Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced upper-airway muscle responsiveness is a distinct feature of overweight/obese individuals without sleep apnea.

RATIONALE Body habitus is a major determinant of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, many individuals do not have OSA despite being overweight/obese (body mass index > 25 kg/m(2)) for reasons that are not fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES To determine the key physiologic traits (upper-airway anatomy/collapsibility, upper-airway muscle responsiveness, chemoreflex control of ventilation, arousability from sleep) responsible for the absence of OSA in overweight/obese individuals. METHODS We compared key physiologic traits in 18 overweight/obese subjects without apnea (apnea-hypopnea index < 15 events per hour) with 25 overweight/obese matched patients with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 15 events per hour) and 11 normal-weight nonapneic control subjects. Traits were measured by repeatedly lowering continuous positive airway pressure to subtherapeutic levels for 3 minutes during non-REM sleep. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Overweight/obese subjects without apnea exhibited a less collapsible airway than overweight/obese patients with apnea (critical closing pressure: -3.7 ± 1.9 vs. 0.6 ± 1.2 cm H2O; P = 0.003; mean ± 95% confidence interval), but a more collapsible airway relative to normal-weight control subjects (-8.8 ± 3.1 cm H2O; P < 0.001). Notably, overweight/obese subjects without apnea exhibited a threefold greater upper-airway muscle responsiveness than both overweight/obese patients with apnea (Δgenioglossus EMG/Δepiglottic pressure: -0.49 [-0.22 to -0.79] vs. -0.15 [-0.09 to -0.22] %max/cm H2O; P = 0.008; mean [95% confidence interval]) and normal-weight control subjects (-0.16 [-0.04 to -0.30] %max/cm H2O; P = 0.02). Loop gain was elevated (more negative) in both overweight/obese groups and normal-weight control subjects (P = 0.02). Model-based analysis demonstrated that overweight/obese individuals without apnea rely on both more favorable anatomy and collapsibility and enhanced upper-airway dilator muscle responses to avoid OSA. CONCLUSIONS Overweight/obese individuals without apnea have a moderately compromised upper-airway structure that is mitigated by highly responsive upper-airway dilator muscles to avoid OSA. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying enhanced muscle responses in this population may provide clues for novel OSA interventions.
Direct Interaction with Rab11a Targets the Epithelial Ca2+ Channels TRPV5 and TRPV6 to the Plasma Membrane

ABSTRACT TRPV5 and TRPV6 are the most Ca2+-selective members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of cation channels and play a pivotal role in the maintenance of Ca2+ balance in the body. However, little is known about the mechanisms controlling the plasma membrane abundance of these channels to regulate epithelial Ca2+ transport. In this study, we demonstrated the direct and specific interaction of GDP-bound Rab11a with TRPV5 and TRPV6. Rab11a colocalized with TRPV5 and TRPV6 in vesicular structures underlying the apical plasma membrane of Ca2+-transporting epithelial cells. This GTPase recognized a conserved stretch in the carboxyl terminus of TRPV5 that is essential for channel trafficking. Furthermore, coexpression of GDP-locked Rab11a with TRPV5 or TRPV6 resulted in significantly decreased Ca2+ uptake, caused by diminished channel cell surface expression. Together, our data demonstrated the important role of Rab11a in the trafficking of TRPV5 and TRPV6. Rab11a exerts this function in a novel fashion, since it operates via direct cargo interaction while in the GDP-bound configuration.
Performance evaluation of Radial Basis Function Neural Network on ECG beat classification

In this study Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) was trained by different methods to study performance of each method on classification of ECG beats. To train the neural networks six types of beats including, Normal Beat (N), Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC), Fusion of Ventricular and Normal Beat (F), Atrial Premature Beat (A), Right Bundle Branch Blok Beat (R), and Fusion of Paced and Normal Beat (f) were selected from the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. Training of the neural networks were performed with a training set which includes 100 beats for each class. Four time domain (morphological) features were extracted from the beats for classification process. Then several experiments were performed over the test set, and it was observed that, combining RBFNN with different methods has a positive effect on the classification performance of ECG beats.
Carriers for the delivery of a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children and the elderly. Despite its clinical importance, there is no licensed vaccine available at present. Vaccine development has been hampered by observations of increased pathology after RSV infection in infants vaccinated with formalin-inactivated RSV; incomplete immunity following natural infection; and the need to be effective during the neonatal period when levels of maternal antibody are high. Four categories of RSV vaccine carriers – live-attenuated RSVs, recombinant vectors expressing the protective antigens of RSV, DNA vaccines and subunit vaccines – have been evaluated in animal models and/or clinical trials. So far, studies with live-attenuated virus vaccines highlight the need to improve immunogenicity whilst maintaining a suitable level of attenuation. Studies with recombinant vectors, DNA and subunit vaccines illustrate the pivotal nature of the vaccine carrier in determining the balance between immune-mediated protection against infection and the induction of immune-mediated pulmonary pathology.
Recreational firearm use and hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE To assess the relation between recreational firearm use and high-frequency hearing loss in a population of older adults. DESIGN Cross-sectional, population-based cohort study. SETTING The midwestern community of Beaver Dam, Wis. PARTICIPANTS A population-based sample of 3753 participants (83% of those eligible), aged 48 to 92 years, participated in the baseline phase of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. INTERVENTION None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Lifetime and past year self-reported firearm use during target shooting and hunting were assessed by interview. Hearing thresholds were measured by pure-tone audiometry. RESULTS After age and other factors were adjusted for, men (n = 1538) who had ever regularly engaged in target shooting (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.19) or who had done so in the past year (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.46) were more likely to have a marked high-frequency hearing loss than those who had not. Risk of having a marked high-frequency hearing loss increased 7% for every 5 years the men had hunted (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.12). Thirty-eight percent of the target shooters and 95% of the hunters reported never wearing hearing protection while shooting in the past year. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that use of recreational firearms is associated with marked high-frequency hearing loss in men. There is a need for further education of users of recreational firearms regarding the risk of hearing impairment associated with firearm use and the availability and importance of appropriate hearing protection.
Requirements and tools for an efficient eParticipation

In this paper we address various aspects of eParticipation from citizens' perspective. A number of requirements are formulated that should be satisfied in order for an eParticipation campaign or activity to be both representative and productive. Appropriate procedures and methods are described, to be incorporated into an eParticipation platform in order to satisfy each of those requirements. Special emphasis is put on the "crowd buzz" problem that may appear once an eParticipation campaign has attracted really many participants who all want to express their opinions on a given subject matter. Our design provides for maintaining orderly and productive deliberation even within such an "overcrowded" online forum. The main features of our system are: mutual moderation and appraisal of participants' contributions, by assessing both their overall quality and the level of agreement with the author's propositions; selection of "potentially most interesting" contributions according to aggregate values calculated from those individual appraisals; calculating reputation and activity values for the participants themselves, and optionally their voting weight. Finally we suggest a number of scenarios for introducing eParticipation mechanisms into traditional democratic structures.
EDGEWORTH SERIES APPROXIMATION FOR CHI-SQUARE TYPE CHANCE CONSTRAINTS

We introduce two methods for approximation to distribution of weighted sum of chi-square random variables. These methods can be more use-ful than the known methods in literature to transform chi-square type chance constrained programming (CCP) problem into deterministic problem. There- fore, these are compared with Sengupta (1970). s method. Some examples are illustrated for the purpose of comparing the solutions of these methods.
Children's thinking about traits: implications for judgments of the self and others.

The relation between the way in which children interpret human behavior and their beliefs about the stability of human traits is investigated. In interviews with 202 7- and 8-year-olds across 2 studies, the belief that traits are stable predicted a greater tendency to make trait judgments, and an increased focus on outcomes and behaviors through which traits can be judged. In the academic domain, a belief in trait stability was associated with an emphasis on the evaluative meanings of performance outcomes, as opposed to mediating processes such as effort. In the sociomoral domain, the same belief was associated with an emphasis on the evaluative meanings of behaviors (e.g., whether the person is good or bad), as opposed to factors that mediate behavior, such as intention. Results suggest that beliefs about the stability of traits may serve an important role in thinking about and functioning within the academic and sociomoral domains.
Computed tomography in staging for lung cancer

Computed tomography (CT) provides the most detailed imaging information, hence it is generally used as a routine imaging procedure in the tumour, node, metastasis (TNM)-staging of patients with lung cancer. However, despite the continuously ongoing process of improvement in CT scanning in which today's CT scanners combine fast acquisition, fast data reconstruction and high detail, the technique has important limitations. CT can, in some cases, very accurately show tumour extent within, and predict spread beyond the lung. However, the question of whether the tumour has invaded the chest wall or the mediastinum and, if so, whether it is still potentially surgically curable often remains unanswered. In addition, the only sign for predicting lymph node involvement using CT is enlargement. Many studies have shown that this sign is not very reliable. CT is also, with success, being used to evaluate distant metastases although other techniques such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can have similar or higher accuracies. Despite these well-known limitations, computed tomography will most likely stay the routine imaging procedure for determining resectability and for assessing intra- and extrathoracic spread of lung cancer. The improvement in technology will probably result a better T‐staging. The role of computed tomography in nodal staging remains important. It offers the surgeon a road map of the lymph nodes and guides towards the nodes that need biopsy. Combining computed tomography with positron emission tomography, when it becomes more widely available, will add functional images to the detail of computed tomography and will not only improve nodal staging but will probably also allow a better evaluation of distant metastasis and reduce the number of unnecessary interventional procedures.
EFFECT OF A PHOTONIC BAND GAP ON THE THRESHOLD AND OUTPUT POWER OF SOLID-STATE LASERS AND LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES

We present results for the operation of a three-level solid-state laser both with normal and with completely suppressed spontaneous emission between the lasing levels. The output power difference in these two cases drops as the pump rate is increased above threshold and is not greatly different at higher powers. The threshold pump power, although typically reduced by an order of magnitude, is not zero and our results thus throw further light on the concept of “thresholdless” lasing. The theory is also applicable to light-emitting diodes and amplifiers which function on the same principles as a laser.
Delineation of pilin domains required for bacterial association into microcolonies and intestinal colonization by Vibrio cholerae

The toxin‐co‐regulated pilus (TCP), a type 4 pilus that is expressed by epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139, is required for colonization of the human intestine. The TCP structure is assembled as a polymer of repeating subunits of TcpA pilin that form long fibres, which laterally associate into bundles. Previous passive immunization studies have suggested that the C‐terminal region of TcpA is exposed on the surface of the pilus fibre and has a critical role in mediating the colonization functions of TCP. In the present study, we have used site‐directed mutagenesis to delineate two domains within the C‐terminal region that contribute to TCP structure and function. Alterations in the first domain, termed the structural domain, result in altered pilus stability or morphology. Alterations in the second domain, termed the interaction domain, affect colonization and/or infection by CTX‐bacteriophage without affecting pilus morphology. In vitro and in vivo analyses of the tcpA mutants revealed that a major function of TCP is to mediate bacterial interaction through direct pilus–pilus contact required for microcolony formation and productive intestinal colonization. The importance of this function is supported by the finding that intragenic suppressor mutations that restore colonization ability to colonization‐deficient mutants simultaneously restore pilus‐mediated bacterial interactions. The alterations resulting from the suppressor mutations also provide insight into the molecular interactions between pilin subunits within and between pilus fibres.
Cat peptide antigen desensitisation for treating cat allergic rhinoconjunctivitis

Introduction: Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is an increasingly common source of morbidity with sensitivity to cats accounting for 10 – 15% of the disease burden. Allergy to cats is a major risk factor for the development of asthma. Areas covered: Within the present manuscript, the current data on a novel therapeutic approach to treat cat allergy is reviewed. Cat Peptide Antigen Desensitisation (Cat-PAD) is a mixture of seven small peptides developed for the treatment of cat allergy. It is designed to induce immunological tolerance via binding to MHC class II on antigen presenting cells and interacting with regulatory T cells without triggering the cross-linking of IgE on mast cells and basophils. The peptide sequences are derived from the major cat allergen Fel d 1. The peptides have been selected to ensure a similar T cell response to that generated to whole cat dander in ex-vivo PBMC derived from cat allergic individuals. The size of the peptides is insufficient to induce cross-linking of IgE. Clinical data from a series of studies shows that Cat-PAD is able to significantly reduce allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms after a short course of four injections over 12 weeks, and that the treatment effect is persistent lasting 2 years after the start of treatment. Expert opinion: Taken together Cat-PAD is a novel, well tolerated and promising therapeutic approach to treat cat allergic patients. Data from the current international Phase III study will unravel whether the concept is also efficient and tolerable under daily life circumstances.
Contemporary echocardiographic assessment of atrial appendages in non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Yaroslav M. Lohvinov, MD, PhD, is currently Assistant Professor at the Functional Diagnostics Department at the National P.L. Shupyk Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Kyiv, Ukraine, and Consultant Cardiologist at the Institute of Heart, Healthcare Ministry of Ukraine. In 2014 Doctor Lohvinov defended his PhD evaluating the structure and function of atria and their appendages in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. He has prepared more than 20 papers on the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation and reported the results of his research at the European Congress of Cardiology in 2013 and 2014. He has participated in several clinical trials in the area of atrial fibrillation.
Mutation analysis of the human homologue of drosophila patched and the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A genes in squamous cell carcinomas of the skin

The human homologue of Drosophila patched (PTCH), located at chromosome 9q22.3, was recently identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene for familial and sporadic basal cell carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin display allelic loss in this chromosomal region, which, in addition to the PTCH gene, contains the DNA repair gene xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA). Patients with xeroderma pigmentosum are predisposed to non‐melanoma skin tumors because of deficient excision repair of ultraviolet‐induced DNA damage. Mutation analysis by single‐strand conformation analysis and direct DNA sequencing of all 23 exons of the PTCH gene and all six exons of the XPA gene in 14 SCCs did not reveal structural alterations in any of these genes. Additionally, analysis of PTCH expression by in situ hybridization in SCCs revealed no evidence of upregulation of PTCH mRNA, confirming the lack of mutations in this gene. These findings suggest that another, yet to be identified gene or genes on chromosome 9q are involved in SCC tumorigenesis. Mol. Carcinog. 21:87–92, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effectiveness of systemic antibiotics in preventing postoperative, intraabdominal adhesions in an animal model.

OBJECTIVE Postoperative intraabdominal adhesions can be prevented by antibiotic lavage. We assessed whether systemic antibiotics could prevent adhesion formation in a rat model. METHODS Cecal abrasion was performed in the peritoneal cavities of 40 Wistar albino rats. Twenty rats were treated with a 5-day course of cefepim and metronidazole; the remaining animals were given saline injections. The animals were sacrificed 14 days after surgery. Adhesion severity scores and histopathologic findings were compared. RESULTS The median adhesion severity score was 2 (0-3) in the antibiotic group and 2.5 (1-4) in the controls (P = 0.03). In tissue specimens from controls, the adhesions were marked by mature collagen bundles. In treated rats, the adhesions were immature, characterized by early inflammatory cells, less collagen formation, and no collagen bundles. CONCLUSIONS Postoperative systemic antibiotics slow adhesion formation and reduce the severity of the adhesions.
A maneuver controller with disturbance attenuation for aircraft

In this paper, a maneuver controller for a nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom aircraft is designed, which makes angle-of-attack, sideslip angle, and roll rate asymptotically track the reference trajectories respectively. The design procedures for angle-of-attack and sideslip angle are based on backstepping method. Appropriate cost functions for angle-of-attack and sideslip angle are constructed to satisfy Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equations, thereby the tracking of the angle-of-attack and the sideslip angle attains a desired disturbance attenuation level. Simulation results on a nonlinear aircraft model are given to illustrate the performance of the maneuver controller.
The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ channel/ryanodine receptor: modulation by endogenous effectors, drugs and disease states.

### A. The ryanodine receptor The ryanodine receptor (RyR)c corresponds to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ channel ([Inui et al., 1987][1]; [Imagawa et al., 1987][2]). Its structure and function have been reviewed recently ([Fleischer and Inui, 1989][3]; [Lai and Meissner, 1989][4];[McPherson
Adaptive topology decomposition for storm

Real-time computing system attracts more and more attention in both academic researches and industrial applications. One of the real-time computing systems, Apache Storm, because of its characteristics of stream processing and high fault tolerance, is widely used for machine learning and distributed remote process call (RPC), etc. However, the existing approaches to decompose topology for Storm cannot ensure an optimized performance. In this paper, we propose an adaptive topology decomposition algorithm for Storm where topology decomposition based on cluster status and components of topology can be performed at run time. We have evaluated the processing performance and the load balancing of the algorithm. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed algorithm has better performances on task processing and load-balancing than the existing algorithms.
Real Option Study on Merger and Acquisition Investment and Financing Decisions

This paper investigates the relationship between Merger and Acquisition (M&A) investment and the financing decisions influenced by market uncertainty. The study has shown that the M&A debt capacity decision influences the M&A investment timing and price decision. We also find out that making the decision of M&A debt capacity is based upon evaluating its influences on the M&A value and bankruptcy risk comprehensively. The M&A debt capacity can only be defined in a certain range.
Deamidation destabilizes and triggers aggregation of a lens protein, βA3‐crystallin

Protein aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases and also of cataracts. The major proteins in the lens of the eye are crystallins, which accumulate throughout life and are extensively modified. Deamidation is the major modification in the lens during aging and cataracts. Among the crystallins, the βA3‐subunit has been found to have multiple sites of deamidation associated with the insoluble proteins in vivo. Several sites were predicted to be exposed on the surface of βA3 and were investigated in this study. Deamidation was mimicked by site‐directed mutagenesis at Q42 and N54 on the N‐terminal domain, N133 and N155 on the C‐terminal domain, and N120 in the peptide connecting the domains. Deamidation altered the tertiary structure without disrupting the secondary structure or the dimer formation of βA3. Deamidations in the C‐terminal domain and in the connecting peptide decreased stability to a greater extent than deamidations in the N‐terminal domain. Deamidation at N54 and N155 also disrupted the association with the βB1‐subunit. Sedimentation velocity experiments integrated with high‐resolution analysis detected soluble aggregates at 15%–20% in all deamidated proteins, but not in wild‐type βA3. These aggregates had elevated frictional ratios, suggesting that they were elongated. The detection of aggregates in vitro strongly suggests that deamidation may contribute to protein aggregation in the lens. A potential mechanism may include decreased stability and/or altered interactions with other β‐subunits. Understanding the role of deamidation in the long‐lived crystallins has important implications in other aggregation diseases.