Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of wideband steady‐state free precession and T2‐weighted fast spin echo in spine disorder assessment at 1.5 and 3 T

Wideband steady‐state free precession (WB‐SSFP) is a modification of balanced steady‐state free precession utilizing alternating repetition times to reduce susceptibility‐induced balanced steady‐state free precession limitations, allowing its use for high‐resolution myelographic‐contrast spinal imaging. Intertissue contrast and spatial resolution of complete‐spine‐coverage 3D WB‐SSFP were compared with those of 2D T2‐weighted fast spin echo, currently the standard for spine T2‐imaging. Six normal subjects were imaged at 1.5 and 3 T. The signal‐to‐noise ratio efficiency (SNR per unit‐time and unit‐volume) of several tissues was measured, along with four intertissue contrast‐to‐noise ratios; nerve‐ganglia:fat, intradural‐nerves:cerebrospinal fluid, nerve‐ganglia:muscle, and muscle:fat. Patients with degenerative and traumatic spine disorders were imaged at both MRI fields to demonstrate WB‐SSFP clinical advantages and disadvantages. At 3 T, WB‐SSFP provided spinal contrast‐to‐noise ratios 3.7–5.2 times that of fast spin echo. At 1.5 T, WB‐SSFP contrast‐to‐noise ratio was 3–3.5 times that of fast spin echo, excluding a 1.7 ratio for intradural‐nerves:cerebrospinal fluid. WB‐SSFP signal‐to‐noise ratio efficiency was also higher. Three‐dimensional WB‐SSFP disadvantages relative to 2D fast spin echo are reduced edema hyperintensity, reduced muscle signal, and higher motion sensitivity. WB‐SSFP's high resolution and contrast‐to‐noise ratio improved visualization of intradural nerve bundles, foraminal nerve roots, and extradural nerve bundles, improving detection of nerve compression in radiculopathy and spinal‐stenosis. WB‐SSFP's high resolution permitted reformatting into orthogonal planes, providing distinct advantages in gauging fine spine pathology. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Plasma Colloid Osmotic Pressure is an Early Indicator of Injury and Hemorrhagic Shock

ABSTRACT Objective: Hemorrhagic shock is the leading cause of traumatic deaths; many could be potentially prevented with appropriate resuscitation. However, to initiate resuscitation, one must identify patients with hemorrhagic shock early. In this article, we determined the associations between plasma colloid osmotic pressure (COP) and clinical outcomes in severely injured trauma patients. Methods: Plasma samples were collected from 104 trauma patients upon admission to the emergency department and 10 healthy volunteers to serve as control subjects. Plasma osmolality, COP, and serum protein were measured and correlated to clinical data. Thrombelastography and impedance aggregometry were performed to assess coagulopathy. Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to quantify syndecan 1. Results: Plasma COP was significantly reduced in trauma patients compared to control subjects 17.7 ± 2.6 vs. 20.7 ± 2.1 mmHg (P < 0.05) and strongly correlated to serum protein values (R2 = 0.7). We divided our cohort into low (COP ⩽16.5 mmHg) and normal (COP >16.5 mmHg) subgroups, illustrating significantly higher Injury Severity Score scores in patients with low COP (21 vs. 10, P = 0.007), despite no differences in vital signs. Patients with low COP received more red blood cells, plasma, and platelets (4 vs. 0 total units, P = 0.0005) within 24 h of admission. Syndecan 1 levels were significantly higher (184 vs. 52 ng/mL, P = 0.027) in patients with low COP. Conclusions: Reduced plasma COP and serum protein in trauma patients are indicative of injury severity. In the absence of significant alterations in vital signs, plasma COP levels were associated with increased requirements for blood products and increased syndecan 1 shedding. We believe that plasma COP provides new insight in guiding resuscitation.
Age of diagnosis influences serologic responses in children with Crohn's disease: A possible clue to etiology?

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is often associated with antibodies to microbial antigens. Differences in immune response may offer clues to the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim was to examine the influence of age at diagnosis on the serologic response in children with CD. Methods: Data were drawn from 3 North American multicenter pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research consortia. At or shortly after diagnosis, pANCA, ASCA IgA, ASCA IgG, anti‐ompC, and anti‐CBir1 were assayed. The results were compared as a function of age at CD diagnosis (0–7 years versus 8–15 years). Results: In all, 705 children (79 <8 years of age at diagnosis, 626 ≥8 years) were studied. Small bowel CD was less frequent in the younger group (48.7% versus 72.6%; P < 0.0001), while colonic involvement was comparable (91.0% versus 86.5%). ASCA IgA and IgG were seen in <20% of those 0–7 years old compared to nearly 40% of those 8–15 years old (P < 0.001), while anti‐CBir1 was more frequent in the younger children (66% versus 54%, P < 0.05). Anti‐CBir1 detected a significant number of children in both age groups who otherwise were serologically negative. Both age at diagnosis and site of CD involvement were independently associated with expression of ASCA and anti‐CBir1. Conclusions: Compared to children 8–15 years of age at diagnosis, those 0–7 years are more likely to express anti‐CBir1 but only half as likely to express ASCA. These age‐associated differences in antimicrobial seropositivity suggest that there may be different, and as yet unrecognized, genetic, immunologic, and/or microbial factors leading to CD in the youngest children.
From invagination to navigation: The story of magnetosome‐associated proteins in magnetotactic bacteria

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of Gram‐negative microorganisms that are able to sense and change their orientation in accordance with the geomagnetic field. This unique capability is due to the presence of a special suborganelle called the magnetosome, composed of either a magnetite or gregite crystal surrounded by a lipid membrane. MTB were first detected in 1975 and since then numerous efforts have been made to clarify the special mechanism of magnetosome formation at the molecular level. Magnetosome formation can be divided into several steps, beginning with vesicle invagination from the cell membrane, through protein sorting, followed by the combined steps of iron transportation, biomineralization, and the alignment of magnetosomes into a chain. The magnetosome‐chain enables the sensing of the magnetic field, and thus, allows the MTB to navigate. It is known that magnetosome formation is tightly controlled by a distinctive set of magnetosome‐associated proteins that are encoded mainly in a genomically conserved region within MTB called the magnetosome island (MAI). Most of these proteins were shown to have an impact on the magnetism of MTB. Here, we describe the process in which the magnetosome is formed with an emphasis on the different proteins that participate in each stage of the magnetosome formation scheme.
The great beauty: A neuroaesthetic study by neuroelectric imaging during the observation of the real Michelangelo's Moses sculpture

Recent studies have been showed as the perception of real or displayed masterpieces by ancient or modern painters generate stable neuroelectrical correlates in humans. In this study, we collected the neuroelectrical brain activity correlated with the observation of the real sculpture of Michelangelo's Moses within the church where it is actually installed in a group of healthy subjects. In addition to the cerebral activity also the heart rate (HR) and the galvanic skin response (GSR) were collected simultaneously, to assess the emotional engage of the investigated population. The Moses sculpture was observed by the group from three different point of views, each one revealing different details of the sculpture. In addition, in each location the light conditions related to the specific observation of the sculpture were explicitly changed. Results showed that cerebral activity of the subjects varied significantly across the three different views and for light condition against no light condition (p<;0.04). Furthermore, the emotional engage estimated on the whole population is higher for a point of observation in which the Mose's face is directed toward the eyes of the observers (p<;0.02). Finally, the cerebral appreciation of the investigated group was found maximum from a perspective in which all the details of the sculpture could be easily grab by the eyes. Results suggested how the perception of the sculpture depends critically by the point of view of the observers and how such point of view can produce separate emotional and cerebral responses.
An application of sequential composition control to cooperative systems

Sequential composition is an effective supervisory control approach for addressing challenging control problems on complex dynamical systems. It constructs a back-chaining sequence of controllers to achieve the control objective using simple local controllers. Although sequential composition works properly for a single system, it is not designed for cooperative systems. This paper extends the standard sequential composition by introducing a novel approach to compose multiple sequential composition controllers towards cooperative control. Given two or more systems, cooperation is achieved by composing each of the systems' supervisory finite-state machines, together with the estimation of the domains of attraction of the composed controllers. We present the simulation and experimental results of an inverted pendulum system collaborating with a second-order DC motor for cooperative swing-up maneuvers.
A versatile in vivo and in vitro eukaryotic expression vector for protein engineering

The ability to engineer specific modifications within the coding region of a structural gene is a powerful tool with which to study the relationship between protein structure and function. The process of site-directed mutagenesis involves a) mutation of the target gene, b) verification of the mutation by sequencing and c) expression of the mutated gene. We describe here a vector, pSG5 (Fig.lA), in which each of these steps may be performed. pSG5 was constructed essentially by combining the eukaryotic expression vector, pKCR2 (1), and the high copy plasmid vector Bluescribe Ml3+ (Stratagene). The principle features of pSG5 are a) unique EcoRI and BamHI restriction enzyme sites for insertion of cDNAs, b) production of single stranded DNA containing the antisense strand of the structural gene for mutagenesis and sequencing, c) high yields of double stranded DNA, d) in vivo expression from the SV40 early promoter and e) in vitro expression from the T7 promoter situated just upstream of the cDNA insertion site. Expression from pSG5 was tested after insertion of a cDNA encoding the human oestrogen receptor (2) (ER) into the EcoRI site to produce pSG5-ER. Fig.IB shows an SDS polyacrylamide gel of the 66Kd ER protein synthesised in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation cocktail programmed with mRNA transcribed from the T7 promoter of either Bluescribe-ER (BSM-ER (3)) or pSG5-ER. The ER when expressed in HeLa cells stimulates transcription from oestrogen-responsive 'reporter' genes (4) (vitellogenin-TK-globin (VTG) in Fig. 1C). Using quantitative SI nuclease analysis with an internal reference gene (RXF in Fig.lC), the ER expressed from either pSG5-ER or pKCR2-ER stimulates gene transcription equally well indicating that equivalent levels of ER are expressed in vivo using either of these two vectors.
Comparative Properties of the Single Chain Antibody and Fv Derivatives of mAb 4-4-20

Recombinant Fv derivative of the high affinity murine anti-fluorescein monoclonal antibody 4-4-20 was constructed and expressed in high yields, relative to the single chain antibody (SCA) derivative (2-3-fold), in Escherichia coli. Both variable heavy (V) and variable light (V) domains, that accumulated as insoluble inclusion bodies, were isolated, denatured, mixed, refolded, and affinity-purified to yield active Fv 4-4-20. Affinity-purified Fv 4-4-20 showed identical ligand binding properties compared with the SCA construct, both were slightly lower than the affinities expressed by Fab or IgG 4-4-20. Proper protein folding was shown to be domain-independent by in vitro mixing of individually refolded variable domains to yield functional Fv protein. In solid phase and solution phase assays, Fv 4-4-20 closely approximated the SCA derivative in terms of both idiotype and metatype, confirming identical active site structures and conformations. The equilibrium dissociation constant (K) for the V/V association (1.43 × 10M), which was determined using the change in fluorescein spectral properties upon ligand binding, was relatively low considering the high affinity displayed by the Fv protein for fluorescein (K, 2.9 × 10M). Thus, domain-domain stability in the Fv and SCA 4-4-20 proteins cannot be the sole cause of reduced affinity (2-3-fold) for fluorescein as compared with the Fab or IgG form of 4-4-20. With their identical ligand binding and structural properties, the decreased SCA or Fv affinity for fluorescein must be an ultimate consequence of deletion of the C1 and C constant domains. Collectively, these results verify the importance of constant domain interactions in antibody variable domain structure-function analyses and future antibody engineering endeavors.
Foreign Portfolio Inflows and Economic Growth: Evidence from ASEAN5

The aim of this study is to examine the causal relationship between foreign portfolio inflows (FPI) and economic growth of ASEAN5. We have used the data of FPI, GDP and FDI from 2001 to 2013 to determine the impact of FPI on the economy. The results of Granger causality and M-Wald test reveal interesting facts about the ASEAN5. The empirical analyses suggest that a significant relationship exists between FPI and the economic growth of ASEAN5, except for Singapore. The results also indicate a positive impact of FDI on economic development, in particular, for Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Studies of normal and prematurely ruptured human amniotic membranes: Low calcium and magnesium in prematurely ruptured membranes

Prematurely ruptured amniotic membranes at term, and membranes from normal term pregnancies were studied. The membranes were analyzed for neutral sugars, hexosamines, sialic acid, uronic acid, DNA, RNA, cholesterol, phospholipids, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. The only significant difference found between the normal and the prematurely ruptured membranes was a significantly lower concentration of calcium and magnesium in the latter group. (Calcium 0.32 +/- 0.07, vs. 0.24 +/- 0.07, p less than 0.05; Magnesium 0.30 +/- 0.19 vs. 0.15 +/- 0.04, p less than 0.05; in mg/100 mg protein). The possible metabolic effects of low calcium and magnesium may be of relevance to the pathogenesis of premature rupture of the amniotic membranes.
Portfolio and Consumption Choice with Habit Formation Under Inflation

We investigate the optimal portfolio and consumption policies for a finite-horizon investor in a life-cycle model with habit formation and inflation risk. We consider two types of habit investors: one forms habit based on real past consumption, while the other on nominal past consumption, which is motivated by money illusion. The optimal strategy is expressed explicitly in terms of the solution to a linear partial differential equation. We find that the effects of inflation on the optimal strategy depend on the type of habit investor, because it determines the risk profile of the hedge portfolio and subsistence portfolio. This dependence is robust to the incompleteness of the financial market.
Gender differences in pay expectations at three career stages

Major and Konar (1984) found a difference between genders in pay expectations, but no difference in the perceived fairness of expected pay. In my study, I evaluated pay expectation differences in gender at three career stages. In previous studies, researchers have only looked at what individuals earn at the beginning and peak of their careers. I specifically examined both men and women and asked them to indicate their expected pay at the beginning, middle and end of their careers. In this study the main effect for gender was significant such that males had higher pay expectations than females. In addition, the main effect for career stage was significant such that pay expectations increased over the course of a career. Further, the interaction between gender and career stage was significant, with greater differences between genders in pay expectations occurring in later career stages. Lastly, I examined perceptions of pay fairness and I found that there were gender differences in the perceived fairness of expected pay, although I had hypothesized that this difference would not be significant. Running head: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PAY EXPECATIONS AT THREE CAREER STAGES 1 Gender Differences in Pay Expectations at Three Career Stages
Microdeterminants of consumption, poverty, growth, and inequality in Bangladesh

Using in a consistent way the household level data of five successive national surveys, this paper analyses at once the microdeterminants (and changes thereof) of consumption, poverty, growth, and inequality in Bangladesh from 1983 to 1996. Education, demographics, land ownership, occupation, and geographic location all affect consumption and poverty. The gains in per capita consumption associated with many of these household characteristics tend to be stable over time. Demographics have had the largest impact on growth. Education (in urban areas) and land (in rural areas) contribute the most to measures of conditional between group inequality, a new concept introduced in the paper to avoid the pitfalls of traditional group decompositions of the Gini index, followed by location in both sectors.
Profiles of functional deficits in mild cognitive impairment and dementia: benefits from objective measurement

Abstract The magnitude of functional impairment that may indicate the threshold between MCI and incipient Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has not been clearly defined. The objective was to examine the pattern of functional impairment in the continuum MCI-AD. Eighty-nine older adults (32 cognitively unimpaired, 31 MCI, and 26 AD patients) were examined with the Brazilian version of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS-BR) at a university-based memory clinic. MCI patients were sub-divided according to the progression to AD upon follow-up, and had baseline cognitive, functional and biological variables analyzed. MCI patients displayed mild deficits in functional abilities, with intermediate scores as compared to controls and AD. The DAFS-BR items that differentiated MCI from controls involved the ability to deal with finances and shopping skills. At baseline, scores obtained by MCI patients who converted to AD were not significantly different from scores of nonconverters. The magnitude of functional deficits was associated with AD-like pathological findings in the CSF. In conclusion, MCI patients present with early functional changes in complex, instrumental abilities that require the integrity of memory and executive functions. The objective measurement of the functional state may help identify older adults with increased risk of developing dementia in the MCI-AD continuum. (JINS, 2010, 16, 297–305.)
A relational data harmonization approach to XML

There are numerous approaches for integrating data from heterogeneous data sources. A common background assumption is that the data sources remain quite stable and are known in advance. Hence an integration system can be built to manipulate them. In practice there is, however, often a demand for supporting ad hoc information needs concerning unexpected autonomous data sources containing volatile data. A different approach is therefore needed. We propose that semantically similar data are harmonized when extracting data from XML-based data sources. We introduce a constructor algebra, which is a powerful tool in the harmonization of XML data. This algebra is able to form for any XML data source a unique relational representation, called an XML relation. We demonstrate that the XML relation representation supports grouping and aggregation of data needed, for example, in OLAP (online analytical processing) -style applications.
Optimal linear correction of mismatched L-values in BICM receivers

In this work we analyze the problem of linear correction of the reliability metrics (L-values) in bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) receivers. We want to find the correction factors that minimize the probability of error of a maximum likelihood decoder that uses the corrected L-values. To this end, we use the efficient approximation of the pairwise error probability in the domain of the cumulant generating functions (CGF) of the L-values and conclude that the optimal correction factors are equal to the twice of the saddlepoint of the CGF. We provide a simple numerical example of transmission in the presence of interference where we demonstrate a notable improvement attainable with the proposed method. The proposed method is compared with the one based on the maximization of generalized mutual information.
Haptic SLAM for context-aware robotic hand prosthetics - simultaneous inference of hand pose and object shape using particle filters

Even without visual feedback, humans can accurately determine the shape of objects on the basis of haptic feedback. This feat is achievable despite large variability in sensory and motor uncertainty in estimation of hand pose and object location. In contrast, most neuroprosthetic hands still operate unaware of the shape of the object they are manipulating and can thus only provide limited intelligence for natural control of the hand. We present a computational model for haptic exploration and shape reconstruction derived from mobile robotics: simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM). This approach solely relies on the knowledge of object contacts on the end-points, noisy sensory readings and motor control signals. We present a proof-of-principle accurate reconstruction of object shape (e.g. Rubik's cube) from single-finger exploration and propose a straightforward extension to a full hand model with realistic mechanical properties. The proposed framework allows for principled study of natural human haptic exploration and context-aware prosthetics. In conjunction with tactile-enabled prostheses, this could allow for online object recognition and pose adaptation for more natural prosthetic control.