Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chronic Kidney Disease and Renal Transplantation 148 development of immunoassays

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) often suffer from cardiovascular complications and comorbidities. For example, 55% of ESRD patients suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF) and cardiovascular diseases account for the majority of deaths among ESRD patients (Herzog, Ma, & Collins, 1998; National Institutes of Health; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Bethesda, 2007). It is, therefore, of great importance to diagnose the underlying cardiac pathologies and to provide accurate risk stratification in ESRD patients. Over the years, a number of accurate and sensitive biochemical markers have been introduced that have greatly advanced the diagnosis and risk stratification of cardiovascular diseases. The most prominent of these biochemical markers are the cardiac troponins (cTn, either T or I) and the brain natriuretic peptides (BNPs) and their use has revolutionized the diagnosis and risk stratification of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and CHF respectively (A. S. Maisel et al., 2002; Thygesen, Alpert, & White, 2007). However, in the setting of ESRD, cardiac troponin concentrations can be elevated in the absence of apparent cardiac damage or clinical symptoms (Apple, Murakami, Pearce, & Herzog, 2004; Aviles et al., 2002; C. deFilippi et al., 2003; Havekes et al., 2006; Sommerer, Beimler, et al., 2007). Similarly, BNP and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) concentrations are virtually always increased in ESRD patients (Apple et al., 2004; Madsen et al., 2007). The presence of such continuously elevated cardiac troponin, BNP and NT-proBNP concentrations can interfere with their diagnostic and prognostic potential in ESRD patients (David et al., 2008; Pimenta et al., 2009; Wu et al., 2007). In this chapter, we will elaborate on the frequency of these cardiac biomarker elevations and discuss the underlying mechanisms behind them. In addition, we discuss the diagnostic and prognostic impact of these elevations and present approaches to improve the usefulness of cTn, BNP and NT-proBNP measurements.
Combined Transcript and Metabolite Profiling of Arabidopsis Leaves Reveals Fundamental Effects of the Thiol-Disulfide Status on Plant Metabolism1[W][OA]

In this study, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis in combination with flux analysis and the Affymetrix ATH1 GeneChip to survey the metabolome and transcriptome of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves in response to manipulation of the thiol-disulfide status. Feeding low concentrations of the sulfhydryl reagent dithiothreitol for 1 h at the end of the dark period led to posttranslational redox activation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and major alterations in leaf carbon partitioning, including an increased flux into major respiratory pathways, starch, cell wall, and amino acid synthesis, and a reduced flux to sucrose. This was accompanied by a decrease in the levels of hexose phosphates, while metabolites in the second half of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and various amino acids increased, indicating a stimulation of anaplerotic fluxes reliant on α-ketoglutarate. There was also an increase in shikimate as a precursor of secondary plant products and marked changes in the levels of the minor sugars involved in ascorbate synthesis and cell wall metabolism. Transcript profiling revealed a relatively small number of changes in the levels of transcripts coding for components of redox regulation, transport processes, and cell wall, protein, and amino acid metabolism, while there were no major alterations in transcript levels coding for enzymes involved in central metabolic pathways. These results provide a global picture of the effect of redox and reveal the utility of transcript and metabolite profiling as systemic strategies to uncover the occurrence of redox modulation in vivo.
Moneyball Revisited

In Moneyball, the assumption was made that the baseball labor market undervalues specific player skills. This study investigates whether this is also the case for player effort in professional soccer which had no significant effect on players’ market values in previous research. Specifically, it examines the effect of effort on team performance in soccer using team-game day data from three seasons (N = 1,514) of the German Bundesliga. Two effort measures are applied: (1) total distance run and (2) number of intensive runs (>20 km/hr) per player and per match. The results of probit models show that both effort measures have a significant positive effect on whether the observed team won the observed match in separate estimations. In the full model, only the effect of running distance remains positive, while intensive runs become negative. Given the insignificant effect of effort on players’ market values in previous research, we suggest that there may be a Moneyball phenomenon in soccer in the sense that the soccer labor market undervalues running distance. The findings imply that decision makers in professional soccer should consult player statistics to a greater extent.
Multiperiod Bus Timetabling

The timetabling subproblem of bus transit network planning determines the departure times for all trips of the lines along the entire day. Most of the public transport networks consider planning periods identical for all lines. In this study we drop this strong assumption by introducing specific periods for each line, which is more realistic. Thus, we propose the multiperiod synchronization bus timetabling MSBT problem, which specifies the departure times of the trips of all lines where each line has its own planning periods along the day, with the objective of optimizing synchronization events: maximize passenger transfers and minimize bus bunching along the network. We propose an integer linear programming formulation for the MSBT problem and analyze the structural properties of this formulation by a constraint propagation methodology. These properties are the basis for different operators that lead to the design of efficient metaheuristics for solving the problem. We empirically obtain high-quality feasible solutions for real size instances and show that by considering a multiperiod approach, synchronization events of trips belonging to different planning periods are not ignored, as it is the case when several single period timetables are merged.
PROGRESS COMMERCIALIZING SOLAR-ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS

▪ Abstract The commercial status of the principal solar electric technologies—photovoltaic and solar thermal—is reviewed. Current and near-term market niches are identified, and projected longer-term markets are explored along with the key strategies for achieving them, including technological breakthroughs, manufacturing developments, economies of scale and mass production, and market creation. Market barriers and public policy impacts on commercialization are discussed.
Tempering universities' marketing rhetoric: a strategic protection against litigation or an admission of failure?

The changed dynamic between tertiary students and universities has resulted in much discussion about consumer rights and obligations. Whilst some consider the change from students to clients to be simply an accurate reflection of changing times, others believe the trend to be a covert blueprint for radical change imposed by forces external to the academy. In either case, the discussion is more concerned with rights, responsibilities and obligations rather than pedagogic issues. With the shift in focus comes the possibility of consumer‐based litigation based upon contractual obligations. To some extent, the success of such litigation will be based upon legalistic interpretations of the marketing rhetoric universities use to describe their product. As public statements, such rhetoric is part of the contract into which students enter with universities. This paper considers one of the ways in which universities have responded to the potential of being sued by unsatisfied customers: a tempering of hyperbole in their advertising. But how does the implication of such a strategy impact upon the perceived or actual standards of teaching? The paper begins with a brief overview of how universities have responded to students recasting themselves as customers, with the concomitant demands for satisfaction. It follows with a consideration of how these trends have become manifest in Australia. The focus narrows to consider how one university has responded to the changing environment, and then uses the example of one faculty within that university to exemplify the change in strategy. Finally, the paper considers the potential future relevance of that response.
Highly Accurate Mobile Robot Navigation

The ongoing automation of manufacturing processes increases productivity and reduces physically demanding labor, a cornerstone for today’s living standards and economic wealth in industrialized countries. However, industrial automation requires a costly setup phase. Therefore, it is only worthwhile when manufacturing large quantities of identical products. As globalization increases the pace of market changes and due to the trend towards product customization, there is a demand for more flexible, adaptable automation to retain global competitiveness for smaller batch sizes and changing products. Here, autonomous navigation is a key technology to reduce setup costs and increase flexibility. In this thesis, we present contributions towards the deployment of mobile robot navigation in real-world industrial settings. We provide vehicle-based material transport between processes that is fast and intuitive to set up. Since our approaches only rely on wheel encoders and the mandatory safety scanners of an autonomous vehicle, they work without additional, inflexible infrastructure. We first propose a navigation system that enables omnidirectional vehicles to autonomously navigate with high accuracy while respecting safety constraints. Our system accounts for the dynamics of the vehicle when optimizing smooth, curvature continuous trajectories that are frequently updated in changing environments. We furthermore present a localization and docking method to achieve millimeter accuracy at target locations. For use cases that require automated vehicles to follow predefined routes, we propose an approach for intuitive instruction that relies on user demonstrations and can be combined with our navigation system to realize different levels of autonomy. For scenarios with predefined routes only, we further reduce the setup costs. Our teach-and-repeat framework needs no pre-built environment map and only a single, non-expert demonstration to track taught trajectories with millimeter accuracy. For realistic estimates of the performance and reliability of navigation systems, we propose a benchmark protocol that instead of individual components evaluates complete systems. The tested system and a reference system interact with a carefully specified and scripted dynamic environment to ensure comparability between different evaluations. We conducted extensive experiments for all our systems. Through the combination of high accuracy and reliability with flexibility and ease of use, they present a substantial contribution towards navigation for flexible automation. Autonomous vehicles can also be equipped with robotic arms, e.g., welding robots mounted on autonomous vehicles instead of bolted to the factory floor. Beyond logistics, navigation can thereby contribute to efficiently reconfigurable process chains and the vision of transformable factories.
Angiotensin II regulates H(+)-ATPase activity in rat cortical collecting duct.

Angiotensin II (ANG II) plays an important role in the regulation of solute transport in the kidney, and its effect on proximal tubule sodium and fluid transport has been studied extensively. Although there is evidence that ANG II receptors are present also in the distal nephron and collecting duct, little is known about the physiological role of ANG II in these segments of the renal tubule. Preliminary studies in our laboratory suggest that ANG II may have both structural and functional effects on intercalated cells in the cortical collecting duct (CCD). Therefore, the present study examines the effect of ANG II on H(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (H(+)-ATPase) and H(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in individual CCD segments microdissected from collagenase-treated rat kidneys. The H(+)-ATPase was measured as bafilomycin-sensitive ATPase activity, and H(+)-K(+)-ATPase was measured as Sch-28080-sensitive ATPase activity, by a fluorometric microassay. Preincubation of CCD segments with ANG II, 10(-10)-10(-5) M, caused a dose-dependent decrease in H(+)-ATPase activity with maximum inhibition at 10(-8) M of ANG II. The inhibitory effect of ANG II was abolished when tubules were incubated with ANG II in the presence of 10(-6) M losartan, indicating that the inhibition was mediated via specific AT1 receptors. The AT2-receptor antagonist, PD-123319, had no effect on the ANG II-mediated inhibition of H(+)-ATPase activity. Preincubation of CCD segments with 10(-10) or 10(-7) M ANG II had no effect on H(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Genetic deafness in a preterm infant with a critical postnatal course

Objective: We present a case of deafness in a preterm infant with several predisposing factors of an acquired hearing impairment that, however, turned out to have a genetic cause. We describe the severe postnatal course and review the relevant literature. Design: Case report. Setting: University-based tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. Patient: Preterm infant (gestational age, 26/37; wks). Measurements and Main Results: A preterm infant exhibited hearing impairment after a complicated clinical course with pneumothoraces, a hemodynamically relevant patent ductus arteriosus, treatment with potentially ototoxic drugs, intraventricular hemorrhage, and periventricular leukomalacia. Despite the absence of a family history for deafness, genetic testing was performed. Surprisingly, genetic analysis revealed the presence of two compound heterozygous mutations in the patient’s GJB2 gene as the cause for his early-onset nonsyndromic deafness. Conclusion: To elucidate the nature of a hearing disorder, it is worthwhile to consider a genetic cause, despite the fact that it may seem unlikely in a severely sick preterm infant with numerous risk factors for a postnatally acquired hearing impairment and without a positive family history.
Probing Lysine Acetylation in Proteins

The acetylation of proteins at specific lysine residues by acetyltransferase enzymes has emerged as a posttranslational modification of high biological impact. Although lysine acetylation in histone proteins is an integral part of the histone code the acetylation of a multitude of non-histone proteins was recently recognized as a regulatory signal in many cellular processes. New substrates of acetyltransferase enzymes are continuously identified, and the analysis of acetylation sites in proteins is increasingly performed by mass spectrometry. However, the characterization of lysine acetylation in proteins using mass spectrometric techniques has some limitations and pitfalls. The non-enzymatic cysteine acetylation especially can result in false-positive identification of acetylated proteins. Here we demonstrate the application of various mass spectrometric techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the analysis of protein acetylation. We describe diverse combinations of biochemical methods useful to map the acetylation sites in proteins and discuss their advantages and limitations. As an example, we present a detailed analysis of the acetylation of the HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein, which is known to be acetylated in vivo by the acetyltransferases p300 and p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF).
A Meta-Assembly of Selection Signatures in Cattle

Since domestication, significant genetic improvement has been achieved for many traits of commercial importance in cattle, including adaptation, appearance and production. In response to such intense selection pressures, the bovine genome has undergone changes at the underlying regions of functional genetic variants, which are termed “selection signatures”. This article reviews 64 recent (2009–2015) investigations testing genomic diversity for departure from neutrality in worldwide cattle populations. In particular, we constructed a meta-assembly of 16,158 selection signatures for individual breeds and their archetype groups (European, African, Zebu and composite) from 56 genome-wide scans representing 70,743 animals of 90 pure and crossbred cattle breeds. Meta-selection-scores (MSS) were computed by combining published results at every given locus, within a sliding window span. MSS were adjusted for common samples across studies and were weighted for significance thresholds across and within studies. Published selection signatures show extensive coverage across the bovine genome, however, the meta-assembly provides a consensus profile of 263 genomic regions of which 141 were unique (113 were breed-specific) and 122 were shared across cattle archetypes. The most prominent peaks of MSS represent regions under selection across multiple populations and harboured genes of known major effects (coat color, polledness and muscle hypertrophy) and genes known to influence polygenic traits (stature, adaptation, feed efficiency, immunity, behaviour, reproduction, beef and dairy production). As the first meta-assembly of selection signatures, it offers novel insights about the hotspots of selective sweeps in the bovine genome, and this method could equally be applied to other species.
Efficient Asset Portfolios and the Theory of Normal Backwardation: A Comment

In a recent paper, Carter, Rausser, and Schmitz (1983) (hereafter CRS) argue that previous studies of the risk premium on agricultural commodity futures contracts used incorrect proxies for the market index and consequently mismeasured the equilibrium risk premium on those contracts. CRS show that when an alternative market index is used to measure systematic risk, the required risk premium is positive and of economically significant magnitude. This result contradicts that of Dusak (1973) and supports the notion of a generalized Keynesian theory of normal backwardation. The purpose of this Comment is to argue that the market index constructed by CRS is inappropriate and that their empirical results stem directly from the use of this index.
Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation for Upper Limb Recovery in Chronic Hemiparesis: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial

Background. Surface electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to improve the motor impairment of stroke survivors. However, surface ES can be painful and motor activation can be inconsistent from session to session. Percutaneous intramuscular ES may be an effective alternative. Objective. Evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous intramuscular ES in facilitating the recovery of the hemiparetic upper limb of chronic stroke survivors. Methods. A total of 26 chronic stroke survivors were randomly assigned to percutaneous intramuscular ES for hand opening (n = 13) or percutaneous ES for sensory stimulation only (n = 13). The intramuscular ES group received cyclic, electromyography (EMG)-triggered or EMG-controlled ES depending on baseline motor status. All participants received 1 hour of stimulation per day for 6 weeks. After completion of ES, participants received 18 hours of task-specific functional training. The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment. Secondary measures included the Arm Motor Ability Test and delay and termination of EMG activity. Outcomes were assessed in a blinded manner at baseline, at the end of ES, at the end of functional training, and at 1, 3, and 6 months follow-up. Results. Repeated measure analysis of variance did not yield any significant treatment, or time by treatment interaction effects for any of the outcome measures. Conclusion. Percutaneous intramuscular ES does not appear to be any more effective than sensory ES in enhancing the recovery of the hemiparetic upper limb among chronic stroke survivors. However, because of the exploratory nature of the study and its inherent limitations, conclusions must be drawn with caution.
Intangible Asset Dynamics and Firm Behaviour

We study the adoption of different patterns of intangible asset (IA) accumulation in manufacturing firms. Contrary to most of the previous literature, we find such patterns to be highly differentiated. In particular, we identify three types of firm behaviour: high and persistent, low and persistent, and discontinuous. We link the capability-based view of the firm to theories of asset complementarities and market signalling to explain how firm-specific traits affect such behaviours. We obtain the following results: first, the persistent accumulation of IAs is favoured by the internal availability of highly skilled personnel; second, firms with (a) large IA base and (b) high propensity to exploit complementarities in the asset stocks are more likely to persistently accumulate IAs than to discontinuously or never accumulate IAs and third, the adoption of quality management standards facilitates the accumulation of IAs, especially if this is done discontinuously. This paper adds to the previous literature in two ways: first, it highlights the existence of great heterogeneity in the dynamics of IA accumulation and, second, it provides an explanation for such heterogeneity.
Sources Of Income Differences Across Chinese Provinces During The Reform Period: A Development Accounting Exercise

The present paper performs a development accounting analysis to investigate the sources of China's interprovincial income inequality over the period 1982–2005. We estimate a Cobb–Douglas aggregate production function with various specifications. Using the estimated parameters, we conduct a development accounting analysis as well as a variance decomposition. Our results suggest that differences in physical capital intensity and in total factor productivity are both important sources of cross-province income differences, each accounting for roughly half of the variation in income levels. Differences in human capital explain only a small amount of income differences across provinces. The results are robust to whether or not the assumption of constant returns to scale is imposed. The interaction between factor accumulation and total factor productivity is also discussed.
Analysis of the MEG source localization method combining signal space separation and magnetic field tomography

Magnetic Field Tomography (MFT) is a MEG localization method which requires least inappropriate assumptions but most computational load. To reduce the massive computational load of MFT, the combination method of MFT with Signal Space Separation (SSS) was proposed in our previous work. In this paper, the localization ability of the combination of MFT and SSS (MFT+SSS) is evaluated more precisely. Simple Numerical simulations revealed the improvement of the localization of MFT+SSS. Besides that, weighted Tikhonov regularization for the ill-posed SSS inversion is proposed. This regularization method establishes a remarkable robustness against the measurement noise.