Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating Brain‐Enriched MicroRNAs for Detection and Discrimination of Idiopathic and Genetic Parkinson's Disease

A minimally invasive test for early detection and monitoring of Parkinson's disease (PD) is a highly unmet need for drug development and planning of patient care. Blood plasma represents an attractive source of biomarkers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are conserved noncoding RNA molecules that serve as posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. As opposed to ubiquitously expressed miRNAs that control house‐keeping processes, brain‐enriched miRNAs regulate diverse aspects of neuron development and function. These include neuron‐subtype specification, axonal growth, dendritic morphogenesis, and spine density. Backed by a large number of studies, we now know that the differential expression of neuron‐enriched miRNAs leads to brain dysfunction.
Diabetes mellitus: new therapeutic approaches to treat an old disease

Diabetes mellitus is a widespread disease whose frequency increases constantly and is expected to reach alarming levels by the year 2025. Introduction of insulin therapy represented a major breakthrough; however, a very strict regimen is required to maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range and to prevent or postpone chronic complications associated with this disease. Frequent hyper- and hypoglycemia seriously affect the quality of life of these patients. Reversion of this situation can only be achieved through whole organ (pancreas) transplant or pancreatic islet transplant, the former being a high-risk surgical procedure, while the latter is a much simpler and may be accomplished in only 20-40 min. The advantages and perspectives of islet cell transplantation will be discussed, in the light of tissue engineering and gene therapy. Ongoing research carried out in our laboratory, aimed at developing clinical cell and molecular therapy protocols for diabetes will also be focused. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, cell and molecular therapy, human pancreatic islets, degenerative diseases, recombinant biopharmaceuticals.
Numerical study on suppression for wake galloping of parallel circular cylinders by helical wires

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the mechanism of reduction in the wake galloping amplitude of parallel circular cylinders by helical wires using 3D Large Eddy Simulation (LES). A numerical mesh system for cylinders with helical wires is proposed, and the performance of this numerical model is validated by comparing with experimental data. Thereafter the suppression effect for the amplitude of wake galloping by using helical wires with different diameter ratios is studied. Finally the suppression mechanism of helical wires for the wake galloping of parallel cylinders is clarified through the analysis of lift forces, correlation of forces and flow fields.
Efficacy of Ribavirin to Prevent Hepatitis Reactivation in Hepatitis C Virus-infected Patients Treated for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Background and study aims: Reports have found an association between B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, data on acute exacerbation and reactivation of chronic HCV infection following chemotherapy are very limited. We studied the efficacy of ribavirin to prevent hepatitis reactivation in HCVinfected patients treated for NHL. Patients and methods: This study was
Cyclic dispersion in engine combustion—Introduction by the special issue editors

Cyclic dispersion (also referred to as cyclic variation or cycle-to-cycle variation (CCV)) has been recognized and researched since the early days of the internal combustion (IC) engine. Its effects range from virtually imperceptible non-repeatability in cylinder pressure and work through perceptible roughness to partial burns and outright misfires. Full understanding of the physical origins of cyclic dispersion and their relative importance remains elusive, as does the ability to eliminate or control the phenomenon in practice. As continually stricter fuel-economy and emissions standards drive increased research and development on advanced combustion modes that can be strongly affected by cyclic dispersion (e.g. low-temperature and other forms of highly diluted combustion), this topic is arguably more important now than ever. This special issue presents 13 articles that exemplify state-of-the-art research on cyclic dispersion in engine combustion. We have grouped the articles thematically as follows:
A longitudinal study on the maternal–fetal relationship and postnatal maternal sensitivity

Abstract Objective: The present study examined whether early signs of maternal sensitivity can be detected during pregnancy by focusing on the maternal–fetal relationship and postnatal maternal sensitivity. Background: Earlier research has identified maternal sensitive behaviour as an important factor for the quality of the mother–infant relationship and the child’s emotional and cognitive development later in life. Research on this topic has predominantly focused on the postnatal period and little is known about early predictors (i.e. during pregnancy) of maternal sensitivity. Methods: Participants were 273 women and their (unborn) infants. Mothers’ attitudes, thoughts and feelings towards the fetus were assessed by the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale at 26 weeks of gestation. At the infant’s age of 6 months, maternal sensitivity was assessed in three different situations (i.e. face-to-face play, caregiving and free play) using the NICHD global rating scales. Results: Mothers with a higher quality of the maternal–fetal relationship displayed more maternal sensitivity towards their 6-month-old infant in caregiving and free play situations, even when controlling for covariates such as parity, ethnicity, maternal education, maternal age and the postnatal mother–infant relationship. No associations were found in the face-to-face situation. Conclusion: This study shows that mothers who reported a higher quality of the maternal–fetal relationship were more sensitive while interacting with their infants during caregiving and free play, but not during face-to-face play.
Explaining Transitions Over the Hypothesized Psychosis Continuum

Objectives: It is crucial to understand the psychological mechanisms that mediate transition from having one or two psychotic symptoms to becoming a patient with a psychotic disorder. This study investigated whether: (i) a delusional interpretation and/or a depressed response to hallucinatory experiences predicts the later onset of clinical psychotic disorder; and (ii) the presence of need for care in relation to psychotic disorder was associated with the use of particular coping strategies. Method: A general population sample of 4672 individuals with no lifetime evidence of any psychotic disorder were interviewed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Schedule (CIDI) at baseline and 1 and 3 years later. At year 3, individuals with CIDI evidence of psychotic symptoms were interviewed by clinicians to identify onset of psychotic disorder with need for care. Coping, subjective distress with and perceived control over the psychotic experience were assessed using the Maastricht Assessment of Coping Strategies (MACS). Results: Given the presence of hallucinatory experiences at baseline, the increase in risk on the additive scale of having the psychosis outcome at T2 was higher in the group with delusional ideation at T1 than in those without delusional ideation at T1. Similarly, presence of depressed mood at T1 increased the risk of having the psychosis outcome at T2, but this effect overlapped partly with the risk-increasing effect of delusional ideation. Individuals with a need for care were much more likely to display symptomatic coping, whereas the presence of the other coping types was not different across the groups with and without need for care. Conclusion: Transitions over the psychosis continuum are, at least in part, driven by the emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses to the initial psychotic or psychosis-like experiences. Individuals who react with a delusional interpretation, negative emotional states and/or a symptomatic coping style have an increased risk for developing clinical psychosis.
An Overview of Teaching Physics for Undergraduates in Engineering Environments

This paper is an overview of approaches to teaching physics courses delivered to students of engineering disciplines. It addresses, first, the history of teaching physics to engineering students starting in the early 20th century, then reviews the main issues presented and discussed over the last decade in a series of conferences on Physics Teaching in Engineering Education (PTEE). Finally, this paper discusses more contemporary views on the subject, including the latest technologies and new methodologies. It is not a critical review of teaching physics to engineering students, but rather a summary of various views and approaches over the span of the entire century. The common denominator of the study is the relevance to the competency-based approach: how the papers focus on teaching engineers the principles of physics in a manner that contributes to success in their professional careers.
Opera’s audiovisual strategy on the internet: towards a search for new media audiences

Resum En l’actualitat, l’òpera vol atraure audiències globals per mitjà d’estratègies audiovisuals a la xarxa. D’una banda, els teatres digitalitzen el seu espectacle i el difonen en format audiovisual per facilitar l’accés dels públics a l’art. De l’altra, aquests organismes, conscients que els públics joves consumeixen majoritàriament vídeos a Internet, desenvolupen continguts audiovisuals que permeten actualitzar la imatge social de l’art i acostar-se als mons afectius de les audiències. Mitjançant l’estudi de l’oferta audiovisual de 12 teatres internacionals, l’article analitza les característiques d’aquestes iniciatives per explicar l’impacte, encara discret, que generen en el sector artístic.
Bucket Oblivious Sort: An Extremely Simple Oblivious Sort

We propose a conceptually simple oblivious sort and oblivious random permutation algorithms called bucket oblivious sort and bucket oblivious random permutation. Bucket oblivious sort uses $6n\log n$ time (measured by the number of memory accesses) and $2Z$ client storage with an error probability exponentially small in $Z$. The above runtime is only $3\times$ slower than a non-oblivious merge sort baseline; for $2^{30}$ elements, it is $5\times$ faster than bitonic sort, the de facto oblivious sorting algorithm in practical implementations.
Wireless power transfer from unmanned aerial vehicle to low-power wide area network nodes: Performance and business prospects for LoRaWAN

Supported by the remarkable progress across many technological domains, the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem demonstrates steady growth over the few past years. This growth enables a number of new exciting applications. Nonetheless, hardly one can say today that the utility of the IoT is used to its full potential. This fact is especially notable for the monitoring applications deployed in remote areas. To address the needs of these use cases, in the article we propose a solution based on the combination of three key technologies: the low-power wide area networks, the unmanned aerial vehicles, and the wireless power transfer. In the article, we first detail the novel concept of a wireless power transfer-enabled unmanned aerial vehicle employed to charge the LoRaWAN sensor nodes. Then, via extensive simulations and analysis of an illustrative LoRaWAN application, we investigate both technical and, notably, business performance indicators, and compare them against the ones for a baseline scenario with no unmanned aerial vehicle. Our results illustratively demonstrate that in the long-term perspective, the inclusion of a wireless power transfer-enabled drone may drastically reduce the system’s operating expenses. At the very same time, our results highlight the limits, bottlenecks, and trade-offs related to the proposed concept, thus providing the basis and calling for further investigation.
A Brief Measure of High Nicotine Dependence for Busy Clinicians and Large Epidemiological Surveys

Objective: It is important to perform a routine screening of nicotine dependence in psychiatric patients. The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) is a widely used six-item questionnaire. The Heavy Smoking Index (HSI) is a briefer measure including only two FTND items (time to first cigarette of day and number of daily cigarettes). In a prior study comparing HSI with FTND, a high HSI (score ≥ 4) was a good and briefer alternative for detecting high nicotine dependence. The goals of this study were: (i) to compare the effectiveness of the HSI with the effectiveness of Items 1 and 4 alone for the screening of high nicotine dependence; (ii) to investigate the optimality of 4 as a cut-off score for the HSI so that the HSI can be used as a binary indicator of high nicotine dependence; and (iii) to compare the sensitivity and specificity of four indexes of high nicotine dependence, namely ‘High HSI’, ’Very Early Smoking’, ‘Heavy Smoking’ and ‘High in Either Item’. Method: The FTND was administered to 819 current daily smokers from a general population survey. As in a prior study, an FTND score ≥ 6 was considered the reference or ‘gold standard’ test for detecting high nicotine dependence. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were performed. Results: This new study using more sophisticated statistical methodology verified that a cut-off of 4 for the HSI is appropriate and that the ‘high’ HSI has good sensitivity and specificity even across different population subclassifications. Conclusions: With four questions (smoking, daily smoking, time to first cigarette of day and number of daily cigarettes) and minimal calculations, it may be possible to screen whether a smoker has high nicotine dependence. If other studies in other populations and settings verify this finding, this brief measure might be an ideal screening instrument for busy clinicians, epidemiologists developing questionnaires for health surveys and psychiatric researchers.
Comparison of Two Footbath Solutions for Digital Dermatitis Control in Dairy Cattle: Two Point Two Percent (2.2%) Copper Sulfate with an Acidifier versus Five Percent (5%) Copper Sulfate

The objective of this study was to compare a 2.2% copper sulfate footbath solution with 325.31 mL of an acidifier per 80 L water (treatment) to a 5% copper sulfate footbath solution (positive control) on the frequency and severity of digital dermatitis (DD) in lactating Holstein dairy cows (n = 59). The study was conducted at the University of Kentucky Coldstream Dairy from November 11, 2015, to January 20, 2016. Footbath solutions were delivered five times per week using a split footbath (Intra Care Foot Bath, Diamond Hoof Care LTD Alberta, Canada). The left side of the bath served as the positive control and the right side served as the treatment. DD lesions were scored biweekly and classified as active or non-active. The results of a chi-square test (calculated using the FREQUENCY procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC)) indicated no-significant difference in active lesion occurrences between the two footbath solutions (chi-square = 1.18, P = 0.56). The results of a McNemar’s test indicated a significant decrease in active lesion occurrence from the beginning to end of the study (treatment: P < 0.01, positive control: P < 0.01). The acidifier may be a viable footbath solution alternative for dairy producers interested in reducing copper sulfate waste.
Confirmation of the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia after Death Using DSM-IV: A Victorian Experience

Objective: This study examines the reliability of antemortem diagnoses of schizophrenia using DSM-IV criteria. Method: The case histories of 83 subjects with a provisional diagnosis of schizophrenia at autopsy were retrospectively reviewed using a semi-structured chart review and application of DSM-IV criteria. Agreement between antemortem and postmortem diagnoses of schizophrenia was examined, as well as the concordance between DSM-IV diagnoses and previously obtained diagnoses using DSM-Ill-R and ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia. Results: According to DSM-IV, 30.1% of cases did not have schizophrenia, compared to 36.1% using DSM-Ill-R criteria and 51.8% of cases using ICD-10 criteria. Concordance between DSM-IV and DSM-Ill-R diagnoses of schizophrenia was excellent (k = 0.81), but only fair between DSM-IV and ICD-10 (k = 0.57). Of the cases that did not meet the formal criteria for schizophrenia, the majority were reassigned diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder and affective disorder. Conclusions: The use of human brain tissue in postmortem studies of schizophrenia must be linked to standardised diagnostic assessment procedures. Diagnoses can be upgraded with the development of new criteria, providing sufficient clinical data is available in case histories.
SALINITY FUNCTIONS FOR GROUNDWATER AT SAFWAN, SOUTH IRAQ

Function type between electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids is polynomial and the exponential which are taken according to the water quality classification for irrigation. These functions relate the EC in ds/m to the salinity in term of part per million or to the half salinity in equivalent per million directly or in form of logarithmic transformation. A statistical test for best fit is considered for the selection of the type of a representative function. The irrigation salinity classification is taken as index of grouping extended to moderately sensitive vegetable crop tomato as salinity tolerance rating up to 15 ds/m groundwater salinity used for irrigation at Safwan area of arid climate. All fitted type of functions is programmed within a flow model computer of basic language by which the output from of both methods is an average final value. Thus the coast of analysis is reduced. This type of functions is standard for groundwater and so designed to involve the water type. The involved parameter for Safwan area is 0.5 for more than 5 ds/m in case of ppm half total and it is 1.3 for less than 5ds/m salinity, or using the direct model.
WEIGHTED DIRECTIONAL DISTANCE FILTERS

A class of weighted directional distance filters for color image filtering is introduced. This nonlinear filtering tool for vector-valued signals is derived from the directional distance filter using two independent weight vectors for vector distance and vector angle domains. Thus, in the weighted directional distance approach, the contribution of each input sample to a sum of distances and a sum of angles, each separately, necessary to determine a filter output can be controlled by two nonnegative real weights. The filter output is the sample that results in a very small sum of weighted vector distances and simultaneously in a very small sum of weighted vector angles, both determined to other samples in the input set. Note that weighted directional distance filters represent a generalized vector filtering class for vector median filters, weighted vector median filters, basic vector directional filters, weighted vector directional filters and directional distance filters. The behavior of the proposed weighted directional distance filters is analyzed and studied for a wide range of the impulse noise corruption.
Effect of Maize as Adjunct and the Mashing Proteolytic Step on the Brewer Wort Composition

The partial substitution of barley malt has been one of the main strategies of breweries to reduce production costs. In Brazil, as in other countries, maize is a raw material that is used mostly for this purpose. Aiming for strategic cost management, some large breweries have adopted a reduction in the time and energy costs of the process. As an example, changes have been made to the traditional mashing curves by reducing the times or omitting the proteolytic step. The objective of this work was to compare the physical and chemical aspects of sweet and bitter worts prepared through experimental design with and without the addition of maize as adjunct, as well as the execution or not of the proteolytic step in mashing. Color, total acidity, extract, total reducing sugars, total phenolic compounds, and proteins content were evaluated. In addition, the antioxidant activity was determined. The wort obtained with maize and not submitted to the proteolytic step presented a bright color as well as reduced phenolic compounds, protein, and antioxidant activity. Comparatively, the action of proteases in the wort resulted in a greater release of total reducing sugars, a more intense color, and a higher content of total nitrogen and phenolic compounds. The results indicate that despite being an alternative to reduce costs in the brewing process, the use of the adjunct and the exclusion of the proteolytic step of mashing will imply a poor wort in regards to nutrition, which can compromise the activity of the yeast during the process and therefore affect the quality of the final product.
Antidepressants Versus Placebo for the Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa: A Systematic Review*

Objective: The objective of this study was to valuate the effectiveness, tolerability and acceptability of various classes of antidepressants compared with placebo in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. Method: A meta-analysis including 16 randomised controlled trials and 1300 bulimic patients was performed. Dichotomous outcomes were analysed by calculating relative risks, and continuous outcomes by calculating effect sizes. Methodological quality, heterogeneity in the results and selective publication were assessed. Results: Short-term remission in bulimic symptoms was statistically more likely on antidepressants than placebo (Relative Risk = 0.88, 95%% Cl = 0.83–0.94, p < 0.0001). Drop-out rates were high but no statistical difference was found between treatment groups (34.6%% and 31.4%% for drug and placebo; RR = 1.03, 95%% CI = 0.80–1.32, p = 0.8). No difference in efficacy could be demonstrated among different classes of antidepressants. Conclusions: The use of a single antidepressant agent was clinically effective for the treatment of bulimia nervosa when compared with placebo, with an overall greater remission rate and a higher rate of drop-outs. No differential effect regarding efficacy and tolerability among the various classes of antidepressants could be demonstrated.