Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sirolimus‐Based Therapy Following Early Cyclosporine Withdrawal Provides Significantly Improved Renal Histology and Function at 3 Years

Graft function and histology are predictive of renal transplant survival. The Rapamune Maintenance Regimen study demonstrated that early cyclosporine (CsA) withdrawal from a sirolimus (SRL)‐CsA‐steroid (ST) regimen improved renal function and blood pressure. We report the protocol‐mandated biopsy findings from that study. Renal transplant patients (n = 430) receiving SRL‐CsA‐ST were randomized at 3 months after transplantation to remain on SRL‐CsA‐ST, or to have CsA withdrawn (SRL‐ST group). Protocol‐mandated biopsies were performed at engraftment and at 12 and 36 months. Two pathologists blindly evaluated 484 biopsies to obtain the Chronic Allograft Damage Index (CADI) scores. At 36 months among patients with serial biopsies (n = 63), the mean CADI score was significantly lower with SRL‐ST(4.70 vs. 3.20, p = 0.003), as was the mean tubular atrophy score (0.77 vs. 0.32, p < 0.001). All six components of the CADI score were numerically lower in SRL‐ST group; moreover, inflammation and the tubular atrophy scores decreased significantly in the SRL‐ST group between 12 and 36 months. The calculated glomerular filtration rate at 36 months was significantly better in the CsA‐withdrawal group (54.8 vs. 68.2 mL/min, p = 0.009). In conclusion, withdrawing CsA from the SRL‐CsA‐ST regimen resulted in improved renal histology and function.
A hybrid wireless charging system with DDQ pads for dynamic charging of EVs

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems are suitable for applications such as integration of Electric Vehicles (EV) with the utility grids. However, physical misalignments between the magnetic couplers are unavoidable and can introduce variations in self-, leakage- and mutual-inductances, which invariably detune the compensation networks employed by the transmitter and receiver of a wireless power transfer system. A hybrid BD-IPT system, which combines a parallel tuned LCL and a series tuned CL networks to provide a constant power transfer over a wide range of spatial displacements is proposed. A pair of DDQ pads with hybrid tuning is utilized to improve the power transfer to EVs' in a dynamic charging application. Mathematical and simulation models are developed to investigate the behavior of the proposed system under practical operating conditions. Both mathematical and simulation results are presented to illustrate that the proposed system can maintain a relatively constant power to an EV in a dynamic charging system.
Familial Mediterranean Fever In Lebanon: Founder Effects For Different MEFV Mutations

Haplotype analysis of 376 Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) patients and 100 controls from Lebanon was performed using 4 microsatellite loci to study founder effects for the five most frequent mutations within the MEFV gene (M694V, M694I, V726A, M680I and E148Q).
Apoptotic Cleavage of Scaffold Attachment Factor A (SAF-A) by Caspase-3 Occurs at a Noncanonical Cleavage Site*

Members of the caspase family of cysteine proteases play essential roles in the disintegration of cellular architecture during apoptosis. Caspases have been grouped into subfamilies according to their preferred cleavage sites, with the “apoptotic executioner” caspase-3 as the prototype of DEXD-dependent proteases. We show here that caspase-3 is more tolerant to variations of the cleavage site than previously anticipated and present an example of a noncanonical recognition site that is efficiently cleaved by caspase-3 in vitro and in vivo. The new cleavage site was identified in human scaffold attachment factor A, one of the major scaffold attachment region DNA-binding proteins of human cells thought to be involved in nuclear architecture by fastening chromatin loops to a proteinaceous nuclear skeleton, the so-called nuclear matrix or scaffold. Using an amino-terminal recombinant construct of scaffold attachment factor A and recombinant caspase-3, we have mapped the cleavage site by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry and Edman sequencing. We find that cleavage occurs after Asp-100 in a sequence context (SALD) that does not conform to the hitherto accepted DEXD consensus sequence of caspase-3. A point mutation, D100A, abrogates cleavage by recombinant caspase-3 in vitro and during apoptosis in vivo, confirming SALD as a novel caspase-3 cleavage site.
Multiresolution S-transform-based fuzzy recognition system for power quality events

The paper proposes a novel fuzzy pattern recognition system for power quality disturbances. It is a two-stage system in which a mulitersolution S-transform is used to generate a set of optimal feature vectors in the first stage. The multiresolution S-transform is based on a variable width analysis window, which changes with frequency according to a user-defined function. Thus, the resolution in time or the related resolution in frequency is a general function of the frequency and two parameters, which can be chosen according to signal characteristics. The multiresolution S-transform can be seen either as a phase-corrected version of the wavelet transform or a variable window short time Fourier transform that simultaneously localizes both real and imaginary spectra of the signal. The features obtained from S-transform analysis of the power quality disturbance signals are much more amenable for pattern recognition purposes unlike the currently available wavelet transform techniques. In stage two, a fuzzy logic-based pattern recognition system is used to classify the various disturbance waveforms generated due to power quality violations. The fuzzy approach is found to be very simple and classification accuracy is more than 98% in most cases of power quality disturbances.
The effects of type of stimulus pretraining on discrimination performance in preschool children.

Several recent experiments have demonstrated that certain types of stimulus pretraining facilitate subsequent discrimination learning and performance. Using adult human Ss, Dysinger (3) and J. Cantor (2) have demonstrated that Ss taught to respond to a set of stimuli with distinctive verbal responses subsequently perform better in a task requiring the learning of other responses to this same set of stimuli than do Ss who were given the same pretraining with an irrelevant (different) set of stimuli. Gerjuoy (4) and G. Cantor (i) report similar findings with elementary school and preschool Ss. Lawrence (6) found that if rats had first learned a simultaneous discrimination problem involving a given pair of stimulus cues, they subsequently learned a successive problem with the same cues more rapidly than did rats that had been trained on a different pair of cues in the first problem. One interpretation of these results makes use of the hypothesis of acquired distinctiveness of cues. Briefly, it is assumed that making a distinctive response (e.g., a name) to a stimulus produces a distinctive stimulus which becomes part of the total stimulus complex. If a distinctive response is learned to each member of a set of similar stimuli, the effective similarity of these stimuli is reduced. This decreases the amount of generalization among them, which, in turn, decreases the difficulty involved in associating a new set of distinctive responses to the stimuli. Another interpretation has been suggested by Kurtz (5) in specific reference to the Rossman and Goss (7) findings but presumably applicable to other similar studies. Briefly, Kurtz suggested that the function of the verbal pretraining is to establish appropriate "observing responses" which transfer into the second task. The name-learning, then, is interpreted as merely a convenient criterion that E may use to determine when the appropriate observing responses have been set up. In his own experiment, Kurtz established observing responses with a familiarization procedure
Functional completeness, axiomatizability within Belnap's four valued logic and its expansions

ABSTRACT In this paper we study 12 four-valued logics arisen from Belnap's truth and/or knowledge four-valued lattices, with or without constants, by adding one or both or none of two new non-regular operations—classical negation and natural implication. We prove that the secondary connectives of the bilattice four-valued logic with bilattice constants are exactly the regular four-valued operations. Moreover, we prove that its expansion by any non-regular connective (such as, e.g., classical negation or natural implication) is strictly functionally complete. Further, finding axiomatizations of the quasi varieties generated by the 12 logics involved (that prove to be varieties), we find naturell equational axiomatizations of these logics. Finally, applying Pynko's general theory of algebraizable sequential consequence operations, we also find equivalent natural sequentiell axiomatizations of the logics under consideration that expand either of two Pynko's sequential calculi for the constant-free truth-latt.
Subcellular Localization of the Human Proto-oncogene Protein DEK*

Recent data revealed that DEK associates with splicing complexes through interactions mediated by serine/arginine-repeat proteins. However, the DEK protein has also been shown to change the topology of DNA in chromatin in vitro. This could indicate that the DEK protein resides on cellular chromatin. To investigate the in vivo localization of DEK, we performed cell fractionation studies, immunolabeling, and micrococcal nuclease digestion analysis. Most of the DEK protein was found to be released by DNase treatment of nuclei, and only a small amount by treatment with RNase. Furthermore, micrococcal nuclease digestion of nuclei followed by glycerol gradient sedimentation revealed that DEK co-sedimentates with oligonucleosomes, clearly demonstrating that DEK is associated with chromatin in vivo. Additional chromatin fractionation studies, based on the different accessibilities to micrococcal nuclease, showed that DEK is associated both with extended, genetically active and more densely organized, inactive chromatin. We found no significant change in the amount and localization of DEK in cells that synchronously traversed the cell cycle. In summary these data demonstrate that the major portion of DEK is associated with chromatin in vivo and suggest that it might play a role in chromatin architecture.
PCR Identification and Automated Ribotyping of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates from Intensive Care Patients

Nosocomial isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibit high rates of resistance to antibiotics, and are often multidrug resistant. P. aeruginosa clinical isolates (n=56) were obtained from ICU patients in a hospital in Pakistan over a 3-y period. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the 56 P. aeruginosa clinical isolates was investigated using 7 antibiotics and the resistance rates were as follows: aztreonam (68% resistant), ceftazidime (67%), imipenem (66%), ofloxacin (59%), amikacin (56%), gentamicin (44%), and piperacillin-tazobactam (27%) (p<0.01). In addition, 55% of the P. aeruginosa clinical isolates were resistant to 4 or more antibiotics. Imipenem-resistant strains were frequently associated with ceftazidime, ofloxacin, aztreonam, and more strikingly, amikacin resistance (p<0.05). PCR (using P. aeruginosa-specific primers VIC1+VIC2 and P1+P2, respectively) was highly specific and sensitive, and was positive for all 56 P. aeruginosa isolates tested. Automated ribotyping was used to investigate the clonal diversity of the 56 P. aeruginosa isolates. Automated ribotyping indicated that the clinical isolates were clonally related and could be clustered into 4 major ribogroups based on their similarity index, with ribogroup II being the dominant one. The P. aeruginosa isolates in ribogroup II were correlated with their antibiotic resistance pattern and, interestingly, there seemed to be a gradual acquisition of multiple antibiotic resistance associated with the isolates within this group over time. The ribotyping data, together with the antibiotic resistance profile, provide valuable molecular epidemiology information for the control of hospital-acquired P. aeruginosa infections.
An integrated indoor visible light communication and positioning system based on FBMC-SCM

This paper proposes an integrated visible light communication and positioning (VLCP) system using filter bank multicarrier-based subcarrier multiplexing. Simulation results show that the proposed VLCP system achieves higher positioning accuracy and better bit error rate performance than the VLCP system using conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing-based subcarrier multiplexing.
Dimensions and Subtypes of Recent-Onset Schizophrenia: A Longitudinal Analysis

A sample of young patients with schizophrenia was studied in a longitudinal design to investigate the stability of an earlier reported four-dimensional symptom model (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, disorganization, and depression). Symptoms were measured in an acute phase soon after hospitalization, in a remitted stage 3 months later, and in a “mixed” phase 1 year after the second assessment. A different factor structure was found at each measurement, but a stable four-dimensional structure could be defined that closely resembled the factor structure of the first assessment. The symptom dimensions were uncorrelated, except disorganization and depression. Whether meaningful subtypes could be defined using statistical criteria also was investigated. With cluster analysis, four subtypes were defined that could be characterized as follows: rapid treatment responders, slower responders, and two relapse groups. Although some indication of the validity of these subtypes was found, it is concluded that there is a high risk of creating artificial boundaries with this approach. —J Nerv Ment Dis 183:681–687, 1995
Loss of β-Cell Identity Occurs in Type 2 Diabetes and Is Associated With Islet Amyloid Deposits

Loss of pancreatic islet β-cell mass and β-cell dysfunction are central in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We recently showed that mature human insulin-containing β-cells can convert into glucagon-containing α-cells ex vivo. This loss of β-cell identity was characterized by the presence of β-cell transcription factors (Nkx6.1, Pdx1) in glucagon+ cells. Here, we investigated whether the loss of β-cell identity also occurs in vivo, and whether it is related to the presence of (pre)diabetes in humans and nonhuman primates. We observed an eight times increased frequency of insulin+ cells coexpressing glucagon in donors with diabetes. Up to 5% of the cells that were Nkx6.1+ but insulin− coexpressed glucagon, which represents a five times increased frequency compared with the control group. This increase in bihormonal and Nkx6.1+glucagon+insulin− cells was also found in islets of diabetic macaques. The higher proportion of bihormonal cells and Nkx6.1+glucagon+insulin− cells in macaques and humans with diabetes was correlated with the presence and extent of islet amyloidosis. These data indicate that the loss of β-cell identity occurs in T2DM and could contribute to the decrease of functional β-cell mass. Maintenance of β-cell identity is a potential novel strategy to preserve β-cell function in diabetes.
EFFECT OF MICROVASCULAR DECOMPRESSION IN TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT CONSTANT PAIN

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of microvascular decompression (MVD) in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients with or without constant pain. METHODSThe study includes all first-time MVDs for facial pain performed by the senior author (PKE) during the 6-year period from 1999 to 2005 in the Department of Neurosurgery at the National Hospital. At the time of follow-up, pain relief was assessed using a standard mail questionnaire; those patients still having residual pain were further examined in the outpatient clinic or interviewed by phone. RESULTSThe total study population includes 135 patients who underwent initial MVDs (67% of MVDs for TN without constant pain and 33% of MVDs for TN with constant pain). At the time of follow-up, the response rate was 95%, which provided us with 128 patients. The median observation period was 38 months (range, 12–87 mo). For episodic pain, MVD caused complete (i.e., 100%) pain relief in 78% of TN patients without constant pain and in 77% of TN patients with constant pain before MVD, and a significant pain relief (i.e., worst pain marked as 0–3 cm on a 10-cm visual analog scale) in 85 and 81%, respectively. For constant pain, MVD caused complete pain relief in 70% of the TN patients with constant pain before MVD, and significant pain relief in 77%. CONCLUSIONIn TN patients with constant pain before MVD, significant relief of episodic and constant pain was observed in 81 and 77%, respectively. Hence, the presence of constant pain should not prevent TN patients from being offered MVD.
Food habits of snakes from the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, an Atlantic Forest fragment of southeastern Brazil

We present data on the diet of 15 species of snakes belonging to a community from Reserva Particular do Patrimonio Natural Feliciano Miguel Abdala, an Atlantic Forest fragment of Southeastern Brazil, based on their stomach contents. For 12 items we were able to determine the direction of the ingestion. Most snakes ingested the prey head-first. A cluster analysis was conducted with items grouped as chilopods, mollusks, adult anurans, anuran tadpoles, lizards, amphisbaenians, snakes, and rodents. The phylogenetic influence on diet preferences is discussed.
Measurement of isospin mixing in 4He and its implications for charge-symmetry breaking.

pi. -/sup 4/He inelastic cross sections have been measured at T/sub . pi. / = 180 MeV. In the region of the J/sup . pi. / = 1/sup -/ states (E/sub x/approx. =23 to 30 MeV) the . pi. /sup +//. pi. /sup -/ cross-section ratio R/sub . pi. / was found to be 1.05 +- 0.08 at theta/sub lab/ = 30/sup 0/. Such a small deviation from 1.0 implies that isospin mixing between the T = 0 and T = 1 states in /sup 4/He is quite weak, in striking contrast to the strong isospin mixing deduced from the large ratio of photonucleon cross sections, R/sub . gamma. / = sigma(.gamma.,p)/sigma(.gamma.,n)approx. =1.7. Thus the conclusion drawn from the photonucleon work, that there is a large charge-symmetry-breaking nuclear force in /sup 4/He, needs to be reexamined.
Detection of Multiple Antibodies and Risk Factor Association of Common Respiratory Viruses in the State of Punjab, India

Respiratory infection in bovine is most important cause of morbidity and mortality and also leads to economic losses of farmers in terms of low productivity of affected animals. The infection mostly observed in viral bacterial interaction with other stress factors plays key role in development of sub clinical to clinical disease(s). It is generally accepted that the viruses are the primary pathogen incriminating the respiratory infection and subsequently bacteria acts as the second intruder of the respiratory tract that worsen the animal condition (Valarcher and Hagglund, 2006, Solis-Calderon et al., 2007).
Biological Response of Osteoblasts and Osteoprogenitors to Orthopaedic Wear Debris

Total joint replacements are one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic procedures worldwide, with over 700,000 surgeries performed annually in the US to treat arthritic conditions of the hip and knee. One of the major complications of total joint replacement is implant wear and osteolysis, a process that involves continuous shedding of micronand submicron-sized particles from implant components. Implant particles elicit cascades of inflammatory, osteolytic, and granulomatous reactions from macrophages, osteoclasts, and fibroblasts, causing the prosthesis to become unstable. Since the mid 1990s, in vitro studies have shown that wear debris particles inhibit the osteogenic function of osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells of human and rodent species. Osteolysis and implant loosening involve not only increased bone resorption by osteoclasts and inflammatory cells, but also reduced bone formation by osteoblasts and their progenitors. This disruption of proliferation, differentiation, function, and survival of osteoblasts prevents the implant from properly integrating with surrounding bone. The inhibitory effects of implant wear debris on osteoblasts and osteoprogenitors have been demonstrated using particles of metallic (titanium, cobalt chrome), polymeric (polyethylene, PMMA), and ceramic (alumina, zirconia) implants. Human and rodent primary osteoblasts and osteoblast cell lines, such as MG-63 cells, treated with titanium and polyethylene particles in culture, uniformly show reduced type I collagen synthesis with evidence of particle phagocytosis and morphological changes consistent with cell injury and cytoskeletal disorganization on microscopy. Selected studies also show that particles impair osteoblast viability, proliferation, adhesion, extracellular matrix production, and osteogenic protein expression (e.g., alkaline phosphatase). Implant particles uniformly stimulate expression of NF-κB and IL-6, IL-8, PGE2, RANKL, M-CSF, and MCP-1, pro-inflammatory factors known to recruit monocyte-macrophages or induce osteoclast differentiation and activity. These studies also indicate that the effect of particles on osteoblasts depends on particle size and composition and the maturational state of the cell. Metal implants such as cobalt chromium and titanium alloys pose an additional risk of metal ion toxicity. Wear debris particles also inhibit the osteogenic activity of osteoprogenitors and marrow stromal cells (MSCs). Human bone marrow-derived MSCs exposed to titanium particles exhibit reduced proliferation, type I collagen expression, viability, and matrix mineralization with evidence of particle phagocytosis and structural and biochemical changes indicative of
Water-deficit-induced changes in transcription factor expression in maize seedlings.

Plants tolerate water deficits by regulating gene networks controlling cellular and physiological traits to modify growth and development. Transcription factor (TF)-directed regulation of transcription within these gene networks is key to eliciting appropriate responses. In this study, reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to examine the abundance of 618 transcripts from 536 TF genes in individual root and shoot tissues of maize seedlings grown in vermiculite under well-watered (water potential of -0.02 MPa) and water-deficit conditions (water potentials of -0.3 and -1.6 MPa). A linear mixed model identified 433 TF transcripts representing 392 genes that differed significantly in abundance in at least one treatment, including TFs that intersect growth and development and environmental stress responses. TFs were extensively differentially regulated across stressed maize seedling tissues. Hierarchical clustering revealed TFs with stress-induced increased abundance in primary root tips that likely regulate root growth responses to water deficits, possibly as part of abscisic acid and/or auxin-dependent signaling pathways. Ten of these TFs were selected for validation in nodal root tips of drought-stressed field-grown plants (late V1 to early V2 stage). Changes in abundance of these TF transcripts under a field drought were similar to those observed in the seedling system.