Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence, Treatment, Control and Monitoring of Hypertension: A Nationwide Community-Based Survey in Taiwan, 2017.

Background Inadequate awareness and control remain the major obstacles for hypertension management worldwide. This observational study intended to assess the current status of hypertension management in Taiwan. Methods The Taiwan May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was a nationwide survey for public alertness to hypertension initiated in 2017 and conducted in local pharmacies. Participants were asked about body habitus, comorbidities, smoking/drinking, use of anti-hypertensive drugs, and frequency of self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring. Three blood pressure (BP) readings were then measured by trained pharmacists. The mean BP was obtained by averaging all readings. Results BP recordings were obtained from 49,522 participants (average age, 56.9 ± 16.0 years), of whom 26.1% had an elevated pharmacist-measured BP (≥ 140/90 mmHg). The rate of BP control, defined as pharmacist-measured BP < 140/90 mmHg at the MMM visit, was 63.1% among treated hypertensive participants (n = 21,410). Participants who had uncontrolled hypertension were associated with a higher body mass index, currently smoking/drinking, diabetes, and stroke. More active SMBP monitoring (≥ weekly) was more often implemented in the participants with advanced age and cardiovascular diseases. More active SMBP (≥ weekly) was associated with lower measured BP among treated hypertensive participants but not overall control rate (control rate: 56.4% for ≥ weekly vs. 55.8% for < weekly, p = 0.363). Conclusions In the Taiwan MMM 2017, the hypertension control rate surpassed 60% in treated hypertensive participants. Suboptimal BP control was related to cardiovascular risk factors and prior stroke. Treated hypertensives had a lower measured BP but similar hypertension control rate for more active versus less active SMBP.
An Approximate Model for Event Detection From Twitter Data

The abundance and real-time availability of Twitter data have proved beneficial in detecting events in various domains such as emergency situations, crime detection, public health, place recommendations, etc. Nevertheless, two critical challenges occur while detecting events using social media data. First, the uncertainty in capturing the contextual relationship among tweets, which is the result of the limited availability of the contextual information due to the small length of tweets. Second, the high computation cost required in event detection due to massive data processing. Earlier research works, addressing these challenges, have tried to capture the contextual information by using the dense vector representations of texts leveraging deep neural word embedding generation models such as Word2Vec and GloVe. However, these models are trained on the Euclidean vector space which fails to amalgamate the directional information of the vectors with the semantic information in text, incurring high computational costs. To target both the problems simultaneously, we propose modeling Twitter data as a graph-of-sentences which retains the contextual relationships while maintaining lower computational cost. The proposed model captures contextual information using JoSE, a spherical vector representation leveraging the word-word and word-paragraph semantic co-occurrence statistics in a spherical generative model. Furthermore, the framework uses the weighted-graph model to capture all the relationships among the Twitter data efficiently. The graph is further pruned with the help of the graph component filtering approach. The graph clustering model, employed to detect the events, leverages the edge weights and the partial-k clustering approach maintaining low computation costs. The experimentation on the annotated benchmark Twitter data set and the real-world datasets show improved run-time performance up to 30% while maintaining the qualitative performance (F1-score) comparable to the state-of-the-art models.
Online informal language learning: Insights from a Korean learning community

Informal language learning in online communities represents a growing area of interest. In part, this interest is due to the potential for meaningful second language (L2) communication, rather than the “learning about language” argued to be prevalent in L2 classrooms (Thorne, Black, & Sykes, 2009, p. 804). This study reports on a netnographic investigation (Kozinets, 2010) of an online community for learning Korean. Data collection took place over seven weeks and included observation of a Reddit forum, observation of a chatroom, and an open-ended questionnaire. Activity theory (Engeström, 2001) informed the analysis of the community learning activity. Contrary to what has been reported about language learning in many online communities, findings revealed relatively little target-language use and a great deal of learning about language. English was used 93% of the time on the forum, and 81% of the time in the chatroom. Other findings include highly-participatory interactional patterns for learning about linguistic forms, community rules designed to promote learning on a democratically organized web platform, and a stark division of community labor between language learners and language experts.
Characterising phospholipids and free fatty acids in patients with schizophrenia: A case-control study

Abstract Objectives Previous studies have indicated that schizophrenia (SCZ) is linked to abnormal phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism. However, comprehensive analysis of phospholipids and free fatty acids (FFAs) for SCZ is very limited. Herein, we sought to compare serum levels of phospholipids and FFAs between patients with SCZ and healthy controls (HCs). Methods One hundred and nineteen SCZ patients and 109 HCs were enrolled in the study. The levels of 177 phospholipids and FFAs were measured in serum samples using a targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based platform. Results One hundred and ten metabolites, including 16 FFAs, 25 phosphatidylcholines, 23 lysophosphatidylcholines, 11 phosphatidylcholine plasmalogens, 7 phosphatidylethanolamines, 9 lysophosphatidylethanolamines, 6 phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens, and 13 sphingomyelins, were observed to be significantly altered in SCZ patients compared to HCs. These disturbances may represent underlying pathophysiology, including but not limited to altered activity of phospholipases and acyltransferases, increased oxidative stress, dysfunctional oligodendrocyte glycosynapses, and elevated lipid mobilisation and β-oxidation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that complex lipid profile abnormalities are associated with SCZ. This study may contribute to investigating the role of phospholipid and FFA alterations in the pathoetiology of SCZ.
Ten microsatellite loci for evolutionary research on Nesospiza buntings

We tested 19 loci originally developed for Vidua and Geospiza, of which six Vidua loci were polymorphic and furthermore, developed four microsatellite loci for Nesospiza buntings. Allelic variation ranged from two to 13 alleles, with heterozygosity from 0 to 0.82. Ascertainment bias was evident as increased allelic diversity of loci developed for Nesospiza, versus those developed for Vidua. Two loci showed linkage, and several, deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. We suggest such deviations are through introduction of new alleles by introgression, or of the Wahlund effect. These loci will contribute to the understanding of speciation in Nesospiza buntings of the Tristan da Cunha islands.
Security For Applications With Multiple Users

Online web applications provide free services very convenient for collaborative editions, that is, share and store files for multiple users. Suppliers not only have access to users' files, but also control their access, transmission and storage mechanisms. Thus, the data may be at risk of interception, extraction and even manipulation by third parties. In this work, an algorithm is proposed that could help preserve the privacy of user data in collaborative environments. The development involves an encryption mechanism that does not interfere with the control mechanisms used by the owner, developing a code that blocks unauthorized users. This algorithm demonstrates how several users with a shared key can collaborate and transparently edit a document without displaying the text directly. The application is designed to work on any operating system and its application can be verified for several browsers.
Culturally sensitive clinical practices: A mixed methods study.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to discover if and how clinicians integrate cultural factors into treatment, what specific 'culturally sensitive' practices clinicians utilize, and who clinicians use these practices with. In Study 1(N = 9) qualitative interviews were conducted with psychologists who shared information about the culturally sensitive clinical practices that they utilize. Based on the results from Study 1, a survey was created for Study 2 and completed by 142 psychologists. There were three overriding conceptual themes that were generated from the analysis of the data regarding how clinicians provide culturally sensitive psychological services and what specific culturally sensitive clinical practices clinicians use when working with clients. It was evident from the data that the delivery of culturally sensitive services was best conceptualized as a process. The process began with being aware that cultural factors existed. This awareness led to the development of hypotheses, which guided the assessment process. Based on the results of the assessment process clinicians then tailored the services they provided to the unique characteristics of their clients. The quantitative results from Study 2 indicate that that the qualitative results from Study 1 are generalizable to a larger sample of psychologists. Results from Study 2 also indicated that the vast majority of participants indicated that they engaged in culturally sensitive clinical practices regardless of client minority-status. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
The Effect of L-carnitine Additive During In Vitro Maturation on the Vitrification of Pig Oocytes.

Cryopreservation of oocytes/embryos is an important technique for genetic resources; however, the success of vitrification in pig oocytes remained at a relatively lower level due to the high content of lipid droplets (LDs). Considering the positive effect of L-carnitine on the function of LDs, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of the addition of L-carnitine on the vitrification of porcine cumulus cells of complexes (cumulus/oocyte complexes [COCs]). First, COCs were randomly divided into two groups: one group of COCs were commonly in vitro maturation (IVM) for 42-46 hours (nonvitrification [NV]), while another group of COCs were IVM with 10 mM L-carnitine (NVL [nonvitrification with L-carnitine addition in IVM]). In addition, random parts of COCs with L-carnitine addition were vitrified (VL [vitrification with L-carnitine addition in IVM]), while vitrification was performed on COCs without L-carnitine used as control group (V). Results showed that the maturation rate of pig oocytes reduced significantly when the vitrification was performed at 16 hours during IVM (VL vs. NVL, 40.09 ± 2.85 vs. 90.76 ± 1.16; V vs. NV, 34.41 ± 2.55 vs. 89.71 ± 1.33, p < 0.01). With the addition of L-carnitine, intracellular LDs were decreased significantly (p < 0.01). However, no difference was observed on the efficiency of vitrification in pig oocytes (VL vs. V, 40.09 ± 2.85 vs. 34.41 ± 2.55, p > 0.05). In addition, not only the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in pig oocytes with the L-carnitine addition group reduced significantly (p < 0.01), but also the expression of SOD1 gene was improved (p < 0.05). In conclusion, results demonstrated that although no difference could be observed on pig COC vitrification, the LDs and ROS level in pig oocytes could be modified by the addition of L-carnitine, which might be helpful for further development.
Mice devoid of γ-aminobutyrate type A receptor β3 subunit have epilepsy, cleft palate, and hypersensitive behavior

γ-Aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAA-Rs) mediate the bulk of rapid inhibitory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. The β3 subunit is an essential component of the GABAA-R in many brain regions, especially during development, and is implicated in several pathophysiologic processes. We examined mice harboring a β3 gene inactivated by gene targeting. GABAA-R density is approximately halved in brain of β3-deficient mice, and GABAA-R function is severely impaired. Most β3-deficient mice die as neonates; some neonatal mortality, but not all, is accompanied by cleft palate. β3-deficient mice that survive are runted until weaning but achieve normal body size by adulthood, although with reduced life span. These mice are fertile but mothers fail to nurture offspring. Brain morphology is grossly normal, but a number of behaviors are abnormal, consistent with the widespread location of the β3 subunit. The mice are very hyperactive and hyperresponsive to human contact and other sensory stimuli, and often run continuously in tight circles. When held by the tail, they hold all paws in like a ball, which is frequently a sign of neurological impairment. They have difficulty swimming, walking on grids, and fall off platforms and rotarods, although they do not have a jerky gait. β3-deficient mice display frequent myoclonus and occasional epileptic seizures, documented by electroencephalographic recording. Hyperactivity, lack of coordination, and seizures are consistent with reduced presynaptic inhibition in spinal cord and impaired inhibition in higher cortical centers and/or pleiotropic developmental defects.
Diversidad genética del virus de inmunodeficiencia humana en las américas, con énfasis en la epidemia venezolana

Alrededor de 3 millones de personas estan infectadas con el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) en las Americas y unas 110000 en Venezuela, donde la distribucion de subtipos es bastante homogenea, representada principalmente por el subtipo B y una escasa representacion de subtipos no B y/o formas recombinantes. El predominio del subtipo B en las Americas quiza se deba al efecto fundador de esta variante viral en los anos 1960-1970, siendo Haiti uno de los paises donde pudo haberse iniciado la epidemia para luego diseminarse hacia otros paises. El incremento en la frecuencia de subtipos no B en las Americas ha sido asociado a varios comportamientos de riesgo: el uso de drogas endovenosas, el comercio sexual y movilizaciones sanitarias o militares. En paises como Cuba, Brasil y en paises del Cono Sur la presencia de subtipos no B y de formas recombinantes es mayor que en el resto de la region. Esta situacion pudiera ser el espejo de lo que encontremos en todo el continente americano en decadas futuras.
The Importance of Data Synchronization in Multiboard Acquisition Systems

The paper experimentally demonstrates the need and the importance to have a synchronization algorithm in the receiver section of each unit in a complex multi-board sensing system designed for off-line monitoring of biometric traces. In particular, the influence of the delay introduced by the receiver while processing synchronizing messages is evaluated. The sensor network is assumed to have a star topology with a single central node that acts also as a time coordinator. Experimental data show that even in a simple scenario, the synchronization strategies adopted to reduce receiving times have a significant impact on overall performance and instrument effectiveness.
Do low-ethylene-producing transgenic canola (Brassica napus) plants expressing the ACC deaminase gene differ from wild-type plants in response to UVB radiation?

Few studies have considered ethylene involvement in plant responses to ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation. We studied the responses to UVB radiation of one wild-type (WT, ‘Westar’) canola (Brassica napus L.) with normal ethylene evolution and two transgenic (C1, C2) lines with lower ethylene evolution. Canola plants were grown under biologically effective levels of UVB (UVBBE) radiation: 0.03 (low), 4.88 (medium), and 9.78 (high) kJ·m–2·d–1 in controlled-environment growth chambers. The growth and physiological parameters of the plants were measured. Of the two transgenic lines, C1 demonstrated higher ethylene evolution than C2 but lower than WT. The lowest aboveground and belowground biomass was found with exposure to high UVB radiation. WT produced more biomass than C2. Net CO2 assimilation and transpiration did not vary among plant lines or UVB treatments. Water-use efficiency was lower under high UVB radiation than under low UVB. The quantum yield of photosystem II was higher for C2 than for either WT or C.
A Review of the Real-Time Monitoring of Fluid-Properties in Tubular Architectures for Industrial Applications

The real-time monitoring of fluid properties in tubular systems, such as viscosity and flow rate, is essential for industries utilizing liquid mediums. Nowadays, most studies of the fluid characteristics are performed off-line using laboratory facilities that can provide accurate results, yet they do not match the demanded industrial pace. Off-line measurements are ineffective and time-consuming. The available real-time monitoring sensors for fluid properties are generally destructive methods that produce significant and persistent damage to the tubular systems during the installation process. Others use huge and bulky invasive instrument methods that generate considerable pressure reduction and energy loss in tubular systems. For these drawbacks, industries centered their attention on non-invasive and non-destructive testing (NDT) methodologies, which are installed on the outer tubular surface to avoid flow disturbance and desist shutting down systems for installations. Although these sensors showed excellent achievement for monitoring and inspecting pipe health conditions, the performance was not convincing for monitoring the properties of fluids. This review paper presents an overview of the real-time monitoring of fluid properties in tubular systems for industrial applications, particularly for pipe monitoring sensors, viscosity, and flow measurements. Additionally, the different available sensing mechanisms and their advantages, drawbacks, and potentials are discussed.
The production of diarrhoea in baby rabbits by the oral administration of cell-free preparations of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae: the effect of antisera.

Summary Strains of Escherichia coli K12F- to which Ent plasmids from a human and a porcine enteropathogenic strain of E. coli had been transmitted yielded cellfree preparations that produced diarrhoea when administered orally to baby rabbits. The preparations obtained from the strain containing the “porcine” plasmid was more active in this respect than were those of the strain containing the “human” plasmid. This difference was also observed when preparations of wild human and porcine enteropathogenic strains were compared. The diarrhoea produced in the baby rabbits resembled that produced by Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin. The diarrhoea-producing activity of cell-free preparations of the K12 strain that contained the “porcine” Ent plasmid could be neutralised by antiserum against either this strain or V. cholerae; so could cell-free preparations of V. cholerae, but more heterologous than homologous antiserum was required in each case to achieve neutralisation.
Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Receptor Subclass–Specific Immune Regulation of CD8+ T Cells by Opioids

Opioid peptides are released at sites of injury, and their cognate G protein–coupled opioid receptors (OR) are expressed on immune cells. Exposure of human circulating CD8+ T cells to selective OR agonists differentially regulates thousands of genes. Gene set enrichment analysis reveals that μ-OR more strongly regulates cellular processes than δ-OR. In TCR naive T cells, triggering μ-OR exhibits stimulatory and inhibitory patterns, yet when administered prior to TCR cross-linking, a μ-OR agonist inhibits activation. μ-OR, but not δ-OR, signaling is linked to upregulation of lipid, cholesterol, and steroid hormone biosynthesis, suggesting lipid regulation is a mechanism for immune suppression. Lipid rafts are cholesterol-rich, liquid-ordered membrane domains that function as a nexus for the initiation of signal transduction from surface receptors, including TCR and μ-OR. We therefore propose that μ-OR–specific inhibition of TCR responses in human CD8+ T cells may be mediated through alterations in lipid metabolism and membrane structure.
Introductory Chapter: An Overview of Angiographic Vascular Interventions

Angiography is still the gold standard diagnostic technique in a majority of vascular diseases. The histories of angiography, cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, and modern catheterbased interventions start in the early eighteenth century. Hales made the first documented biventricular catheterization in a horse in 1711 [3]. Then, Forssmann’s right heart selfcatheterization in 1929 became a milestone in the history of heart catheterization [3]. After success in right heart catheterization, researchers focused on left heart, and Zimmerman, Cope, Ross, and colleagues achieved left heart catheterization too [3]. The start for coronary angiography was given by Sones in 1958 and was followed and developed by Judkins and Amplatz via femoral access in angiography [3]. In 1963, Dotter accidentally caused recanalization of a peripheral artery with the catheter. In the 1970s, Gruentzig started balloon angioplasty and unlocked the door of vascular interventions era [3]. Several technical and industrial developments allowed us to perform vascular interventions frequently and with great success today.
Plantations and sustainable rural communities

Summary Tree plantations are often hailed as providing a wide range of economic, social and environmental benefits to rural regions. Yet in many of the regions where plantations have been established, members of rural communities and environmental groups have expressed various concerns about the effects of large-scale tree plantings. If plantations are bringing so many benefits to these regions, why is there social concern and sometimes active dispute over their establishment? This paper examines the nature of these concerns and disputes by reviewing some of the literature on social implications of plantations, and by drawing on four case studies from the south-west of Western Australia. During the past decade this region has experienced a rapid increase in plantation forestry. While some see the industry as a positive development, there are also widespread concerns about the negative effects of this change in land use. The paper also investigates recent measures adopted by plantation companies, local governments and State and federal government agencies to address and resolve concerns. It reveals that a number of these strategies provide opportunities to channel social concerns over plantations into productive processes that allow differing views to be expressed and acted upon.
The acute respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a prevalent cause of acute respiratory failure with high rates of mortality, as well as short- and long-term complications, such as physical and cognitive impairment. Therefore, early recognition of this syndrome and application of well-demonstrated therapeutic interventions are essential to change the natural course of this entity and bring about positive clinical outcomes. In this article, we review updated concepts in ARDS. Specifically, we discuss the current definition of ARDS, its risk factors, and the evidence supporting ventilation management, adjunctive therapies, and interventions required in refractory hypoxemia.