Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depression in suicidal males: genetic risk variants in the CRHR1 gene

Dysregulation in the stress response of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, involving the corticotrophin‐releasing hormone and its main receptor (CRHR1), is considered to play a major role in depression and suicidal behavior. To comprehensively map the genetic variation in CRHR1 in relation to suicidality and depression, as a follow‐up to our initial report on SNP rs4792887, we analyzed six new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in an extended sample of family trios (n = 672) with suicide attempter offspring, by using family‐based association tests. The minor T‐allele of exonic SNP rs12936511, not previously studied in the context of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behaviors, was significantly transmitted to suicidal males with increased Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores (n = 347; P = 0.0028). We found additional evidence of association and linkage with increased BDI scores among suicidal males with an additional SNP, located proximally to the index SNP rs4792887, as well as with two distal SNPs, which were correlated with index SNP rs4792887. Analysis of haplotypes showed that each of the risk alleles segregated onto three separate haplotypes, whereas a fourth ‘nonrisk’ haplotype (‘CGC’) contained none of the risk alleles and was preferentially transmitted to suicidal males with lowered BDI scores (P = 0.0007). The BDI scores among all suicidal males, who carried a homozygous combination of any of the three risk haplotypes (non‐CGC/non‐CGC; n = 160), were significantly increased (P = 0.000089) compared with suicidal male CGC carriers (n = 181). Thus, while the characteristics of the suicide female attempters remained undetermined, the male suicidal offspring had increased depression intensity related to main genetic effects by exonic SNP rs12936511 and homozygous non‐CGC haplotypes.
Current State of Nanoemulsions in Drug Delivery

Nanoemulsions have attracted great attention in research, dosage form design and pharmacotherapy. This is as a result of a number of attributes peculiar to nanoemulsions such as optical clarity, ease of preparation, thermodynamic stability and increased surface area. Nanoemulsions also known as submicron emulsions serve as vehicles for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as other bioactives. They are designed to address some of the problems associated with conventional drug delivery systems such as low bioavailability and noncompliance. The importance of design and development of emulsion nanocarrier systems aimed at controlling and/or improving required bioavailability levels of therapeutic agents cannot be overemphasized. Reducing droplet sizes to the nanoscale leads to some very interesting physical properties, such as optical transparency and unusual elastic behaviour. This review sheds light on the current state of nanoemulsions in the delivery of drugs and other bioactives. The morphology, formulation, characteristics and characterization of nanoemulsions were also addressed.
Long-term outcomes after elective sterilization procedures - a comparative retrospective cohort study of Medicaid patients.

OBJECTIVES The objectives were to compare the long-term outcomes, including hysterectomy, chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), in women post hysteroscopic sterilization (HS) and laparoscopic tubal ligation (TL) in the Medicaid population. STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective observational cohort analysis using data from the US Medicaid Analytic Extracts Encounters database. Women aged 18 to 49years with at least one claim for HS (n=3929) or TL (n=10,875) between July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010, were included. Main outcome measures were hysterectomy, CPP or AUB in the 24months poststerilization. Propensity score matching was used to control for patient demographics and baseline characteristics. Logistic regression analysis investigated the variables associated with a 24-month rate of each outcome in the HS versus laparoscopic TL cohorts. RESULTS Postmatching analyses were performed at 6, 12 and 24months post index procedure. At 24months, hysterectomy was more common in the laparoscopic TL than the HS group (3.5% vs. 2.1%; p=.0023), as was diagnosis of CPP (26.8% vs. 23.5%; p=.0050). No significant differences in AUB diagnoses were observed. Logistic regression identified HS as being associated with lower risk of hysterectomy (odds ratio [OR] 0.77 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.60-0.97]; p=.0274) and lower risk of CPP diagnosis (OR 0.91 [95% CI 0.83-0.99]; p=.0336) at 24months poststerilization. CONCLUSION In Medicaid patients, HS is associated with a significantly lower risk of hysterectomy or CPP diagnosis 24months poststerilization versus laparoscopic TL. Incidence of AUB poststerilization is not significantly different. While some differences in outcomes were statistically significant, the effect sizes were small, and the conclusion is one of equivalence and not clinical superiority. IMPLICATIONS STATEMENT This propensity score matching analysis confirms that pelvic pain and AUB are common in women before and after sterilization regardless of whether the procedure is performed hysteroscopically or laparoscopically. Moreover, HS is associated with a significantly lower risk of hysterectomy or a CPP diagnosis in the 24months poststerilization when compared to TL.
The analysis of zero dynamics of nonlinear control systems with symmetries

Zero dynamics of nonlinear control systems with symmetries are studied in this paper. It is shown that the zero dynamics of a symmetric system is also symmetric and admits a special form of cascade decomposition. A local zero dynamics is always possible to be extended to the semiglobal case. The relation between the zero dynamics and the quotient system is also discussed.
Do Beta‐Blockers Impact Microvolt T‐Wave Alternans Testing in Patients at Risk for Ventricular Arrhythmias? A Meta‐Analysis

Beta‐Blockers and Microvolt T‐Wave Alternans. Introduction: Results of microvolt T‐wave alternans (MTWA) studies vary and may be influenced by whether beta‐blocker therapy was withheld prior to MTWA assessment. We conducted a meta‐analysis of the predictive value of MTWA screening for ventricular arrhythmic events in primary prevention patients with left ventricular dysfunction and examined whether results differed depending upon whether beta‐blocker use was withheld prior to MTWA testing.
Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Cu3SbSe4 Compounds via Gallium Doping

In this study, the p-type Ga-doped Cu3Sb1−xGaxSe4 compounds were fabricated by melting, annealing, grinding, and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The transport properties of Ga-doped Cu3Sb1−xGaxSe4 compounds were investigated. As Ga content increased, the hole concentration of Cu3Sb1−xGaxSe4 compounds increased, which led to an increase in electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the Seebeck coefficient of the Cu3Sb1−xGaxSe4 compounds decreased as Ga content increased. The extra phonon scattering originating from Ga-doping effectively depressed the lattice thermal conductivity of the Cu3Sb1−xGaxSe4 compounds. The ZT value of Cu3SbSe4 markedly improved, which is primarily ascribed to the depressed lattice thermal conductivity and the increased electrical conductivity. The highest ZT value for the Cu3Sb0.985Ga0. 015Se4 compound was 0.54 at 650 K, which is two times higher than that of a pure Cu3SbSe4 compound.
Fish Rhabdoviruses : Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus (Vhsv) and Perch Rhabdovirus (Prv):Study of Viral Strains and the Disease Epidemiology in Finland

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was diagnosed after clinical symptoms for the first time in 2000 from four rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) farms in Aland and Pyhtaa in Finland. Phylogenetic analysis based on the full-length VHSV glycoprotein (G) and nonvirion (NV) genes of the Finnish VHSV isolates in 2000–2004 revealed that all isolates are closely related and grouped in the genotype Id, which suggests the same origin of infection. Finnish isolates were shown to be closely related to the old freshwater isolates from rainbow trout in Denmark and to one old marine isolate from cod in the Baltic Sea, and located close to the presumed ancestral source. Infection with the VHSV genotype Id has spread since then, and the same genotype had been isolated from rainbow trout farms in three separate locations: Aland in the Baltic Sea, and Uusikaupunki in the Gulf of Bothnia, and Pyhtaa in the Gulf of Finland. The majority of isolations have been from Aland, and since 2009 have only been from there. The VHSV genotype Id was isolated from Pyhtaa only in 2000 and 2001 and from Uusikaupunki once in 2004 and 2008. The pathogenicity of rainbow trout genotype Id isolates was analysed in infection experiments with rainbow trout fry. The cumulative mortalities induced by waterborne and intraperitoneal challenge were approximately from 13% to 40% and 66 % to 90%, respectively, depending on the size of the rainbow trout fingerlings. The Finnish brackish water VHSV genotype Id isolates induce lower mortality than freshwater VHSV isolates in infection experiments but they could represent an intermediate stage of marine isolates evolving towards pathogenicity in rainbow trout. The occurrence of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was examined in the main spawning stocks of wild European river lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis, in the rivers of Finland from 1999 to 2008. In total, 2621 lampreys as 262 pooled samples were examined virologically during 1999–2008. VHSV was isolated from five lamprey samples from the mouth of the rivers Lestijoki and Kalajoki, which flow into the Bothnian Bay of the Baltic Sea from Finland. The full-length VHSV G gene sequence revealed that the isolates were closely related to the VHSV strains isolated earlier from herring and sprat, Sprattus sprattus (L.), in Gotland and were therefore assigned to VHSV genotype II. The virulence of the lamprey VHSV genotype II isolate was evaluated by an experimental infection trial in rainbow trout fry. No mortality was induced post-infection by either waterborne or intraperitoneal challenge. To clarify the role of wild fish, especially Baltic herring, Clupea harengus membras (L.), in the epidemiology of VHSV in brackish waters, Baltic herring with no visible signs of disease were collected from the Archipelago Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia and from the Eastern Gulf of Finland. In total 7580 herring as 758 pooled
Half bridge NPC inverter and its three phase application with constant common mode voltage

In the transformerless grid connected photovoltaic system, the inverter is the main component. In order to improve the efficiency of the inversion system, several topologies have been applied, among which three level NPC inverter is a kind of popular application. Because the three level NPC inverter has the advantages of low switching losses, good common mode behavior and the small output distortion. This paper proposed a kind of novel three level half bridge NPC inverter which only applies four switches with a constant common mode voltage. Compared to the traditional half bridge NPC inverter, the proposed topology consumes less devices and has a lower conducting losses. The common mode model of the novel topology is analyzed which has verified the good common mode behavior. The three phase extended topology of the proposed inverter is also introduced with a novel modulation strategy. With the proposed modulation strategy, the three phase inverter has a constant common mode voltage. Finally, the simulation and experimental results illustrated the theoretical findings.
Optimal Scheduling of an on-Demand Fixture Manufacturing Cell for Mass Customisation Production Systems - Model Formulation, Presentation and Validation

A focal point of mass customisation production systems (a significant aspect of the fourth industrial revolution) is the implementation of reconfigurable jigs and fixtures. Traditional methods for the treatment of conventional fixtures are inadequate for those of the reconfigurable type. This paper describes the implementation of an on-demand fixture manufacturing cell that would reside in a mass customisation production system. The focus, in particular, is on the behaviour and optimisation of this cell in relation to the production system. To achieve this, a multi-stage optimisation procedure was developed that involves cluster analysis and a mixed inter linear programming (MILP) model to minimise total idle time (and thus makespan) in the system.
Stavovi studenata prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije

Svrha ovog istraživanja bila je provjeriti postoji li razlika u stavovima studenata i studentica iz tri grada Republike Hrvatske (Splita, Rijeke i Zagreba) prema muskarcima i ženama homoseksualne orijentacije te je li eventualna razlika u stavovima između gradova povezana s važnocu koju sudionici pridaju vjeri u svom životu. Ispitivanje je provedeno s ukupno 1121 sudionikom, studentima jednog od pet fakulteta (Medicinski fakultet, Ekonomski fakultet, Visoka uciteljska skola, Građevinski fakultet i Pravni fakultet) iz tri navedena grada. Stavovi prema muskarcima homoseksualcima i lezbijkama ispitivani su skalom stavova Likertovog tipa, koja je konstruirana za potrebe Ljetne skole studenata psihologije 2003. godine. Rezultati su pokazali kako muski sudionici imaju opcenito negativniji stav prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije od žena. Međutim, kada se u obzir uzme i spol homoseksualne osobe, rezultati pokazuju kako muskarci imaju negativnije stavove prema muskarcima homoseksualcima nego prema lezbijkama, dok su kod žena stavovi prema muskarcima, odnosno ženama homoseksualne orijentacije jednakog intenziteta. Također se pokazalo kako su stavovi sudionika iz Rijeke i Zagreba pozitivniji od stavova sudionika iz Splita. Sudionici kojima je vjera važnija u životu iskazali su manje pozitivne stavove prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije. Međutim, iako religioznost utjece na stavove sudionika prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije, njome se ne može objasniti razlika u stavovima između sudionika iz tri ispitivana grada.
Cytotoxicity of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry4B toxin is mediated by the cadherin receptor BT-R3 of Anopheles gambiae

We demonstrate for the first time the selective cytotoxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis Cry4B toxin mediated by BT-R3 using a cell-based system, which employs High Five insect cells stably expressing BT-R3. Discovery and validation of BT-R3 as the Cry4B receptor was accomplished using a web-based computational pipeline platform that facilitates high-throughput insecticidal target identification utilizing the Anopheles gambiae genome. Once the Cry4B toxin binds to the BT-R3 receptor, a cell death pathway is manifested by sequential cytological changes that include membrane blebbing, cell swelling and lysis. Cry4B toxin associates with cell membrane in both oligomeric and monomeric forms. Monomeric toxin binds specifically to BT-R3 whereas oligomer interacts with cell membrane non-specifically. Cytotoxicity and cell death are the direct result of binding of toxin monomer to BT-R3. The oligomeric form of Cry4B toxin is not involved in cell death. Both the location of the toxin-binding region within BT-R3 and its structural motif are critical to the binding affinity and specificity of the toxin. The toxin-binding region of BT-R3 appears to be located in EC11, the most membrane proximal EC module within the extracellular domain. It is characterized by the presence of two highly conserved amino acid sequences within their N- and C-termini that flank EC11. These sequences represent signature motifs that mark the toxin-binding function in BT-R3. The two sequences form two adjacent β-strands within the β-barrel of EC11, the positioning of which is a hallmark of all Cry toxin receptors thus far reported.
Comparison of isozyme patterns of Aedes aegypti populations collected from pre- and post-Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis treatment sites in Thailand.

Isozyme patterns of 13 field-collected populations of Aedes aegypti from Thailand were compared using starch gel electrophoresis. Three populations were collected before the Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, (B.t.i.) application was initiated. The other 10 populations were collected after the B.t. i. treatment. Results revealed that the number of polymorphic loci were lower in the B.t. i. treated populations as compared to controls. In addition, lower genetic variability was found in populations collected from B.t. i. treated sites (Mae Ka Sa [KS] and Mae Kud Luang [KL] village). These results are most likely due to a genetic bottleneck produced by the B.t. i. treatment. Heterozygosity increased in the months following B.t. i. treatment, probably because of immigration when the control program was withdrawn. However, the anticipated reduction in the expected heterozygosity was only observed in the KS site. This may be due to preexisting low heterozygosity in the KL population. No fixed differences in alleles were detected among the 13 populations.
Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies against a Major Membrane Protein of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis 35-kDa major membrane protein (MMP) encoded by MAP2121c is an important membrane antigen recognized in cattle with Johne's disease. In this study, purified recombinant MMP was used to produce two stable monoclonal antibodies, termed 8G2 and 13E1, which were characterized by immunoblotting, epitope mapping, and immunofluorescence microscopy.
Magnesium sulphate for pre‐eclampsia and eclampsia: the evidence so far

Eclampsia remains a rare, but serious, complication of pregnancy, estimated to complicate around 1 in 2000 deliveries in Europe and other developed countries (Douglas & Redman 1992), and from 1 in 100 to 1700 deliveries in developing countries (Crowther 1985 ; WHO lnternational Collaborative Study of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy 1988); eclampsia is associated with 10 % of maternal deaths and approximately 50000 women die each year having had an eclamptic convulsion (Duley 1992). Much of the recent debate about management of women with eclampsia has focused on control of convulsions. Anticonvulsants are given to prevent the first fit in women who have fulminating pre-eclampsia and to prevent further convulsions in women who already have had an eclamptic fit. Although these indications are related, women who have pre-eclampsia are likely to be less sick than those with eclampsia. The potential for benefit or for harm will, therefore, be different, and the effectiveness of anticonvulsants should be evaluated separately for these two situations. For well over half a century, magnesium sulphate has been advocated for the care of women with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, yet its use remains controversial (Donaldson 1992). In the past, the lack of a sound hypothesis for the mechanism by which magnesium sulphate might act as an anticonvulsant has contributed to this. Recent plausible suggestions are that it may act by vasodilatation and subsequent reduction of cerebral ischaemia (Belfort & Moise 1992); an alternative is by blocking some of the neuronal damage associated with cerebral ischaemia (Goldman & Finkbeiner 1988). Reflecting ongoing uncertainty about its role, use of magnesium sulphate continues to vary enormously. In the United States, for example, magnesium sulphate is the anticonvulsant of choice for women with either eclampsia or pre-eclampsia (Consensus Report 1990), while in the United Kingdom it is used by only 2% of obstetricians (Hutton et al. 1992). What is the evidence that magnesium sulphate given to women with either pre-eclampsia or eclampsia does more good than harm? The popularity of . magnesium sulphate in North America (and elsewhere) is largely based on reports of a few hundred women with eclampsia who were treated with magnesium sulphate (Pritchard et al. 1984). Whilst sometimes impressive in the number of women included, none of these reports included any form of comparison or control group. Without comparison, it is impossible to know whether the good or bad outcome for the women was due to magnesium sulphate or to a combination of other factors, such as the severity of disease, health status of the women, or to additional interventions. The effectiveness of an intervention, such as magnesium sulphate, is best evaluated by systematic review of all relevant randomised trials. In the perinatal field, a system for preparing and maintaining reviews of the effects of health care already exists (Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Database 1993). The evidence presented here is derived from reviews published on this database.
A new deployment method for electric vehicle charging infrastructure

The fast depletion of fossil fuels, climate change, and global warming have become major worldwide problems and alternatives for conventional transportation have been actively researched in the last decade. Compared to available conventional vehicles, electric vehicles have a leading position due to their environmentally friendly transportation. Recent electric vehicle penetration brings the necessity of a high number of charging stations, which are considered to be established in community areas such as shopping centers, hospitals, commercial areas, university campuses, residential areas, and streets. Deployment planning of charging stations is very important for driver expectations and social and economic impacts of electric vehicles. In this regard, optimizing the number of charging stations and their locations is very important for wide-scale use of electric vehicles. Including a new criterion into the existing charging station planning methods is difficult. Due to their structural characteristics, a new flexible planning model of charging stations is needed. In the new model, the queue theory and the analytic hierarchy process are used together to develop a mathematical model for both optimizing the number of charging stations and choosing the best charger locations in a selected region. A case study is performed to show the suitability of the proposed model for finding the optimum location and number of charging stations by evaluating survey data, which reflects drivers' habits within a university campus.
Cognitive consequences of overweight and obesity in the ninth decade of life ?

Background/objectives: the association between late-life obesity and late-life cognitive abilities is poorly understood. We studied the association between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive change in longitudinal population-based study spanning over the ninth decade of life. Subjects/methods: in total, 475 participants free of dementia at baseline from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (mean age: 79.1 years, SD: 0.6) were included. Height and weight were assessed at baseline. BMI was calculated as kg/m. Cognitive abilities were assessed at age 11 years and at age 79, 83, 87 and 90 years. Results: latent growth models showed that men being overweight and obese had a 0.65 (SD: 0.3) and 1.10 (SD: 0.5) points less steep decline in general cognitive ability (as measured by the Moray House Test) for each year than people of normal weight. These associations were to some extent confounded by childhood intelligence. No other association between BMI and cognition was significant, either for men or women. People who were obese in old age had significantly lower childhood intelligence (m= 43.6, SD: 1.3) than people who were normal in weight (m= 47.0, SD: 0.8) and persons being overweight (m= 47.5, SD: 0.8), F (472, 3) = 3.2, P= 0.043. Conclusions: the current study shows weak or no evidence for an association between BMI in old age and cognitive function, especially not when childhood intelligence is controlled for. Lower intelligence at the age of 11 years predicted obesity at the age of 79 years.