Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Filter Configuration on Ion and Protein Separation Under Electric Fields in an Implantable Filter

This manuscript investigates on electromagnetic separation of ions and proteins in blood, in order to prevent their losses in the filtration procedure. Research team describe the experimental procedures used to determine separation dependence on electric field intensity (electro separation) in Y splitter and cross-flow electro separation. Researchers investigated experimentally the effect of operational parameters such as voltage and filtration methods on biofluids containing small electrolytes such as sodium and potassium electrolytes and proteins, largely albumin. The experiment modeled the human cardiovascular system by a cardiovascular pump, Y and crossflow methods for electro filtration. The electrodes and metallic mesh were used as electrical field operator to separate charged particles. Several electrical fields from 0.83 to 10 Kv/m were applied. The results demonstrate that with increase of voltage on electrodes and electrical field, the rate of separation increases for both ions and proteins. Considering the results, the performance of cross flow electro separation is better than Y splitter method.
A UK wide survey of insulin initiation in children with type 1 diabetes and nurses' perceptions of associated decision-making.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine insulin initiation practice across the UK in relation to children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Objectives of this study were to explore practices surrounding insulin initiation in children and nurses' perceptions of associated decision-making. BACKGROUND There are comparative studies of insulin treatments and regimens for children but few that describe the insulin initiation process or associated decision-making. The literature suggests a heavy workload for nurses working in practice and insufficient resources for home initiation of insulin. DESIGN A survey design. METHOD A questionnaire regarding insulin initiation was distributed to 247 diabetes specialist nurses working with children from all four UK countries. RESULTS One hundred and twelve responses (45%). Only 37 (33%) started clinically well, newly diagnosed children on insulin at home, but most would do so with adequate resources. The most common insulin regimen at diagnosis was twice daily injections, with 86% (n = 96) using re-usable pens to deliver the insulin. As expected, no one commenced children on pump therapy at diagnosis. Analogue insulin was seen as the drug of choice by over a quarter of the nurses (29%, n = 32). Doctors appeared to be the main decision-makers, supplemented by other members of the paediatric diabetes multi-disciplinary team and decision-making aids. CONCLUSION Approaches to treatment at onset of type 1 diabetes in children remain relatively traditional. Nurses expressed a desire to stabilise clinically well children at home but were restricted by lack of resources. Decision-making in most domains was largely medically dominated. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The study provides an insight into current insulin initiation practice in childhood diabetes and offers a useful comparator as practices change in the light of advances in treatment (medication and equipment), changes in professional roles (e.g. independent prescribing) and policy shifts (the move away from hospitals and resource constraints).
Lipid-independent Secretion of a Drosophila Wnt Protein*

Wnt proteins comprise a large class of secreted signaling molecules with key roles during embryonic development and throughout adult life. Recently, much effort has been focused on understanding the factors that regulate Wnt signal production. For example, Porcupine and Wntless/Evi/Sprinter have been identified as being required in Wnt-producing cells for the processing and secretion of many Wnt proteins. Interestingly, in this study we find that WntD, a recently characterized Drosophila Wnt family member, does not require Porcupine or Wntless/Evi/Sprinter for its secretion or signaling activity. Because Porcupine is involved in post-translational lipid modification of Wnt proteins, we used a novel labeling method and mass spectrometry to ask whether WntD undergoes lipid modification and found that it does not. Although lipid modification is also hypothesized to be required for Wnt secretion, we find that WntD is secreted very efficiently. WntD secretion does, however, maintain a requirement for the secretory pathway component Rab1. Our results show that not all Wnt family members require lipid modification, Porcupine, or Wntless/Evi/Sprinter for secretion and suggest that different modes of secretion may exist for different Wnt proteins.
Evaluation of a Constraint-Based Tutor for a Database Language

We propose a novel approach to intelligent tutoring in which feedback messages are associated with constraints on correct problem solution. The knowledge state of the student is represented by the constraints that he or she does and does not violate during problem solving. Constraint-based tutoring has been implemented in SQL-Tutor, an intelligent tutoring system for teaching the database query language SQL. Empirical evaluation shows that (a) students find the system easy to use, and (b) they do better on a subsequent classroom examination than peers without experience with the system. Furthermore, learning curves are smooth when plotted in terms of individual constraints, supporting the psychological appropriateness of the constraint construct.
The naked mole-rat response to oxidative stress: just deal with it.

SIGNIFICANCE The oxidative stress theory of aging has been the most widely accepted theory of aging providing insights into why we age and die for over 50 years, despite mounting evidence from a multitude of species indicating that there is no direct relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and longevity. Here we explore how different species, including the longest lived rodent, the naked mole-rat, have defied the most predominant aging theory. RECENT ADVANCES In the case of extremely long-lived naked mole-rat, levels of ROS production are found to be similar to mice, antioxidant defenses unexceptional, and even under constitutive conditions, naked mole-rats combine a pro-oxidant intracellular milieu with high, steady state levels of oxidative damage. Clearly, naked mole-rats can tolerate this level of oxidative stress and must have mechanisms in place to prevent its translation into potentially lethal diseases. CRITICAL ISSUES In addition to the naked mole-rat, other species from across the phylogenetic spectrum and even certain mouse strains do not support this theory. Moreover, overexpressing or knocking down antioxidant levels alters levels of oxidative damage and even cancer incidence, but does not modulate lifespan. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Perhaps, it is not oxidative stress that modulates healthspan and longevity, but other cytoprotective mechanisms that allow animals to deal with high levels of oxidative damage and stress, and nevertheless live long, relatively healthy lifespans. Studying these mechanisms in uniquely long-lived species, like the naked mole-rat, may help us tease out the key contributors to aging and longevity.
Switched parasitic dielectric resonator antenna array using capacitor loading for 5G Applications

This paper presents a brief account of the findings on a switched parasitic dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) array excited in a higher-order mode. The scanning phase can be changed by using switching technique and capacitor loading at the parasitic element. The driven DR and parasitic DRs have a dielectric constant of 10 and were fed by a microstrip slot aperture. The impact of mutual coupling on the reflection coefficient was examined through a numerical calculation which combines both ANSYS HFSS and MATLAB. This phased array was shown to be able to steer the antenna beam from -26 degrees to +26 degrees at 15 GHz, which is considered suitable for 5G applications. The impedance matching was maintained at all beam steering angles and a bandwidth of 2.6 GHz has been achieved.
Selection on Moral Hazard in Health Insurance

We use employee-level panel data from a single firm to explore the possibility that individuals may select insurance coverage in part based on their anticipated behavioral ("moral hazard") response to insurance, a phenomenon we label "selection on moral hazard. " Using a model of plan choice and medical utilization, we present evidence of heterogeneous moral hazard as well as selection on it, and explore some of its implications. For example, we show that, at least in our context, abstracting from selection on moral hazard could lead to over-estimates of the spending reduction associated with introducing a high-deductible health insurance option.
The Frequency of Naive and Early-Activated Hapten-Specific B Cell Subsets Dictates the Efficacy of a Therapeutic Vaccine against Prescription Opioid Abuse

Translation of therapeutic vaccines for addiction, cancer, or other chronic noncommunicable diseases has been slow because only a small subset of immunized subjects achieved effective Ab levels. We hypothesize that individual variability in the number of naive and early-activated hapten-specific B cells determines postvaccination serum Ab levels and vaccine efficacy. Using a model vaccine against the highly abused prescription opioid oxycodone, the polyclonal B cell population specific for an oxycodone-based hapten (6OXY) was analyzed by flow cytometry paired with Ag-based magnetic enrichment. A higher frequency of 6OXY-specific B cells in either spleen biopsies or blood, before and after immunization, correlated to subsequent greater oxycodone-specific serum Ab titers and their efficacy in blocking oxycodone distribution to the brain and oxycodone-induced behavior in mice. The magnitude of 6OXY-specific B cell activation and vaccine efficacy was tightly correlated to the size of the CD4+ T cell population. The frequency of enriched 6OXY-specific B cells was consistent across various mouse tissues. These data provide novel evidence that variations in the frequency of naive or early-activated vaccine-specific B and T cells can account for individual responses to vaccines and may predict the clinical efficacy of a therapeutic vaccine.
Piecewise-linear approximation of nonlinear dynamical systems

The piecewise-linear (PWL) approximation technique developed by Julia/spl acute/n et al. in the past few years is applied to find approximate models of dynamical systems dependent on given numbers of state variables and parameters. Referring to some significant examples, i.e., topological normal forms, it is shown that a PWL dynamical system approximating a given smooth system can preserve its main features. In particular, if the approximation accuracy increases, the equivalence between approximating and approximated systems shifts from qualitative to quantitative. The validity of the proposed approach is eventually tested by use of a severe nonlinear example, i.e., the Rosenzweig-MacArthur system, which describes the population dynamics in a tritrophic food chain model.
Awareness of infection, knowledge of hepatitis C, and medical follow‐up among individuals testing positive for hepatitis C: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001‐2008

Many persons infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are unknown to the healthcare system because they may be asymptomatic for years, have not been tested for HCV infection, and only seek medical care when they develop liver‐related complications. We analyzed data from persons who tested positive for past or current HCV infection during participation in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 through 2008. A follow‐up survey was conducted 6 months after examination to determine (1) how many participants testing positive for HCV infection were aware of their HCV status before being notified by NHANES, (2) what actions participants took after becoming aware of their first positive test, and (3) participants' knowledge about hepatitis C. Of 30,140 participants tested, 393 (1.3%) had evidence of past or current HCV infection and 170 (43%) could be contacted during the follow‐up survey and interviewed. Only 49.7% were aware of their positive HCV infection status before being notified by NHANES, and only 3.7% of these respondents reported that they had first been tested for HCV because they or their doctor thought they were at risk for infection. Overall, 85.4% had heard of hepatitis C; correct responses to questions about hepatitis C were higher among persons 40‐59 years of age, white non‐Hispanics, and respondents who saw a physician after their first positive HCV test. Eighty percent of respondents indicated they had seen a doctor about their first positive HCV test result. Conclusion: These data indicate that fewer than half of those infected with HCV may be aware of their infection. The findings suggest that more intensive efforts are needed to identify and test persons at risk for HCV infection. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;55:1652–1661)
Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle-Dependent Attenuation of Staphylococcus aureus In Vivo Virulence by Selective Inhibition of Amino Acid Transport

ABSTRACT Staphylococci are the leading causes of endovascular infections worldwide. Commonly, these infections involve the formation of biofilms on the surface of biomaterials. Biofilms are a complex aggregation of bacteria commonly encapsulated by an adhesive exopolysaccharide matrix. In staphylococci, this exopolysaccharide matrix is composed of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA). PIA is synthesized when the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is repressed. The inverse correlation between PIA synthesis and TCA cycle activity led us to hypothesize that increasing TCA cycle activity would decrease PIA synthesis and biofilm formation and reduce virulence in a rabbit catheter-induced model of biofilm infection. TCA cycle activity can be induced by preventing staphylococci from exogenously acquiring a TCA cycle-derived amino acid necessary for growth. To determine if TCA cycle induction would decrease PIA synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus, the glutamine permease gene (glnP) was inactivated and TCA cycle activity, PIA accumulation, biofilm forming ability, and virulence in an experimental catheter-induced endovascular biofilm (endocarditis) model were determined. Inactivation of this major glutamine transporter increased TCA cycle activity, transiently decreased PIA synthesis, and significantly reduced in vivo virulence in the endocarditis model in terms of achievable bacterial densities in biofilm-associated cardiac vegetations, kidneys, and spleen. These data confirm the close linkage of TCA cycle activity and virulence factor production and establish that this metabolic linkage can be manipulated to alter infectious outcomes.
Uncertainty, consultation, and the context of medical care

Although the ascendancy of evidence based medicine obscures the uncertainty inherent in patient care, this uncertainty remains a defining fact of medical life. Griffiths et al listened to health professionals and identified three distinct approaches that were used in consultations—two of which they judged to understate the risk level of patients.1 They recommend that health professionals should be trained to communicate with their patients without recourse to the myth of medical certainty. The authors produced a distribution of approaches to consultation across several health professionals, settings, and health issues, and draw some intriguing inferences. Their findings also generate further research questions, especially …
A Machine Learning Approach for Statistical Software Testing

Some Statistical Software Testing approaches rely on sampling the feasible paths in the control flow graph of the program; the difficulty comes from the tiny ratio of feasible paths. This paper presents an adaptive sampling mechanismcalled EXIST for Exploration/ eXploitation Inference for Software Testing, able to retrieve distinct feasible paths with high probability. EXIST proceeds by alternatively exploiting and updating a distribution on the set of program paths. An original representation of paths, accommodating long-range dependencies and data sparsity and based on extended Parikh maps, is proposed. Experimental validation on real-world and artificial problems demonstrates dramatic improvements compared to the state of the art.
Dithienophosphole-based molecular electron acceptors constructed using direct (hetero)arylation cross-coupling methods

Herein we report on the first successful coupling of the dithienophosphole (S2PO) functional building block with three types of heteroaryl end caps using direct (hetero)arylation C–H bond functionalization methods. As a model reaction, S2PO was coupled with ethylhexyl phthalimide. The reaction conditions were optimized to give yields up to 67%. Applying the optimized conditions to hexyl phthalimide and N-annulated perylene diimide gave yields of 68% and 49% for the corresponding products, respectively. Compounds were characterized by optical absorption and emission spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis and compared with their phosphole-free analogues. It was found that incorporation of the phosphole resulted in a lowering of the LUMO energy level for both compounds compared to their analogues. The bis(perylene diimide)S2PO product was used as an acceptor in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices with three donor polymers. High Voc values of 1.0–1.1 V were obtained from devices spin cast from o-dichlorobenzene, a significant result for devices with non-fullerene acceptors.
p53 Dynamics Control Cell Fate

Dynamic Responses Expression of the tumor suppressor p53 is activated in response to cell stress. The dynamics of p53 activation can vary, depending on the stressor, resulting in either pulsatile or constant p53 levels; however, the functional consequence of these different dynamics is unclear. Purvis et al. (p. 1440) developed a method to control p53 dynamics in human cells. Pulsing p53 selectively activated genes involved in cell cycle arrest and DNA repair, allowing recovery from DNA damage. In contrast, sustained p53 promoted induction of terminal genes leading to cellular senescence. Thus, protein dynamics can affect cell fate decisions. After DNA damage, pulses of p53 allow recovery, whereas sustained levels lead to senescence. Cells transmit information through molecular signals that often show complex dynamical patterns. The dynamic behavior of the tumor suppressor p53 varies depending on the stimulus; in response to double-strand DNA breaks, it shows a series of repeated pulses. Using a computational model, we identified a sequence of precisely timed drug additions that alter p53 pulses to instead produce a sustained p53 response. This leads to the expression of a different set of downstream genes and also alters cell fate: Cells that experience p53 pulses recover from DNA damage, whereas cells exposed to sustained p53 signaling frequently undergo senescence. Our results show that protein dynamics can be an important part of a signal, directly influencing cellular fate decisions.
Factors associated with suicidal ideation among university students 1

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the factors associated with suicidal ideation in a representative sample of university students. Methods: cross-sectional study, carried out with 637 students of the Federal University of Mato Grosso. The presence of suicidal ideation, demographic and socioeconomic variables, use of alcohol through the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test, and depressive symptoms (Major Depression Inventory) were investigated. Bivariate analysis was performed with the Chi-square test and multivariate analysis using the Poisson regression model. Results: it was found that 9.9% of the students had suicidal thoughts in the previous 30 days and, in the bivariate analysis, the variables economic class, sexual orientation, religious practice, suicide attempts in the family and among friends, alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms were associated with suicidal ideation. In the multivariate analysis sexual orientation, suicide attempts in the family and the presence of depressive symptoms remained as associated factors. Conclusion: these findings constitute a situational diagnosis that enables the formulation of academic policies and preventive actions to confront this situation on the university campus.
Biomass recycling and Earth’s early phosphorus cycle

The scarcity of oxidants in the ancient oceans may have inhibited phosphorus recycling, stifling the growth of the biosphere. Phosphorus sets the pace of marine biological productivity on geological time scales. Recent estimates of Precambrian phosphorus levels suggest a severe deficit of this macronutrient, with the depletion attributed to scavenging by iron minerals. We propose that the size of the marine phosphorus reservoir was instead constrained by muted liberation of phosphorus during the remineralization of biomass. In the modern ocean, most biomass-bound phosphorus gets aerobically recycled; but a dearth of oxidizing power in Earth’s early oceans would have limited the stoichiometric capacity for remineralization, particularly during the Archean. The resulting low phosphorus concentrations would have substantially hampered primary productivity, contributing to the delayed rise of atmospheric oxygen.
Measuring older women’s resilience: Evaluating the suitability of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Resilience Scale

ABSTRACT The author provides conceptual and operational definitions of the construct of resilience in the context of research with older adults (aged 60 years or older). Two psychometric instruments (the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Resilience Scale) are described. The psychometric properties of each instrument are discussed in relation to the research of the original developers of the tools and research conducted by other investigators. Research on the resilience of older women has yet to be initiated. The author evaluated the psychometric properties of both instruments to determine their suitability for investigation of resilience in older women.
Does current behaviour predict the course of children's physical fitness?

Abstract The secular trend of reduced physical fitness (PF) leads to increased health risks. The aim of the present paper is to analyse various current factors that affect health behaviour with respect to the course of PF over 2 years. A path analysis combined with a latent growth curve analysis was based on a study that was conducted between June 2008 and June 2010 with 145 primary German school children (52.1% male, average age at baseline 7.95 years ± 0.95). PF was tested with the German Motor Test 6–18. For the mean PF and the course of PF, direct and indirect influences were shown over three levels, including migration background on the first level and physical activity (PA) on the second level. Body mass index (BMI) impacted the mean PF but not the course of PF. The influence of sedentary behaviour on the mean PF was diminished (compared to bivariate analysis) due to its common variance mainly with BMI. PA affected not only current PF in children but also the course of PF (aintercept = .28, P = .001; aslope = .27, P = .21). Consequently, preventive measures should focus on early adoption and maintenance of PA.