiveness of Benralizumab in Improving the Quality of Life of Severe Eosinophilic Asthmatic Patients: Our Real-Life Experience

Background: Severe eosinophilic asthma decreases lung function and causes worsen symptoms, often forcing recurrent maintenance corticosteroid use. The aim of our real-life study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an add-on treatment with benralizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, paying particular attention to the impact on their quality of life (QoL). Materials and methods: In this prospective study, 10 outpatients with severe eosinophilic asthma were added-on with benralizumab and followed-up in our severe asthma clinic after 12 and 24 weeks. At each patient visit, pre-bronchodilator FEV1 and inflammatory markers were recorded. Variations in asthma symptoms control and QoL perception was assessed by validated questionnaires. Results: All the subjects experienced a marked reduction of nocturnal and diurnal symptoms over time and were able to stop using OCS, as documented by the improvement in Asthma control test (ACT) and Asthma Control Questionnaire score. Similarly, we recorded a statistically significant increase in patient’s QoL perception in EQ-VAS, EQ-5D-3L and Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) assessment (p < 0.05). Simultaneously we recorded a significant reduction in eosinophilic inflammation, an improvement in pre-bronchodilator FEV1. These results appear to be in line with those already obtained in the previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Conclusion: Our 24-weeks real life experience supports the effectiveness of an add-on treatment with benralizumab in reducing eosinophilic inflammation and OCS-use, increasing lung function and improving control of nocturnal and diurnal symptoms, as well as restoring severe asthma patients to a better QoL.