Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in parathyroid hormone immunoassay results—a critical governance issue in the management of chronic kidney disease

Renal physicians strive to maintain parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) within guideline limits, but poor method comparability means there is currently serious risk of clinical misclassification. The potential for under- or over-treatment is significant, representing a major challenge to patient safety. In the short-term, raising awareness of clinical implications of method-related differences in PTH is essential. Agreeing and adopting assay-specific PTH action limits for CKD patients as an interim measure is highly desirable and has been achieved in Scotland. Establishing pre-analytical requirements for PTH is also a priority. In the longer term, re-standardization of PTH methods in terms of an appropriate International Standard is required. Provided commutability can be demonstrated, the recently established IS 95/646 for PTH (1-84) is a suitable candidate. Establishment of a well-characterized panel of samples of defined clinical provenance to enable manufacturers to determine appropriate reference intervals and clinical decision points is also recommended and will provide an invaluable clinical resource. Recent developments in mass spectrometry mean that a candidate reference measurement procedure for PTH is now achievable and will represent major progress. Concurrently, evidence-based recommendations on clinical requirements and performance goals for PTH are required. Improving the comparability of PTH results requires support from many stakeholders but is achievable.
Ten-year objective physical activity tracking: Iowa Bone Development Study.

PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the tracking of physical activity (PA) during a 10-yr period and to investigate whether sex differences in PA trajectories are altered after aligning by maturity instead of age. METHODS The Iowa Bone Development Study collected accelerometer data on a cohort of 140 girls and 128 boys at ages 5, 9, 11, 13, and 15 yr. Logistic regression determined the odds ratio of being in lowest PA tertile at 15 yr if in lowest tertile at age 5 yr. Spearman correlation coefficients examined PA tracking from age 5 to 15 yr. Using additional Iowa Bone Development participants at ages 9, 11, 13, and 15 yr (N = 482, 457, 416, and 316, respectively), we examined the stability of PA for chronological and biological age in 2-yr intervals surrounding peak height velocity (PHV) age. Year from PHV was estimated using the Mirwald prediction equation. RESULTS Girls had significant 10-yr correlations (r = 0.27); boys did not. Girls, not boys, were more likely to be in the lowest tertile for PA at age 15 yr if in the lowest tertile at age 5 yr (moderate to vigorous PA: odds ratio = 3.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.4-6.9; vigorous PA: odds ratio = 2.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-6.1). Girls' 2-yr intervals for PA showed moderate associations (r = 0.31-0.56) when aligned chronologically but were moderate to high (r = 0.41-0.63) when aligned biologically. Boys' associations were low to moderate (r = 0.26-0.56) chronologically. When aligned biologically, the associations were low for the -1- to 1-yr interval (1 yr before the 1-yr post-PHV) but moderate to high for the -2- to 0-yr and 0- to 2-yr intervals (r = 0.50-0.61). CONCLUSIONS Physical activity tracking from childhood to adolescence is stronger in girls than that in boys. Intervention programs targeting boys should focus on time surrounding puberty in boys during which activity patterns change.
Explanation-Based Neural Network Learning for Robot Control

How can artificial neural nets generalize better from fewer examples? In order to generalize successfully, neural network learning methods typically require large training data sets. We introduce a neural network learning method that generalizes rationally from many fewer data points, relying instead on prior knowledge encoded in previously learned neural networks. For example, in robot control learning tasks reported here, previously learned networks that model the effects of robot actions are used to guide subsequent learning of robot control functions. For each observed training example of the target function (e.g. the robot control policy), the learner explains the observed example in terms of its prior knowledge, then analyzes this explanation to infer additional information about the shape, or slope, of the target function. This shape knowledge is used to bias generalization when learning the target function. Results are presented applying this approach to a simulated robot task based on reinforcement learning.
The impact resistance of fiber–metal laminates based on glass fiber reinforced polypropylene

The high velocity impact response of a range of fiber–metal laminates (FMLs) based on a woven glass fiber reinforced polypropylene and an aluminum alloy has been investigated. Tests on FMLs, based on 2024-O and 2024-T3 aluminum alloys, were undertaken using a nitrogen gas gun at velocities up to 150 m/s. The failure processes in the FMLs were investigated by examining the samples after impact and by sectioning a number of specimens through the point of impact. The impact response of these multilayered samples was also characterized by measuring the residual out-of-plane displacement of the targets after testing. Energy absorption in the FMLs occurred through gross plastic deformation, membrane stretching and tearing in the aluminum plies, as well as delamination, fiber fracture, and matrix cracking in the composite layers. In the multilayered FMLs, the permanent displacement at the perforation threshold remained roughly constant over a range of target configurations, suggesting that the aluminum layers deform almost independently through a membrane stretching mechanism during the perforation process. The impact resistances of the laminates investigated were compared by determining their specific perforation energies (s.p.e.), where it was shown that s.p.e. of several of laminates was almost three times that of the corresponding aluminum alloy. The perforation resistances of the FMLs as well as those of the plain composite were predicted using the Reid–Wen perforation model. Here good agreement was noted between the model and the experimental data for the range of laminates investigated here. POLYM. COMPOS. 27:700–708, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers
Full Fabrication and Packaging of an Implantable Multi-Panel Device for Monitoring of Metabolites in Small Animals

In this work, we show the realization of a fully-implantable device for monitoring free-moving small animals. The device integrates a microfabricated sensing platform, a coil for power and data transmission and two custom designed integrated circuits. The device is intended to be implanted in mice, free to move in a cage, to monitor the concentration of metabolites. We show the system level design of each block of the device, and we present the fabrication of the passive sensing platform and its employment for the electrochemical detection of endogenous and exogenous metabolites. Moreover, we describe the assembly of the device to test the biocompatibility of the materials used for the microfabrication. To ensure biocompatibility, an epoxy enhanced polyurethane membrane was used to cover the device. We proved through an in-vitro characterization that the membrane was capable to retain enzyme activity up to 35 days. After 30 days of implant in mice, in-vivo experiments proved that the membrane promotes the integration of the sensor with the surrounding tissue, as demonstrated by the low inflammation level at the implant site.
Virtual Resource Allocation Based on Link Interference in Cayley Wireless Data Centers

Cayley data centers are well known patterns of completely wireless data centers (WDCs). However, low link reliability and link interference will affect the construction of virtual networks. This paper proposes a virtual resource mapping algorithm on the basis of Cayley structures. First, we analyze the characteristics of Cayley WDCs and model networks in WDCs, where a virtual network is modeled as a traditional undirected graph, while a physical topology is modeled as a directed graph. Second, we propose a virtual resource mapping and coloring algorithm based on link interference called VRMCA-LI. We build a connection interference matrix for each node and use a coloring method to avoid interference. VRMCA-LI uses the same color for the nodes that are within the transmitting angle of a sending node and whose signal-to-noise ratio is less than a threshold. These nodes with the same color cannot be allocated to virtual nodes at the same time. The allocation of nodes and links are concurrent, which performs dynamic adjustment to save mapping time. Third, our experimental results show that VRMCA-LI outperforms WVNEA-LR and PG-VNE in terms of mapping time of virtual nodes, acceptance rate of virtual networks, and average node utilization rate.
A new approach to finite wordlength coefficient fir digital filter design using the branch and bound technique

It has been shown that the branch and bound technique is effective for the design of finite wordlength optimal digital filters. This technique is however expensive in computing time. In this paper, we present a robust branch and bound branching strategy named Sequential and Progressive Search, improving the design of filters on a large wordlength processor in a reasonable computing cost. The details of the algorithm and many examples are given and compared to the other methods.
Consistent estimation of a mean planar curve modulo similarities

We consider the problem of estimating a mean planar curve from a set of J random planar curves observed on a k-points deterministic design. We study the consistency of a smoothed Procrustean mean curve when the observations obey a deformable model including some nuisance parameters such as random translations, rotations and scaling. The main contribution of the paper is to analyze the influence of the dimension k of the data and of the number J of observed configurations on the convergence of the smoothed Procrustean estimator to the mean curve of the model. Some numerical experiments illustrate these results.
Identified metabolic signature for assessing red blood cell unit quality is associated with endothelial damage markers and clinical outcomes

There has been interest in determining whether older red blood cell (RBC) units have negative clinical effects. Numerous observational studies have shown that older RBC units are an independent factor for patient mortality. However, recently published randomized clinical trials have shown no difference of clinical outcome for patients receiving old or fresh RBCs. An overlooked but essential issue in assessing RBC unit quality and ultimately designing the necessary clinical trials is a metric for what constitutes an old or fresh RBC unit.
An Efficient VLSI Architecture of a Layered Space-Time Receiver

This paper presents a practical implementation of a layered space-time (LST) receiver targeting a Xilinx Virtex-II FPGA. The architecture is based on multipass burst processing, and includes burst buffers for each antenna, channel parameter estimation modules exploiting a training sequence, and a simple matrix inversion adaptation mechanism. LST architectures involve significant implementation complexity and various refinements have been proposed in the literature to mitigate this aspect. Our receiver is based on novel modifications to the standard LST algorithm which enable unprecedented implementation simplicity, avoiding complex operations such as divisions and square roots, while suffering a negligible BER degradation.
Cerebral perfusion and stroke

Stroke is a heterogeneous syndrome caused by multiple disease mechanisms, but all result in a disruption of cerebral blood flow with subsequent tissue damage. This review covers the mechanisms responsible for regulation of the normal cerebral circulation, and how they are disrupted in disease states. A central concept in treating patients with acute ischaemic stroke is the existence of an ischaemic penumbra of potentially salvageable tissue, and the evidence for its existence in humans is reviewed.
Optimization Equivalence of Divergences Improves Neighbor Embedding

Visualization methods that arrange data objects in 2D or 3D layouts have followed two main schools, methods oriented for graph layout and methods oriented for vectorial embedding. We show the two previously separate approaches are tied by an optimization equivalence, making it possible to relate methods from the two approaches and to build new methods that take the best of both worlds. In detail, we prove a theorem of optimization equivalences between β- and γ-, as well as α- and Renyi-divergences through a connection scalar. Through the equivalences we represent several nonlinear dimensionality reduction and graph drawing methods in a generalized stochastic neighbor embedding setting, where information divergences are minimized between similarities in input and output spaces, and the optimal connection scalar provides a natural choice for the tradeoff between attractive and repulsive forces. We give two examples of developing new visualization methods through the equivalences: 1) We develop weighted symmetric stochastic neighbor embedding (ws-SNE) from Elastic Embedding and analyze its benefits, good performance for both vectorial and network data; in experiments ws-SNE has good performance across data sets of different types, whereas comparison methods fail for some of the data sets; 2) we develop a γ-divergence version of a PolyLog layout method; the new method is scale invariant in the output space and makes it possible to efficiently use large-scale smoothed neighborhoods.
Expansion of acute myocardial infarction: an experimental study.

Expansion (regional dilatation and thinning) of acutely infarcted myocardium in man has been shown to correlate with overall cardiac dilatation and rupture. We studied gross and histopathologic features and the time course of expansion in rats. Infarcts were produced in 84 rats by ligation of the left coronary artery and studied at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 days. All hearts were prepared by potassium diastolic arrest, gel distention and fixation. Expansion was graded 0 to 4+ : 1+, mild thinning of infarcted wall; 2+, mild thinning and dilatation; 3+, moderate thinning and dilatation; and 4+, marked thinning and dilatation. There were 80 transmural infarcts, and 66% showed expansion; 36 of 80 (45%) were graded 1-2+ and 17 of 80 (21%) 3-4+. None of the four exclusively nontransmural infarcts showed expansion. Expansion was present in 61% of transmural infarcts at 1-2 days, in 65% at 3-4 days and in 80% at 5-7 days. The percentage of rats with severe (3-4+) expansion increased markedly over this period, from 0% at 1-2 days to 23% at 3-4 days to 65% at 5-7 days. Histopathologic infarct evolution was roughly twice as rapid as that of humans; 5-7 day-old infarcts showed well-developed granulation tissue. Thus, expansion can be produced in an animal model. A critical infarct size of 17% appeared necessary for significant (greater than 1+) expansion, and the degree of expansion correlated with infarct size. Although this phenomenon begins early after infarction, its extent progresses over days, making interventions to interrupt its development feasible.
Rethinking Multiple Equilibria in Macroeconomic Modeling

Are beliefs as indeterminate as suggested by models with multiple equilibria? Multiplicity of equilibria arises largely as the unintended consequence of two modeling assumptions-the fundamentals are assumed to be common knowledge, and economic agents know others' actions in equilibrium. Both are questionable. When others' actions are not known with certainty (as when actions rely on noisy signals), self-fulfilling beliefs lead to a unique outcome determined by the fundamentals and the knowledge that others are rational. This paper illustrates this approach in the context of a model of bank runs and other similar applications. Such an approach places comparative statics and policy analyses on a firmer footing. It also suggests that public information has a disproportionately larger influence on the outcome than private information.
Craniofacial Form in Class III Cases

Lateral skull cephalograms from 50 patients who subsequently had surgical correction of their Class III malocclusion were analysed using a complete linkage cluster analysis based on skull shape. Five subgroups Were identified and are described. All subjects had a degree of mandibular prognathism while only 14 per cent had maxillary retrognathism. An increased lower face height was found in 58 per cent.
Structural Optimization and De Novo Design of Dengue Virus Entry Inhibitory Peptides

Viral fusogenic envelope proteins are important targets for the development of inhibitors of viral entry. We report an approach for the computational design of peptide inhibitors of the dengue 2 virus (DENV-2) envelope (E) protein using high-resolution structural data from a pre-entry dimeric form of the protein. By using predictive strategies together with computational optimization of binding “pseudoenergies”, we were able to design multiple peptide sequences that showed low micromolar viral entry inhibitory activity. The two most active peptides, DN57opt and 1OAN1, were designed to displace regions in the domain II hinge, and the first domain I/domain II beta sheet connection, respectively, and show fifty percent inhibitory concentrations of 8 and 7 µM respectively in a focus forming unit assay. The antiviral peptides were shown to interfere with virus:cell binding, interact directly with the E proteins and also cause changes to the viral surface using biolayer interferometry and cryo-electron microscopy, respectively. These peptides may be useful for characterization of intermediate states in the membrane fusion process, investigation of DENV receptor molecules, and as lead compounds for drug discovery.
Nanoscale Solute Partitioning in Bulk Metallic Glasses

challenge to determine the fine structure of these precipitates, and no one technique can provide all the answers. In this paper, we report the experimental study of a multicomponent BMG alloy, Zr52.5Cu17. 9Ni14.6Al10Ti5, utilizing several state-of-the-art characterization techniques. Nanoscale solute partitioning due to strong chemical order is revealed at unprecedented detail by a new wide-field atom probe. This level of details is crucial for understanding the interference peaks observed in small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering experiments, an unsolved mystery for over a decade. A core/shell structure is formed as a result of nanoscale solute partitioning, which poisons the growth and helps stabilize the nanocrystalline particles. Zr52.5Cu17. 9Ni14.6Al10Ti5 is a widely studied BMG with excellent glass forming ability. [5‐11] Upon devitrification, crystalline precipitates of 10‐20nm diameter emerge, as evidenced by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. [9] Moreover,
Thermal behaviour of poly(propylene) layered silicate nanocomposites

The thermal degradation behaviour of nanocomposites based upon poly(propylene)/organoclay, modified with protonated octadecyl amine (C18) in comparison to that of non-exfoliated microcomposites based upon organoclay, modified with protonated butyl amine (C4), was studied by thermogravimetry. In the case of the nanocomposite, the temperature at which volatilisation occurs increases as compared of the microcomposite. Moreover, the thermal oxidation process of the polymer is strongly slowed down in the nanocomposite with high char yield both by a physical barrier effect, enhanced by ablative reassembling of the silicate, and by a chemical catalytic action due to the silicate and to the strongly acid sites created by thermal decomposition of the protonated amine silicate modifier.
The usefulness of neck pinhole SPECT as a complementary tool to planar scintigraphy in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

UNLABELLED Pinhole SPECT (P-SPECT) has proven to be a high-resolution and sensitive method in both experimental and clinical studies. In this study, we investigated whether P-SPECT combined with conventional planar scintigraphy can give additional information in hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland detection in both primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) since planar imaging has proved partially limited, especially in sHPT. METHODS We studied 110 consecutive patients with HPT, selecting 67 patients who underwent neck surgery and had definitive histology: 48 with pHPT and 19 with sHPT. All patients underwent planar scintigraphy, (99m)Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile ((99m)Tc-MIBI) double-phase scintigraphy (n = 22) or (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin subtraction scintigraphy (n = 45), using a gamma-camera with a parallel-hole collimator. P-SPECT was then performed (180 degrees; matrix size, 128 x 128; zoom factor, 2; time per frame, 40 s) using a tilted detector equipped with a pinhole collimator (insert, 4.45 mm). RESULTS In the 48 pHPT patients, 49 lesions (43 adenomas, 1 carcinoma, and 5 hyperplastic glands, including 1 intrathyroidal) were found at surgery; in the 19 sHPT patients, 51 lesions (49 hyperplastic glands, including 1 in persistens thymus, and 2 adenomas) were found. P-SPECT proved to be a highly sensitive method, identifying more lesions than planar imaging in both pHPT (97.9% vs. 87.7%) and sHPT (92.1% vs. 78.4%), significantly (P < 0.05) in the latter. P-SPECT, positive in all adenomas, increased planar sensitivity especially in small and light-weight ones, 30.8% of which missed on planar imaging, and also identified a significantly higher number of hyperplastic glands, irrespective of their size. P-SPECT improved image quality and resolution, offering a more correct lesion localization in eutopic and ectopic sites. Neither P-SPECT nor planar imaging had false-positive findings. Moreover, P-SPECT correctly predicted the status found at surgery in 97.9% of pHPT patients and in 82.3% of sHPT patients with multigland disease, whereas planar imaging correctly predicted the status in 89.6% and 58.8%, respectively. P-SPECT was the only positive procedure in 8.9% of all patients, also revealing more lesions in 6% of sHPT patients when both methods were positive. CONCLUSION P-SPECT appears a highly sensitive, high-resolution method. We suggest its use as a preoperative complementary tool to neck planar scintigraphy, selectively in pHPT patients but extensively in sHPT patients.