Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Uses of Personal Health Information Within PatientsLikeMe, an Online Patient Community: What Can Happen When Patients Have Access to One Another’s Data

Background This project investigates the ways in which patients respond to the shared use of what is often considered private information: personal health data. There is a growing demand for patient access to personal health records. The predominant model for this record is a repository of all clinically relevant health information kept securely and viewed privately by patients and their health care providers. While this type of record does seem to have beneficial effects for the patient–physician relationship, the complexity and novelty of these data coupled with the lack of research in this area means the utility of personal health information for the primary stakeholders—the patients—is not well documented or understood. Objective PatientsLikeMe is an online community built to support information exchange between patients. The site provides customized disease-specific outcome and visualization tools to help patients understand and share information about their condition. We begin this paper by describing the components and design of the online community. We then identify and analyze how users of this platform reference personal health information within patient-to-patient dialogues. Methods Patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) post data on their current treatments, symptoms, and outcomes. These data are displayed graphically within personal health profiles and are reflected in composite community-level symptom and treatment reports. Users review and discuss these data within the Forum, private messaging, and comments posted on each other’s profiles. We analyzed member communications that referenced individual-level personal health data to determine how patient peers use personal health information within patient-to-patient exchanges. Results Qualitative analysis of a sample of 123 comments (about 2% of the total) posted within the community revealed a variety of commenting and questioning behaviors by patient members. Members referenced data to locate others with particular experiences to answer specific health-related questions, to proffer personally acquired disease-management knowledge to those most likely to benefit from it, and to foster and solidify relationships based on shared concerns. Conclusions Few studies examine the use of personal health information by patients themselves. This project suggests how patients who choose to explicitly share health data within a community may benefit from the process, helping them engage in dialogues that may inform disease self-management. We recommend that future designs make each patient’s health information as clear as possible, automate matching of people with similar conditions and using similar treatments, and integrate data into online platforms for health conversations.
Nicotinic acid receptor subtypes and their ligands

Half a century ago, nicotinic acid (niacin) was introduced into the clinic as the first orally available drug to treat high cholesterol levels and to improve the balance between (V)low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). Remarkably, its putative mechanism of action has only been recently elucidated, particularly because of the cloning of a G protein‐coupled receptor (HM74A or GPR109A). This receptor responds to both nicotinic acid and the ketone body β‐hydroxybutyrate, the latter thought to be the more probable endogenous ligand for HM74A. In this review, we will discuss the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of this receptor subtype and a related one (HM74 or GPR109B). Although still in its infancy, the ligand repertoire is developing, and a number of compound classes have now been described, among which are both full and partial agonists. Antagonists, however, are still lacking, thus compromising thorough pharmacological studies. Mutagenesis experiments have provided clues regarding the ligand binding site; in particular, an arginine residue in transmembrane domain 3 of the receptor seems to recognize the acidic moiety present in nicotinic acid and related substances. HM74A has also been linked to one of the major side effects of nicotinic acid, that is, flushing, since this receptor subtype also occurs in skin immune cells. It is not known yet whether HM74 is also present on these cells. Since nicotinic acid is one of the few available medicines that raise HDL (“good cholesterol”) levels, HM74A and HM74 appear promising targets for future pharmacotherapy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 27, No. 3, 417–433, 2007
Review article: the pathophysiology of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease − oesophageal manifestations

The pathogenesis of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is multifactorial, involving transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs) as well as other lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) pressure abnormalities. GERD is associated with a decrease in LES pressure, which can be provoked by factors such as foods (fat, chocolate, etc.), alcohol, smoking and medications. These factors have also been shown to increase TLESRs. As a result, reflux of acid, bile, pepsin and pancreatic enzymes occurs, leading to oesophageal mucosal injury, which can potentially progress to oesophageal adenocarcinoma in a minority of patients with Barrett's metaplasia. In addition, duodenogastric contents can also contribute to oesophageal injury. Other factors contributing to the pathophysiology of GERD include hiatal hernia, poor oesophageal clearance, delayed gastric emptying and impaired mucosal defensive factors. Hiatal hernia has a permissive role in the pathogenesis of reflux oesophagitis by promoting LES dysfunction. Delayed gastric emptying, resulting in gastric distension, can significantly increase the rate of TLESRs, contributing to postprandial GER. The mucosal defensive factors have an important role in GERD. When excessive acid causes a breakdown in oesophageal epithelial defenses, epithelial resistance may be reduced. Nocturnal GERD is associated with prolonged acid exposure and proximal extent of acid contact, which elevates the risk for oesophageal damage and GERD‐related complications. In sum, GERD is a complex problem caused by many factors that are exacerbated when the patient is in the supine position.
Identification of Novel Reference Genes Suitable for qRT-PCR Normalization with Respect to the Zebrafish Developmental Stage

Reference genes used in normalizing qRT-PCR data are critical for the accuracy of gene expression analysis. However, many traditional reference genes used in zebrafish early development are not appropriate because of their variable expression levels during embryogenesis. In the present study, we used our previous RNA-Seq dataset to identify novel reference genes suitable for gene expression analysis during zebrafish early developmental stages. We first selected 197 most stably expressed genes from an RNA-Seq dataset (29,291 genes in total), according to the ratio of their maximum to minimum RPKM values. Among the 197 genes, 4 genes with moderate expression levels and the least variation throughout 9 developmental stages were identified as candidate reference genes. Using four independent statistical algorithms (delta-CT, geNorm, BestKeeper and NormFinder), the stability of qRT-PCR expression of these candidates was then evaluated and compared to that of actb1 and actb2, two commonly used zebrafish reference genes. Stability rankings showed that two genes, namely mobk13 (mob4) and lsm12b, were more stable than actb1 and actb2 in most cases. To further test the suitability of mobk13 and lsm12b as novel reference genes, they were used to normalize three well-studied target genes. The results showed that mobk13 and lsm12b were more suitable than actb1 and actb2 with respect to zebrafish early development. We recommend mobk13 and lsm12b as new optimal reference genes for zebrafish qRT-PCR analysis during embryogenesis and early larval stages.
Exponential Synchronization for Fractional-order Time-delayed Memristive Neural Networks

Abstract Considering the fact that the exponential synchronization of neural networks has been widely used in theoretical research and practical application of many scientific fields, and there are a few researches about the exponential synchronization of fractional-order memristor-based neural networks (FMNN). This paper concentrates on the FMNN with time-varying delays and investigates its exponential synchronization. A simple linear error feedback controller is applied to compel the response system to synchronize with the drive system. Combining the theories of differential inclusions and set valued maps, a new sufficient condition concerning exponential synchronization is obtained based on comparison principle rather than the traditional Lyapunov theory. The obtained results extend exponential synchronization of integer-order system to fractional-order memristor-based neural networks with time-varying delays. Finally, some numerical examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and correctness of the main results.
Significant linkage to chromosome 22q for exploratory eye movement dysfunction in schizophrenia

A genome‐wide scan for a locus responsible for exploratory eye movement (EEM), which is quantitative and can be disturbed in association with schizophrenia, was performed. A 10‐cM resolution genome‐wide linkage analysis of the EEM disturbance with 358 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers in 38 nuclear families with 122 members (38 probands, 47 sibs, and 37 parents) including 58 sib‐pairs yielded the suggestive linkage to the GCT10C10 marker on chromosome 22q11.2 (LOD = 2.48). Dense mapping with additional markers around the GCT10C10 marker yielded evidence for significant linkage between EEM disturbance and markers D22S429 and D22S310 on chromosome 22q12.1 (LOD score of 4.63) with suggestive evidence for the chromosome region 22q11.2–q12.1. Our findings suggest that a relatively small number of loci may control the schizophrenia‐related quantitative EEM trait. We believe that identifying gene(s) on chromosome 22q associated with the EEM phenotype may forward our understanding of the etiology of schizophrenia. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of the cardiac glycosides on the Ca++ uptake of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The effect of cardiac glycosides on the Ca ++ uptake of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments was investigated employing the Millipore filtration method. It was found that both ouabain and strophanthin inhibited the Ca ++ uptake of isolated cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments, and that the optimal concentration for this inhibitory effect was about 10 -6 M. This inhibitory effect of the cardiac glycosides was more marked in the NaCl medium than in the KCl medium. The determination of the time course of Ca ++ uptake indicated that the inhibition of Ca ++ uptake by the cardiac glycosides was most marked at the initial 0.5- to 1-min period of incubation, and became less as the incubation time was prolonged.
Rab 10 is Involved in Basolateral Transport in Polarized Madin – Darby Canine Kidney Cells

The sorting of newly synthesized membrane proteins to the cell surface is an important mechanism of cell polarity. To identifymore of themolecular machinery involved, we investigated the function of the small GTPase Rab10 in polarized epithelial Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. We find that GFP-tagged Rab10 localizes primarily to the Golgi during early cell polarization. Expression of an activated Rab10 mutant inhibits biosynthetic transport from the Golgi and missorts basolateral cargo to the apical membrane. Depletion of Rab10 by RNA interference has only mild effects on biosynthetic transport and epithelial polarization, but simultaneous inhibition of Rab10 and Rab8a more strongly impairs basolateral sorting. These results indicate that Rab10 functions in trafficking from the Golgi at early stages of epithelial polarization, is involved in biosynthetic transport to the basolateral membrane and may co-operate with Rab8.
Capacities and Competencies as Sources of Competitive Advantage: The Case Study of Latvian Hotels

This paper focuses on describing how capacities and competences could be use for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage within hotels management since tourism has gained a special position in the export of services and regional development and entrepreneurship in Latvia, and played a significant role in the rapid transition from ineffective planning to full-scale competition. In this study the focus is on Latvian hotels, since hospitality industry and tourism in general mirror the development of this country, presenting the process through which competencies and capacities can be used as determinants of the competitive advantage.
Development and Optimization of a Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of Herpes Simplex and Varicella-Zoster Viruses in Skin and Mucosal Lesions by Use of the BD Max Open System

ABSTRACT We transitioned laboratory-developed PCR assays for herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) to the BD Max system by using BD Max open system reagents. After optimization, the agreement with the reference PCR assay was 100% (123/123) for HSV-1, 96.7% (119/123) for HSV-2, and 100% (60/60) for VZV using retrospective clinical samples.
Fishy Cyber A ack Detection in Industrial Control Systems An approach based on sequence learning LSTM networks

Cyber aacks have become serious threats to Industrial Control systems as well. It becomes important to develop a serious threat defense system against such vulnerabilities. For such process control systems, safety should also be assured apart from security. As unearthing vulnerabilities and patching them is not a feasible solution, these critical infrastructures need safeguards to prevent accidents, both natural and articial, that could potentially be hazardous. Morita proposed an eective Zone division[3], capable of evaluating remote and concealed aacks on the system, coupled with Principal Component Analysis. But the need to analyze the node that has been compromised and stopping any further damages, requires an automated technique. Illustrating the basic ideas we’ll simulate a simple Water plant. We propose a new automated approach based on Long Short Term Memory networks capable of detecting aacks and pin point the location of the breach.
Depression and stressful environments: identifying gaps in conceptualization and measurement

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: Stress is well known as a trigger of depressive reactions, fear, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. However, there are many gaps in the conceptualization and measurement of environmental stress. Results: Exciting developments in the neuroscience of stress have increasingly expanded our knowledge of mechanisms by which stress may affect emotional and behavioral adjustment. Ironically, environmental stress has often been a silent player in human studies of stress processes. There is a significant need for increased efforts to include environmental stress variables in models of internalizing and other disorders. Measurement and conceptualization issues are prominent, and this article makes the case for improved methods of measuring acute, chronic, and early life stress, and for additional conceptualization of the dynamically changing and bidirectional effects of stress on disorder over time. Conclusions: There is a critical need for greater focus on and better measurement of the environment and its impact on emotional and other disorders, with emphasis on developmentally informed hypotheses. Empirical findings and new perspectives may contribute enormously to our understanding of normal and abnormal outcomes, and also to the challenge of effective interventions to promote mental health and optimal functioning.
Single-Look SAR Tomography as an Add-On to PSI for Improved Deformation Analysis in Urban Areas

Persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) is in operational use for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-based deformation analysis. A limitation inherently associated with PSI is that, by definition, a persistent scatterer (PS) is a single dominant scatterer. Therefore, pixels containing signal contributions from multiple scatterers, as in the case of a layover, are typically rejected in the PSI processing, which in turn limits deformation retrieval. SAR tomography has the ability to resolve layovers. This paper investigates the added value that can be achieved by operationally combining SAR tomography with a PSI approach toward the objective of improving deformation sampling in layover-affected urban areas. Different tomographic phase models are implemented and compared as regards their suitability in resolving layovers. Single-look beamforming-based tomographic inversion and a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT)-based detection strategy are used to detect single and double scatterers. The quantity of the detected scatterers is weighed against their quality as defined in terms of the phase deviation between the single-look complex (SLC) measurements and the tomographic model fit. The gain in deformation sampling that can be derived with tomography relative to a PSI-based analysis is quantitatively assessed, and alongside the quality of the scatterers obtained with tomography is compared with the quality of the PSs identified with a PSI approach. The experiments are performed on an interferometric stack of 50 TerraSAR-X stripmap images. The results obtained show that, although there is a tradeoff between the quantity and the quality of the detected scatterers, the tested SAR tomography approach leads to an improvement in deformation sampling in layover-affected areas.
Star Classification Under Data Variability : An Emerging Challenge in Astroinformatics

Astroinformatics is an interdisciplinary field of science that applies modern computational tools to the solution of astronomical problems. One relevant subarea is the use of machine learning for analysis of large astronomical repositories and surveys. In this paper we describe a case study based on the classification of variable Cepheid stars using domain adaptation techniques; our study highlights some of the emerging challenges posed by astroinformatics.
Identification and Characterization of an Oocyte Factor Required for Porcine Nuclear Reprogramming*

Background: Oocyte factors can reprogram the somatic nucleus efficiently, but these factors still need to be defined. Results: Maternal vimentin acts as a genomic protector and results in p53 down-regulation during nuclear reprogramming. Conclusion: Maternal vimentin is crucial for nuclear reprogramming. Significance: We report the first evidence of vimentin as a reprogramming factor. Nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells can be induced by oocyte factors. Despite numerous attempts, the factors responsible for successful nuclear reprogramming remain elusive. In the present study, we found that porcine oocytes with the first polar body collected at 42 h of in vitro maturation had a stronger ability to support early development of cloned embryos than porcine oocytes with the first polar body collected at 33 h of in vitro maturation. To explore the key reprogramming factors responsible for the difference, we compared proteome signatures of the two groups of oocytes. 18 differentially expressed proteins between these two groups of oocytes were discovered by mass spectrometry (MS). Among these proteins, we especially focused on vimentin (VIM). A certain amount of VIM protein was stored in oocytes and accumulated during oocyte maturation, and maternal VIM was specifically incorporated into transferred somatic nuclei during nuclear reprogramming. When maternal VIM function was inhibited by anti-VIM antibody, the rate of cloned embryos developing to blastocysts was significantly lower than that of IgG antibody-injected embryos and non-injected embryos (12.24 versus 22.57 and 21.10%; p < 0.05), but the development of in vitro fertilization and parthenogenetic activation embryos was not affected. Furthermore, we found that DNA double strand breaks dramatically increased and that the p53 pathway was activated in cloned embryos when VIM function was inhibited. This study demonstrates that maternal VIM, as a genomic protector, is crucial for nuclear reprogramming in porcine cloned embryos.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) CD 11 b limits bacterial outgrowth and dissemination during murine pneumococcal pneumonia

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Surface modes of the sandwhich structure containing indefinite metamaterials

The surface modes of an indefinite metamaterial (IMM) sandwiched between isotropic mediums are studied. Four cases for the IMMs, including cutoff, always-cutoff, never-cutoff, and anticutoff media, are considered. It is shown that two branches of TE surface modes and two branches of TM surface modes are found to exist. The surface modes can exist in the same frequency region or different frequncy rgion, the double TE(TM) surface modes degenerate with the thickness of the central IMM layer. The resonance excitation of the surface modes are also studied by using the attenuated total reflection (ATR). The calculated reflectance spectra in an ATR configuration shows that different incident angles and gap width between the prism and the IMM can excitated diferent surface modes. The gap width has some influence on the location and the magnitude of the reflectance minimum.
Learning to Learn: Dynamic Runtime Exploitation of Various Knowledge Sources and Machine Learning Paradigms

The ability to learn at runtime is a fundamental prerequisite for self-adaptive and self-organising systems that allows for dealing with unanticipated conditions and dynamic environments. Often, this machine learning process has to be highly or fully autonomous. That is, the degree of interaction with humans must be reduced to a minimum. In principle, there exist various learning paradigms for this task such as transductive learning, reinforcement learning, collaborative learning, or - if interaction with humans is allowed but has to be efficient - active learning. These paradigms are based on different knowledge sources such as appropriate sensor measurements, humans, or databases as well as access models considering e.g., availability or reliability. In this article, we propose a novel meta learning approach that aims at dynamically exploiting various possible combinations of knowledge sources and machine learning paradigms at runtime. The approach is learning in the sense that it self-optimises a certain objective function (e.g., it maximises a classification accuracy) at runtime. We present an architectural concept for this learning scheme, discuss some possible use cases to highlight the benefits, and derive a research agenda for future work in this field.