Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Established and emerging plasma biomarkers in the prediction of first atherothrombotic events.

In the current Adult Treatment Panel guidelines for cardiovascular risk detection,1 the plasma-based markers recommended for use in global risk assessment or in the definition of the metabolic syndrome are low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. It is widely recognized, however, that more than half of all future vascular events occur in individuals without overt hyperlipidemia. For example, in a recent large-scale analysis of >27 000 healthy American women, 77% of all future events occurred in those with LDL-C levels <4.14 mmol/L (<160 mg/dL) and 45% of all events occurred in those with LDL-C values <3.36 mmol/L (<130 mg/dL). 2 Although risk-scoring systems that additionally evaluate traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes greatly improve risk prediction, multiple studies demonstrate that 20% to 25% of all future events occur in individuals with only 1 of these factors.3 Moreover, the prevalence of traditional risk factors is almost as high in those without disease as in affected individuals.4 As our understanding of the pathobiology of atherothrombosis has improved, researchers have attempted to evaluate the activities of these biological processes by measuring markers in plasma or urine (ie, biomarkers). Indeed, a series of candidate biomarkers reflecting inflammation, hemostasis, thrombosis, and oxidative stress have been evaluated as potential clinical tools in an effort to improve risk prediction. To be useful in a clinical setting, the biomarker of interest must be shown in multiple prospective studies to predict future cardiovascular events. Retrospective studies are of limited value because they are prone to bias and cannot exclude the possibility that the particular biomarker is elevated as a result of, rather than a cause of, disease. To be used widely, the proposed biomarker should provide independent information on risk or prognosis beyond that available from global assessment algorithms such …
A Persulfurated Cysteine Promotes Active Site Reactivity in Azotobacter vinelandii Rhodanese

Abstract Active site reactivity and specificity of RhdA, a thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase (rhodanese) from Azotobacter vinelandii, have been investigated through ligand binding, sitedirected mutagenesis, and Xray crystallographic techniques, in a combined approach. In native RhdA the active site Cys230 is found persulfurated; fluorescence and sulfurtransferase activity measurements show that phosphate anions interact with Cys230 persulfide sulfur atom and modulate activity. Crystallographic analyses confirm that phosphate and hypophosphite anions react with native RhdA, removing the persulfide sulfur atom from the active site pocket. Considering that RhdA and the catalytic subunit of Cdc25 phosphatases share a common threedimensional fold as well as active site Cys (catalytic) and Arg residues, two RhdA mutants carrying a single amino acid insertion at the active site loop were designed and their phosphatase activity tested. The crystallographic and functional results reported here show that specific sulfurtransferase or phosphatase activities are strictly related to precise tailoring of the catalytic loop structure in RhdA and Cdc25 phosphatase, respectively.
Silicon Micromachined W-Band Hybrid Coupler and Power Divider Using DRIE Technique

In this letter, a silicon micromachined W-band hybrid coupler and a power divider using deep-reactive ion etching (DRIE) technique are presented. They are designed in the H-plane of rectangular waveguide to utilize DRIE technique. The hybrid coupler adopts a ridged waveguide 90deg phase shifter and a joint waveguide. The power divider utilizes a T-shape configuration. The simulated and measured response of each circuit are presented in this letter where good agreement between them is achieved. Then, the measured combining efficiency is reported by cascading the power divider and the hybrid coupler.
Technique survival in home haemodialysis: a composite success rate and its risk predictors in a prospective longitudinal cohort from a tertiary renal network programme.

BACKGROUND Resurgence of interest in home haemodialysis (HHD) is, in part, due to emerging evidence of the benefits of extended HD regimens, which are most feasibly provided in the home setting. Although specific HHD therapy established at home such as nocturnal HD (NHD) has been reported from individual programmes, little is known about overall HHD success. METHODS The study included 166 patients who were accepted in the Manchester (UK) HHD training programme through liberal selection criteria. All patients were followed up prospectively until a switch to alternative modality, to include 4528 patient-months of follow-up and about 81 508 HHD sessions during an 8-year period (January 2004-December 2011). Twenty-four patients switched to an alternative modality during the period. Combined technique survival (HHDc) as a composite of training (HHDtr) and at home (HHDhome) was analysed and clinical predictors of HHD modality failure since the commencement of the programme were calculated using Cox regression analysis. Technology-related interruptions to dialysis over a 12-month period and patient-reported reasons for quitting the programme were analysed. RESULTS Technique survival at 1, 2 and 5 years was 90.2, 87.4, 81.5% (HHDc) and 98.4, 95.4 and 88.9% (HHDhome) when censored for training phase exits, death and transplantation. The combined HHDc modality switch rate is 1 in 192 patient-months of dialysis follow-up. Age >60 years, diabetes, cardiac failure, unit decrease in Hb and increasing score of age-adjusted Charlson--comorbidity index were significantly associated with technique failure. Significant clinical predictors of HHD technique failure in a multivariate model were diabetes (P = 0.002) and cardiac failure (P = 0.05). The majority (61%) switched to an alternative modality for non-medical reasons. The composite of operator error and mechanical breakdown resulting in temporary HHD technique failure was 0.7% per year. CONCLUSIONS HHD training and technique failure rate are low. Technical errors are infrequent too. Diabetes and cardiac failure are associated with significant risk of technique failure. Although absolute rates are low, training failure is proportionally quite significant, highlighting the importance of reporting the composite technique failure rate (to include early HHD training phase) in HHD programmes.
Punishing and cardiovascular effects of intravenous histamine in rats: pharmacological selectivity.

Although drugs may serve as reinforcers or punishers of operant behavior, the punishing function has received much less experimental attention than the reinforcing function. A sensitive method for studying drug-induced punishment is to assess choice for a punished response over an unpunished response. In these experiments, rats chose between pressing one lever and receiving a sucrose pellet or pressing another lever and receiving a sucrose pellet plus an intravenous injection of histamine. When sucrose was delivered equally frequently for either the punished or the unpunished response, rats selected the unpunished lever consistently, but decreases in the punished response did not differ as a function of intravenous histamine dose (0.1-1 mg/kg/inj). Changing the procedure so that sucrose was delivered on the unpunished lever with p = . 5 increased the rats' responding on the punished lever with saline injections. In addition, the same range of histamine doses produced a much larger range of responses on the punished lever that was dose dependent. Using these procedures to assess the receptors mediating histamine's effects, the histamine H1 -receptor antagonists, pyrilamine and ketotifen, antagonized the punishing effect of histamine, but the histamine H2 -receptor antagonist ranitidine did not. However, ranitidine pretreatments reduced histamine-induced heart-rate increases to a greater extent than did the histamine H1 -receptor antagonists when administered at the same doses examined under conditions of histamine punishment. Overall, the present findings extend the general hypothesis that activation of histamine H1 -receptors mediates the punishing effects of histamine. They also introduce methods for rapidly assessing pharmacological mechanisms underlying drug-induced punishment.
Are parasocial relationship styles reflected in love styles

There is evidence that love styles can be regarded as personality traits. If so, we might expect that people who value a particular love style with a lover might value that same style in nonpartnering, parasocial relationships. A sample of 107 college students filled out the Love Attitudes Scale (LAS) and the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS). There were few significant correlations. Highly significant correlations were obtained between the CAS and the gameplaying and dependent love styles for a sub-sample of 39 students whose favorite celebrities were likely to be fantasy love attractions. Game-playing and dependency may be fairly stable personality traits that influence one’s choice of a favorite type of celebrity. Gender differences and possible negative implications of celebrity adulation for game-players were discussed. [82] --------------[83]
14- to 16-Month-Olds Attend to Distinct Labels in an Inductive Reasoning Task

We examined how naming objects with unique labels influenced infants’ reasoning about the non-obvious properties of novel objects. Seventy 14- to 16-month-olds participated in an imitation-based inductive inference task during which they were presented with target objects possessing a non-obvious sound property, followed by test objects that varied in shape similarity in comparison to the target. Infants were assigned to one of two groups: a No Label group in which objects were introduced with a general attentional phrase (i.e., “Look at this one”) and a Distinct Label group in which target and test objects were labeled with two distinct count nouns (i.e., fep vs. wug). Infants in the Distinct Label group performed significantly fewer target actions on the high-similarity objects than infants in the No Label group but did not differ in performance of actions on the low-similarity object. Within the Distinct Label group, performance on the inductive inference task was related to age, but not to working memory, inhibitory control, or vocabulary. Within the No Label condition, performance on the inductive inference task was related to a measure of inhibitory control. Our findings suggest that between 14- and 16-months, infants begin to use labels to carve out distinct categories, even when objects are highly perceptually similar.
Serum Prolactin Levels in Women with Gross Cystic Breast Disease

Serum prolactin (PRL) concentrations at baseline and after TRH stimulation were determined in 15 healthy women and in 51 premenopausal patients suffering from Gross Cystic Breast Disease. All women were in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and patients were divided into three groups according to cyst type at presentation. Basal hormone levels were within the normal range in the control group and in the three cystic breast disease groups. The maximum PRL response to TRH stimulation was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with type I cysts (low Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and apocrine epithelium) than in patients with type II cysts (high Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and flattened epithelium), type III cysts (intermediate Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and mixed epithelium) and in normal women. Serum PRL concentrations corresponding to samples obtained 60 and 90 minutes after stimulation remained higher in the first group of patients. These results led us to consider the existence of an altered central regulation of PRL secretion in patients with type I cysts at presentation.
Chandra Studies of the X-Ray Point Source Luminosity Functions of M31

Three different M31 disk fields, spanning a range of stellar populations, were observed by Chandra. We report the X-ray point source luminosity function (LF) of each region, and the LF of M31's globular clusters, and compare these with each other and with the LF of the galaxy's bulge. To interpret the results we also consider tracers of the stellar population, such as OB associations and supernova remnants. We find differences in the LFs among the fields, but cannot definitively relate them to the stellar content of the fields. We find that stellar population information, average and maximum source luminosities, X-ray source densities, and slopes of the LF are useful in combination.
Frequency of contact allergy in children with atopic dermatitis: results of a prospective study of 137 cases

The aim of our study was the evaluation of contact sensitization in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). It seems that the frequency of contact allergies in the course of AD, and also the frequency of contact allergies in children, is underestimated in general. Our study has been performed by investigating 137 children with AD. The childrens' history was taken according standardized consultation guidelines and followed by a physical examination. Patch testing was performed systematically, including the European standard series, together with tixocortol pivalate, budesonide and the applied emollient. If necessary, optional patch tests were performed according to the child's history. The results demonstrate contact sensitization in 43% of all children tested. The most frequent contact allergens are: metals (19.3%), fragrance (4.4%), balsam of Peru (2.6%), lanolin (4.4%), neomycin (2.6%) and emollients (2.6%). No contact sensitization to corticosteroids nor any induction of active sensitization were seen. Statistical analysis demonstrates that the risk of developing a contact allergy is significantly elevated in children after the age of 5 years. Female sex is a risk factor only for nickel. Age of onset of AD or its severity is not associated with the development of contact allergy. In conclusion, the results indicate the necessity of performing systematic patch testing in the investigation of allergies in children with AD. Preventive measures from an early age are suggested to avoid exposure to the most frequent contact allergens.
On-line learning of parametric mixture models for light transport simulation

Monte Carlo techniques for light transport simulation rely on importance sampling when constructing light transport paths. Previous work has shown that suitable sampling distributions can be recovered from particles distributed in the scene prior to rendering. We propose to represent the distributions by a parametric mixture model trained in an on-line (i.e. progressive) manner from a potentially infinite stream of particles. This enables recovering good sampling distributions in scenes with complex lighting, where the necessary number of particles may exceed available memory. Using these distributions for sampling scattering directions and light emission significantly improves the performance of state-of-the-art light transport simulation algorithms when dealing with complex lighting.
Cellular reaction to choriocarcinoma

IN the previous literature on choriocarcinoma there have been few references to the occurrence of a cellular reaction to the tumour. Indeed, the absence of a cellular reaction has been specifically noted by several authors (Hackett and Beech, 1957; Billingham, 1964; Porter, 1966; Ilya, Williamson and Azar, 1967). However, during a histopathological study of trophoblastic tumours, I noticed a conspicuous band of mononuclear cells around invading malignant trophoblast in several cases of choriocarcinoma. In view of the increase in interest in immunological aspects of trophoblastic neoplasms in recent years (Bardawil and Toy, 1959; Park, 1959; Billingham; Bagshawe, 1967a; Benirschke and Driscoll, 1967), and the possible immunological implications of these cellular infiltrates, a detailed study of all available tissue from patients with post-gestational choriocarcinoma was undertaken. The purpose of this paper is to present the preliminary results of this investigation, to discuss their possible significance, and to correlate the intensity of the reaction with response to therapy.
Critical depth and critical turbulence: Two different mechanisms for the development of phytoplankton blooms

A turbulent diffusion model shows that there are two different mechanisms for the development of phytoplankton blooms. One of these mechanisms works in well‐mixed environments and corresponds to the classical critical depth theory. The other mechanism is based on the rate of turbulent mixing. If turbulent mixing is less than a critical turbulence, phytoplankton growth rates exceed the vertical mixing rates, and a bloom develops irrespective of the depth of the upper water layer. These results demonstrate that phytoplankton blooms can develop in the absence of vertical water‐column stratification.
Aquatic Hyphomycete Species Are Screened by the Hyporheic Zone of Woodland Streams

ABSTRACT Aquatic hyphomycetes strongly contribute to organic matter dynamics in streams, but their abilities to colonize leaf litter buried in streambed sediments remain unexplored. Here, we conducted field and laboratory experiments (slow-filtration columns and stream-simulating microcosms) to test the following hypotheses: (i) that the hyporheic habitat acting as a physical sieve for spores filters out unsuccessful strategists from a potential species pool, (ii) that decreased pore size in sediments reduces species dispersal efficiency in the interstitial water, and (iii) that the physicochemical conditions prevailing in the hyporheic habitat will influence fungal community structure. Our field study showed that spore abundance and species diversity were consistently reduced in the interstitial water compared with surface water within three differing streams. Significant differences occurred among aquatic hyphomycetes, with dispersal efficiency of filiform-spore species being much higher than those with compact or branched/tetraradiate spores. This pattern was remarkably consistent with those found in laboratory experiments that tested the influence of sediment pore size on spore dispersal in microcosms. Furthermore, leaves inoculated in a stream and incubated in slow-filtration columns exhibited a fungal assemblage dominated by only two species, while five species were codominant on leaves from the stream-simulating microcosms. Results of this study highlight that the hyporheic zone exerts two types of selection pressure on the aquatic hyphomycete community, a physiological stress and a physical screening of the benthic spore pool, both leading to drastic changes in the structure of fungal community.
Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of crustacean zooplankton in the Baltic Sea: implications for nutrient recycling

The carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents (% of dry weight) of some crust- acean zooplankton were studied in the Baltic Sea. The copepod Acartia sp. had a stable C and N content (48.3 ± 0.8% C, 12.4 ± 0.2% N, C:N ratio 4.5 ± 0.1). The P content was variable (1-2%), probably depending on developmental stage and season. Copepods accumulating fat, like Pseudo- calanus minutus elongatus, had higher and more variable C content (50-60%), and lower N and P content (7-12% N, 0.6-1.5% P). The highest C and lowest N and P contents were found in adult Limnocalanus macrurus. However, the N:P ratio was apparently independent of fat content and between 14 and 27 for all copepods. The cladocerans Bosmina longispina maritima and Evadne nordmanni had lower N content (9.3-10.8%) and higher C:N ratio (5.1-5.7) than Acartia sp. The P content (1.2-1.4%) was similar to Acartia sp. and the N:P ratios (16-19) were in the lower range of that found for the copepods. The N:P ratio was generally somewhat higher in the copepods than in seston, which most of the year had nearly Redfield C:N:P ratios. Potentially, nutrient recycling from crustacean zooplankton could enhance N limitation of phytoplankton, but small stoichiometric differ- ences suggest that this effect is probably weak. The extent is dependent on the structure of the zooplankton community and the gross growth efficiencies. Acartia copepodites, which had nearly Redfield N:P ratios, would have the opposite effect and enhance P limitation in late summer when seston N:P ratios increased.
BAD Modulates Counterregulatory Responses to Hypoglycemia and Protective Glucoprivic Feeding

Hypoglycemia or glucoprivation triggers protective hormonal counterregulatory and feeding responses to aid the restoration of normoglycemia. Increasing evidence suggests pertinent roles for the brain in sensing glucoprivation and mediating counterregulation, however, the precise nature of the metabolic signals and molecular mediators linking central glucose sensing to effector functions are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that protective hormonal and feeding responses to hypoglycemia are regulated by BAD, a BCL-2 family protein with dual functions in apoptosis and metabolism. BAD-deficient mice display impaired glycemic and hormonal counterregulatory responses to systemic glucoprivation induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose. BAD is also required for proper counterregulatory responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia as evident from significantly higher glucose infusion rates and lower plasma epinephrine levels during hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic clamps. Importantly, RNA interference-mediated acute knockdown of Bad in the brain provided independent genetic evidence for its relevance in central glucose sensing and proper neurohumoral responses to glucoprivation. Moreover, BAD deficiency is associated with impaired glucoprivic feeding, suggesting that its role in adaptive responses to hypoglycemia extends beyond hormonal responses to regulation of feeding behavior. Together, these data indicate a previously unappreciated role for BAD in the control of central glucose sensing.
Mobile Robot Localization and Mapping with Uncertainty using Scale-Invariant Visual Landmarks

A key component of a mobile robot system is the ability to localize itself accurately and, simultaneously, to build a map of the environment. Most of the existing algorithms are based on laser range finders, sonar sensors or artificial landmarks. In this paper, we describe a vision-based mobile robot localization and mapping algorithm, which uses scale-invariant image features as natural landmarks in unmodified environments. The invariance of these features to image translation, scaling and rotation makes them suitable landmarks for mobile robot localization and map building. With our Triclops stereo vision system, these landmarks are localized and robot ego-motion is estimated by least-squares minimization of the matched landmarks. Feature viewpoint variation and occlusion are taken into account by maintaining a view direction for each landmark. Experiments show that these visual landmarks are robustly matched, robot pose is estimated and a consistent three-dimensional map is built. As image features are not noise-free, we carry out error analysis for the landmark positions and the robot pose. We use Kalman filters to track these landmarks in a dynamic environment, resulting in a database map with landmark positional uncertainty.