Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skin conductance and the stress response from heel stick in preterm infants

AIM To evaluate whether spontaneous skin conductance activity is an objective method for measuring the stress response to painful stimuli in premature infants. The number and amplitude of the waves and the baseline increase with the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. METHODS In 20 preterm infants of gestational age ⩾ 29 weeks, behavioural state and spontaneous skin conductance activity variables were measured for three minutes before, during, and for three minutes after heel stick. RESULTS The number of waves (p < 0.001), the amplitude of the waves (p = 0.001), and the level of the behavioural state (p < 0.001) increased during heel stick, and then decreased to levels found before the procedure. The baseline increased both during (p < 0.001) and after heel stick (p < 0.001), compared with levels before. CONCLUSION Spontaneous skin conductance activity reflects the stress response to heel stick in premature infants from at least 29 weeks of gestational age. Key messages Measurements of spontaneous skin conductance activity showed stress responses to heel stick from at least 29 weeks gestational age in healthy premature infants The number and amplitude of the waves of spontaneous skin conductance activity mirror the response of the sympathetic nervous system to the emotional state Monitoring skin conductance activity variables may be a useful tool for surveying stress responses to pain stimuli in premature infants. The method is easy to use, and artefacts occur only if the electrodes become detached from the skin
Genetic studies of the ploidy of Moloney murine leukemia virus

An assay for Moloney murine leukemia virus was developed that made use of the production of morphologically altered foci in nonproducer mouse cells (15F) carrying murine sarcoma virus. Wild-type (wt) virus gave a ratio of titers at 39 degrees C/34degrees C = 1.05 +/- 0.45 (standard deviation;n = 20). A spontaneous, thermosensitive (ts) mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus, ts3, defective in a late viral function, gave 39 degrees C/34degrees C = 0. A murine cell line (TB) was mixedly infected with ts3 and wt (multiplicities of infection, 7.8:4.3), cloned after infection, and shown to be infected by both viruses. At 34 degrees C it produced wt, ts, and particles of mixed parentage. The heterozygotes (hz) had ratios of assays 39 degrees C/34 degrees C = 0.06 to 0.84 (mean, 0.36). To eliminate possible interference by multiploid particles with determination of the proportions of the three types of particles, the virus produced by the mixedly infected, cloned cell line at 34 degrees C was distributed by velocity sedimentation in a sucrose gradient, and virus was picked from the lightest part of the gradient. The proportions of ts, wt, and hz were 0.27, 0.26, and 0.47. Those particles identified as hz segreated ts, wt, and hz in the proportions 0.24, 0.27, and 0.49, respectively. These values were not significantly different from those predicted from a diploid model of the genome.
Compliance checking between business processes and business contracts

It is a typical scenario that many organisations have their business processes specified independently of their business contracts. This is because of the lack of guidelines and tools that facilitate derivation of processes from contracts but also because of the traditional mindset of treating contracts separately from business processes. This paper provides a solution to one specific problem that arises from this situation, namely the lack of mechanisms to check whether business processes are compliant with business contracts. The central part of the paper is logic based formalism for describing both the semantics of contract and the semantics of compliance checking procedures
Participation and Democratic Theory: ‘Participation’ and ‘democracy’ in industry

Although the notion of ‘participation’ is widely used by writers on management topics it is, in many cases, left undefined, or if a definition is offered, that definition is very imprecise. McGregor (1960, p. 124), for example, after remarking that ‘participation is one of the most misunderstood ideas that have emerged from the field of human relations’, goes on to say that participation consists basically in creating opportunities under suitable conditions for people to influence decisions affecting them. That influence can vary from a little to a lot … [participation] is a special case of delegation in which the subordinate gains greater control, greater freedom of choice, with respect to his own responsibilities. The term participation is usually applied to the subordinate's greater influence over matters within the superior's responsibilities (pp. 126 and 130). Another typical definition of ‘participation’ is: participation is any or all of the processes by which employees other than managers contribute positively towards the reaching of managerial decisions which affect their work (Sawtell, 1968, p. 1). A third definition states that participation in decision making is: the totality of such forms of upward exertions of power by subordinates in organisations as are perceived to be legitimate by themselves and their superiors (Lammers, 1967, p. 205).
Non-Local Means Image Denoising With a Soft Threshold

Non-local means (NLM) are typically biased by the accumulation of small weights associated with dissimilar patches, especially at image edges. Hence, we propose to null the small weights with a soft threshold to reduce this accumulation. We call this method the NLM filter with a soft threshold (NLM-ST). Its Stein's unbiased risk estimate (SURE) approaches the true mean square error; thus, we can linearly aggregate multiple NLM-STs of Monte-Carlo-generated parameters by minimizing SURE to surpass the performance limit of single NLM-ST, which is referred to as the Monte-Carlo-based linear aggregation (MCLA). Finally, we employ a simple moving average filter to smooth the MCLA image sequence to further improve the denoising performance and stability. Experiments indicate that the NLM-ST outperforms the classic patchwise NLM and three other well-known recent variants in terms of the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), and visual quality. Furthermore, its PSNR is higher than that of BM3D for certain images.
A long-lasting wireless stimulator for small mammals

The chronic effects of electrical stimulation in unrestrained awake rodents are best studied with a wireless neural stimulator that can operate unsupervised for several weeks or more. A robust, inexpensive, easily built, cranially implantable stimulator was developed to explore the restorative effects of brainstem stimulation after neurotrauma. Its connectorless electrodes directly protrude from a cuboid epoxy capsule containing all circuitry and power sources. This physical arrangement prevents fluid leaks or wire breakage and also simplifies and speeds implantation. Constant-current pulses of high compliance (34 volts) are delivered from a step-up voltage regulator under microprocessor control. A slowly pulsed magnetic field controls activation state and stimulation parameters. Program status is signaled to a remote reader by interval-modulated infrared pulses. Capsule size is limited by the two batteries. Silver oxide batteries rated at 8 mA-h were used routinely in 8 mm wide, 15 mm long and 4 mm high capsules. Devices of smaller contact area (5 by 12 mm) but taller (6 mm) were created for mice. Microstimulation of the rat's raphe nuclei with intermittent 5-min (50% duty cycle) trains of 30 μA, 1 ms pulses at 8 or 24 Hz frequency during 12 daylight hours lasted 21.1 days ±0.8 (mean ± standard error, Kaplan-Meir censored estimate, n = 128). Extended lifetimes (>6 weeks, no failures, n = 16) were achieved with larger batteries (44 mA-h) in longer (18 mm), taller (6 mm) capsules. The circuit and electrode design are versatile; simple modifications allowed durable constant-voltage stimulation of the rat's sciatic nerve through a cylindrical cathode from a subcutaneous pelvic capsule. Devices with these general features can address in small mammals many of the biological and technical questions arising neurosurgically with prolonged peripheral or deep brain stimulation.
Serum Fatty Acids, Desaturase Activities and Abdominal Obesity – A Population-Based Study of 60-Year Old Men and Women

Abdominal obesity is a key contributor of metabolic disease. Recent trials suggest that dietary fat quality affects abdominal fat content, where palmitic acid and linoleic acid influence abdominal obesity differently, while effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are less studied. Also, fatty acid desaturation may be altered in abdominal obesity. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional associations of serum fatty acids and desaturases with abdominal obesity prevalence in a population-based cohort study. Serum cholesteryl ester fatty acids composition was measured by gas chromatography in 60-year old men (n = 1883) and women (n = 2015). Cross-sectional associations of fatty acids with abdominal obesity prevalence and anthropometric measures (e.g., sagittal abdominal diameter) were evaluated in multivariable-adjusted logistic and linear regression models, respectively. Similar models were employed to investigate relations between desaturase activities (estimated by fatty acid ratios) and abdominal obesity. In logistic regression analyses, palmitic acid, stearoyl-CoA-desaturase and Δ6-desaturase indices were associated with abdominal obesity; multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for highest versus lowest quartiles were 1.45 (1.19–1.76), 4.06 (3.27–5.05), and 3.07 (2.51–3.75), respectively. Linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, docohexaenoic acid, and Δ5-desaturase were inversely associated with abdominal obesity; multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals): 0.39 (0.32–0.48), 0.74 (0.61–0.89), 0.76 (0.62–0.93), and 0.40 (0.33–0.49), respectively. Eicosapentaenoic acid was not associated with abdominal obesity. Similar results were obtained from linear regression models evaluating associations with different anthropometric measures. Sex-specific and linear associations were mainly observed for n3-polyunsaturated fatty acids, while associations of the other exposures were generally non-linear and similar across sexes. In accordance with findings from short-term trials, abdominal obesity was more common among individuals with relatively high proportions of palmitic acid, whilst the contrary was true for linoleic acid. Further trials should examine the potential role of linoleic acid and its main dietary source, vegetable oils, in abdominal obesity prevention.
An Atypical Localized Form of Hidradenitis Suppurativa of the Jawline and Neck Mimicking Severe Cystic Acne on Presentation

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and debilitating suppurative disease primarily affecting the axillae, perineum, and inframammary regions, where apocrine sweat glands are present. However, HS can occur in atypical locations. We present an interesting case of a 40-year-old man who developed chronic painful subcutaneous nodules, deep sinus tracts, and abscesses involving the jawline and the anterior aspect of the neck as the only parts of the body affected and who responded satisfactorily to adalimumab and laser hair removal treatment. This case is relevant because it helps clinicians to remember that HS may be isolated to atypical locations, such as the anterior aspect of the neck and chin. It also supports another possible HS pathogenesis which consists of the occlusion of terminal hair follicles rather than being essentially a disorder of the apocrine glands.
Selecting an HIV Test: A Narrative Review for Clinicians and Researchers

Abstract Given the many options available, selecting an HIV test for a particular clinical or research setting can be daunting. Making an informed decision requires an assessment of the likelihood of acute infection in the test population and an understanding of key aspects of the tests themselves. The ability of individual tests to reliably detect HIV infection depends on the target(s) being detected, when they can be expected to be present after infection, and the concentration of stable target in test specimens, all of which are explained by the virologic and serologic events after infection. The purpose of this article is to review the timeline of HIV infection, nomenclature, and characteristics of different tests; compare point-of-care and laboratory-based tests; discuss the impact of different specimens on test performance; and provide practical advice to help clinicians and researchers new to the field select a test that best suits their needs.
Efficient Monitoring of Moving Mobile Device Range Queries using Dynamic Safe Regions

As the number of mobile devices is experiencing an explosive growth, mobile query processing has become an important application of mobile devices. One of the most frequently used mobile queries is range queries - retrieving surrounding objects of interest. As mobile devices are moving, these range queries are literally moving range queries. The main problem of processing mobile moving range queries is how to know when the surrounding objects of interest are no longer relevant (and the previously distant objects of interest have become relevant) since the mobile device has already moved to a new location. Past researches have proposed the use of safe region - an area where the set of objects of interest to the mobile device does not change. However, when the query leaves the safe region, the mobile device has to reprocess the query. Knowing when and where the mobile device will leave a safe region is widely known as a difficult problem. To solve this problem, we propose two novel methods: (i) efficient construction of the safe region by using only two objects closest to the border of the moving mobile device, and (ii) periodic monitoring the position of the mobile device. Our evaluation shows that our method enlarges the safe region compared with previous methods, giving the mobile device a wider range to roam, and therefore, reducing computation and communication costs.
An Improved Method for Measurement of Common Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs and their Metabolites Using Normal Phase HPLC

A sensitive HPLC method that allows the simultaneous determination of imipramine, amitriptyline and their desmethyl metabolites, using a 10 cm straight silica cartridge column with a mobile phase consisting of 0·004% perchloric acid in methanol is presented. Detection of the eluent is at 210 nm. The drugs are back-extracted from serum, giving both a good recovery and sensitivity of at least 5 μg/L. This method has proved to be extremely robust and reliable, with coefficients of variation around 3% being reported.
Evaluating the comparability of gene expression in blood and brain

The availability of an accessible tissue whose gene expression profile is similar to more inaccessible CNS tissues has the potential to advance research in neuropsychiatric disorders. We conducted secondary data analysis of transcriptional profiling of 79 human tissues for 33,698 genes using the Affymetrix U133A microarray augmented with a custom microarray (Affymetrix GNF1H), which were produced by the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (http://symatlas.gnf.org). Our analyses suggested that: (a) on a transcriptome level, whole blood shares significant gene expression similarities with multiple CNS tissues; (b) the median non‐parametric correlation between transcripts present in both whole blood and CNS was around 0.5; (c) this correlation of 0.5 was intermediate relative to all tissues in the Novartis data set—less than for the maximum achievable value of 0.85, less than a set of immune tissues (0.64), comparable to a heterogeneous set of somatic tissues (0.57) but greater than muscle (0.48) and peripheral nervous system tissues (0.36); (d) about half of a set of candidate genes relevant to schizophrenia were expressed in both whole blood and prefrontal cortex; and (e) the expression levels of many classes of biologically relevant processes were not significantly different between whole blood and prefrontal cortex. These analyses suggest that gene expression in whole blood is neither perfectly correlated and useful nor perfectly uncorrelated and useless with gene expression in multiple brain tissues. This suggests that the cautious and thoughtful use of peripheral gene expression may be a useful surrogate for gene expression in the CNS when it has been determined that the relevant gene is expressed in both. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Resource Creating Single-Copy Gen etic Circuits Graphical

Graphical Abstract Highlights d Reduced transcription leakage improves toggle robustness to parameter variation/noise d Mathematic models identify important design parameters that affect circuit stability d Empirical strategies for single-copy circuit construction are reported d Genome-integrated circuit places minimal metabolic burden on the host cell In Brief Lee et al. (2016) use theoretical and empirical design and analysis to build a bistable, genome-integrated genetic toggle switch with reduced growth burden on the host cell. They demonstrate that reduced transcriptional leakage improves the robustness of the circuit to parameter variation and noise. SUMMARY Synthetic biology is increasingly used to develop sophisticated living devices for basic and applied research. Many of these genetic devices are engineered using multi-copy plasmids, but as the field progresses from proof-of-principle demonstrations to practical applications, it is important to develop single-copy synthetic modules that minimize consumption of cellular resources and can be stably maintained as genomic integrants. Here we use empirical design, mathematical modeling, and iterative construction and testing to build single-copy, bistable toggle switches with improved performance and reduced metabolic load that can be stably integrated into the host genome. Deterministic and stochastic models led us to focus on basal transcription to optimize circuit performance and helped to explain the resulting circuit robustness across a large range of component expression levels. The design parameters developed here provide important guidance for future efforts to convert functional multi-copy gene circuits into optimized single-copy circuits for practical, real-world use.
A Flow-Level Extension to OMNeT++ for Long Simulations of Large Networks

This letter presents a Flow-Level Extension to OMNeT++ (FLEO) that allows a discrete event simulator to operate on flows of traffic, and so simulate larger networks for longer periods of time for a given set of computation and memory resources compared with packet-based simulation. FLEO simulations of link utilization are accurate to within 0.2% of a packet-based simulation, yet run 30 to 90 times faster than packet-based simulation. These characteristics make it suitable for the simulation of streaming media, which comprises the majority of data usage today, as well as investigation of traffic engineering within a network, for example, using software-defined networking.
Hybrid computing document similarity in large-scale environment

To analyze and explore large textual corpus, we are generally limited by the available main memory. This may lead to a proliferation of processor load due to greedy computing. We propose to deal with this problem to compute document similarity. We propose upstream and downstream parallel computing related to data and processing according to three abstraction levels: document, sentences and words. In order to consider these levels in hybrid computing, we opt for the dveloppement of a deployment platform able to deal with large scale applications. This choice was based essentially on the nature and charge of the treatment. Many experiments have been conducted according to different computing scenarios in order to ensure an accuracy of the obtained results through local networks.
Exploration into lipid management and persistent risk in patients hospitalised for acute coronary syndrome in Japan (EXPLORE-J): protocol for a prospective observational study

Introduction The present study is the largest registry study ever conducted in Japan exploring the prevalence of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Our study aims to (1) evaluate the status of lipid management and the subsequent risk of major cardiovascular events following hospitalisation of Japanese patients with ACS in real-world clinical practice; (2) determine the proportion of Japanese patients with ACS who achieve the lipid management goal and have a reduction of event risks with strict lipid management (low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol <1.81 mmol/L); (3) determine the prevalence of FH and (4) investigate the clinical significance of proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) level. Methods and analysis We will conduct a multicentre, prospective, observational study of approximately 2000 Japanese patients with ACS with/without FH hospitalised between April 2015 and August 2016. The primary end point is the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) after initial hospitalisation. The secondary end points are (1) MACE developed from visit 1 to visit 2 (day 30); (2) MACE developed from visit 2 (day 30) to visit 5 (day 730); (3) treatment rate by lipid-lowering therapies (any statin or intensive, PCSK9 inhibitor, fibrates and ezetimibe); (4) incidence of events by the addition of the following outcomes to the primary end point: coronary revascularisation due to myocardial ischaemia, revascularisation other than coronary artery, inpatient treatment for occurrence or exacerbation of heart failure, transient ischaemic attack, acute arterial occlusion, central retinal artery occlusion and other adverse events prolonging or requiring hospitalisation and (5) proportion of subjects achieving target lipid levels. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was submitted to the ethical review committee of each participating centre for approval. Participation in the study is voluntary and anonymous. The study findings will be disseminated in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. Clinical trial registration UMIN000018946.
The Major Immediate-Early Gene ie3 of Mouse Cytomegalovirus Is Essential for Viral Growth

ABSTRACT The significance of the major immediate-early gene ie3of mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) and that of the correspondingie2 gene of human cytomegalovirus to viral replication are not known. To investigate the function of the MCMV IE3 regulatory protein, we generated two different MCMV recombinants that contained a large deletion in the IE3 open reading frame (ORF). The mutant genomes were constructed by the bacterial artificial chromosome mutagenesis technique, and MCMV ie3 deletion mutants were reconstituted on a mouse fibroblast cell line that expresses the MCMV major immediate-early genes. The ie3 deletion mutants failed to replicate on normal mouse fibroblasts even when a high multiplicity of infection was used. The replication defect was rescued when the IE3 protein was provided in trans by a complementing cell line. A revertant virus in which the IE3 ORF was restored was able to replicate with wild-type kinetics in normal mouse fibroblasts, providing evidence that the defective growth phenotype of theie3 mutants was due to disruption of the ie3gene. To characterize the point of restriction in viral replication that is controlled by ie3, we analyzed the pattern of expression of selective early (β) and late (γ) genes. While we could detect transcripts for the immediate-early gene ie1in cells infected with the ie3 mutants, we failed to detect transcripts for representative β and γ genes. These data demonstrate that the MCMV transactivator IE3 plays an indispensable role during viral replication in tissue culture, implicating a similar role for the human CMV ie2 gene product. To our knowledge, the ie3 deletion mutants represent the first MCMV recombinants isolated that contain a disruption of an essential gene.