Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Day-and-Night Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Free-Living, Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE To evaluate feasibility, safety, and efficacy of day-and-night hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery in adolescents with type 1 diabetes under free-living conditions without remote monitoring or supervision. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In an open-label, randomized, free-living, crossover study design, 12 adolescents receiving insulin pump therapy (mean [±SD] age 15.4 ± 2.6 years; HbA1c 8.3 ± 0.9%; duration of diabetes 8.2 ± 3.4 years) underwent two 7-day periods of sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy or hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery without supervision or remote monitoring. During the closed-loop insulin delivery, a model predictive algorithm automatically directed insulin delivery between meals and overnight; prandial boluses were administered by participants using a bolus calculator. RESULTS The proportion of time when the sensor glucose level was in the target range (3.9–10 mmol/L) was increased during closed-loop insulin delivery compared with sensor-augmented pump therapy (72 vs. 53%, P < 0.001; primary end point), the mean glucose concentration was lowered (8.7 vs. 10.1 mmol/L, P = 0.028), and the time spent above the target level was reduced (P = 0.005) without changing the total daily insulin amount (P = 0.55). The time spent in the hypoglycemic range was low and comparable between interventions. CONCLUSIONS Unsupervised day-and-night hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery at home is feasible and safe in young people with type 1 diabetes. Compared with sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy, closed-loop insulin delivery may improve glucose control without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia in adolescents with suboptimally controlled type 1 diabetes.
Human Learning and Individual Differences: the genetic dimension

Abstract It is argued in this paper that from the point of view of education, individual differences in both temperament and intelligence are of the utmost importance, and that their disregard must account for a good deal of the unsatisfactory state of modern education. Bright and dull children, introverted and extroverted children, stable and unstable children react in quite different ways to different methods of education and teaching and, unless these differences are taken into account, overall averages are meaningless and often hide the true effects of any given method or system. It is further argued that genetic factors exert a very strong effect on individual differences in temperament and intelligence and that these genetic differences are fundamental for any realistic improvements in educational methodology.
Sonication Parameters for the Preparation of Biodegradable Nanocapsulesof Controlled Size by the Double Emulsion Method

The main goal of the present work was to study the influence of the sonication process on the characteristics of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanocapsules prepared by the water-in-oil-in-water solvent evaporation method. The duration and intensity of sonication were investigated with respect to their ability to modify the size and distribution of the nanocapsule population. It has been demonstrated that the duration of the second mixing step (leading to the w/o/w emulsion) is of greater influence than that of the first step (water-in-oil emulsion) on the final mean particle size. A three-dimensional response surface was drawn up to show that when the second emulsification time increased, the mean size decreased until reaching a plateau. A threshold in sonication intensity also exists, allowing optimization of both parameters and the formation of nanocapsules of controlled size with a rather narrow distribution. The use of a vortex mixer instead of a sonicator during the first mixing step led to nanocapsules with a similar response surface, supporting the idea that the second step is the decisive one. Finally, nanocapsules loaded with methylene blue, a hydrophilic model compound with a positive charge, were characterized and the encapsulation efficiency calculated. Their size and distribution were similar to that of the blank nanocapsules. Entrapment efficiency was independent of duration, intensity, and type of mixing. From these results, it was concluded that nanocapsules of controlled size could be obtained upon optimizing certain process parameters.
Generation of High-Amylose Rice through CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis of Starch Branching Enzymes

Cereals high in amylose content (AC) and resistant starch (RS) offer potential health benefits. Previous studies using chemical mutagenesis or RNA interference have demonstrated that starch branching enzyme (SBE) plays a major role in determining the fine structure and physical properties of starch. However, it remains a challenge to control starch branching in commercial lines. Here, we use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate targeted mutagenesis in SBEI and SBEIIb in rice. The frequencies of obtained homozygous or bi-allelic mutant lines with indels in SBEI and SBEIIb in T0 generation were from 26.7 to 40%. Mutations in the homozygous T0 lines stably transmitted to the T1 generation and those in the bi-allelic lines segregated in a Mendelian fashion. Transgene-free plants carrying only the frame-shifted mutagenesis were recovered in T1 generation following segregation. Whereas no obvious differences were observed between the sbeI mutants and wild type, sbeII mutants showed higher proportion of long chains presented in debranched amylopectin, significantly increased AC and RS content to as higher as 25.0 and 9.8%, respectively, and thus altered fine structure and nutritional properties of starch. Taken together, our results demonstrated for the first time the feasibility to create high-amylose rice through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of SBEIIb.
Affine Term Structure Models for the Foreign Exchange Risk Premium in Armenian Deposit Market 1

This paper studies foreign exchange risk premium using the uncovered interest rate parity framework in a single country context. The analysis is performed using weekly data on foreign and domestic currency deposits in Armenian banking system. The paper provides the results of the simple tests of uncovered interest parity condition, which indicate that contrary to established view dominating in empirical literature there is a positive correspondence between exchange rate depreciation and interest rate differentials in Armenian deposit market. Furthermore, the paper presents and discusses a systematic positive risk premium required by the economic agents for foreign exchange transactions, which increases over the investment horizon. The two currency affine term structure framework is applied to identify the factors driving the systematic exchange rate risk premium in Armenia. At the end, possible directions for further research are outlined.
Poor Glycemic Control Is Related to Increased Nitric Oxide Activity Within the Renal Circulation of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Experimental studies have shown that glucose releases endothelial nitric oxide (NO) and that NO contributes to renal hyperperfusion in models of diabetes. To examine whether this translates into the human condition, we studied the relationship between glycemic control and renal NO activity in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 113 patients with type 2 diabetes and a wide range of HbA1c concentrations were included. Renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined by constant infusion input clearance. Functional NO activity in the renal circulation was determined as change of RPF to infusion of the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) (4.25 mg/kg). As additional markers, we measured urinary excretion of NO (UNOx) and l-arginine–to–asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) ratio in plasma. RESULTS Subjects within the highest tertile of HbA1c concentration had increased RPF (low, medium, and high tertiles 576 ± 17 vs. 585 ± 22 vs. 627 ± 33 mL/min/m2, P = 0.05 by one-way ANOVA), while GFR was similar across tertiles. The response of RPF to NOS blockade was augmented in subjects with higher HbA1c levels (−55 ± 7 vs. −64 ± 8 vs. −86 ± 8 mL/min, P = 0.04 by one-way ANOVA). Further, l-arginine–to–ADMA ratio and UNOx were increased in subjects with higher HbA1c levels. CONCLUSIONS In line with experimental evidence, we could demonstrate in humans that poor glycemic control is related to higher NO activity and hyperperfusion of the kidney. The renal NO system may thus be a novel therapeutic target for improving renal hemodynamics in patients with diabetes.
Sexually transmitted infection is associated with increased risk of preterm birth in South Carolina women insured by Medicaid

Objective. We investigated the association between diagnosed maternal sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and very preterm or late preterm birth in 108,346 South Carolina women receiving medical care purchased by Medicaid from 1996 through 2002, and delivering singleton infants. Methods. ICD9 codes in South Carolina Medicaid data were used to identify maternal infections. Gestational age was obtained from birth certificates. Results. Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and/or Chlamydia/non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) were diagnosed in 4,208 women. Preterm birth occurred in just over 9% of pregnancies. Women diagnosed with one of the infections in the first 7 months of pregnancy were significantly more likely to deliver very preterm infants (adjusted HR = 1.73, p < 0.0001). Women with infection in the first 8 months were significantly more likely to deliver between 33 and 36 weeks (adjusted HR = 1.39, p < 0.0001). Of the three infections, Chlamydia/NGU was most strongly associated with preterm birth and infections occurring later in pregnancy (months 6, 7, and 8). Conclusion. STIs appear to be preventable risk factors for very and late preterm birth.
The strategic nature of less skilled readers’ suppression problems

This study was conducted to investigate the nature of cognitive inhibition as it operates in the comprehension of language. Previous research has shown that the ability to inhibit or suppress irrelevant information underlies individual differences in reading skill. Less skilled readers appear to have difficulty suppressing active, but irrelevant, information during comprehension. Two different accounts of less skilled readers’ suppression problems were investigated. First, less skilled readers may have deficiencies in an automatic suppression mechanism. Alternatively, they may have difficulty executing a strategic process necessary to overcome response conflict. The results of three experiments supported the latter hypothesis. Less skilled readers were prone to interference only when a test probe had an ambiguous relation to a preceding context and a task required or was susceptible to context checking at test.
Pain in workers with shoulder impingement syndrome: an assessment using the DASH and McGill pain questionnaires

Objective: This study assessed physical function and pain in male and female workers with shoulder impingement syndrome using the Brazilian Portuguese versions of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and McGill pain questionnaires. Methods: Twenty-seven assembly line workers (18 men and 9 women; mean age of 33.26 ± 6.49 years) in the school supply industry were evaluated. The duration of the shoulder impingement pain was 31.74 ± 32.92 months and the amount of time of the workers in this industry was 11.08 ± 6.41 years. The DASH questionnaire was used to evaluate functional status and symptoms of the upper limbs of the workers. Using the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the pain was quantified by the number of words chosen and by the pain rating index (PRI). Results: The women presented higher scores (P< 0.05) than the men for both DASH overall and DASH work scores. The women chose more words (17.00 ± 2.59) than the men (13.33 ± 3.16) and also presented the highest total PRI (P< 0.05). Conclusions: The results obtained in this group of Brazilian workers with shoulder impingement identify the most commonly used descriptors of shoulder pain. Further, this study shows that females are more likely than males to refer physical disability and pain. Also, the DASH and McGill pain questionnaires are important and helpful tools in the clinical evaluation of shoulder impingement syndrome.
Branching Storylines in Virtual Reality Environments for Leadership Development

Simulation-based training is increasingly being used within the military to practice and develop the skills of successful soldiers. For the skills associated with successful military leadership, our inability to model human behavior to the necessary degree of fidelity in constructive simulations requires that new interactive designs be developed. The ICT Leaders project supports leadership development through the use of branching storylines realized within a virtual reality environment. Trainees assume a role in a fictional scenario, where the decisions that they make in this environment ultimately affect the success of a mission. All trainee decisions are made in the context of natural language conversations with virtual characters. The ICT Leaders project advances a new form of interactive training by incorporating a suite of Artificial Intelligence technologies, including control architectures, agents of mixed autonomy, and natural language processing algorithms.
Psychotraumatologie - der Stand des Wissens und die Versorgungslage

In den vergangenen 20 Jahren hat sich das Verständnis von Traumafolgestörun− gen, besonders der posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung, erheblich verbessert. Bei der nach stark belastenden Ereignis− sen auftretenden Störung werden sub− kortikale Zentren der Stressregulation verändert und damit auch die Regulation späterer Stressoren beeinträchtigt. Die Störung ist durch übliche psychothera− peutische Verfahren nur sehr begrenzt beeinflussbar, weshalb sie lange auch als kaum behandelbar galt. Durch einige seit den 90er−Jahren neu entwickelte psychotherapeutische Behandlungsver− fahren hat sich die Situation auch im klinischen Bereich sehr verbessert. Trotz eines erheblichen Nachholbedarfes in diesem Bereich in Deutschland wird bis− lang im Wesentlichen ein umsichtiger Gebrauch des Traumabegriffes gewahrt und so einer unkritischen Ausweitung vorgebeugt. Problemfelder trotz dieser insgesamt positiven Entwicklung blei− ben: die immer noch sehr schwierige Behandlung komplexer, meist in der Kindheit entstandener, Traumastörungen sowie die für ein reiches Land wie Deutschland kaum nachvollziehbare Unterversorgung schwer traumatisierter Kinder und Jugendlicher.
Two-Choice Randomized Dynamic I/O Scheduler for Object Storage Systems

Object storage is considered a promising solution for next-generation (exascale) high-performance computing platform because of its flexible and high-performance object interface. However, delivering high burst-write throughput is still a critical challenge. Although deploying more storage servers can potentially provide higher throughput, it can be ineffective because the burst-write throughput can be limited by a small number of stragglers (storage servers that are occasionally slower than others). In this paper, we propose a two-choice randomized dynamic I/O scheduler that schedules the concurrent burst-write operations in a balanced way to avoid stragglers and hence achieve high throughput. The contributions in this study are threefold. First, we propose a two-choice randomized dynamic I/O scheduler with collaborative probe and preassign strategies. Second, we design and implement a redirect table and metadata maintainer to address the metadata management challenge introduced by dynamic I/O scheduling. Third, we evaluate the proposed scheduler with both simulation tests and experimental tests in an HPC cluster. The evaluation results confirm the scalability and performance benefits of the proposed I/O scheduler.
Association between a functional serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism and citalopram treatment in adult outpatients with major depression.

CONTEXT The HTTLPR, a functional polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene solute carrier family 6 (neurotransmitter transporter, serotonin), member 4 (SLC6A4), promoter, affects transcription and may be involved in antidepressant drug treatment outcome, although response rates with antidepressants can be lower in patients who experience adverse effects. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that HTTLPR is associated with treatment outcome to citalopram. DESIGN A clinical effectiveness trial, Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression, collected DNA samples from outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder who received citalopram in the first treatment step. The triallelic HTTLPR locus was genotyped in 1775 samples to discriminate between long (L) and short (S) alleles, followed by the A > G substitution. The low-expression S and L(G) alleles were grouped together compared with the high-expression L(A) allele. SETTING Eighteen primary care and 23 psychiatric care sites across the United States. PARTICIPANTS Ages 18 to 75 years, meeting criteria for single or recurrent nonpsychotic major depression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Categorical response, remission, tolerance, and adverse effect burden. RESULTS Expression-based grouping produced a significant finding of association between the L(A) allele and adverse effect burden in the entire sample (P = .004 [genotype frequency]; P < .001 [allele frequency]). To control for bias from population stratification, a white American subsample was analyzed. A lesser adverse effect burden was associated with L(A)L(A) genotype frequency (P = .03) or L(A) allele frequency (P = .007). These findings in white patients did not hold when the L allele was undifferentiated. No association was observed between treatment outcome phenotypes and HTTLPR. Development of diarrhea and the presence of the low-expression S or L(G) alleles were the strongest risk factors associated with adverse effect burden. CONCLUSIONS The HTTLPR polymorphism is associated with citalopram adverse effects. Because the L(A) allele confers increased SLC6A4 transcription, increased serotonin transporter levels in brain and other tissues may lead to fewer adverse effects for antidepressant medications that target the transporter.
Intellectuals, nationalism, and the arts

In this article we argue that the role of intellectuals was essential (1) in the formation of Finnish cultural policy and (2) for the development of national cultural administration and public arts subsidy system in the country in the period leading up to the Second World War. The actions of the intellectuals can be considered as political choices in a contingent socio‐political realm, and arts as an essential part of the signifying system. In Finland, intellectuals remained active in the intertwining areas between the state and civil society. We highlight the impact of their actions especially through a study of archival materials obtained from the State Arts Boards. At these Boards, the intellectuals served as representatives of their own fields of arts in general, and of certain professional and civic associations and societies in particular. These intellectuals acted in various roles depending on the subject matter at hand, and as a result the decisions made by the boards reflected predominantly the interests of some groups over those of others.
ClusterJoin: A Similarity Joins Framework using Map-Reduce

Similarity join is the problem of finding pairs of records with similarity score greater than some threshold. In this paper we study the problem of scaling up similarity join for different metric distance functions using MapReduce. We propose a ClusterJoin framework that partitions the data space based on the underlying data distribution, and distributes each record to partitions in which they may produce join results based on the distance threshold. We design a set of strong candidate filters specific to different distance functions using a novel bisector-based framework, so that each record only needs to be distributed to a small number of partitions while still guaranteeing correctness. To address data skewness, which is common for high dimensional data, we further develop a dynamic load balancing scheme using sampling, which provides strong probabilistic guarantees on the size of partitions, and greatly improves scalability. Experimental evaluation using real data sets shows that our approach is considerably more scalable compared to state-of-the-art algorithms, especially for high dimensional data with low distance thresholds.
Newton-based stochastic extremum seeking

In this paper, we introduce a Newton-based approach to stochastic extremum seeking and prove local stability of Newton-based stochastic extremum seeking algorithm in the sense of both almost sure convergence and convergence in probability. The advantage of the Newton approach is that, while the convergence of the gradient algorithm is dictated by the second derivative (Hessian matrix) of the map, which is unknown, rendering the convergence rate unknown to the user, the convergence of the Newton algorithm is proved to be independent of the Hessian matrix and can be arbitrarily assigned. Simulation shows the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed algorithm over gradient-based stochastic extremum seeking.
Research, part of a Special Feature on Resilience and Vulnerability of Arid and Semi-Arid Social Ecological Systems Resilient or Vulnerable Livelihoods? Assessing Livelihood Dynamics and Trajectories in Rural Botswana

In this paper, we explore the resilience and vulnerability of livelihoods within two different social-ecological dryland contexts of Botswana over the last 30 years. We drew on primary field data sources, including oral histories, livelihood surveys, ecological surveys, as well as documented evidence of environmental, socioeconomic, and institutional dynamics to identify a broad range of activities that combine to create a range of different household livelihood outcomes. We used this information as a starting point to assess the ways in which livelihoods have changed over time, and evaluated whether they have become more resilient or more vulnerable, and considered the factors that have contributed to these outcomes. In the context of dynamic dryland social-ecological systems, we applied a livelihood trajectory approach to explore the shocks and stresses that affect livelihoods and to elucidate the characteristics of livelihood strategies that contribute to increased resilience or vulnerability. We used a vulnerability framework as a means of framing discussion about vulnerability and resilience and as a means of identifying broader insights. The research identified "accumulator", "diversifier", and "dependent" households and the ways in which they move between these categories. More resilient livelihood trajectories can be achieved if the important role of formal and informal institutions is recognized.
Does a lack of life meaning cause boredom? Results from psychometric, longitudinal, and experimental analyses.

Existential theory and previous qualitative research have suggested that a lack of life meaning and purpose causes boredom, as well as other types of negative affect such as depression or anxiety. Although these variables have been shown to be correlated at one point in time, the relationships among these constructs have not been investigated using a controlled, quantitative research design. In Study 1a (N = 131), boredom was shown to be related to, yet psychometrically distinct from, life meaning, depression, and anxiety. In Study 1b (N = 88), life meaning significantly predicted changes in boredom across time while depression and anxiety did not. In addition, boredom was a significant predictor of changes in life meaning across time, while depression and anxiety were not. Finally, in Study 2 (N = 102), manipulating perceptions of life meaning significantly changed boredom, while a manipulation of mood did not. The nature of the relationship between life meaning and boredom, as well as some clinical impl.