Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of neurodynamic mobilization on fluid dispersion within the tibial nerve at the ankle: an unembalmed cadaveric study

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effects of neurodynamic mobilization on the fluid dynamics of the tibial nerve in cadavers. Background: Evidence showing patients benefit from neural mobilization is limited. Mechanisms responsible for changes in patient symptoms are unclear. Methods: Bilateral lower limbs of six unembalmed cadavers (n = 12) were randomized into matched pairs and dissected to expose the tibial nerve proximal to the ankle. Dye composed of Toulidine blue and plasma was injected into the nerve. The longitudinal dye spread was measured pre‐ and post‐mobilization. The experimental group received the intervention consisting of 30 repetitions of passive ankle range of motion over the course of 1 minute. The matched control limb received no mobilization. Data were analysed using a 2×2 repeated measures ANOVA with subsequent t‐tests for pairwise comparisons. Results: Mean dye spread was 23·8±10·2 mm, a change of 5·4±4·7% in the experimental limb as compared to 20·7±6·0 mm, a change of −1·5±3·9% in the control limb. The ANOVA was significant (P⩽0·02) for interaction between group (experimental/control) and time (pre‐mobilization/post‐mobilization). t‐test results were significant between pre‐ and post‐mobilization of the experimental leg (P = 0·01), and between control and experimental limbs post‐mobilization (P⩽0·02). Conclusion: Passive neural mobilization induces dispersion of intraneural fluid. This may be clinically significant in the presence of intraneural edema found in pathological nerves such as those found in compression syndromes.
Open Research Issues in Internet Congestion Control

This document describes some of the open problems in Internet congestion control that are known today. This includes several new challenges that are becoming important as the network grows, as well as some issues that have been known for many years. These challenges are generally considered to be open research topics that may require more study or application of innovative techniques before Internet- scale solutions can be confidently engineered and deployed. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes.
Common pathogenetic mechanism involving human chromosome 18 in familial and sporadic ileal carcinoid tumors

Serotonin producing endocrine carcinoma of small intestine (ileal carcinoid) is a clinically distinct endocrine tumor. It is generally considered as a sporadic disease and its molecular etiology is poorly understood. We report comprehensive clinical and molecular studies of 55 sporadic and familial patients diagnosed with this condition. Nine pedigrees encompassing 23 affected subjects were established, consistent with autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Familial and sporadic patients demonstrated indistinguishable clinical pictures. Molecular analyses of 61 tumors from 45 individuals, including eight familial and 37 sporadic patients, aimed at determination of global copy number aberrations using BAC and Illumina SNP arrays and gene expression profiling by Affymetrix chips. Chromosome 18 aberrations were identified in both sporadic and in familial tumors; 100% vs. 38%, respectively. Other, less frequent aberrations were also common for both groups. Global expression profiles revealed no differentially expressed genes. Frequent gain of chromosome 7 was exclusively observed in metastases, when patient matched primary tumors and metastases were compared. Notably, the latter aberration correlated with solid growth pattern morphology (P < 0.01), a histopathological feature that has previously been related to worse prognosis. The clinical and molecular similarities identified between sporadic and familial cases suggest a common pathogenetic mechanism involved in tumor initiation. The familial variant of ileal carcinoid represents a previously unrecognized autosomal dominant inherited tumor disease, which we propose to call Familial Ileal Endocrine Carcinoma (FIEC). Our findings indicate the location of a FIEC tumor suppressor gene near the telomere of 18q, involved in development of inherited and sporadic tumors. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[Survey of HIV drug resistance threshold in Zhejiang province from 2009 to 2011].

OBJECTIVE To survey the prevalence of drug resistant HIV in Zhejiang province in 2009-2011. METHODS WHO truncated sequential sampling technique was adopted annually by using 63, 62 and 57 samples of newly diagnosed as HIV positive and aged 16-25 years in Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou from 2009 to 2011, respectively. RNA was prepared and HIV pol region was amplified by RT-PCR and nested PCR. Pol genetic mutation associated with drug resistance was analyzed. RESULTS The success rates for sequence acquisition of the survey were 82.5% (52/63), 95.2% (59/62) and 94.7% (54/57) from year 2009 to 2011, respectively, and the main subtype was CRF01_AE (68.5% (37/54)-71.2% (37/52)). A total of 4 surveillance drug-resistance mutation (SDRMs), 2 SDRMs and 2 SDRMs were found by analyzing the 47 sequences each year, sampled from year 2009 to 2010, respectively, indicating that the prevalence of drug resistant HIV stains was moderate in 2009, and low for the next two years (2010-2011). A total of 8 individuals with drug resistant HIV stains found in this study were all infected by sexual transmission, especially in homosexual transmission (6 cases), and the main subtype was CRF01_AE (7 cases). SDRMs for protease inhibitor (PI), nucleotide HIV-reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and non-NRTI (NNRTI) (L90M, T215S and Y188L) were all found in one case. CONCLUSION The prevalence of drug resistant HIV stains in major areas with AIDS epidemic in Zhejiang province was low in 2009-2011.
Breast metastases in children and adolescents with rhabdomyosarcoma: Experience of the Italian soft tissue sarcoma committee

Breast metastasis from rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an uncommon event but may be problematic in treatment decision‐making. Aim of the study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment, and subsequent outcome, of patients with RMS metastasis in the breast, enrolled in four consecutive Associazione Italiana di Ematologia ed Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP) Soft Tissue Sarcoma Committee protocols during the last 20 years, in order to obtain information to establish a more adequate diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
Allele-specific alternative splicing in human tissues

Alternative splicing is an RNA processing mechanism that affects most genes in human, contributing to disease mechanisms and phenotypic diversity. The regulation of splicing involves an intricate network of cis-regulatory elements and trans-acting factors. Due to their high sequence specificity, cis-regulation of splicing can be altered by genetic variants, significantly affecting splicing outcomes. Recently, multiple methods have been applied to understanding the regulatory effects of genetic variants on splicing. However, it is still challenging to go beyond apparent association to pinpoint functional variants. To fill in this gap, we utilized large-scale datasets of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project to study genetically-modulated alternative splicing (GMAS) via identification of allele-specific splicing events. We demonstrate that GMAS events are shared across tissues and individuals more often than expected by chance, consistent with their genetically driven nature. Moreover, although the allelic bias of GMAS exons varies across samples, the degree of variation is similar across tissues vs. individuals. Thus, genetic background drives the GMAS pattern to a similar degree as tissue-specific splicing mechanisms. Leveraging the genetically driven nature of GMAS, we developed a new method to predict functional splicing-altering variants, built upon a genotype-phenotype concordance model across samples. Complemented by experimental validations, this method predicted >1000 functional variants, many of which may alter RNA-protein interactions. Lastly, 72% of GMAS-associated SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium with GWAS-reported SNPs, and such association was enriched in tissues of relevance for specific traits/diseases. Our study enables a comprehensive view of genetically driven splicing variations in human tissues.
Signatures of selection in a recent invasion reveals adaptive divergence in a highly vagile invasive species

A detailed understanding of population genetics in invasive populations helps us to identify drivers of successful introductions. Here, we investigate putative signals of selection in Australian populations of invasive common starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, and seek to understand how these have been influenced by introduction history. We use reduced representation sequencing to determine population structure, and identity Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that are putatively under selection. We found that since their introduction into Australia, starling populations have become genetically differentiated despite the potential for high levels of dispersal, and that selection has facilitated their adaptation to the wide range of environmental conditions across their geographic range. Isolation by distance appears to have played a strong role in determining genetic substructure across the starling’s Australian range. Analyses of candidate SNPs that are putatively under selection indicate that aridity, precipitation, and temperature may be important factors driving adaptive variation across the starling’s invasive range in Australia. However, we also note that the historic introduction regime may leave footprints on sites flagged as being under adaptive selection, and encourage critical interpretation of selection analyses.
A WebGIS-based system model of vehicle monitoring central platform

The vehicle monitoring central platform is establishing a uniform information portal on vehicle monitoring in China. Rather than elaborating sophisticated vehicle monitoring and management approaches, the WebGIS-based system model is striving to develop a technical umbrella for the distributed and Web-based vehicle management systems, which employs several technologies, including communication technology - SMS (short message services), vehicle position technology - GPS (global positioning systems), and information display and matching technology - GIS (geographic information systems). The model presents prototype application for vehicle monitoring central platform, which provides an enabling technology to directives and city management for online dissemination of vehicles information. The model's architecture and its designing considerations are introduced in this paper. The systematic framework and structure, the data management components and the program tools to develop final applications are also explained. The prototype system shows this prototype model is an efficient and feasible one.
Characterization of Genetic Defects of Hemophilia B of Chinese Origin

Summary To define the precise genetic defects of hemophilia B of Chinese origin, we have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with direct sequencing to analyze the amplified DNA fragments containing the entire coding regions and their flanking introns of the factor IX gene from 6 affected individuals. Among these patients, two are siblings with normal factor IX antigen level (CRM+) yet reduced factor IX clotting activity (28%). Analysis of their factor IX genes revealed a G to A transition at nucleotide residue 10394, which causes substitution of an arginine for a glycine at amino acid residue 48. This is a novel mutation which resides in the first EGF-like domain of factor IX. Studies of two other hemophilia B patients with CRMr phenotypes (factor IX antigen level <35%, and clotting activity <1%), demonstrated a distinct mutation in each individual's factor IX gene. In one case, a guanine to adenine (residue 6365) transition results in replacement of arginine by glutamine at the –4 codon of the propeptide of factor IX. In the other, thymine at 6442 was mutated to cytosine which causes an arginine for cysteine substitution at residue 23. We have also characterized 2 discrete CRM- patients. Both exhibited an identical mutation at nucleotide residue 6460 which generates a translation termination codon (CGA to TGA) at the 29th amino acid. The mutation created a new NlaIII restriction enzyme site which could be used to identify this variant.
Characterization of a Novel M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator Radioligand, [3H]PT-1284

Selective activation of the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) via a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) is a new approach for the treatment of the cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Herein, we describe the characterization of an M1 PAM radioligand, 8-((1S,2S)-2-hydroxycyclohexyl)-5-((6-(methyl-t3)pyridin-3-yl)methyl)-8,9-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo[3,4-hour]quinolin-7-one ([3H]PT-1284), as a tool for characterizing the M1 allosteric binding site, as well as profiling novel M1 PAMs. 8-((1S,2S)-2-Hydroxycyclohexyl)-5-((6-methylpyridin-3-yl)methyl)-8,9-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo[3,4-hour]quinolin-7-one (PT-1284 (1)) was shown to potentiate acetylcholine (ACh) in an M1 fluorometric imaging plate reader (FLIPR) functional assay (EC50, 36 nM) and carbachol in a hippocampal slice electrophysiology assay (EC50, 165 nM). PT-1284 (1) also reduced the concentration of ACh required to inhibit [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) binding to M1, left-shifting the ACh Ki approximately 19-fold at 10 μM. Saturation analysis of a human M1 mAChR stable cell line showed that [3H]PT-1284 bound to M1 mAChR in the presence of 1 mM ACh with Kd, 4.23 nM, and saturable binding capacity (Bmax), 6.38 pmol/mg protein. M1 selective PAMs were shown to inhibit [3H]PT-1284 binding in a concentration-responsive manner, whereas M1 allosteric and orthosteric agonists showed weak affinity (>30 μM). A strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.86) was found to exist between affinity values generated for nineteen M1 PAMs in the [3H]PT-1284 binding assay and the EC50 values of these ligands in a FLIPR functional potentiation assay. These data indicate that there is a strong positive correlation between M1 PAM binding affinity and functional activity, and that [3H]PT-1284 can serve as a tool for pharmacological investigation of M1 mAChR PAMs.
Check Yourself: A Social Marketing Campaign to Increase Syphilis Screening in Los Angeles County

Background In 2007, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched Check Yourself, a new social marketing campaign, as part of ongoing efforts to address the persistent syphilis epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the county. The goals of the campaign were to increase syphilis testing and knowledge among MSM. Check Yourself was planned with careful attention to the principles of social marketing, including formative research, market segmentation, and an emphasis on building a strong brand. Methods A cross-sectional survey using a time-location sample was conducted in 2009 for the evaluation. The survey assessed demographics, syphilis knowledge, and recent syphilis testing as well as unaided awareness, aided awareness, and confirmed awareness, meaning that a person had both awareness of the campaign and could correctly identify that the campaign was about syphilis. The total sample size was 306. Results Unaided awareness for Check Yourself was 20.7%, and aided awareness was 67.5%, bringing total campaign awareness to 88.2%; confirmed awareness was 30.4%. Unaided campaign awareness was associated with syphilis knowledge and important risk behaviors for syphilis, indicating that the campaign reached an appropriate audience. Total awareness was not associated with recent syphilis testing in a multivariate model. However, MSM with confirmed awareness were more than 6 times more likely to have been recently tested. Conclusions The evaluation of Check Yourself found that the campaign had a very strong brand among MSM. Although total awareness was not associated with syphilis testing, confirmed awareness, a more robust measure, was strongly associated.
Novel application of 4D sonography with B‐flow imaging and spatio‐temporal image correlation (STIC) in the assessment of the anatomy of pulmonary arteries in fetuses with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect

To assess the reliability of two‐dimensional gray‐scale (2D) and color Doppler echocardiography in the study of the size and anatomy of the central pulmonary arteries and of the sources of pulmonary blood flow in a case series of fetuses with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect (PA‐VSD), and to evaluate whether the use of 4D ultrasound with B‐flow imaging and spatio‐temporal image correlation (STIC) can improve prenatal diagnostic accuracy.
Online voltage stability monitoring of distribution system using optimized Support Vector Machine

Voltage stability monitoring plays a significant role in secure and reliable operation of modern power systems. In this paper, two methods, (i) Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based Support Vector Machine (PSO-SVM) and (ii) Genetic Algorithm (GA) based Support Vector Machine (GA-SVM) is proposed for online voltage stability monitoring of distribution system. The optimal values of SVM parameters are obtained using PSO and GA algorithms. Comparison between proposed PSO-SVM and GA-SVM model are investigated on IEEE 33-bus radial distribution system. The results show that the PSO-SVM model for online voltage stability monitoring is more precise than GA-SVM.
Improved deconvolution of perfusion MRI data in the presence of bolus delay and dispersion

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is commonly estimated from the maximum of the residue function deconvolved from bolus‐tracking data. The bolus may become delayed and/or dispersed in the vessels feeding the tissue, resulting in the calculation of an effective residue function, Reff(t), whose shape reflects the distortion of the bolus as well as the hemodynamic tissue status. Consequently the CBF is often underestimated. Since regularizing the deconvolution introduces additional distortions to Reff(t), it is impossible to distinguish a true decrease in the CBF from bias introduced by abnormal vasculature. This may result in misidentification of tissue regions at risk of infarction, which could have serious clinical consequences. We propose a modified maximum‐likelihood expectation‐maximization (mML‐EM) method, which is shown by way of simulations to improve the characterization of Reff(t) across a wide range of shapes. A pointwise termination approach for the iteration minimizes the effects of noise, and appropriate integral approximations minimize discretization errors. mML‐EM was applied to data from a patient with left internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. The shape of each calculated Reff(t) was used to create a map indicating voxels affected by bolus delay and/or dispersion, where CBF estimates are inherently unreliable. Such maps would be a useful adjunct for interpreting bolus‐tracking data. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biomedical implant transceiver with novel multi level LSK back telemetry and fully digital BPSK demodulation

Low power consumption and higher data rate is desired in biomedical implant transceivers. A novel fully digital Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) demodulator and a multi-level Load Shift Keying (LSK) for passive back telemetry are implemented to reduce the power consumption and increase the data rate for implant transceivers. The digital architecture allows the BPSK demodulator to consume much less power compared to prior art. We demonstrate silicon realization of the BPSK demodulator operating at 13.56MHz with data rate as high as 800kbits/s in a 0. 5µm CMOS process with power consumption of 2.3mW. A multi-level Load Shift Keying (LSK) for passive back telemetry is implemented using discrete components and works by modulating the load impedance at the implant to create distinct reflections at the primary coil of the reader. The back telemetry techniques is verified through simulation and measurement results and demonstrate a 2X improvement in data rate compared to conventional bi-level back telemetry.
The Family Questionnaire (FQ): a scale for measuring symptom appraisal in relatives of schizophrenic patients

Objective: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Family Questionnaire (FQ): a self‐report measure of relatives’ perceptions of the behaviours and symptoms of schizophrenic patients in terms of three dimensions: the frequency of symptoms, the relatives’ concern (primary appraisal) and their ability to cope (secondary appraisal) with the symptoms.
pH-sensitive CDP-diglyceride synthetase mutants of Escherichia coli: phenotypic suppression by mutations at a second site

In Escherichia coli, mutations which lower the level of CDP-diglyceride synthetase are designated cds and map at min 4. The cds-8 mutation resulted in strikingly defective enzyme activity and also rendered cells pH sensitive for growth. Both the inhibition of growth and the massive accumulation of phosphatidic acid which occur in a cds-8 mutant at pH 8 were suppressed by mutations at a second locus, designated cdsS, which mapped between argG and gltB near min 68. The cdsS3 mutation by itself did not affect CDP-diglyceride synthetase activity in wild-type cells, but it caused a twofold stimulation of the residual activity present in strains harboring cds-8. Both the insensitivity to pH and the twofold stimulation of residual activity were lost by introduction of an F' strain carrying cdsS+ into a recA1 cds-8 cdsS3 host. When a culture of a cds-8 cdsS+ strain was shifted to pH 8, the residual specific activity of synthetase dropped by 75% within 100 min. In a cds-8 cdsS3 double mutant under the same conditions, the activity declined appreciably less, about to the level found in the cds-8 cdsS+ strain under permissive conditions (pH 6). Thus, it appears that mutations in the cdsS gene suppress the pH sensitivity of cds mutants by inhibiting the decay of residual CDP-diglyceride synthetase activity at the nonpermissive pH. The cdsS locus appears to be distinct from any known nonsense or missense suppressor.
SGK1‐dependent salt appetite in pregnant mice

Aim: Pregnancy is typically paralleled by substantial increase in maternal extracellular fluid volume, requiring net accumulation of water and NaCl. The positive water and salt balance is accomplished at least in part by increased uptake of salt secondary to enhanced salt appetite. Little is known about the underlying cellular mechanisms. Stimulation of salt appetite by mineralocorticoids, however, is known to be dependent on the serum‐ and glucocorticoid‐inducible kinase SGK1.