Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous transhepatic measurement of the pressure gradient between the portal and hepatic veins.

BACKGROUND Knowledge of the portal pressure may be of value in the assessment of patients with chronic liver disease but its measurement is problematic. AIMS To evaluate the ease and safety of percutaneous transhepatic measurement of the pressure gradient between the portal and hepatic veins and to determine directly the need for an internal zero. METHODS Sixty-one patients undergoing liver biopsy for suspected liver disease had pressures in branches of portal and hepatic veins measured using a flexible 22G (Chiba) needle. RESULTS The procedure was successful in all patients, took less than ten minutes in most, and was associated with minimal discomfort. Post-procedure morbidity was similar to that of liver biopsy. Portal pressure using an external zero (either puncture site or sternal angle) was inaccurate compared with pressures obtained using the generally accepted gold standard internal zero, hepatic venous pressure, and led to incorrect classification of the presence or absence of portal hypertension in at least 10% of patients. Variations in hepatic venous pressure were not predictable on clinical grounds. The only histopathological feature predictive of portal hypertension was cirrhosis, 20 of 25 patients with and four of 36 patients without cirrhosis having portal hypertension. Of routine biochemical and haematological tests, only plasma albumin and platelet count jointly (and negatively) predicted hepatic venous pressure gradient on multiple regression analysis (R2 = 0.40). CONCLUSIONS The use of an internal zero is essential for accurate measurement of portal pressure and this can be achieved safely using the percutaneous, transhepatic route in patients with well compensated liver disease.
The data sharing advantage in astrophysics

Abstract We present here evidence for the existence of a citation advantage within astrophysics for papers that link to data. Using simple measures based on publication data from NASA Astrophysics Data System we find a citation advantage for papers with links to data receiving on the average significantly more citations per paper than papers without links to data. Furthermore, using INSPEC and Web of Science databases we investigate whether either papers of an experimental or theoretical nature display different citation behavior.
The Use of Portable Computers with Dyslexic Students. Occasional Papers 26.

This British study evaluated the effectiveness of use of individual portable computers by seven students (from elementary through college age) having severe specific learning difficulties or dyslexia. The study also examined the impact of the machines on pupils' levels of independence and the practicalities of using the machines. This report describes the project's objectives and management, criteria for selection of students, and student preparation and machine set-up. Use of the computers was analyzed in terms of frequency of use and diversity of use. Emphasized throughout the project was student control of machine use. Frequency of use was sometimes limited by the machines' weight, as well as by individual student personality and group dynamics. Diversity of use was somewhat dependent upon the student age and type of written work expected at different stages in the educational setting. The study found that students improved substantially in their notetaking skills, attitudes toward work, attitudes toward spelling, writing skills, and keyboarding skills. Other changes included increased independence in learning style. Minimal organizational accommodations were required of the schools involved. Factors determining success of such a project are noted, along with implications of the project in terms of the relationship of computers to teaching style, handwriting in the National Curriculum, and requirements for "written" assessment. (Contains 22 references.) (DB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON OCCASIONAL PAPERS, 26 THE USE OF PORTABLE COMPUTERS WITH DYSLEXIC STUDENTS
Testing the Spousal Model of Stress in Healthy Controls, Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and their Spousal Caregivers

I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Donna LeAnn Kennedy entitled “Testing the Spousal Model of Stress in Healthy Controls, Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and their Spousal Caregivers. ” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Psychology. Debora Baldwin, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Novel Isoprene Sensor for a Flu Virus Breath Monitor

A common feature of the inflammatory response in patients who have actually contracted influenza is the generation of a number of volatile products of the alveolar and airway epithelium. These products include a number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitric oxide (NO). These may be used as biomarkers to detect the disease. A portable 3-sensor array microsystem-based tool that can potentially detect flu infection biomarkers is described here. Whether used in connection with in-vitro cell culture studies or as a single exhale breathalyzer, this device may be used to provide a rapid and non-invasive screening method for flu and other virus-based epidemics.
Avian sarcoma leukosis virus receptor-envelope system for simultaneous dissection of multiple neural circuits in mammalian brain

Significance Genetic dissection of multiple neural pathways remains challenging because of the limited number of genetic methods that can be used simultaneously. To overcome this limitation, we used modified avian sarcoma and leukosis virus envelopes and receptors to develop highly orthogonal genetic tools that can achieve expression of different genes in different target cells. From in vitro and in vivo screens, we identified tools that can specifically transfer genes of interest into mammalian neurons via engineered receptors, with minimal unintended interactions. Using this approach, we achieved pathway-specific, differential fluorescent labeling of three thalamic neuronal populations, each projecting into different cortical regions. Thus, our approach provides independent, simultaneous, and specific genetic tools for manipulating intermingled neural pathways in vivo. Pathway-specific gene delivery is requisite for understanding complex neuronal systems in which neurons that project to different target regions are locally intermingled. However, conventional genetic tools cannot achieve simultaneous, independent gene delivery into multiple target cells with high efficiency and low cross-reactivity. In this study, we systematically screened all receptor–envelope pairs resulting from the combination of four avian sarcoma leukosis virus (ASLV) envelopes (EnvA, EnvB, EnvC, and EnvE) and five engineered avian-derived receptors (TVA950, TVBS3, TVC, TVBT, and DR-46TVB) in vitro. Four of the 20 pairs exhibited both high infection rates (TVA–EnvA, 99.6%; TVBS3–EnvB, 97.7%; TVC–EnvC, 98.2%; and DR-46TVB–EnvE, 98.8%) and low cross-reactivity (<2.5%). Next, we tested these four receptor–envelope pairs in vivo in a pathway-specific gene-transfer method. Neurons projecting into a limited somatosensory area were labeled with each receptor by retrograde gene transfer. Three of the four pairs exhibited selective transduction into thalamocortical neurons expressing the paired receptor (>98%), with no observed cross-reaction. Finally, by expressing three receptor types in a single animal, we achieved pathway-specific, differential fluorescent labeling of three thalamic neuronal populations, each projecting into different somatosensory areas. Thus, we identified three orthogonal pairs from the list of ASLV subgroups and established a new vector system that provides a simultaneous, independent, and highly specific genetic tool for transferring genes into multiple target cells in vivo. Our approach is broadly applicable to pathway-specific labeling and functional analysis of diverse neuronal systems.
Investigating executive functions in men seeking help for hypersexual behavior using neuropsychological testing

Investigating Executive Functions in Men Seeking Help for Hypersexual Behavior Using Neuropsychological Testing Rory C. Reid Department of Psychology Doctor of Philosophy Patients seeking help for hypersexual behavior often exhibit features of impulsivity, cognitive rigidity, poor judgment, deficits in emotion regulation, and excessive preoccupation with sex. Some of these characteristics are also common among patients presenting with neurological pathology associated with executive dysfunction. These observations led to the current investigation in which differences across scores on objective neuropsychological tests of executive functioning were explored in a group of hypersexual male patients (n = 30) compared with a non-hypersexual community sample (n = 30) of men. Using multivariate statistics, differences between the groups were examined yielding significant differences on measures of hypersexuality. However, the groups failed to exhibit significant differences across neuropsychological tests of executive functioning. These results contradict a previous finding of executive deficits among hypersexual men measured by self-report. These findings are discussed as they pertain to conceptualizations of hypersexual populations and possible implications for future research.
A Truncation Mutant of the 95-Kilodalton Subunit of Transcription Factor IIIC Reveals Asymmetry in Ty3 Integration

ABSTRACT Position-specific integration of the retroviruslike element Ty3 near the transcription initiation sites of tRNA genes requires transcription factors IIIB and IIIC (TFIIIB and TFIIIC). Using a genetic screen, we isolated a mutant with a truncated 95-kDa subunit of TFIIIC (TFIIIC95) that reduced the apparent retrotransposition of Ty3 into a plasmid-borne target site between two divergently transcribed tRNA genes. Although TFIIIC95 is conserved and essential, no defect in growth or transcription of tRNAs was detected in the mutant. Steps of the Ty3 life cycle, such as protein expression, proteolytic processing, viruslike particle formation, and reverse transcription, were not affected by the mutation. However, Ty3 integration into a divergent tDNA target occurred exclusively in one orientation in the mutant strain. Investigation of this orientation bias showed that TFIIIC95 and Ty3 integrase interacted in two-hybrid and glutathioneS-transferase pulldown assays and that interaction with the mutant TFIIIC95 protein was attenuated. The orientation bias observed here suggests that even for wild-type Ty3, the protein complexes associated with the long terminal repeats are not equivalent in vivo.
Metabolism of Ingested Ammonium-15N by Premature Infants

Extract: In premature infants receiving high protein diets (3.2–5.1 g/kg/24 h) and given oral trace doses of 15NH4Cl, [ammonia-15N] was initially higher than [urea-15N] in the urine. Isotope concentrations were equal at the time of maximum urea-15N concentration,suggesting that the pool of nitrogen sampled as ammonoa-15N in urine was the precursor for urea-15N under these conditions. In premature infants receiving low protein diets (1.5 and 1.0 g protein/kg/24 h), this precursor-product relation was lost, [ammonia-15N] remaining higher than [ura-15N] after the time of maximum urea-15N concentration. This was also true for an infants receiving 1.5 g protein/kg/24 h when glycine-15N was administrated, suggesting that the alteration in the relation between [urea-15N] and [ammonia-15N] in urine, under conditions of lowered protein intake, was a result of a change in the relation of the metabolic pool of nitrogen to urea and not to a specific alteration in the metabolism of ingested ammoniumion.As protein intake was progressively restricted, overall excretion of urea was reduced as well as excretion of urea-15N, in response to a trace dose of 15NH4Cl. No evidence was found to indicate that the mode of metabolism of ammonium-15N by premature infants receiving a high protein diet was necessitated by a lack of capacity for urea synthesis.The size (P) and turnover rate (B) of the pool of nitrogen reflected by [ammonia-15N] in urine was evaluated after ingestion of glycine-15N. The rate of metabolism, P×B, declined with decreasing protein intake.In one infant who received both glycine-15N and 15NH4Cl on a high and a low protein diet, estimations of size and rate of turnover of the pool of metabolic nitrogen were by analyzing [NH3-15N] and by using method of SAN PIETRO and RITTENBERG. The results were similar when 15NH4Cl was the test compound and dissimilar when glycine-15N was the test compound.Speculation: The data presented suggest that the nitrogen of ammonia absorbed via the portal vein is incorporated into the active metabolic pool of nitrogen, thus providing a flexible mechanism for both the conservation of ammonia nitrogen and its incorporation into urea.
Nutrient Status of Vitamin D among Chinese Children

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is considered to be a public health problem. However, the nutrient status of vitamin D in Chinese children is unclear. The aim of this study was to describe the vitamin D status among children aged under 18 years in southeast China. Methods: Children who visited the Huzhou Maternal and Child Care Hospital from January 2012 to August 2015 were included in this large cross-sectional study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Vitamin D status was defined as deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL), insufficiency (25(OH)D: 20–29 ng/mL) and sufficiency (25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/mL). The association between relevant variables and vitamin D status was analyzed by a using generalized estimated equation model and a multivariate regression model. Results: 13,997 children aged under 18 years were included. Of these, 23.3% children suffered from low vitamin D status (deficiency and insufficiency), while 76.7% had a sufficient vitamin D status. The prevalence of low vitamin D status was 29.7% in winter and 23.4% in spring, which was higher than that in summer (21.4%) and autumn (19.9%). Clinical visiting children (32.1%) suffered more from low vitamin D than health examination children (17.6%). Additionally, age and season were independently and significantly associated with 25(OH)D concentrations, respectively. Conclusions: The deficiency and insufficiency status of vitamin D was very common among newborns and children aged one to 17 years. This indicates that more sunshine and vitamin D–fortified foods are necessary among Chinese children.
Statistical Analysis for Haplotype‐Based Matched Case–Control Studies

Summary Using unphased genotype data, we studied statistical inference for association between a disease and a haplotype in matched case–control studies. Statistical inference for haplotype data is complicated due to ambiguity of genotype phases. An estimating equation‐based method is developed for estimating odds ratios and testing disease‐haplotype association. The method potentially can also be applied to testing haplotype‐environment interaction. Simulation studies show that the proposed method has good performance. The performance of the method in the presence of departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium is also studied.
Multi-Scale Analysis Based Ball Bearing Defect Diagnostics Using Mahalanobis Distance and Support Vector Machine

The objective of this research is to investigate the feasibility of utilizing the multi-scale analysis and support vector machine (SVM) classification scheme to diagnose the bearing faults in rotating machinery. For complicated signals, the characteristics of dynamic systems may not be apparently observed in a scale, particularly for the fault-related features of rotating machinery. In this research, the multi-scale analysis is employed to extract the possible fault-related features in different scales, such as the multi-scale entropy (MSE), multi-scale permutation entropy (MPE), multi-scale root-mean-square (MSRMS) and multi-band spectrum entropy (MBSE). Some of the features are then selected as the inputs of the support vector machine (SVM) classifier through the Fisher score (FS) as well as the Mahalanobis distance (MD) evaluations. The vibration signals of bearing test data at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) are utilized as the illustrated examples. The analysis results demonstrate that an accurate bearing defect diagnosis can be achieved by using the extracted machine features in different scales. It can be also noted that the diagnostic results of bearing faults can be further enhanced through the feature selection procedures of FS and MD evaluations.
Refining the Perfusion—Diffusion Mismatch Hypothesis

Background and Purpose— The Echoplanar Imaging Thrombolysis Evaluation Trial (EPITHET) tests the hypothesis that perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI)–diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) mismatch predicts the response to thrombolysis. There is no accepted standardized definition of PWI-DWI mismatch. We compared common mismatch definitions in the initial 40 EPITHET patients. Methods— Raw perfusion images were used to generate maps of time to peak (TTP), mean transit time (MTT), time to peak of the impulse response (Tmax) and first moment transit time (FMT). DWI, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and PWI volumes were measured with planimetric and thresholding techniques. Correlations between mismatch volume (PWIvol-DWIvol) and DWI expansion (T2Day 90-vol-DWIAcute-vol) were also assessed. Results— Mean age was 68±11, time to MRI 4.5±0.7 hours, and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 11 (range 4 to 23). Tmax and MTT hypoperfusion volumes were significantly lower than those calculated with TTP and FMT maps (P<0.001). Mismatch ≥20% was observed in 89% (Tmax) to 92% (TTP/FMT/MTT) of patients. Application of a +4s (relative to the contralateral hemisphere) PWI threshold reduced the frequency of positive mismatch volumes (TTP 73%/FMT 68%/Tmax 54%/MTT 43%). Mismatch was not significantly different when assessed with ADC maps. Mismatch volume, calculated with all parameters and thresholds, was not significantly correlated with DWI expansion. In contrast, reperfusion was correlated inversely with infarct growth (R=−0.51; P=0.009). Conclusions— Deconvolution and application of PWI thresholds provide more conservative estimates of tissue at risk and decrease the frequency of mismatch accordingly. The precise definition may not be critical; however, because reperfusion alters tissue fate irrespective of mismatch.
Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures

A new and very general method was developed for calculating the charge and spin-resolved electron tunnelling in type-II heterojunctions. Starting from a multiband k.p description of the bulk energy-band structure, a multiband k.p Riccati equation was derived. The reflection and transmission coefficients were obtained for each channel by integrating the Riccati equation over the entire heterostructure. Numerical instability was reduced through this method, in which the multichannel log-derivative of the envelope function matrix, rather than the envelope function itself, was propagated. As an example, a six-band k.p Hamiltonian was used to calculate the current-voltage characteristics of a 10-nm wide InAs/ GaSb/InAs single quantum well device which exhibited negative differential resistance at room temperature. The calculated current as a function of applied (bias) voltage was found to be in semiquantitative agreement with the experiment, a result which indicated that inelastic transport mechanisms do not contribute significantly to the valley currents measured in this particular device.
Fundamentals of Moisture Transport in Textiles

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other techniques are being used to investigate moisture transport in textiles. MRI revealed that moisture distribution in carpet is significantly influenced by the details of the vacuum extraction procedure used to remove excess water. Industrially relevant through-flow drying of carpet has been simulated on a laboratory-scale dryer as well as inside an MRI scanner. While the laboratory dryer provides information on the overall drying process, the MRI scanner provides details of the drying process inside the fibrous substrate. Pore structure and diffusion of fluids within textiles has been studied with diffusion NMR. Biomimetic engineering of new fibrous materials for exceptional water repellency has been pursued by analyzing the special structure of duck feathers. A new technique for measuring anisotropic wicking of yarns has been developed. Wicking rates of PET yarns were found to decrease with increasing twist and increasing tensile force, both of which result in decreased capillary radii. MRI and light microscopy revealed that fluids are primarily carried through yarn interiors and not along surfaces. Introduction Innovative and improved manufacturing processes can only be developed if the interactions between process chemicals and textile products are understood on a fundamental level. For example, current drying processes can be made much more efficient, migration problems can be controlled, and completely new designs for drying equipment can be proposed. In addition, new materials for fluid management can only be developed by understanding fundamental interactions between fluids and fibrous assemblies.
Extensive experience and validation of polyethylene glycol precipitation as a screening method for macroprolactinemia.

Serum human prolactin (PRL) is heterogeneous in molecular size, with the 23-kDa monomer being the predominant form in healthy subjects and patients with prolactinomas. From the point of view of molecular size, other circulating forms include the 50-kDa dimer (big-PRL) and the 150- to 170-kDa form (big-big-PRL, or macroprolactin) (1). Recent publications have associated asymptomatic hyperprolactinemia with a predominance of macroprolactin in the circulation; this occurrence appears to be more common than previously thought (2)(3)(4) and can have obvious practical implications. The finding of a predominance of macroprolactinemia can change the focus of the evaluation of a patient, with the possible avoidance of more sophisticated and expensive imaging studies. We evaluated the polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation method to screen for the presence of macroprolactinemia in a large series of clinical samples. Serum PRL was measured by immunofluorometric assay (IFMA; reference range, 2–15 μg/L; Delfia, Wallac Oy), and samples with values ≥30 μg/L were studied. The value of 30 μg/L or higher, considered as …
Effect of Substituent on Titanocene/MMAO Catalyst for Ethylene/1-Hexene Copolymerization

Copolymerization of ethylene with 1-hexene was carried out using two ansa-fluorenyl titanium derivative complexes. The substituent effect on the catalytic activity, monomer reactivity ratio and polymer property was investigated. It was found that the presence of t-Bu groups on fluorenyl ring exhibited remarkable catalytic activity and produced polymer with high molecular weight. However, these catalysts produce polymer with narrow molecular weight distribution, indicating the characteristic of single-site metallocene catalyst. Based on C NMR, we can observe that monomer reactivity ratio was affected by catalyst structure. The rH values of complex 2 were lower than that of complex 1 which might be result from the higher steric hindrance leading to a reduction of 1hexene insertion step. Keywords—Constrained geometry catalyst, linear low density polyethylene, copolymerization, reactivity ratio