Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of arterial oxygen-haemoglobin saturation in newborn lambs by pulse oximetry

Percentage arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was measured in 69 neonatal lambs at one, five and 10 minutes after birth using a pulse oximeter applied to the tail. The lambs were given a subjective vitality score from 1 to 4, with 1 being normal and 4 being stillborn. Of the 42 lambs born after a normal parturition, 19 were measured after one minute, 29 after five minutes and 24 after 10 minutes; the mean (sd) SpO2 values of these groups were 67 (15) per cent, 84 (9) per cent and 83 (9) per cent, respectively. Of the 27 lambs born after dystocia, 16 were measured after one minute, 18 after five minutes and 12 after 10 minutes; the mean (sd) SpO2 values of these groups were 61 (15) per cent, 69 (16) per cent and 69 (19) per cent, respectively. The values measured in the lambs born after dystocia were significantly lower than those in the lambs born normally at five and 10 minutes (P<0.005 and P<0.05, respectively). Of the lambs born with a vitality score of 1, 24 were measured after one minute, 33 after five minutes and 26 after 10 minutes; they had mean SpO2 values of 72 (11), 82 (10) and 81 (12) per cent, respectively. Of the lambs born with vitality scores of 2 or 3, 11 were measured after one minute, 14 after five minutes and 10 after 10 minutes; they had mean SpO2 values of 48 (6), 68 (17) and 72 (20) per cent, respectively. The SPO2 values of the lambs with vitality scores of 2 or 3 were significantly lower than those of the lambs with a vitality score of 1 at one and five minutes after birth (P<0.0001 and P<0.05, respectively).
A precise RFID indoor localization system with sensor network assistance

Indoor localization is very critical for medical care applications, e.g., the patient localization or tracking inside the building of the hospital. Traditional Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies are very popular in this area since their cost is very low. In such technologies, each tag acts as the transmitter and the Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) information is measured from the readers. However, RSSI information suffers severely from the mult i-path phenomenon. As a result, if in a very large area, the localization accuracy will be affected seriously. In order to solve this problem, we introduce Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) with only a few nodes, each of which acts as both transmitter and receiver. In such networks, the change of signal strength (referred as dynamic of RSSI) is leveraged to select a cluster of reference tags as candidates. Then the final target location is estimated by using the RSSI relationships between the target tag and candidate reference tags. Thus, the localization accuracy and scalability are able to be improved. We proposed two algorithms, SA-LANDMARC, and COCKTAIL. Experiments show that the localization accuracy of the two algorithms can reach 0.7m and 0.45m, respectively. Compared to most traditional Radio Frequency (RF)-based approaches, the localization accuracy is improved at least 50%.
Heptaband Inverted-F Antenna With Independent Resonance Control for Mobile Handset Applications

In this letter, a compact inverted-F antenna (IFA) with independent resonance control is presented. The proposed antenna covers the heptaband (GSM850/900/DCS/PCS/UMTS/LTE2300/2500) for mobile handset applications. The proposed structure consists of four radiating branches. Each branch operates at a quarter-wavelength mode as the fundamental resonant mode, and the proposed antenna has quintuple resonant frequency (f<sub>1</sub>, f<sub>2</sub>, f<sub>3</sub>, f<sub>4</sub>, and f<sub>5</sub>) characteristics. One remarkable feature of the proposed antenna is that each of the four resonant frequencies can be controlled independently without affecting the other four resonant frequencies (f<sub>5</sub>: harmonic of the fundamental frequency f<sub>1</sub>).
Novel Negative Pressure Wave-Based Pipeline Leak Detection System Using Fiber Bragg Grating-Based Pressure Sensors

In this paper, the design and underpinning technical principles of the novel design of a negative pressure wave (NPW)-based pipeline leak detection system has been reported, which is configured using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) pressure sensors. To evaluate this, a pipeline leakage test platform has been established and experiments have been conducted, to verify the performance of a system using this FBG-based approach. The results show that a system using FBG-based sensors can accurately determine the pressure change trends along the pipeline and thus allow the calculation of the NPW velocity online. A key comparison is made with traditional NPW detection techniques, showing that the novel detection system is capable of achieving the higher leak-location accuracy and the detection of smaller leakage volumes. This arises from the ability of the FBG-based system to allow an increased number of sensors to be multiplexed along the pipeline. Their corresponding output signals generated show a very satisfactory, high signal-to-noise ratio. The system has been evaluated, especially in its response to extraneous signals and thus disturbances caused by the pump starting or stopping can be eliminated. This was achieved through an analysis of the time sequence of the pressure changes captured by the multisensor array being carried out and thus immunity to such effects demonstrated. The system has thus been designed to minimize the instances where a false alarm occurs.
Evaluation of air displacement for assessing body composition of collegiate wrestlers.

PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy of air displacement plethysmography (ADP) by using the BOD POD in comparison with hydrostatic weighing (HW) in a collegiate wrestling population in hydrated and acutely dehydrated states. METHODS Body composition was determined by ADP, HW, and three-site skinfolds (SK) in 66 NCAA Division I collegiate wrestlers before and after acute dehydration (2.6% reduction in body mass). For all methods, body density (D(b)) was converted to percent body fat (%BF) by using the Brozek equation for Euro-Americans and the Schutte equation for African-Americans. RESULTS There were no significant differences between ADP and HW for D(b), %BF, and fat-free mass (FFM) in either the hydrated or dehydrated states. The standard errors of the estimate for %BF estimated from ADP with HW as the reference method were 2.12% (hydrated) and 2.16% (dehydrated); prediction errors were 2.35% (hydrated) and 2.49% (dehydrated). Bland-Altman plots of D(b) and %BF showed no systematic bias, and 64 out 66 subjects fell within the 95% limits of agreement (mean difference +/- 2 SD) for both variables. For SK, %BF was significantly higher than HW in both the hydrated and dehydrated state. All methods (ADP, HW, and SK) showed a significant decrease in FFM from the hydrated to the dehydrated state. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the BOD POD air displacement method provides similar estimates of D (b), %BF, and FFM when compared with HW in a heterogeneous collegiate wrestling population during hydrated and acutely dehydrated states. Pretest guidelines to ensure normal hydration status before body composition assessment using any method must be followed to minimize measurement error in %BF.
Experimental testing of predicted myristoylation targets involved in asymmetric cell division and calcium-dependent signalling

Evolutionary conservation of N-terminal N-myristoylation within protein families indicates significant functional impact of this lipid posttranslational modification for function. In the MYRbase study (Maurer-Stroh et al. (2004) Genome Biology 5, R21), protein families with relevance to asymmetric cell division in animals and the group of plant calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) have surfaced with many predicted myristoylated members. Here, we describe experimental in vitro verification of predicted myristoylation and explore its impact on subcellular localization for these targets in vivo. Our results confirm that, indeed, Numb isoform A, Neuralized isoforms C and D from Drosophila melanogaster and two Neuralized-like homologues from Mus musculus have the capability for N-terminal myristoylation in vitro and in vivo (in fly tissue and in mouse 3T3 cells respectively) whereas other isoforms such as Neuralized A and B have not. The latter two cases are an example of different potential of various isoforms for posttranslational modifications. Additionally, the Arabidopsis thaliana CDPKs CPK6, CPK9 and CPK13 are shown to be substrates for myristoylation in vitro, which also affects their subcellular localization (in Arabidopsis protoplasts and tobacco leaves). At the same time, CPK6 and CPK13 do not appear to be substrates of a NMT1-like enzyme; the reasons for differing substrate specificities of NMT homologues in plants are derived from the evolutionary divergence of their N-myristoyl transferase sequences. As a methodical advance, we describe a fast and very sensitive technique (compared to traditional autoradiography) for in vitro testing of myristoylation based on thin layer chromatography read-out of the incorporated radioactive myristoyl anchor with subsequent Western blotting detection for protein yield determination using the same membrane.
Do we trust the poor? Probing a game paradigm for measuring discriminatory behavior

The aim of the present research was to evaluate a computerized version of the Trust game as amethod for studying real-life decisions and discriminatory behavior towards the poor. The stereotype of the poor typically consists of low perceived competence and medium/high perceived warmth. According to the BIAS map (Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes), this should trigger behavioral tendencies of passive harm towards the poor, as compared to the ‘average man’ which served as our control condition, and could be expected to receive facilitatory behavior. The participants (n = 210) played a trust game online with someone portrayed to have either low or medium-high socio-economic status – while they in fact played with the computer. Their task was to decide to what extent they could trust the other player: if both collaborated they would receive the maximum reward. The results indicate that very few participants suspected that they were not playing with an actual person. Some of their responses in the trust game can be interpreted as being in line with the BIAS map, i.e. tendencies of passive harm towards the player with low SES and passive facilitation towards the player with medium-high SES. This suggests that a computerized trust game with a simulated other player may be a viable method for investigating real-life collaboative behavior. Remaining psychometric challenges are discussed.
Ischemia‐reperfusion injury in rat fatty liver: Role of nutritional status

Fatty livers are more sensitive to the deleterious effects of ischemia‐reperfusion than normal livers. Nutritional status greatly modulates this injury in normal livers, but its role in the specific setting of fatty liver is unknown. This study aimed to determine the effect of nutritional status on warm ischemia‐reperfusion injury in rat fatty livers. Fed and fasted rats with normal or fatty liver induced by a choline deficient diet underwent 1 hour of lobar ischemia and reperfusion. Rat survival was determined for 7 days. Serum transaminases, liver histology and cell ultrastructure were assessed before and after ischemia, and at 30 minutes, 2 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours after reperfusion. Survival was also determined in fatty fasted rats supplemented with glucose before surgery. The preischemic hepatic glycogen was measured in all groups. Whereas survival was similar in fasted and fed rats with normal liver (90% vs. 100%), fasting dramatically reduced survival in rats with fatty liver (14% vs. 64%, P < .01). Accordingly, fasting and fatty degeneration had a synergistic effect in exacerbating liver injury. Mitochondrial damage was a predominant feature of ultrastructural hepatocyte injury in fasted fatty livers. Glucose supplementation partially prevented the fasting‐induced depletion of glycogen and improved the 7‐day rat survival to 45%. These data indicate that rat fatty livers exposed to normothermic ischemia‐reperfusion injury are much more sensitive to fasting than histologically normal livers. Because glucose supplementation improves both the hepatic glycogen stores and the rat survival, a nutritional repletion procedure may be part of a treatment strategy aimed to prevent ischemia‐reperfusion injury in fatty livers
Overexpression of hyaluronan synthases alters vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype and promotes monocyte adhesion

Hyaluronan (HA) accumulates in vascular disease but its functional role is not fully understood. To investigate the impact of HA enriched extracellular matrices (ECM) on cell phenotype, arterial smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) were transduced with retroviral constructs (LXSN) encoding murine has‐1, has‐2, and has‐3. HA synthesis was significantly elevated in has transduced ASMCs. Metabolically labeled HA from has‐1 and has‐2 transduced cells was present mostly in high molecular weight (HWA) fractions (2–10 × 106 Da), whereas HA produced by has‐3 and control cells was present in lower molecular weight fractions (∼2 × 106 Da). Both has‐1 and has‐3 transduced ASMCs accumulated more pericellular HA than has‐2 transduced ASMCs. All has transduced ASMCs had attenuated growth and migration rates, and a decreased detachment response. Affinity histochemistry revealed that has‐1 transduced ASMCs accumulated the greatest amount of HA containing ECM than the other transduced ASMCs. This ECM was hyaluronidase sensitive and bound a significantly greater number of monocytes than the ECM generated by has‐2 or has‐3 transduced ASMCs. Confocal microscopy showed CD44 positive monocytes bound to hyaluronidase sensitive ECM in has‐1 transduced ASMCs. These data implicate specific has isoforms in the formation of HA enriched pro‐inflammatory ECMs. J. Cell. Physiol. 206: 378–385, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Monitoring Sleep-Wake Rhythm with Actigraphy in Patients on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy

Background:Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been shown to be effective in alleviating the underlying obstruction as well as reducing patients’ excessive sleepiness and improving their functioning and health-related quality of life. However, residual excessive sleepiness is observed in some patients even though CPAP therapy eliminates sleep apnea and desaturation. Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic effect of actigraphic sleep-wake rhythm evaluation in the management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) treated with CPAP. Methods: Eighteen patients with OSAS diagnosed by standard polysomnography (PSG; 48.1 ± 12.5 years) were enrolled in this study. The sleep-wake parameters were determined by actigraphy before and after 1 month of CPAP treatment, and results were compared with PSG data. In addition, data obtained before CPAP were compared with those measured after 1 month of CPAP treatment. Results:The total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency using PSG were significantly correlated with those using actigraphy. Bland-Altman plots of TST and sleep efficiency confirmed good agreement between PSG and actigraphy data. Sleep efficiency significantly improved following CPAP compared to baseline, and sleep fragmentation and sleep fragmentation >5 min determined by actigraphy were significantly lower during CPAP therapy than at baseline. Movement was significantly lower on CPAP therapy than at baseline. Conclusions:Actigraphy provides a valuable sleep-wake rhythm assessment in outpatients with OSAS where PSG is difficult to perform.
Performance of a down‐flow fluidized bed reactor under sulfate reduction conditions using volatile fatty acids as electron donors

The use of a down‐flow fluidized bed (DFFB) reactor for the treatment of a sulfate‐rich synthetic wastewater was investigated to obtain insight into the outcome of sulfate reduction in a biofilm attached to a plastic support under a down‐flow regime. Fine low‐density polyethylene particles were used as support for developing a biofilm within the reactor. The reactor treated a volatile fatty acids mixture of acetate or lactate, propionate, and butyrate at different chemical oxygen demand (COD) to sulfate ratios ranging from 1.67 to 0.67 (g/g). Organic loading rate changed from 2.5 to 5 g COD/L · day and sulfate loading rate increased from 1.5 to 7.3 g SO 42‐ /L · day. At the beginning of continuous operation, methanogenesis was the predominant process; however, after 187 days, sulfate reduction became the main ongoing biological process. After 369 days, a COD removal of 93% and a sulfate removal of 75% were reached. Total sulfide concentrations in the reactor ranged from 105, when the reactor was mainly methanogenic, to around 1,215 mg/L at the end of the experiment. The high sulfide concentrations did not affect the performance of the reactor. Results demonstrated that the configuration of the DFFB reactor was suitable for the anaerobic treatment of sulfate‐rich wastewater. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;97: 771–779. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predominant T helper type 2‐inflammatory responses promote murine colon cancers

Colon cancer is one of the most serious complications of inflammatory bowel diseases, especially ulcerative colitis (UC). Previous studies have shown that characteristic immunological event during inflammation in UC is the expression of T helper‐type 2 (Th2) cell‐derived cytokines. In this study, we investigated the influence of a predominant Th2‐type cytokine response in colitis on carcinogen‐induced colon tumors. Wild type (WT), interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) gene deficient (−/−) [Th2 dominant] or interleukin (IL)‐4−/− [Th1‐dominant] mice of BALB/c background were used in this study. To compare tumor formation, mice were given the carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM) and intrarectal administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), to induce colitis. Thirty‐three weeks after initial treatment, the total colon was examined. When IFN‐γ−/− mice were treated with AOM and TNBS, significantly higher number of tumors were seen (8.4 ± 1.7) than in WT (3.3 ± 2.9) or IL‐4−/− (3.1 ± 3.4) mice, which received identical treatments. A separate set of experiment, using less doses of AOM and TNBS also showed the higher frequency of tumor formation in IFN‐γ−/− mice than in IL‐4−/− mice. Histologically, the tumors were well‐ or moderately‐differentiated adenocarcinomas. No invasion into the submucosal or serosal layers of the intestine was seen. In immunohistological staining, some tumors in IFN‐γ−/− mice showed distinct nuclear expression of β‐catenin, in contrast to the strong membrane staining seen in tumors of IL‐4−/− mice. In conclusion, colonic inflammation associated with Th2‐donimant cytokine responses enhanced the formation of malignant neoplasms. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A high efficient boost converter with power factor correction

Boost converter is widely used as active power factor correction (PFC) pre-regulator. Its input voltage range is universal (90-265 V), and its output voltage is regulated at about 380 V. At low line (90 V) the switch's rms current is high, so the conduction loss of power switch MOSFET is large and the efficiency of whole converter is very low. This paper proposes a new control method that the output voltage varies with the input voltage change. Under this control the MOSFET's on-time is shortened, and the switch's RMS current decreases, which reduces the conduction loss and increases the boost converter efficiency. The distribution of power loss is analyzed by computing software (mathcad 2000) and the realization of this special control method is given. A 1200 W boost power factor corrector with average current control is built up. In order to improve the diode's turn-off loss the performance of a 600 V, 12 A silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diode is also experimentally evaluated. Measurements of overall efficiency and reverse recovery behavior are compared between SiC diode and fast recovery diode.
Chemometric analysis of urine fingerprints acquired by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis: Application to the schistosomiasis mouse model

Urine fingerprints from Schistosoma mansoni infected and control animals were acquired with ultra performance liquid chromatography‐MS (UPLC‐MS) and compared with the urine fingerprints obtained by CE by applying the same set of multivariate analysis tools. Principal component analysis of the aligned data provided a time trajectory where the infection was observed after 30 days with UPLC‐MS and CE. Two main markers describing infected and control, respectively – phenyl acetyl glycine (PAG) and hippurate – were selected to illustrate the use of orthogonal partial least‐square discriminant analysis in determining the discriminatory confidence. PAG was found to be significantly related to the disease (high covariance and correlation), whereas hippurate was found to be nonsignificant as an indicator. Orthogonal partial least‐square discriminant analysis models were validated for sensitivity and specificity. Multivariate data analysis derived from two different detection systems showed that CE‐UV and UPLC‐MS found equivalent results. This work gives additional mechanistic insight into the progress of the S. mansoni infection; the biochemical role and specificity of PAG as a biomarker is yet to be determined.
Grapefruit juice potentiates the anti-inflammatory effects of diclofenac on the carrageenan-induced rat's paw oedema.

The anti-inflammatory effect of diclofenac alone or in combination with double strength grapefruit juice was investigated on carrageenan-induced rat's paw oedema. Paw was measured by using a plethysmometer 3 h after injecting the phlogestic agent. There was significant inhibition (P< 0.05) of the oedematous response after oral administration of diclofenac alone (1, 2.5, 5 mg kg(-1)p.o. ) in a dose-dependent manner. Coadministration of grapefruit juice (10 ml kg(-1)p.o. ) orally with all doses of diclofenac, enhanced the inhibitory effect of diclofenac on rat's paw oedema. Double-strength grapefruit juice has synergistic inhibitory effect on rat's paw oedema when administered in combination with diclofenac.
High‐resolution ultrasound analysis of subsynovial connective tissue in human cadaver carpal tunnel

The carpal tunnel contains the median nerve, nine flexor tendons, two synovial bursae, and peritendinous subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT). Fibrosis of the SSCT is the most consistent pathological finding in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. We investigated the anatomy and gliding characteristics of the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon and its adjacent SSCT with high‐resolution ultrasound (15 MHz). Our hypotheses were that tendon and SSCT are distinguishable by ultrasound and that their velocities during tendon excursion are different. Qualitative ultrasound analysis of a flexor tendon and its SSCT was performed on five cadaver wrists and correlated to respective findings after anatomical study of the same cadavers. Quantitative Doppler velocity analysis of eight cadaver wrists was done to assess the sliding movement of the tendon and its SSCT within the carpal tunnel. No significant difference was found between the thickness of SSCT measured by ultrasound and that measured directly after dissection. The SSCT moved slower than its flexor tendon. The SSCT velocities were statistically different from the tendon velocities (t‐test, p > 0.001). High‐resolution ultrasound is a very precise method to display the anatomy of the tendon and SSCT within the carpal tunnel, and their different velocities can be detected with Doppler. Noninvasive assessment of the thickness and velocity of the tenosynovium in carpal tunnel syndrome by high‐resolution sonography might be a new diagnostic tool for disorders affecting the SSCT, especially carpal tunnel syndrome. © 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 24:2011–2020, 2006