Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel ionization processes for use in mass spectrometry: 'Squeezing' nonvolatile analyte ions from crystals and droplets.

Together with my group and collaborators, I have been fortunate to have had a key role in the discovery of new ionization processes that we developed into new flexible, sensitive, rapid, reliable, and robust ionization technologies and methods for use in mass spectrometry (MS). Our current research is focused on how best to understand, improve, and use these novel ionization processes which convert volatile and nonvolatile compounds from solids or liquids into gas-phase ions for analysis by MS using e.g. mass-selected fragmentation and ion mobility spectrometry to provide reproducible, accurate, and improved mass and drift time resolution. In my view, the apex was the discovery of vacuum matrix-assisted ionization (vMAI) in 2012 on an intermediate pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) source without the use of a laser, high voltages, or any other added energy. Only exposure of the matrix:analyte to the sub-atmospheric pressure of the mass spectrometer was necessary to initiate ionization. These findings were initially rejected by three different scientific journals, with comments related to 'how can this work? ', 'where do the charges come from? ', and 'it is not analytically useful'. Meanwhile, we and others have demonstrated analytical utility without a complete understanding of the mechanism. In reality, MALDI and electrospray ionization are widely used in science and their mechanisms are still controversially discussed despite use and optimization of now 30 years. This Perspective covers the applications and mechanistic aspects of the novel ionization processes for use in MS that guided us in instrument developments, and provides our perspective on how they relate to traditional ionization processes.
Optimization of Parameters for Quantitative Analysis of 123I-Ioflupane SPECT Images for Monitoring Progression of Parkinson Disease

Quantitative assessment of dopamine transporter imaging can aid in diagnosing Parkinson disease (PD) and assessing disease progression in the context of therapeutic trials. Previously, the software program SBRquant was applied to 123I-ioflupane SPECT images acquired on healthy controls and subjects with PD. Earlier work on optimization of the parameters for differentiating between controls and subjects with dopaminergic deficits is extended here for maximizing change measurements associated with disease progression on longitudinally acquired scans. Methods: Serial 123I-ioflupane SPECT imaging for 51 subjects with PD (conducted approximately 1 y apart) were downloaded from the Parkinson Progression Markers Initiative database. The software program SBRquant calculates the striatal binding ratio (SBR) separately for the left and right caudates and putamen regions of interest (ROIs). Parameters were varied to evaluate the number of summed transverse slices and the positioning of the striatal ROIs for determining the signal-to-noise ratio associated with their annual rate of change in SBR. The parameters yielding the largest change in the lowest putamen’s SBR from scan 1 to scan 2 were determined. Results: From scan 1 to scan 2 in the 51 subjects, the largest annual change was observed when the putamen ROI was placed 3 pixels away from the caudate and by summing 5 central striatal slices. This resulted in an 11.2% ± 4.3% annual decrease in the lowest putamen SBR for the group. Conclusion: Quantitative assessment of dopamine transporter imaging for assessing progression of PD requires specific, optimal parameters different from those for diagnostic accuracy.
HMOX1 and acute kidney injury in sickle cell anemia.

TO THE EDITOR: The pathophysiologic mechanisms, genetic predictors, and long-term consequences of acute kidney injury (AKI) on kidney function in sickle cell anemia (SCA) are not clear. [1][1][⇓][2][⇓][3][⇓][4]-[5][5] In the general population, AKI is associated with the subsequent development
Outcomes of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and acute myocardial infarction: a propensity score-matched, 15-year nationwide population-based study in Asia

Objectives Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) entails thickening of the myocardium and an increased risk of ischaemia. However, the prognosis of patients with HCM with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is incompletely understood. Methods Medical information was retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in 1997–2011. The exclusion criteria were patients <18 years old, and history of AMI, coronary intervention, aortic valve disease, disease of the pericardium, heart surgery, device implantation, venous thromboembolism, cardiac transplant, congenital heart disease and end-stage renal disease on dialysis. Patients with HCM with AMI were compared with propensity score (PS)-matched patients with AMI without HCM. The primary endpoints were in-hospital and 1-year cardiovascular events. Results In total, 201 166 patients were admitted for AMI. There were 177 058 patients with new-onset AMI, 257 with HCM and 176 801 without HCM after exclusion criteria. Using 1:4 PS matching, the study population consisted of patients with AMI, 257 with HCM and 1028 without HCM. Patients with AMI with HCM received significantly less coronary intervention (OR=0.46; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.65; p<0.001), coronary intervention with stenting (OR=0.33; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.57; p<0.001) and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OR=0.22; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.90; p=0.036), and fewer episodes of shock (OR=0.64; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.86; p=0.003) and in-hospital death (OR=0.46; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.70; p<0.001), compared with patients with AMI without HCM. Specifically, for patients with HCM with AMI, AMI occurred predominantly (82.5%) in the form of ischaemia without requiring coronary stenting. Patients with AMI with HCM had significantly better survival than patients without HCM (HR=0.66; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.85; p=0.001) during the 1-year follow-up. Conclusions This is the first PS-matched study to compare the prognosis of patients with AMI with and without HCM. Compared with patients with AMI without HCM, patients with HCM had significantly better in-hospital and within 1-year outcomes.
The Economic Value of Informal Caregiving for Persons With Dementia: Results From 38 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2015 and 2016 BRFSS

Objectives To estimate the economic value from a societal perspective of informal caregiving of persons with dementia in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Methods Using a cost replacement method and data from the 2015 and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System caregiver module, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2016 Occupation Profiles, and the US Department of Labor, we estimated the number and economic direct cost of caregiving hours. Results An estimated 3.2 million dementia caregivers provided more than 4.1 billion hours of care, with an average of 1278 hours per caregiver. The median hourly value of dementia caregiving was $10.28. Overall, we valued these caregiving hours at $41.5 billion, with an average of $13 069 per caregiver. Conclusions Caregivers of persons with dementia provide care that has important economic implications. Without these efforts, many people would either not receive needed care or have to pay for that support. Surveillance data can be used to estimate the contributions of informal caregivers and the economic value of the care they provide.
IRREGULAR FLORAL DEVELOPMENT IN CALLA PALUSTRIS (ARACEAE) AND THE CONCEPT OF HOMEOSIS.

About two-thirds of the more than 100 genera in the Araceae lack tepals and their absence is considered derived. Unlike most of these atepalate genera, Calla palustris has about twice as many stamens per flower. Using epi-illumination microscopy, we studied floral development in Calla to see if the supernumerary stamens form in positions corresponding to tepal positions in perigonate Araceae. If so, this would be an example of homeosis-in this case, the replacement of tepals with stamens-in the evolution of this genus. We found the positions of stamen primordia in many floral buds too irregular to conclude that they replace tepals positionally. However, in more regular floral buds the first formed stamens do form in what correspond to tepal sites in related genera. If the immediate ancestor to Calla had tepals, as is generally assumed, stamen positions in the more regular flowers, at least, support a homeotic interpretation. There is no evidence that the supernumerary stamens arise by dédoublement, but since morphogenesis in Calla is only partly comparable to other aroids, and the phylogeny in the family is not well understood, further studies are needed to resolve the interpretation of the flower in Calla. With regard to systematics and evolution, the absence of tepals in Calla may not be homologous with atepaly in other members of the family, as has been assumed for the past century.
Computation of PDFs on Big Spatial Data: Problem & Architecture

Big spatial data can be produced by observation or numerical simulation programs and correspond to points that represent a 3D soil cube area. However, errors in signal processing and modeling create some uncertainty, and thus a lack of accuracy in identifying geological or seismic phenomenons. To analyze uncertainty, the main solution is to compute a Probability Density Function (PDF) of each point in the spatial cube area, which can be very time consuming. In this paper, we analyze the problem and discuss the use of Spark to efficiently compute PDFs.
Links between blood pressure and medication intake, well-being, stress, physical activity and symptoms reported via a mobile phone-based self-management support system: a cohort study in primary care

Objectives To explore relationships between patients’ self-monitoring of blood pressure (BP) and their concurrent self-reports of medication intake, well-being, stress, physical activity and symptoms. Design This study is a secondary analysis of a prospective study exploring the 8-week effectiveness of a mobile phone-based self-management support system for patients with hypertension. Setting Four primary healthcare centres situated in urban and suburban communities in Sweden. Participants 50 patients undergoing treatment for hypertension. Primary and secondary outcome measures Associations between systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and 10 self-report lifestyle-related variables were analysed using linear mixed effects modelling. Results Medication intake, better well-being, less stress and greater physical activity were associated variously with lower same-day SBP and DBP. The single strongest association was found between medication intake and SBP, where failure to take medications was associated with an estimated 7.44 mm Hg higher SBP. To a lesser degree, medication intake was also associated with DBP, where DBP was 4.70 mm Hg higher in cases where medications were not taken. Well-being and stress were consistently associated with SBP and DBP, whereas physical activity was associated with only SBP. None of the symptoms—dizziness, headache, restlessness, fatigue or palpitations—were significantly associated with BP. Conclusions Our findings that BP was associated with patients’ BP management behaviours and experiences of well-being and stress, but not symptoms suggest that enabling persons with hypertension to monitor and track their BP in relation to medication intake, physical activity, well-being, stress and symptoms may be a fruitful way to help them gain first-hand understanding of the importance of adherence and persistence to treatment recommendations. Trial registration number NCT01510301; Pre-results.
Identifying and predicting the factors affecting end-users' risk-taking behavior

Purpose The end-user has frequently been identified as the weakest link; however, motivated by the fact that different users react differently to the same stimuli, identifying the reasons behind variations in security behavior and why certain users could be “at risk” more than others is a step toward protecting and defending users against security attacks. This paper aims to explore the effect of personality trait variations (through the Big Five Inventory [BFI]) on users’ risk level of their intended security behaviors. In addition, age, gender, service usage and information technology (IT) proficiency are analyzed to identify what role and impact they have on behavior. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a quantitative-oriented survey that was implemented online. The bi-variate Pearson two-tailed correlation was used to analyze survey responses. Findings The results obtained by analyzing 538 survey responses suggest that personality traits do play a significant role in affecting users’ security behavior risk levels. Furthermore, the results suggest that BFI score of a trait has a significant effect as users’ online personality is linked to their offline personality, especially in the conscientiousness personality trait. Additionally, this effect was stronger when personality was correlated with the factors of IT proficiency, gender, age and online activity. Originality/value The contributions of this paper are two-fold. First, with the aid of a large population sample, end-users’ security practice is assessed from multiple domains, and relationships were found between end-users’ risk-taking behavior and nine user-centric factors. Second, based upon these findings, the predictive ability for these user-centric factors were evaluated to determine the level of risk a user is subject to from an individual behavior perspective. Of 28 behaviors, 11 were found to have a 60 per cent or greater predictive ability, with the highest classification of 92 per cent for several behaviors. This provides a basis for organizations to use behavioral intent alongside personality traits and demographics to understand and, therefore, manage the human aspects of risk.
E-government 4.0 in Thailand: The role of central agencies

This study discusses Thailand’s digital transformation efforts with a focus on the leadership roles of its central government agencies. Thailand has progressed through various e-government policy frameworks since the 1990s, and the current military government is implementing a version ‘4.0’ of digital transformation strategies, aiming to improve business competitiveness, citizen wellbeing, and public sector performance. Central government agencies were created or reorganized to deal with the ‘silo-ization’ or ‘pillarization’ of public organizations, as well as a need for hierarchical leadership and coordination. We discuss the challenges in maintaining reform leadership and accountability, legislation, interoperability, employee capabilities and performance management, and efforts by central agencies to address them.
Improving social skills in children with ASD using a long-term, in-home social robot

Children with ASD show improved joint attention after 1 month of in-home social skills training with an autonomous robot. Social robots can offer tremendous possibilities for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions. To date, most studies with this population have used short, isolated encounters in controlled laboratory settings. Our study focused on a 1-month, home-based intervention for increasing social communication skills of 12 children with ASD between 6 and 12 years old using an autonomous social robot. The children engaged in a triadic interaction with a caregiver and the robot for 30 min every day to complete activities on emotional storytelling, perspective-taking, and sequencing. The robot encouraged engagement, adapted the difficulty of the activities to the child’s past performance, and modeled positive social skills. The system maintained engagement over the 1-month deployment, and children showed improvement on joint attention skills with adults when not in the presence of the robot. These results were also consistent with caregiver questionnaires. Caregivers reported less prompting over time and overall increased communication.
Gone in 30 days! Predictions for car import planning

Abstract A challenge for importers in the automobile industry is adjusting to rapidly changing market demands. In this work, we describe a practical study of car import planning based on the monthly car registrations in Austria. We model the task as a data driven forecasting problem and we implement four different prediction approaches. One utilizes a seasonal ARIMA model, while the other is based on LSTM-RNN and both compared to a linear and seasonal baselines. In our experiments, we evaluate the 33 different brands by predicting the number of registrations for the next month and for the year to come.
Reading socially: Transforming the in-home reading experience with a learning-companion robot

Social robots can transform in-home reading activity into a social experience to benefit learning and interest in reading. Social robots hold great promise as companions and peer learners for children, yet little is known about how they can be best designed for this population, what interaction scenarios can benefit from their use, and how they might fit into learning activities and environments. We aimed to close this gap by designing a learning-companion robot to augment guided reading activity and examined the robot’s impact on an in-home reading experience. In this paper, we compared the experiences of early adolescent children aged 10 to 12 years (N = 24) who completed guided reading activities either with a learning-companion robot or as a paper-based activity in a 2-week-long, in-home field study. We found similar reading frequency and duration in both conditions and that both guided reading activities were described as positive experiences that helped to build reading skill and to sustain engagement. Children who read with the learning-companion robot further reported that the activities supported reading comprehension and motivated them to read and indicated a deepening social connection (i.e., companionship or affiliation) with the robot. We conclude that, rather than the activity falling off after a novelty effect, our simple prototype social robot is capable of preserving the benefits of an existing in-home learning activity while transforming the reading experience into a valuable, social one. Our findings contribute to an understanding of how we might capitalize on the capacity of social robots to serve as a transformative learning tool as robots become more widely available to the public.
MONOPLASTIDIC CELL DIVISION IN LOWER LAND PLANTS.

In many bryophytes and vascular cryptogams mitosis and/or meiosis takes place in cells containing a single plastid. In monoplastidic cell division plastid polarity assures that nuclear and plastid division are infallibly coordinated. The two major components of plastid polarity are morphogenetic plastid migration and microtubule organization at the plastids. Before nuclear division the plastid migrates to a position intersecting the future division plane. This morphogenetic migration is a reliable marker of division polarity in cells with and without a preprophase band of microtubules (PPB). The PPB, which predicts the future division plane before mitosis, is a characteristic feature of land plants and its insertion into the cytokinetic apparatus marks the evolution of a cortical microtubule system and a commitment to meristematic growth. Microtubule systems associated with plastid division, the axial microtubule system (AMS) in mitosis and the quadripolar microtubule system (QMS) in meiosis, contribute to predictive positioning of plastids and participate directly in spindle ontogeny. Division polarity in monoplastidic sporocytes is remarkable in that division sites are selected prior to the two successive nuclear divisions of meiosis. Plastid arrangement prior to meiosis determines the future spore domains in monoplastidic sporocytes, whereas in polyplastidic sporocytes the spore nuclei play a major role in claiming cytoplasmic domains. It is hypothesized that predivision microtubule systems associated with monoplastidic cell division are early forming components of the mitotic apparatus that serve to orient the spindle and insure equal apportionment of nucleus and plastids. "Can it be supposed that cytoplasm would be intrusted with so important a task as the preparation of a chloroplast for each of the four nuclei that are later to preside over the spores before there is any indication that such nuclear division is to take place? " Bradley Moore Davis, 1899.
Optimized intensity thresholds for volumetric analysis of magnetic-resonance imaging data (Proceedings Only)

A technique is presented for computing optimal threshold values for volumetric analysis of MRI data, in the presence of partial volume effects and noise. Thresholds are computed from nominal structure intensities, detected from intensity histograms. Histogram modification methods are described to improve the detectability of these intensities. The implementation of the technique is discussed for detection of contours of the brain and the ventricular system. Results are presented of validation experiments using simulated data, generated from MRI scans of a phantom of the ventricular system in the brain, and of six whole-brain MRI scans.
Comparing fecal microbiota transplantation to standard-of-care treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The use of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a treatment option for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI) is well established. Various studies have used different forms and administration routes for FMT. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to update the clinical knowledge about different FMT modalities for curing rCDI compared with medical treatment (MT). Patients and methods We searched PubMed and Medline from inception through 10 May 2018 for randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing FMT (fresh or frozen) versus MT. We used Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias tool to assess bias in the RCTs. We estimated odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for each outcome using a random effects model. P values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results We included seven RCTs comprising a total of 543 patients with recurrent CDI. There was a nonsignificant trend toward resolution of diarrhea following a single fresh FMT infusion compared with frozen FMT and MT (OR=2.45, 95% CI=0.78–7.71, P=0.12, I2=69%). Subgroup analysis of fresh FMT vs. frozen FMT showed no difference between the two groups (OR=2.13, 95% CI=0.22–20.41, P=0.51, I2=61%). Frozen FMT infusion through upper route versus lower route showed no difference (OR=0.62, 95% CI=0.15–2.54, P=0.51, I2=0%). There was a nonsignificant trend favoring multiple treatments with FMT versus multiple courses of MT (OR=3.68, 95% CI=0.74–18.22, P=0.11, I2=0%). Conclusion FMT is a promising treatment modality for rCDI compared with MT alone. Different forms and routes of FMT administration seem to be equally efficacious. In future, more well-designed RCTs directed at homogenous FMT preparation and delivery methods are required to validate these findings.