Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A discriminating messenger RNA signature for bipolar disorder formed by an aberrant expression of inflammatory genes in monocytes.

CONTEXT Mood disturbances are associated with an activated inflammatory response system. OBJECTIVE To identify a discriminating and coherent expression pattern of proinflammatory genes in monocytes of patients with bipolar disorder. DESIGN A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) case-control gene expression study on purified monocytes of bipolar patients, the offspring of bipolar patients, and healthy control participants after having selected 22 discriminating inflammatory genes using whole genome analyses. SETTING Academic research setting in The Netherlands. PATIENTS Forty-two bipolar patients with 25 healthy controls, 54 offspring of a bipolar parent (13 had a mood disorder and 3 developed one during follow-up), and 70 healthy children underwent Q-PCR. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Inflammatory gene expression levels in monocytes. RESULTS We detected in the monocytes of bipolar patients a coherent mutually correlating set (signature) of 19 aberrantly expressed (P < .01) messenger RNAs of inflammatory (PDE4B, IL1B, IL6, TNF, TNFAIP3, PTGS2, and PTX3), trafficking (CCL2, CCL7, CCL20, CXCL2, CCR2, and CDC42), survival (BCL2A1 and EMP1), and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK6, DUSP2, NAB2, and ATF3) genes. Twenty-three of 42 bipolar patients (55%) had a positive signature test result vs 7 of 38 healthy controls (18%) (positive test result: positivity for PDE4B, ie, a messenger RNA 1 SD higher than the mean level found in healthy controls, plus 25% of the other genes with similar positive findings). Positive signature test results were also present in 11 of 13 offspring with a mood disorder (85%), 3 of 3 offspring developing a mood disorder (100%), and 17 of 38 euthymic offspring (45%) vs 13 of 70 healthy children (19%). Lithium carbonate and antipsychotic treatment downregulated the gene expression of most inflammatory genes. CONCLUSIONS The monocytes of a large proportion of bipolar patients and offspring of bipolar parents showed an inflammatory gene expression signature. This coherent set of genes opens new avenues for biomarker development with possibilities for disease prediction in individuals genetically at risk and for the subclassification of bipolar patients who could possibly benefit from anti-inflammatory treatment.
Parent and physician perspectives on quality of care at the end of life in children with cancer.

PURPOSE To ascertain parents' and physicians' assessments of quality of end-of-life care for children with cancer and to determine factors associated with high-quality care as perceived by parents and physicians. METHODS A survey was conducted between 1997 and 2001 of 144 parents of children who received treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital (Boston, MA) or Children's Hospitals and Clinics of St Paul and Minneapolis, MN, between 1990 and 1999 (65% of those located and eligible) and 52 pediatric oncologists. RESULTS In multivariable models, higher parent ratings of physician care were associated with physicians giving clear information about what to expect in the end-of-life period (odds ratio [OR] = 19.90, P = .02), communicating with care and sensitivity (OR = 7.67, P < .01), communicating directly with the child when appropriate (OR = 11.18, P < .01), and preparing the parent for circumstances surrounding the child's death (OR = 4.84, P = .03). Parent reports of the child's pain and suffering were not significant correlates of parental ratings of care (P = .93 and .35, respectively). Oncologists' ratings of care were inversely associated with the parent's report of the child's experience of pain (OR = 0.15, P = .01) and more than 10 hospital days in the last month of life (OR = 0.24, P < .01). Parent-rated communication factors were not correlates of oncologist-rated care. No association was found between parent and physician care ratings (P = .88). CONCLUSION For parents of children who die of cancer, doctor-patient communication is the principal determinant of high-quality physician care. In contrast, physicians' care ratings depend on biomedical rather than relational aspects of care.
Radiofrequency Ablation of a Concealed Nodoventricular Mahaim Fiber Guided by a Discrete Potential

Concealed Nodoventricular Mahaim Fiber. Introduction: We present the case of a 17‐year‐old woman who underwent an electrophysiological study and radiofrequency (RF) ablation of supraventricular tachycardia refractory to medical treatment. Two right‐sided, concealed, nondecremental atrioventricular accessory pathways (AV‐APs) involved in ortho‐dromic circus movement tachycardias were identified. After RF ablation of both AV‐APs, evidence of bidirectional dual AV nodal conduction was demonstrated and regular narrow complex tachycardia was induced.
A digitally calibrated current-steering DAC with current-splitting array

The current-splitting architecture for the current-steering DAC can reduce the area of the current source array greatly. A background calibration technique for current-steering digital-to-analog (DAC) with the current-splitting array is presented. The proposed calibration technique can eliminate mismatch errors for both the upper bits array and the lower bits array in the background. A 14-bit current-steering DAC is fabricated in a 0. 18μm CMOS process. The SFDR can be improved more than 20dB. The DAC achieves more than 80dB SFDR at 2MHz for a 200MS/s sampling rate. The active area is 1.26mm2 and power consumption is 125mW.
Brain stimulation improves cognitive control by modulating medial‐frontal activity and preSMA‐vmPFC functional connectivity

Previous research has demonstrated that brain stimulation can improve inhibitory control. However, the neural mechanisms underlying such artificially induced improvement remain unclear. In this study, by coupling anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) with functional MRI, we found that atDCS over preSMA effectively improved stopping speed, which was associated with increased BOLD response in the preSMA and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Furthermore, such atDCS‐induced BOLD increase in vmPFC was positively correlated with participants’ improvement in stopping efficiency, and the functional connectivity between preSMA and vmPFC increased during successful stop. These results suggest that the rapid behavioral improvement from preSMA brain stimulation involves modulated medial‐frontal activity and preSMA‐vmPFC functional connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 36:4004–4015, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Factor Structure of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5: Relationships Among Symptom Clusters, Anger, and Impulsivity

Abstract Scarce data are available regarding the dimensional structure of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and how factors relate to external constructs. We evaluated six competing models of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms, including Anhedonia, Externalizing Behaviors, and Hybrid models, using confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of 412 trauma-exposed college students. We then examined whether PTSD symptom clusters were differentially related to measures of anger and impulsivity using Wald chi-square tests. The seven-factor Hybrid model was deemed optimal compared with the alternatives. All symptom clusters were associated with anger; the strongest association was between externalizing behaviors and anger (r = 0.54). All symptom clusters, except reexperiencing and avoidance, were associated with impulsivity, with the strongest association between externalizing behaviors and impulsivity (r = 0.49). A seven-factor Hybrid model provides superior fit to DSM-5 PTSD symptom data, with the externalizing behaviors factor being most strongly related to anger and impulsivity.
C39. Efficient control logic algorithm for wind turbine

Recently, sustainable attention has been drawn to renewable energy sources. Wind and solar energy are considered as the most important sources for renewable energy. Wind energy systems as renewable source of energy have been extensively studied because of its benefits as an environmentally friendly clean energy, inexhaustible, safe and a low-cost for long term. Because of its unpredictable availability, power management control algorithms are essential to extract as much power as possible from the wind during its availability durations. This paper is motivated for proposing the main control algorithm for wind turbines each incorporating two generators. The proposed main algorithm contains several sub algorithm models (strategies) for power control, pitch control, status checking, starting, grid connection, normal and emergency shutdown that are studied, designed and also, tested under operation. The testing phase shows that in the high wind speed range, the pitch control seems the most relevant to release a power margin. While in the low wind speed range, the increase of the rotation speed is more convenient.
On the validation of embedded systems through functional ATPG

Increasing size and complexity of digital designs has made essential to address critical verification issues at the early stages of design cycle. Therefore, automated verification tools are necessary at higher levels of abstraction, but they are still in a prototyping phase. In this context, a valuable solution for the functional validation is represented by dynamic verification which exploits simulation-based techniques to stimulate the whole design under verification (DUV). To perform dynamic verification it is necessary to generate test sequences to be simulated on the DUV. This paper describes a functional test pattern generator which exploits two different paradigms: high-level decision diagrams (HLDDs) and extended finite state machines (EFSMs). HLDDs and EFSMs are deterministically explored by using propagation, justification, learning and backjumping. The integration of such strategies allows the ATPG to more efficiently analyze the state space of the design under verification and to generate very effective test sequences.
News augmented GARCH(1,1) model for volatility prediction

Forecasting the volatility of stock return plays an important role in the financial markets. The GARCH model is one of the most common models used for predicting asset price volatility from the return time series. In this study, we have considered quantified news sentiment and its impact on the movement of asset prices as a second source of information, which is used together with the asset time series data to predict the volatility of asset price returns. We call this NA-GARCH (news augmented GARCH) model. Our empirical investigation compares volatility prediction of returns of 12 different stocks (from two different stock markets), with 9 data sets for each stock. Our results demonstrate that NA-GARCH provides a superior prediction of volatility than the “plain vanilla” GARCH and EGARCH models. These results vindicate some recent findings regarding the utility of news sentiment as a predictor of volatility, and also vindicate the utility of our novel model structure combining the proxies for past news sentiments and the past asset price returns.
MPs and their constituencies

MPs are often accused - especially by the popular press, populist parties and politicians, and by the Twitterati - of living in a 'Westminster bubble'. MPs themselves occasionally casually invoke the term to portray their colleagues at Westminster as insulated and isolated from the daily concerns of the rest of the UK's populace. Yet, this cliched and caricatured picture fails to capture the routine, indeed institutionalised, representational pinpricks that perpetually puncture this bubble. Every day, MPs in acting as the representatives of their respective geographical areas inject the opinions, concerns and tribulations of their constituents into the workings of parliament. Such representational work is often overlooked or ignored by outside observers and commentators, but in the words of one ex-MP, Paul Burstow (2016), it provides a necessary 'reality check' for all MPs that links them to the lives of those they are elected to represent. Tragically it took the murder of Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen, while performing her constituency representative role in June 2016 to remind populists and the wider public, all too briefly, that MPs don't inhabit a Westminster-centric bubble but are in fact rooted in localities throughout the UK. This chapter examines, therefore, the dimensions of this constituency representative role: of what 'constituency' means for MPs and their local electorates; and how perceptions of locality affect the work of MPs and the expectations of constituents alike.
A Deconvolution Function for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography with Constant Attenuation

A shift-invariant spatial deconvolution function for single-photon-emission computerized tomography with constant attenuation is presented. Image reconstruction algorithm is similar to conventional convolution-back-projection algorithm except that exponential weight is applied in backprojection process. The deconvolution function was obtained as a solution of a generalized Schifmilch's integral equation. A method to solve the integral equation is described briefly. The present deconvolution function is incorporated with frequency roll-off and image resolution can be preset. At the extreme of ideal image reconstruction, the deconvolution function is identical to that deduced by Kim et al. and its Fourier transform was proved to be identical to the filter deduced by Tretiak and Delaney and Gullburg and Budinger. Variance of the reconstructed image was analyzed and some numerical results were given. The algorithm was tested with computer simulation.
Insulin Resistance, Impaired Postprandial Lipid Metabolism and Abdominal Obesity

Objective: To review three ‘emerging risk factors’ for coronary heart disease, the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms involved, and their inter-relationships. Background: Classical risk factors for coronary heart disease cannot adequately explain the high incidence of this disease. Abdominal obesity and impaired postprandial lipid metabolism have long been recognised as associates of coronary heart disease but only relatively recently has their importance as risk markers been established. Insulin resistance is now often seen as a common theme underlying many factors predisposing to coronary heart disease (CHD). Mechanisms: The mechanisms by which each of these markers relates to coronary heart disease may have common aspects. Specifically, they are all associated with a characteristic dyslipidaemia involving elevation of plasma triacylglycerol concentrations, reduction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and the presence of small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles that may carry particular risk of atherogenesis. Insulin resistance is also associated with hypertension and impairment of endothelial function, and with a procoagulant state. Treatment: No specific or separate pharmacological treatment of any of these conditions separately has been shown to reduce the risk of CHD although each can be manipulated. Lifestyle modification, with increased physical activity and dietary change, may offer the best hope of primary prevention but to achieve this, interventions at government level rather than advice from individual physicians would probably be required. Conclusions: Abdominal obesity, impaired postprandial lipid metabolism and insulin resistance are all inter-related risk markers for CHD. They seem to reflect lifestyle in the developed and developing worlds and perhaps modification of lifestyle holds the greatest hope for their amelioration in the future.
Learning Curve and Case Selection in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery: Systematic Review and International Multicenter Analysis of 4852 Cases

BACKGROUND: The learning curve for laparoscopic colorectal surgery has not been conclusively analyzed. No reliable framework for case selection during training is available. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze thelength of the learning curve of laparoscopic colorectal surgeons and to recommend a case selectionframework at the early stage of independent practice. DATA SOURCES: Medline (1988–2010, October week 4) and Embase (1988–2010) were used for the literature review, databases were retrieved from the authors, and expert opinion was surveyed. STUDY SELECTION: Studies describing the learning curve of laparoscopic or laparoscopically assisted colorectal surgery were selected. INTERVENTION: No interventions were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Learning curves were analyzed by using risk-adjusted, bootstrapped cumulative sum curves. Conversions and complications were independent variables in a multilevel random-effects regression model. Recommendations are based on analysis of ORs and a structured expert opinion gauging process. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were identified, showing great disparity on the length of the learning curve. Seven studies, representing 4852 cases (19 surgeons), were analyzed. Risk-adjusted cumulative sum charts demonstrated the length of the learning curves to be 152 cases for conversions, 143 for complications, 96 for operating time, 87 for blood loss, and 103 for length of stay. Body mass index and pelvic dissection (rectum), especially in male patients, independently increased the risk of complication and conversion. The expert survey revealed that increasing T stage and complicated inflammatory disease are likely to increase the complexity of the case. Based on this evidence, a framework for case selection in training was proposed. LIMITATIONS: The generalizability of the study results maybe reduced because of inconsistent data quality and individual variations in the length of the learning curve CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter database suggests a length of the learning curve of 88 to 152 cases. The use of the suggested framework may prevent high conversion and complication rates during the learning curve.
Mucosal IgA and URTI in American college football players: a year longitudinal study.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was: (a) to evaluate secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) over a 12-month time period in college football players, and (b) to assess which of the commonly used standard methods of reporting s-IgA, either alone or in combination, serves as the best predictor of incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). METHODS One hundred college-aged males (75 varsity college football athletes, 25 nonfootball controls) were studied at eight points over a 12-month period. Resting mucosal IgA, protein and osmolality levels were determined from saliva using established procedures. In addition, incidence of URTI over the 12-month study duration was calculated from completed standard research logs. Repeated-measures ANOVA were conducted on the dependent variables and eight separate stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict the dependent variable "number of colds" by the independent variables, s-IgA, saliva flow rate, secretion rate of s-IgA, protein, s-IgA:protein, osmolality and s-IgA:osmolality at each data collection point. RESULTS There was a significant main effect for group, time, and the group x time interaction for s-IgA, the secretion rate of s-IgA, and the number of colds. In the regression model, the only variable that made a significant contribution to the variance at all time points was the secretion rate of s-IgA. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a season of training in American football results in a significant decrease in both s-IgA and the secretion rate of s-IgA as well as an increase in the incidence of URTI. Among the various methods commonly employed to express s- IgA levels, the secretion rate of s-IgA may be the most useful clinical biomarker to predict the incidence of URTI.
NSAID Impairment of Orthodontic Tooth Movement

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impairment of orthodontic tooth movement caused by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). DATA SOURCES: Biomedical literature accessed through MEDLINE (1966–January 2000), EMBASE (1980–January 2000), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts(1970–January 2000). Key search terms included NSAIDs, orthodontics, and tooth movement. DATA SYNTHESIS: Orthodontic dentistry applies mechanical force to generate tooth movement. Since prostaglandins are mediators of tooth movement, it is reasonable to expect that prostaglandin inhibitors, such as NSAIDs, inhibit or delay tooth movement. An evaluation of studies measuring the extent of NSAID impairment on tooth movement was undertaken. CONCLUSIONS: Results from animal studies have shown that NSAIDs can impair the tooth movement process. Until long-term human data are obtained, acetaminophen remains an appropriate alternative to NSAIDs for treating orthodontic-associated pain.
Impact of regulatory reforms on compliance with mandatory disclosures by savings and credit co-operatives in Kenya

Purpose This paper aims to utilize institutional theory to examine the impact of the 2008-2010 regulatory reforms on compliance with mandatory disclosures by savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs) in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach Two-stage least squares panel regression approach is utilized to analyse data covering 1,272 firm-year observations for 212 SACCOs over a six-year period, 2008-2013. An analysis of the pre- and post-regulation impacts on compliance with mandatory disclosure requirements is also performed. Findings The results, which are in support of the institutional theory, reveal that licensed SACCOs engage in higher compliance with mandatory disclosures, and this improves from the pre- to the post-regulation period. The results show that SACCOs under inquiry engage in lower compliance with mandatory disclosure requirements, especially in the post-regulation period. The findings also reveal a significant and positive association between SACCO size, co-operative governance and compliance with mandatory disclosure requirements. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on transition-level SACCOs in a single country. An extension into other jurisdictions with nascent, transitional and mature SACCOs would provide greater insights into the impact of disclosure regulation. Further, the study uses a self-constructed disclosure checklist which is subject to coding errors and biases. Practical implications The findings highlight the need for SACCO regulators and accounting professional body to devise incentives to improve the level of compliance with required disclosures. Originality/value The study contributes to the dearth of evidence on the efficacy of the introduction of mandatory disclosure requirements in a developing country where compliance is problematic because of difficulties with enforcement.
Designing Mobile Applications with Empathizing User Experience

User Experience is recognized as an important aspect for designing mobile applications. Each application satisfies different user needs and hence demands for a different evaluation criteria. The aim of this study was to devise a user centered design framework to objectively evaluate and enhance user experience of mobile applications. Using the Empathizing-Systemizing theory, we conducted a user study to understand the cognitive needs of users in user-technology interactions of mobile applications. We found out that even though user preferences are varied and contextual, the user experience is optimum when applications are designed for inclusivity of both the "Empathizing (E)" and "Systemizing (S)" aspects. We have assessed the same for a few popular reminder applications on mobile as a use case to explain and validate our proposed framework. This study also provides insights into the process of evolving such a framework.