Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Respiratory Distress and Neonatal Lethality in Mice Lacking Golgi α1,2-Mannosidase IB Involved in N-Glycan Maturation*

There are three mammalian Golgi α1,2-mannosidases, encoded by different genes, that form Man5GlcNAc2 from Man8-9GlcNAc2 for the biosynthesis of hybrid and complex N-glycans. Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization indicate that the three paralogs display distinct developmental and tissue-specific expression. The physiological role of Golgi α1,2-mannosidase IB was investigated by targeted gene ablation. The null mice have normal gross appearance at birth, but they display respiratory distress and die within a few hours. Histology of fetal lungs the day before birth indicate some delay in development, whereas neonatal lungs show extensive pulmonary hemorrhage in the alveolar region. No significant histopathological changes occur in other tissues. No remarkable ultrastructural differences are detected between wild type and null lungs. The membranes of a subset of bronchiolar epithelial cells are stained with lectins from Phaseolus vulgaris (leukoagglutinin and erythroagglutinin) and Datura stramonium in wild type lungs, but this staining disappears in lungs from null mice. Mass spectrometry of N-glycans from different tissues shows no significant changes in global N-glycans of null mice. Therefore, only a few glycoproteins required for normal lung function depend on α1,2-mannosidase IB for maturation. There are no apparent differences in the expression of several lung epithelial cell and endothelial cell markers between null and wild type mice. The α1,2-mannosidase IB null phenotype differs from phenotypes caused by ablation of other enzymes in N-glycan biosynthesis and from other mouse gene disruptions that affect pulmonary development and function.
Self-report prospective memory problems in people with stroke

Abstract Background and purpose: Prospective memory (PM) is a common problem which can limit performance of basic and instrumental activities of daily living in patients with stroke. This study compared self-report PM failures between older and younger people with stroke, examined differences in perceptions of PM failures between people with stroke and relatives, relationships between these PM failures and functional performance. Methods: A total of 105 patients with stroke, 65 relatives and 112 healthy controls were recruited. Both the patients with stroke and controls were further divided into an older (age > 55 years) and a younger (age ≤ 55 years) group. Data for patients with stroke and relatives were obtained via the Brief Assessment of Prospective Memory (BAPM), Basic Activity of Daily Living (BADL) related Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Lawton IADL) Scale. Healthy controls’ data were also collected. Results: The older stroke group had significantly higher BAPM total scores and BADL and IADL sub-scale scores than the younger group. Difference in perceptions of the patients’ self-report of PM failures and their relatives’ report was significant for the IADL sub-scale. Self-report of PM failure was significantly related to functional BADL and IADL measures. Conclusions: Results highlight the impact of PM failures in patients with stroke and their assessment, management and rehabilitation of these patients.
Statistical analysis of the accuracy of location measurements provided for LBS in South Africa

Location-Based Services make available personalized services based on the geographical location of the subscriber mobile phone. These services are based on wireless technology and are accessible through mobile stations (mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), etc). With cheap and readily available mobile phones, underprivileged, low-income earners and rural dwellers in South Africa can optimize services provided by the mobile evolution. It is therefore important to measure and analyze the accuracy provided to ensure optimal service delivery to LBS users and explore ways to ensure customer satisfaction. This paper presents results from data on LBS collected from fifty locations in South Africa. The study aims at assessing the factors that influence the accuracy of location measurements in cellular networks. The statistical analysis of different factors such as: time of day, environment, geographical location, type of LBS request and mobile operators' network are presented. Our findings indicated that some parameters such as geographical location and environment of a LBS request have a significantly high impact on the accuracy. It is therefore important for improved accuracy to consider these parameters when providing LBS to users.
Circularly polarized microstrip antenna with dual-CPW feed

The authors demonstrate a new design of using a dual-CPW feed for achieving wideband circular polarization (CP) radiation. The dual-CPW feed consists of two orthogonally oriented CPW feed lines of a quarter guided wavelength difference in length and is connected to a Wilkinson power divider implemented by CPWs. The complete CPW feed network is printed on the ground plane of the patch substrate. And owing to the good isolation between two outputs of the Wilkinson power divider, good equal input powers and 90/spl deg/ phase difference for the dual-CPW feed can be obtained and the proposed design can thus be expected to have wideband CP radiation. The proposed design incorporating the use of a circular radiating patch and an inexpensive FR4 microwave substrate is implemented, and measured results are presented and discussed.
Bottom-up silicon nanowire resonators for nanomechanical sensing: Controlled fabrication technology and high-sensitivity frequency modulation transduction

In this contribution, we demonstrate the usefulness of the frequency modulation (FM) transduction scheme for the electrical read-out of bottom-up nanomechanical resonators fabricated by a technology that allows to control and pattern the growth position and orientation of double-clamped silicon nanowires. The FM scheme enables the observation of the resonance mode-splitting effect of silicon nanowires resonators in the UHF range for the first time, as well as the detection of higher-order modes of the resonant structure, which is crucial for developing quantitative mass-sensor with spatial selectivity. We show that the mechanism responsible for the electrical transduction in the FM transduction scheme is different than the one used in previous electrical readout set-ups.
Impact of a territorial ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction network on prognosis of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Introduction: We sought to assess the effect of a territorial system of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) on the outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA). Materials and Methods: We enrolled 720 patients who experienced a witnessed OOHCA of presumed cardiac origin during a four-year period in an area with a STEMI network and for whom resuscitation was attempted. Results: Overall, 242 (33.6%) patients had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 645 (90%) died before discharge. We observed a trend toward decreased overall mortality for OOHCA between the years 2004 and 2007, both in the entire population and in patients with ROSC (2004=94%; 2005=89%; 2006=85%; 2007=89%; P=0.064; 2004=81%; 2005=69%; 2006=65%; 2007=60%; P=0.076, respectively). On multivariable analysis, age, crew-witnessed arrest and presence of shockable rhythm were independent predictors of mortality. Patients who experienced OOHCA in the year 2006 (OR=0.47; 95% CI: 0.21–1.05; P=0.07) and 2007 (OR=0.51; 95% CI: 0.23–1.12; P=0.09) showed a strong trend toward decreased risk of mortality compared to year 2004. In patients with ROSC, the year 2007 was associated with a significant lower risk of mortality compared to year 2004 (OR=0.38; 95% CI: 0.15–0.96; P=0.04). Conclusions: Implementation of a territorial network of care for STEMI appears to be associated with reduced mortality OOHCA patients.
The Body of Christ in Mission: Paul’s Ecclesiology and the Role of the Church in Mission

The debate among New Testament scholars regarding the question of whether or not Paul assigns a mission mandate to the church as a body has reached a veritable impasse. This article argues that the exclusive focus on the issue of a Pauline ecclesiological mission mandate has resulted in an attenuated reading of the apostle’s epistles that fails to consider whether his understanding of the church precludes the necessity for such a directive. Rather, the author avers that Paul’s metaphor of the church as the body of Christ, as it is used in Rom 12:4–8;1 Cor 12:12–30; Eph 1:22–23; 4:4–16, and Col 1:18; 2:18–19, functions to hold the centripetal (attractive) and centrifugal (outward-directed) roles of the church together in a way that makes it unnecessary for the apostle to frame a mission mandate to the church as his interpreters envision it; that is, as something akin to the “Great Commission. ” Moreover, this particular and pervasive metaphor highlights the dialectical tension in Paul’s ecclesiology between the essential unity of the body of Christ and the diverse spiritual gifts among its members, which makes it problematic to view the individual and the church as polarized entities. Accordingly, the task of mission includes not only the exercise of the gift of evangelism, but also those charisma aimed at bringing individual members of the body to spiritual maturity which, in turn, is evidenced in winsome ethical holiness and loving, godly relationships. In other words, for Paul, evangelism and discipleship are inextricably linked.
Anterior cingulate volumes associated with trait impulsivity in individuals with bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE Impulsivity is associated with the clinical outcome and likelihood of risky behaviors among bipolar disorder (BD) patients. Our previous study showed an inverse relationship between impulsivity and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) volume in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that BD patients would show an inverse relationship between impulsivity and volumes of the OFC, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of BD. METHODS Sixty-three BD patients were studied (mean +/- SD age = 38.2 +/- 11.5 years; 79% female). The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), version 11A, was used to assess trait impulsivity. Images were processed using SPM2 and an optimized voxel-based morphometry protocol. We examined the correlations between BIS scores and the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes of the prespecified regions. RESULTS Left rostral ACC GM volume was inversely correlated with the BIS total score (t = 3.95, p(corrected) = 0.003) and the BIS motor score (t = 5.22, p(corrected) < 0.001). In contrast to our hypothesis, OFC volumes were not significantly associated with impulsivity in BD. No WM volume of any structure was significantly correlated with impulsivity. No statistical association between any clinical variable and the rostral ACC GM volumes reached significance. CONCLUSIONS Based on our previous findings and the current results, impulsivity may have a different neural representation in BD and healthy subjects, and the ACC may be involved in the pathophysiology of abnormal impulsivity regulation in BD patients.
An extraction algorithm of moving objects under mixed reality

This paper firstly proposes an algorithm of moving object detection and extraction, and places the extracted object in the mixed reality. The movement tendency of the moving objects is tracked by the value of mean shifting algorithm, so the computation of the frame difference can be reduced. The appropriate threshold is selected and frame difference is improved by using the histogram. The “holes” and “double shadows” phenomena are reduced and the foreground image is enhanced. The experiment shows that this method can not only improve the detection rate, but also have strong robustness.
Effect of Heparin on Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in Patients Undergoing Gynecologic or Obstetric Surgery

The exaggerated prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) by heparin prophylaxis for postoperative thromboembolism may cause bleeding complications. We examined the effects of various doses of unfractionated heparin on the APTT in patients who underwent a gynecologic or obstetric operation. A total of 68 patients who underwent a gynecologic operation (n = 47) or a cesarean section (n = 21) with risk factors for thromboembolism received a continuous intravenous infusion of unfractionated heparin (110–285 IU/kg/day) after surgery until the patient was mobilized the next day. A group of 61 postoperative patients who did not receive heparin served as controls. The APTT was measured in these 129 patients preoperatively and on postoperative day 1. A clinical deep vein thrombosis occurred in only 1 patient, who was in the control group. No bleeding complications occurred in any patient. The percent change in the APTT was significantly correlated with the dose of heparin administered (p < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the mean APTT was not prolonged in the patients who received heparin at 110–149 IU/kg/day. It was prolonged significantly in the patients who received heparin at greater than 150 IU/kg/day. An exaggerated prolongation of the APTT, defined as an APTT greater than 150% of the preoperative value, was found in 0 of 32 patients in the 110–149 IU/kg/day group, 1 of 28 patients (3.6%) in the 150–199 IU/kg/day group and 2 of 8 patients (25%) in the 200–285 IU/kg/day group. The continuous postoperative administration of intravenous heparin at less than 200 IU/kg/day does not result in an exaggerated prolongation of the APTT.
The Catheter as Ariadne's Thread to Follow the Path of Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) through the Long-Term Experience of a Center

In our institution, the first patient was treated by HD in 1955. In the middle of the '60s, the PD technique, revised by Maxwell (1), was implemented. The access to peritoneum was obtained by repeated puncturing of the abdomen, the catheter being removed after each session. In 1966, our first results on one year of PD were published (20 patients treated, 13 affected by ARF and 7 by CRF, for a total number of 150 sessions). Since 1967, the procedure of the repeated punturing was improved by the Seldinger technique. The efficiency of the PD intermittent treatment was increased with the “fast shift” schedule and PD automation was pursued with the project of a cycler (1968). The first CRF patients were treated by fast shift PD. In the late intermittent PD phase, the adoption of permanent catheters, destined to endure in our practice, the rigid and the soft indwelling for long-term treatments, allowed us to launch programs of home and nocturnal PD. With the incoming CAPD age, the greatest care was directed to the role of the catheter. The adoption of the surgical insertion by paramedian approach through rectus muscle, minimized, in our experience, the early complications. With the reduction of peritonitis rate, the later catheter complications increased in terms of patient discomfort, hospitalization and technique survival. On those grounds, in our institution a prospective trial on a ten year period was undertaken to compare, in terms of late complications rate, new versions of the classic Tenckhoff straight catheter (ST). The surgical insertion method was adopted for all the types, for a total of 196 catheters in 163 CRF patients. The tip displacement rate (12.2% with ST) decreased, albeit non significantly, with Swan Neck (7.9%), but was markedly and significantly reduced (1.0%) with the Self-Locating (SL) catheter experience. The surgical insertion of SL was comparable to that of ST. For those reasons, in recent years, in our institution the SL catheter became the first choice catheters for CRF patients.
On data gathering protocols for in-body biomedical sensor networks

This paper investigates the effectiveness of data gathering protocols for in-body biomedical sensor networks. We studied the performance of representatives from each of three major protocol categories: (1) low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH), a cluster-based protocol, (2) power efficient gathering for sensory information systems (PEGASIS), a chain-based protocol, and (3) hybrid indirect transmissions (HIT), a hybrid of chains and clusters. First, the ability of each protocol to perform in-network source separation was judged. We consider a human-machine interaction application in which implanted bio-sensors communicate motor unit actions of human muscles to a remote computer. Motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) were modeled, and source separation and recovery at each sensor was simulated. We compare the performance of HIT and LEACH in terms of signal distortion ratios and the energy costs of fusion and communication. Second, we report on the efficiency of each protocol for in-body data collection, using Gupta et al's propagation loss model for biomedical applications (PMBA) - an accurate model of power loss due to signal absorption by the human body. We investigate the effectiveness of HIT, LEACH, and PEGASIS under this model, and compare their performance in terms of energy efficiency and network lifetime
Recovery guarantees for Compressed Sensing with unknown errors

From a numerical analysis perspective, assessing the robustness of ℓ1-minimization is a fundamental issue in compressed sensing and sparse regularization. Yet, the recovery guarantees available in the literature usually depend on a priori estimates of the noise, which can be very hard to obtain in practice, especially when the noise term also includes unknown discrepancies between the finite model and data. In this work, we study the performance of ℓ1-minimization when these estimates are not available, providing robust recovery guarantees for quadratically constrained basis pursuit and random sampling in bounded orthonormal systems. Several applications of this work are approximation of high-dimensional functions, infinite-dimensional sparse regularization for inverse problems, and fast algorithms for non-Cartesian Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
A Framework for Joint Wireless Network Virtualization and Cloud Radio Access Networks for Next Generation Wireless Networks

Wireless network virtualization (WNV) and cloud radio access networks (CRANs) are promising technologies with the potential to be game changing for the fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. In particular, these technologies may have significant impact on the capital expenditure, quality of service provisioning, as well as spectral efficiency in 5G networks. These two technologies are mostly considered separately in previous works. This paper, however, investigates both the gains and requirements of integrating WNV with CRAN. In this paper, we propose WNV schemes for CRAN, where the objective is to maximize the overall system throughput and minimize delay. The proposed schemes are designed to maintain a high level of isolation between mobile network operators (MNOs), which allows the deployment of different scheduling polices by different MNOs, and managing intercell interference, which may lead to significant throughput gain. Overall, the results presented in this paper reveal that a joint CRAN-WNV architecture can be highly efficient when MNOs have unbalanced loads, because MNOs with high loads can seamlessly access the underutilized resources of underloaded MNOs. The throughput gain in unbalanced loads can be as much as 50% using optimal sharing schemes when compared with static sharing, and about 18% when compared with the WNV without CRAN. The resource allocation problem in the joint CRAN-WNV is formulated, and both optimal and low complexity suboptimal solutions are derived. The obtained results show that integrating the two technologies in a joint architecture can significantly improve the network performance. However, reducing the complexity by adopting efficient sharing techniques may have tangible impact on the throughput when compared with optimal sharing.
Construction of Lambda, Mu, Sigma Values for Determining Mid-Upper Arm Circumference z Scores in U.S. Children Aged 2 Months Through 18 Years

Background: Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) has proven highly predictive of morbidity and mortality associated with malnutrition better, in some cases, than other growth indicators, including body mass index (BMI) z scores and weight-for-height z scores. A recent consensus statement recommended the inclusion of MUAC and MUAC z scores in the nutrition assessment of children in the United States; however, the requisite data to permit z score calculations for children aged >5 years have not been published. Objective: This investigation was designed to generate lambda mu sigma (LMS) values to permit the calculation of MUAC z scores in U.S. children 2 months through 18 years of age. Design: Anthropometric data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2012) were used for model development (n = 28,995). Smoothed centiles were constructed and compared with previously described CDC percentiles. Independently collected MUAC data from 2 different U.S. studies were used for external validation (n = 1438). Statistical Analyses: Goodness-of-fit was assessed visually and statistically by examining detrended quantile-quantile plots, Q statistics, and the distribution of z scores. Results: The curves generated in this investigation fit the raw data well with no systematic bias and no sacrifice in fit for children aged <12 months. The curves were consistent with those published by the CDC, and the distribution z scores approximated 0 ± 1 in all age groups. Conclusions: These LMS values derived in this investigation can be used by clinicians to generate MUAC z scores for U.S. children.
Interaction vertex imaging (IVI) for carbon ion therapy monitoring: a feasibility study

Proton imaging can be seen as a powerful technique for online monitoring of ion range during carbon ion therapy irradiations. Indeed, a large number of secondary protons are created during nuclear reactions, and many of these protons are likely to escape from the patient even for deep-seated tumors, carrying accurate information on the reaction vertex position. Two detection techniques have been considered: (i) double-proton detection by means of two forward-located trackers and (ii) single-proton detection in coincidence with the incoming carbon ion detected by means of a beam hodoscope. Geant4 simulations, validated by proton yield measurements performed at GANIL and GSI, show that ion-range monitoring is accessible on a pencil-beam basis with the single-proton imaging technique. Millimetric precision on the Bragg peak position is expected in the ideal case of homogeneous targets. The uncertainties in more realistic conditions should be investigated, in particular the influence of tissue heterogeneity in the very last part of the ion path (about 20 mm).