Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental analysis and modeling of temperature dependence of lithium-ion battery direct current resistance for power capability prediction

Accurate lithium-ion battery power capability prediction gives an indication for managing power flows in or out of batteries within the safe operating area, which is one of the primary challenging functions of battery management systems (BMSs). The battery direct current resistance (DCR) is typically employed for power capability prediction, but its characteristic depends significantly on the ambient temperature. It is essential to investigate systematically the temperature dependence of battery DCR for achieving reliable power capability prediction. Based on a large amount of battery test data, a battery DCR model is proposed for quantitatively describing its temperature dependence. This model is then applied for battery power capability prediction, and the results are verified by experimental results.
Molecular typing and occurrence of beta‐lactam resistance genes of Shigella sonnei strains isolated from 1983 to 2014 in the São Paulo state of Brazil

Shigella sonnei, which has generally been associated with dysentery in developed countries, has recently been emerging in developing countries. Specifically, in Brazil few published studies have that molecularly characterized this species. The aims of this study were to analyze the efficacy of typing using multiple‐locus variable‐number tandem‐repeat analysis (MLVA), study the phylogeny by multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST) and assess the presence of some beta‐lactam resistance genes in S. sonnei strains isolated from human diarrhoeic faeces in the São Paulo State in Brazil between 1983 and 2014. Seventy‐two such S. sonnei strains were typed by MLVA and grouped into two clusters. The discrimination index of MLVA was found to be 0.996. Twenty strains were typed by MLST as ST152. In addition, the blaTEM gene was detected in eight (72.7%) of the 11 S. sonnei strains that had previously been shown to be resistant to β‐lactams. However, blaCTX‐M‐1group, blaCTX‐M‐9group and blaSHV genes were not found. MLVA results suggested the existence of two prevalent subtypes in the S. sonnei strains studied, confirming previous results. Moreover, MLVA efficiently discriminated monomorphic S. sonnei species. Because the S. sonnei strains studied belonged to clonal complex 152 and all isolates were typed as ST152, MLST is not a suitable method for studying the population structure of S. sonnei. Although, the rates of β‐lactam resistance were not high in the present study, the frequency of blaTEM may represent a risk for patients receiving antimicrobial treatment. Taken together, the results provide better molecular characterization of this globally clinically important pathogen.
Isolation of recessive (mediator-) revertants from NIH 3T3 cells transformed with a c-H-ras oncogene

We have generated two serum- and anchorage-dependent revertants from NIH 3T3 cells transformed with multiple copies of the human c-H-ras oncogene. In both revertants, the c-H-ras oncogene was fully expressed. Fusion of either revertant with untransformed cells or of the two revertants with one another resulted in transformed progeny. These results indicated that the two revertants were recessive and in different complementation groups. We believe that in our two revertants some of the genes mediating the transforming activity of the c-H-ras oncogene are defective; we are attempting to identify these mediator genes.
Study on the Effect of Wing Bud Chitin Metabolism and Its Developmental Network Genes in the Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, by Knockdown of TRE Gene

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens is one of the most serious pests of rice, and there is so far no effective way to manage this pest. However, RNA interference not only can be used to study gene function, but also provide potential opportunities for novel pest management. The development of wing plays a key role in insect physiological activities and mainly involves chitin. Hence, the regulating role of trehalase (TRE) genes on wing bud formation has been studied by RNAi. In this paper, the activity levels of TRE and the contents of the two sugars trehalose and glucose were negatively correlated indicating the potential role of TRE in the molting process. In addition, NlTRE1-1 and NlTRE2 were expressed at higher levels in wing bud tissue than in other tissues, and abnormal molting and wing deformity or curling were noted 48 h after the insect was injected with any double-stranded TRE (dsTRE), even though different TREs have compensatory functions. The expression levels of NlCHS1b, NlCht1, NlCht2, NlCht6, NlCht7, NlCht8, NlCht10, NlIDGF, and NlENGase decreased significantly 48 h after the insect was injected with a mixture of three kinds of dsTREs. Similarly, the TRE inhibitor validamycin can inhibit NlCHS1 and NlCht gene expression. However, the wing deformity was the result of the NlIDGF, NlENGase, NlAP, and NlTSH genes being inhibited when a single dsTRE was injected. These results demonstrate that silencing of TRE gene expression can lead to wing deformities due to the down-regulation of the AP and TSH genes involved in wing development and that the TRE inhibitor validamycin can co-regulate chitin metabolism and the expression of wing development-related genes in wing bud tissue. The results provide a new approach for the prevention and management of N. lugens.
Ocular Perfusion Pressure vs Estimated Trans-Lamina Cribrosa Pressure Difference in Glaucoma: The Central India Eye and Medical Study (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that taking translamina pressure difference into consideration changes associations between ocular perfusion pressure and glaucomatous optic neuropathy. METHODS The population-based Central India Eye and Medical Study included 4711 subjects. Ocular perfusion pressure was calculated as follows: ⅔ [diastolic blood pressure + ⅓ × (systolic blood pressure - diastolic blood pressure)] - IOP. Cerebrospinal fluid pressure (mm Hg) was estimated as follows: 0.44 body mass index (kg/m(2)) + 0.16 diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) - 0.18 × age (years) - 1.91. Translamina pressure difference was IOP minus cerebrospinal fluid pressure. RESULTS In multivariate analysis, higher open-angle glaucoma prevalence was associaed with higher IOP (P<.001; odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15, 1.24) or with higher translamina pressure difference (P<.001; OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10, 1.19), but not with ocular perfusion pressure (P<.37). A smaller neuroretinal rim area was correlated with higher IOP (P<.001; standardized coefficient beta -0.09) or larger translamina pressure difference (P<.001; β -0.10), but not with ocular perfusion pressure (P=.26). Greater prevalence of angle-closure glaucoma was associated with higher IOP (P<.001; OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.15, 1.28) or higher translamina pressure difference (P<.001; OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13, 1.25) or lower ocular perfusion pressure (P<.04; OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90, 0.996). Correlation coefficients were highest for the association with IOP and lowest for ocular perfusion pressure. A smaller rim area was correlated with higher IOP (P<.001; beta -0.08) and higher translamina pressure difference (P<.001; beta -0.08); rim area and ocular perfusion pressure were not significantly associated (P=.25). CONCLUSIONS The present study provides information on the relationship of translamina pressure difference to the development of optic nerve damage in what is presently called glaucoma. It does not provide support of the idea that ocular perfusion pressure plays a major role in the pathogenesis of optic neuropathy.
Looking beyond the Simplistic Ideals of Participatory Projects: Fostering Effective Co-production?

ABSTRACT The article examines coproduction in the neighborhood community development context. The research question in the article is how public service professionals can foster effective coproduction. The article presents an explanatory case study of a participatory neighborhood project where the project activities, the outcomes, and the mechanisms that explain their outcomes are examined. In the analysis, capacities of the actors and motivation are identified as key explanatory mechanisms. As a result, the article argues that understanding the expected outcomes and the complexity of the coproduction are essential for effective participatory projects. Coproduction should be viewed as a way to achieve outcomes, not as a policy outcome per se.
Rapid and Accurate Determination of Genotypic Clarithromycin Resistance in Cultured Helicobacter pylori by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization

ABSTRACT Phenotypic susceptibility testing for clarithromycin by E-test and disk diffusion of 109 cultured Helicobacter pylori isolates was compared with the genotypic susceptibility determination by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). No discrepancies were found between these three methods. However, FISH has the advantage of providing results after 3 h.
Enhanced histogram feature descriptor for automated point cloud registration

In this paper, we propose an enhanced feature descriptor based on point feature histograms for fully automated point cloud registration task. To eliminate the overflow problem of reciprocal weights, the distance between the query point and its neighbouring point is utilized to support a exponential weight for each feature signature. Moreover, widely used bilinear vote in 2-dimensional computer vision are assembled to feature formation process, which will decrease the bin number of histograms and therefore accelerate the registration. To validate the method, we use synthetically generated geometric primitives to show the discriminative abilities of the feature descriptor. Further tests on real scans present a run time comparison of existing descriptors and our method. The results show that our method outperforms existing descriptors on real-time performance, meanwhile get slightly better discriminative power.
Control of cardiac gene transcription by fibroblast growth factors

Skeletal α‐actin (SkA) is representative of the cardiac genes that are expressed at high levels in embryonic myocardium, downregulated after birth, and reactivated by trophic signals including basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF‐2) and type β transforming growth factors (TGFβ). To investigate the molecular basis for cardiac‐restricted and growth factor‐induced SkA transcription, we have undertaken a mutational analysis of the SkA promoter in neonatal ventricular myocytes, with emphasis on the role of three nominal serum response elements. Serum response factor (SRF) and the bifunctional factor YY1 are the predominant cardiac proteins contacting the proximal SRE (SRE1). Mutations of SRE1 that prevent recognition by SRF and YY1, or SRF alone, virtually abolish SkA transcription; mutation of distal SREs was ineffective. A mutation which selectively abrogates YY1 binding increases expression, substantiating the predicted role of YY1 as an inhibitor of SRF effects. SkA transcription requires combinatorial action of SRE1 with consensus sites for Sp1 and the SV40 enhancer binding protein, TEF‐1. As an isolated motif, SRE1 can confer responsiveness to both FGF‐2 and TGFβ to a heterologous promoter. Whether TEF‐1 binding sites likewise can function as FGF response elements is unknown.
The Two Majorities: The Issue Context of Modern American Politics

Why do voters so often exhibit patterns of policy preference vastly different from what analysts and strategists predict? And why do these same voters consistently cast ballots that ensure the continuation of "divided government? " In The Two Majorities Byron Shafer and William Claggett offer groundbreaking political analysis that resolves many of the seeming contradictions in the contemporary American political scene. Provocatively, the authors argue that each party's best strategy for success is not to try to take popular positions on the whole range of issues, but to focus attention on the party's most successful cluster of issues.
Psychotherapeutic Applications of Mobile Phone-based Technologies: A Systematic Review of Current Research and Trends

There is a growing interest in using mobile phone technology to offer real-time psychological interventions and support. However, questions remain on the clinical effectiveness and feasibility of such approaches in psychiatric populations. Our aim was to systematically review the published literature on mobile phone apps and other mobile phone-based technology for psychotherapy in mental health disorders. To achieve this, electronic searches of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were carried out in January 2016. Generated abstracts were systematically screened for eligibility to be included in the review. Studies employing psychotherapy in any form, being delivered through mobile-based technology and reporting core mental health outcomes in mental illness were included in the study. We also included trials in progress with published protocols reporting at least some outcome measures of such interventions. From a total of 1563 search results, 24 eligible articles were identified and reviewed. These included trials in anxiety disorders (8), substance use disorders (5), depression (4), bipolar disorders (3), schizophrenia and psychotic disorders (3), and attempted suicide (1). Of these, eight studies involved the use of smartphone apps and others involved personalized text messages, automated programs, or delivered empirically supported treatments. Trial lengths varied from 6 weeks to 1 year. Good overall retention rates indicated that the treatments were feasible and largely acceptable. Benefits were reported on core outcomes in mental health illness indicating efficacy of such approaches though sample sizes were small. To conclude, mobile phone-based psychotherapies are a feasible and acceptable treatment option for patients with mental disorders. However, there remains a paucity of data on their effectiveness in real-world settings, especially from low- and middle-income countries.
Grey Verhulst Model and Application Based on Background Value and Initial Value Optimization

With respect to the optimization problems of grey verhulst model,both elements of background value and initial value are considered to optimize the traditional grey verhulst model,and then the reciprocal transformation and optimization model without constraint are used respectively and constructed to acquire the parameters of the background value and initial value,thus the modeling steps of grey verhulst model based on background value and initial value optimization is given.Finally an example is exploited to validate the effectiveness,applicability and optimization effect of the proposed model.The results show that compared with the existing grey verhulst model the proposed model possesses much higher simulation and prediction precision by optimizing background value and initial value.
Long-Term Response and Postsurgical Complete Remissions After Treatment With Sunitinib Malate, an Oral Multitargeted Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and significantly extended survival in these patients. Sunitinib is an oral multitargeted inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs-1, -2, and -3), platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs-α and -β), stem-cell factor receptor (KIT), FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor receptor (REarranged during Transfection; RET). Sunitinib is approved multinationally for the treatment of advanced RCC, and is considered the reference standard of care for first-line treatment. In clinical trials, sunitinib has been associated with a consistent, distinct profile of adverse events. Here we describe three cases that show that it is possible to manage adverse events occurring during sunitinib therapy, and thus allow patients with mRCC to receive an effective dose of sunitinib in order to achieve long-term disease control. These cases also show that surgical resection, performed whenever possible, can help to improve control of metastatic disease and so avoid the unnecessary toxicity and high costs of prolonged antiangiogenic therapy.
Assessment of neonatal diaphragmatic paralysis using magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation

Brachial plexus injury remains an unfortunate consequence of difficult childbirth. When a significant degree of injury to the fourth cervical root is present, phrenic nerve paralysis may result, causing signs of respiratory distress, including tachypnea, cyanosis, and decreased movement of the affected hemithorax. Detailed investigation of diaphragmatic function in infants is difficult, and this impairs decision-making regarding interventions, particularly the need for and timing of surgery. Ultrasound examination of the diaphragm and phrenic nerve conduction studies have both been used to aid diagnosis. Ultrasound examination provides a qualitative assessment of diaphragmatic function, but cannot quantify diaphragm force production. In contrast, direct stimulation of the phrenic nerve allows nerve conduction time to be measured and, used in conjunction with esophageal and gastric balloons, can assess diaphragm pressure generation. Classically, electrical stimulation of the phrenic nerve has been employed. Electrical stimulation, however, requires precise electrode placement to achieve supramaximal stimulation, and repeated stimulations are necessary, which can be painful due to the high stimulus voltage needed to overcome the resistance of the skin. Recently, magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation has been used successfully to assess diaphragmatic function in adults. Discharging a magnetic coil creates a pulsed magnetic field, which causes current to flow in the nerve and the muscle to contract. 1,2 Using a coil placed over the phrenic nerve, supramaximal unilateral phrenic nerve stimulation can be achieved, 3 with the resulting diaphragm force measured as transdiaphragmatic pressure (TwPdi) obtained from balloons positioned in the midesophagus and stomach. Magnetic stimulation could be an ideal technique to assess diaphragm function in children, as in adults it has proved to be very easily applied and painless. In this case report, we discuss a patient who presented shortly after birth with physical signs suggestive of a diaphragmatic paralysis, and we describe the use of magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation in the assessment of the infant. CASE REPORT
Electrotonic structure of olfactory sensory neurons analyzed by intracellular and whole cell patch techniques.

1. Experimental studies employing whole cell patch recordings from freshly isolated olfactory sensory neurons of the salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) yield much higher estimates of specific membrane resistance (Rm) than studies using conventional intracellular recordings from in situ neurons. Because Rm is critical for understanding information transfer in these cells, we have used computational methods to analyze the possible reasons for this difference. 2. Compartmental models were constructed for both the in situ and isolated neurons, using SABER, a general-purpose simulation program. For Rm in the in situ cell, we used a high value of 100,000 omega.cm2, as estimated in the whole cell recordings from isolated cells. A shunt across the cell membrane caused by the penetrating microelectrode was simulated by several types of shunt mechanisms, and its effects on lowering the apparent value of resting membrane potential (MP), input resistance (RN), and membrane time constant (tau m) and increasing the electrotonic length (L) were analyzed. 3. A good approximation of the electrotonic properties recorded intracellularly was obtained in the in situ model with high Rm combined with an electrode shunt consisting of Na and K conductances. A raised K conductance (1-5 nS) helps to maintain the resting MP while contributing to the increased conductance, which lowers RN and shortens the apparent tau m toward the experimental values. 4. Combined shunt resistances of 0.1-0.2 G omega (5-10 nS) gave the best fits with the experimental data. These shunts were two to three orders of magnitude smaller than the values reported from intracellular penetrations in muscle cells and motoneurons. This may be correlated with the smaller electrode tips used in the recordings from these small neurons. We thus confirm the prediction that even small values of electrode shunt have relatively large effects on the recorded electrotonic properties of small neurons, because of their high RN (2-5 G omega). 5. We have further explored the effects on electrotonic structure of a nonuniform Rm by giving higher Rm values to the distally located cilia compared with the proximal soma-dendritic region, as indicated by recent experiments. For the same RN, large increases in ciliary Rm above 100,000 omega.cm2 can be balanced by relatively small decreases below that value in soma-dendritic Rm. A high ciliary Rm appears to be a specialization for transduction of the sensory input, as reported also in photoreceptors and hair cells.
A new approach to defining functional ability in ankylosing spondylitis: the development of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index.

OBJECTIVE After pain and stiffness, one of the most important complaints of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is disability. The main aims of treatment are to control pain but also to improve function. Various methods of assessing function exist but are either not specific for the disease or have not been adequately validated. As a result of this deficiency we developed the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) as a new approach to defining and monitoring functional ability in patients with AS. METHODS This self-assessment instrument was designed by a team of medical professionals in conjunction with patients, and consists of 8 specific questions regarding function in AS and 2 questions reflecting the patient's ability to cope with everyday life. Each question is answered on a 10 cm horizontal visual analog scale, the mean of which gives the BASFI score (0-10). The questionnaire was completed 257 times in total: once by 116 outpatients and by 47 inpatients on 3 occasions over a 3-week intensive physiotherapy course. In addition, the instrument was compared with the Dougados functional index. RESULTS Patients scores covered 95% of the BASFI range, giving a normal distribution of results. In contrast only 65% of the Dougados functional index scale was used. Furthermore, over the 3 week period of inpatient treatment, the BASFI revealed a significant improvement in function (20%, p = 0.004) while there was a less impressive change in the Dougados functional index (6%, p = 0.03). This demonstrates the superior sensitivity of the BASFI: Consistency was good for both indices (p < 0.001), as was the relationship between patient perception of function and function as assessed by an external observer (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The BASFI satisfies the criteria required of a functional index: it is quick and easy to complete, is reliable and is sensitive to change across the whole spectrum of disease.