Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Tau-Decomposition Frequency-Sweeping Test for a Class of Time-Delay Systems. Part II: Multiple Roots Case

Abstract This paper addresses the stability analysis problem of a class of linear system with commensurate delays in a frequency-domain setting. In Part I of this paper, only the simple imaginary roots (SIRs) case is considered. In Part II of the paper, the case of multiple imaginary roots (MIRs) will be studied and general results on the issues of Puiseux series expansion, invariance, and instability persistence will be presented. By the approach proposed in this two-part paper, we can study the complete stability for the time-delay systems under consideration.
Clinical Implications of the Innervation of the Temporomandibular Joint

The successful management of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain remains elusive. Often, the initial relief of pain is complicated by recurrence of the symptoms. This time frame suggests that the pain may be related to neuromas of the nerves that innervate the TMJ. The current study attempted to define the innervation pattern of the TMJ as identified in 16 embalmed and 8 fresh-frozen specimens. In each specimen, the auriculotemporal nerve, a branch of the mandibular portion (V3) of the trigeminal nerve, was found to innervate the lateral capsule of the TMJ. In 75% of the specimens, the masseteric nerve, a branch of the maxillary portion (V2) of the trigeminal nerve, was found to innervate the anteromedial capsule of the TMJ. In 33% of the specimens, there was a branch coming through the mandibular notch to innervate the anteromedial capsule that was not from the masseteric nerve; this nerve is believed to have passed through the lateral pterygoid muscle after leaving V2. These consistent patterns of innervation of the TMJ suggest that diagnostic nerve blocks can be done to determine the pain pathway in these patients. It is suggested that if the nerve blocks are successful, TMJ denervation may be a future method of pain relief in patients with recalcitrant or recurrent TMJ pain.
The Effects of Endothelial Factor Inhibition on the Time Course of Responses of Isolated Rat Coronary Arteries to Intraluminal Flow

The aims of this study were to investigate, for the first time, the effects of endothelial factor inhibition on both the magnitude and dynamics of the response of isolated small coronary arteries to intraluminal flow. Isolated rat coronary arteries were mounted on a pressure myograph and left to develop myogenic tone. Flow was introduced and maintained until stable diameters were attained. Dilatory responses were observed which were maximal at low flow rates (5–10 µl/min) and thus shear stresses (1–2 dyn/cm2). These responses were transient in nature. Transient dilations were also observed upon cessation of flow. All responses (to 5 µl/min) were endothelium dependent and were completely abolished by addition of charybdotoxin (100 nM) and apamin (100–500 nM) suggesting an important role for a hyperpolarizing mechanism most likely involving an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor. However, inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (L-NNA; 100 µM) or cyclo-oxygenase (indomethacin; 10 µM) also modulated the response causing an increase and decrease in maximum vasodilation, respectively. By examining the time course we showed that both agents also made the response significantly more transient in nature. These results show that inhibition of endothelial factor pathways can influence both the magnitude and dynamics of the response of isolated rat coronary arteries to flow.
Preferred size of peptides that bind to H‐2 Kb is sequence dependent

The identification of naturally processed viral peptides reveals that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I epitopes are composed of nine or eight amino acid residues. Peptides eluted from H‐2 Kb MHC class I molecules have been suggested, as a class, to be eight amino acid residues long. To assay for peptide‐class I interactions, a stabilization assay described for surface labeled “empty” class I molecules was employed, but on biosynthetically labeled class I molecules. The Sendai virus nucleoprotein‐derived octapeptide APGNYPAL does not bind and stabilize Kb molecules, whereas other octameric Kb−restricted peptides and the nonameric peptide FAPGNYPAL interact stably. We attribute the failure of Sendai octamer binding to the presence of proline in position two: replacement of proline renders the resulting octamers as efficient as FAPGNYPAL for binding and stabilization of H‐2 Kb. Substitution of glycine in position three of APGNYPAL slighty improves its Kb stabilizing capacity. Iodination of the tyrosine residue significantly alters the binding properties of the nonamer peptide. We conclude that the length of epitopes as selected by the class I Kb molecule is influenced by their sequence and suggest that proper positioning of the NH2 terminus of peptides is essential for class I stabilizing properties. The ability to stabilize newly synthesized “empty” class I molecules with peptide argues against an involvement of β2 microglobulin exchange in the experiments described here.
Allan Variance Analysis of Josephson Voltage Standard Comparison for Data Taken at Unequal Time Intervals

Stochastic serial correlations are often ignored in the statistical uncertainty (Type A) analysis of measurement values. For repeated measurements, the standard deviation of the mean is often used to specify Type-A uncertainty, but it is frequently underestimated by assuming that it is given by the standard deviation divided by the square root of the number of measurements. Methods of time-series analysis such as the Allan variance (Avar) formalism give realistic estimates of Type-A uncertainty, but they require equal time intervals between successive measurements. This requirement is difficult to satisfy in comparisons of Josephson voltage standards (JVSs) because of the instability of the voltage steps and the small number of repeated measurements. A JVS comparison was made using a completely automatic compact JVS. The time intervals were uneven; thus, we studied the effect of their irregularity on the Avar by simulating data having the same noise model and uneven time intervals as the measured data. We found that, for this JVS comparison, the Avar is only slightly affected by uneven intervals. The noise was found to be a mixture of white and 1/f noise. The latter limits the Allan deviation to 0.64 nV after 14.3 h of measurement. The method of simulating data this way should be applicable to other complex measurement situations.
Wireless and Portable EOG-Based Interface for Assisting Disabled People

This paper describes a new portable and wireless interface based on electrooculography (EOG) aimed at people with severe motor disorders. This interface allows us detecting the movement of the eyes measuring the potential between the cornea and the retina. The interface uses five electrodes placed around the eyes of the user in order to register this potential. A processing algorithm of the EOG signals has been developed in order to detect the movement of the eyes. This interface has many advantages in comparison to commercial devices. It is a cheap and small sized device with USB compatibility. It does not need power supply from the network as it works with batteries and USB supply. Several experiments have been done to test the electronics of the interface. A first set of experiments has been performed to obtain the movement of the eyes of the user processing the signals provided by the interface. In addition, the interface has been used to control a real robot arm. The accuracy and time taken have been measured showing that the user is capable of controlling the robot using only his/her eyes with satisfactory results.
Health Literacy Self-Management by Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease

This is a qualitative study report from a parent study that used a concurrent mixed methods design whose aim was to describe the transition and self-management experiences of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Six adult men and women recruited from outpatient clinics completed two focus group interviews. Discerned in the ethnographic analysis of interviews and field notes using ATLAS/ti was a pattern of Health Literacy Self-Management with two major threads: (a) transition experience to self-advocacy characterized as seeking useful resources and difficulties in resource use and (b) partnering with the health care provider (HCP) characterized as helpful messaging and messaging confusion. Self-management support includes a shared responsibility and developmental process by the patient and the HCP to achieve quality care. Description of behavioral factors and self-management processes provides a foundation for future study.
Transcultural Care Values and Nursing Practices of Philippine-American Nurses

The purpose of this ethnonursing research was to discover, explicate, and analyze the nursing care values and caregiving practices of Philippine nurses working in an American hospital context. The study, which was part of a larger study, was conceptualized within Leininger's theory of culture care. Consistent with the tenets of the theory, a brief overview of Philippine world view, social structure, culture, and ethnohistory was provided. Qualitative analysis of observation-participation and interview data revealed a major care theme of obligation to care. This care theme was supported by three care patterns which were: 1) expressed seriousness and dedication to work, 2) attentiveness to physical care as comfort, and 3) respect and patience as caring modalities. The study also showed that Philippine-American nurses attempted to achieve cultural care congruence by preserving some generic care values and practices, by accommodating to some of the host professional culture's values and practices, and by restructuring or repatterning less serviceable values. Implications for transcultural nursing education, practice, and research were discussed.
Smoking behaviour and personality: a population-based study in Japan.

AIMS The aim of our study was to determine whether the previously reported findings also apply to a general population in Japan and whether, among current smokers, such personality characteristics can be correlated with the age they started to smoke and their present daily consumption of cigarettes. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING Miyagi prefecture, in northern Japan. PARTICIPANTS 20,538 residents in Miyagi, aged 40-64 years. MEASUREMENT A self-administered questionnaire involving smoking status (current, ex- and non-smokers) and patterns and the Japanese version of the short-form Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R). FINDINGS (1) Current and ex-smokers were higher on Extraversion and Psychoticism than non-smokers for both genders. (2) Heavy smokers were higher on Psychoticism than light smokers and those who started to smoke prior to the legally permitted age were higher on Psychoticism than those who did not. CONCLUSIONS (1) Our study confirmed that the findings which had been previously reported in selected samples in western countries also apply to a general population in Japan; (2) current smokers were found to be heterogeneous in terms of Psychoticism when the age they started to smoke and their present daily consumption of cigarettes were taken into account.
Use of a Sentinel System for Field Measurements ofCryptosporidium parvum Oocyst Inactivation in Soil and Animal Waste

ABSTRACT A small-volume sentinel chamber was developed to assess the effects of environmental stresses on survival of sucrose-Percoll-purifiedCryptosporidium parvum oocysts in soil and animal wastes. Chambers were tested for their ability to equilibrate with external chemical and moisture conditions. Sentinel oocysts were then exposed to stresses of the external environment that affected their viability (potential infectivity), as indicated by results of a dye permeability assay. Preliminary laboratory experiments indicated that temperatures between 35 and 50°C and decreases in soil water potential (−0.003 to −3.20 MPa) increased oocyst inactivation rates. The effects of two common animal waste management practices on oocyst survival were investigated on three dairy farms in Delaware County, N.Y. , within the New York City watershed: (i) piling wastes from dairy youngstock (including neonatal calves) and (ii) spreading wastes as a soil amendment on an agricultural field. Sentinel containers filled with air-dried and sieved (2-mm mesh) youngstock waste or field soil were wetted and inoculated with 2 million oocysts in an aqueous suspension and then placed in waste piles on two different farms and in soil within a cropped field on one farm. Controls consisted of purified oocysts in either phosphate-buffered saline or distilled water contained in sealed microcentrifuge tubes. Two microdata loggers recorded the ambient temperature at each field site. Sentinel experiments were conducted during the fall and winter (1996 to 1997) and winter (1998). Sentinel containers and controls were removed at 2- to 4-week intervals, and oocysts were extracted and tested by the dye permeability assay. The proportions of potentially infective oocysts exposed to the soil and waste pile material decreased more rapidly than their counterpart controls exposed to buffer or water, indicating that factors other than temperature affected oocyst inactivation in the waste piles and soil. The effect of soil freeze-thaw cycles was evident in the large proportion of empty sentinel oocysts. The potentially infective sentinel oocysts were reduced to <1% while the proportions in controls did not decrease below 50% potentially infective during the first field experiment. Microscopic observations of empty oocyst fragments indicated that abrasive effects of soil particles were a factor in oocyst inactivation. A similar pattern was observed in a second field experiment at the same site.
Male and female correlations for taster (P.T.C.) phenotypes and rate of adolescent development.

Growth and development from infancy to age 18 years in tasters and non-tasters of phenylthiocarbamide (P.T.C.) were studied in 50 female and 44 male subjects. Taster girls reached all indices of maturation an average of 3.8 months earlier than non-taster girls. The reverse was true for boys, non-tasters maturing on average 6.2 months earlier than tasters. For both sexes, there was a significant correlation between an overall Maturity Index and P.T. C. sensitivity, positive for girls and negative for boys. Thirty-two of the females and 20 of the males could be classified according to P.T. C. genotype. For these, the onset, midpoint, and end of the pubertal growth spurt was estimated. Heterozygotes reached these points at times intermediate to homozygotes. Taster females preceded non-taster females and non-taster males preceded taster males by about 6 months. The finding of reversed associations between P.T. C. phenotype and maturation in males and females implies that factors underlying the P.T. C. polymorphism may not be confined to mediation through thyroid metabolism, but may also involve other complex pathways of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, particularly those of the sex hormones. The data were examined for evidence of whether or not the findings could be related to a means of maintaining the P.T. C. polymorphism. A significant negative assortative mating pattern was found. This accords with reports from the literature indicating personality differences between early and late maturers and a tendency for spouses to have similar personality characteristics. However, disassortative mating alone could not produce a stable equilibrium. A hypothesis for the maintenance of the P.T. C. polymorphism is developed on the assumption that the timing of puberty is related to reproductive fitness and subject to balancing selection. Heterozygotes for P.T. C. would be at an advantage because they have intermediate maturation times. In this small sample, P.T. C. heterozygotes were also found to produce more offspring than homozygotes.
Global Issues in Human Resource Management and Their Significance to Information Organizations and Information Professionals

As a discipline, human resource management (HRM) has a lot to offer, both in theory and practice, to information professionals and the organizations they support. Although major thought in HRM is developed largely in and for corporate settings, the principles and practices have import for noncorporate organizations such as public libraries, academic libraries, libraries within government agencies, and many special libraries of all types. Examining information organizations from an external HRM perspective affords the evaluation of trends and issues and to identify the themes most relevant to information professionals, their workplaces and their larger organizations. This chapter discusses global challenges identified within the HRM literature as they relate to information organizations. aBstract
Renal Dysfunction and Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation, whether living donor (LDLT) or deceased donor (DDLT), is currently the treatment of choice for patients with advanced liver disease. While initially the focus was on acceptable short-term survival, currently the efforts are aimed at improving longterm prognosis. Thus, focus is now on the quality of life after liver transplantation, as well as prediction and management of conditions related to morbidity and mortality in long-term survivors. Renal dysfunction is an important problem in this scenario. Both acute (ARD) and chronic renal dysfunctions (CRD) develop frequently after liver transplantation and can seriously jeopardize postoperative patient survival.
Inhibition of RelB by 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 promotes sensitivity of breast cancer cells to radiation

Aberrant constitutive expression of the NF‐κB c‐Rel and RelA subunits in breast cancer cells was shown to promote their survival. Recently, we demonstrated that aggressive breast cancers constitutively express high levels of the RelB subunit, which promotes their more invasive phenotype via induction of the BCL2 gene. As these cancers are frequently resistant to therapy, here we tested the hypothesis that RelB promotes their survival. High RelB expressing Hs578T and MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells were more resistant to γ‐radiation than MCF7 and ZR‐75 cells, which express lower RelB levels. Knockdown of RelB in Hs578T led to decreased survival in response to γ‐irradiation, while conversely ectopic expression of RelB in MCF7 cells protected these cells from radiation. Similar data were obtained upon treatment of Hs578T or MCF7 cells with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. High serum levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D are associated with decreased breast cancer risk and mortality, although, the mechanisms of its protective actions have not been fully elucidated. Treatment of Hs578T and Her‐2/neu‐driven NF639 cells with 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 decreased RelB/RELB gene expression and levels of pro‐survival targets Survivin, MnSOD and Bcl‐2, while increasing their sensitivity to γ‐irradiation. Thus, RelB, which promotes survival and a more highly invasive phenotype of breast cancer cells, is a target of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3, providing one mechanism for the observed protective role of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D in patients with breast cancer. J. Cell. Physiol. 220: 593–599, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transverse and normal interfacial stiffness of solids with randomly rough surfaces

Using a theoretical approach and computer simulations, we calculate the normal stiffness and the transverse stiffness of the interface between two contacting isotropic solids with randomly rough surfaces and Poisson ratio ν. The theoretical predictions for agree well with the simulations. Moreover, the theoretical result for the ratio is (2 − ν)/(2 − 2ν), as predicted by Mindlin for a single circular contact region. Finally, we compare the theory to experimental ultrasonic data.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers great potential for planning, guiding, monitoring and controlling interventions. MR arthrography (MRAr) is the imaging gold standard for assessing small ligament and fibrocartilage injury in joints. In contemporary practice, MRAr consists of two consecutive sessions: (1) an interventional session where a needle is driven to the joint space and MR contrast is injected under fluoroscopy or CT guidance; and (2) a diagnostic MRI imaging session to visualize the distribution of contrast inside the joint space and evaluate the condition of the joint. Our approach to MRAr is to eliminate the separate radiologically guided needle insertion and contrast injection procedure by performing those tasks on conventional high-field closed MRI scanners. We propose a 2D augmented reality image overlay device to guide needle insertion procedures. This approach makes diagnostic high-field magnets available for interventions without a complex and expensive engineering entourage. In preclinical trials, needle insertions have been performed in the joints of porcine and human cadavers using MR image overlay guidance; in all cases, insertions successfully reached the joint space on the first attempt. Introduction and background
SECONDARY HEMOPHAGOCYTIC LYMPHOHISTIOCYTOSIS IN TURKISH CHILDREN

Between January 1998 and January 2005, a total of 18 children 2 weeks–72 months of age were diagnosed as having secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The frequency of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis among total hospitalized patients during this period was 0.05% (18 of 34,250). Of the 18 patients, 8 (44.5%) had bacterial infections; cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus infections were present in 5 (28%) and 1 (5.5%), patient, respectively. Leishmaniasis was diagnosed in 2 patients (11%), and herpes simplex virus was diagnosed in 2 patients (11%). Six patients died during treatment, and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. The survival rate was 61%.
Gene Expression Profiles in Human Lymphocytes Irradiated In Vitro with Low Doses of Gamma Rays

Abstract Fachin, A. L. , Mello, S. S. , Sandrin-Garcia, P., Junta, C. M. , Donadi, E. A. , Passos, G. A. S. and Sakamoto-Hojo, E. T. Gene Expression Profiles in Human Lymphocytes Irradiated In Vitro with Low Doses of Gamma Rays. Radiat. Res. 168, 650–665 (2007). The molecular mechanisms underlying responses to low radiation doses are still unknown, especially in normal lymphocytes, despite the evidence suggesting specific changes that may characterize cellular responses. Our purpose was to analyze gene expression profiles by DNA microarrays in human lymphocytes after in vitro irradiation (10, 25 and 50 cGy) with γ rays. A cytogenetic analysis was also carried out for different radiation doses. G0 lymphocytes were irradiated and induced to proliferate for 48 h; then RNA samples were collected for gene expression analysis. ANOVA was applied to data obtained in four experiments with four healthy donors, followed by SAM analysis and hierarchical clustering. For 10, 25 and 50 cGy, the numbers of significantly (FDR ≤ 0.05) modulated genes were 86, 130 and 142, respectively, and 25, 35 and 33 genes were exclusively modulated for each dose, respectively. We found CYP4X1, MAPK10 and ATF6 (10 cGy), DUSP16 and RAD51L1 (25 cGy), and RAD50, REV3L and DCLRE1A (50 cGy). A set of 34 significant genes was common for all doses; while SERPINB2 and C14orf104 were up-regulated, CREB3L2, DDX49, STK25 and XAB2 were down-regulated. Chromosome damage was significantly induced for doses ≥10 cGy (total aberrations) and ≥50 cGy (dicentrics/ rings). Therefore, low to moderate radiation doses induced qualitative and/or quantitative differences and similarities in transcript profiles, reflecting the type and extent of DNA lesions. The main biological processes associated with modulated genes were metabolism, stress response/DNA repair, cell growth/differentiation, and transcription regulation. The results indicate a potential risk to humans regarding the development of genetic instability and acquired diseases.