Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resveratrol prevents embryonic oxidative stress and apoptosis associated with diabetic embryopathy and improves glucose and lipid profile of diabetic dam.

SCOPE Diabetic embryopathy, a consequence of diabetic pregnancy, is associated with increase in embryonic oxidative stress and apoptosis, which lead to severe embryonic damage at early stage of organogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS This study investigated if resveratrol, found in red grapes and blue-berries, may prevent diabetes-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in embryos and have beneficial effects in diabetic dams. A rodent model of diabetic embryopathy was used. Diabetes was associated with lowered reduced glutathione levels (26.98%), increased total thiol (100.47%) and lipid peroxidation (124.73%) in embryos, and increased blood sugar (384.03%), cholesterol (98.39%) and triglyceride (1025.35%) in diabetic dams. Increased apoptosis (272.20%) was also observed in the embryos of diabetic dams. Administration of resveratrol (100 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) during pregnancy prevented both oxidative stress and apoptosis in embryos. Resveratrol reduced embryonic maldevelopment by improving embryo weight (41.23%), crown rump length (16.50%) and somite number (11.22%). It further improved the glucose (33.32%) and lipid (cholesterol 41.74%, triglyceride 60.64%) profile of the diabetic dams, which also represents the protective role of resveratrol in diabetes. CONCLUSION Resveratrol was found to prevent embryonic oxidative stress and apoptosis. It also improved glucose and lipid profile of diabetic dams, indicating the beneficial effects in diabetic pregnancy.
Isolation and continuous culture of Neorickettsia helminthoeca in a macrophage cell line

Experimental evidence is presented supporting the development of a system for the isolation and propagation of a Neorickettsia sp. in a continuous canine macrophage cell line (DH82). To isolate a Neorickettsia sp. pathogenic to the canine species, three naive dogs were fed metacercaria-encysted kidneys of salmon caught in a river where infection of metacercariae with Neorickettsia helminthoeca has been circumstantially known for decades. Clinically, the classic course of salmon poisoning disease developed in all of the dogs. Parasitemia began on day 8 to 11 postinfection, when the dogs developed a febrile peak, and continued until euthanasia. At necropsy, characteristic gross and microscopic lesions of the disease were present. A Neorickettsia sp. was also isolated from liver and spleen samples of these animals. The isolates have been continuously propagated and passed in DH82 cells for more than 6 months. Electron microscopic examination confirmed that the rickettsial organisms multiplied in the membrane-bound compartment of DH82 cells and that they morphologically closely resembled rickettsia belonging to the genus Ehrlichia. An indirect fluorescent antibody test using Neorickettsia organisms cultured in DH82 cells showed that all dogs seroconverted 13 to 15 days postinfection. Finally, inoculation of the cell-cultured Neorickettsia organisms into a naive dog reproduced clinically typical salmon poisoning disease which was of greater severity and had a more rapid time course than that in the dogs from which the original isolation was made. On the basis of the clinical and pathologic responses of the dogs in our study, we believe that virulent N. helminthoeca was isolated and cultured in a continuous cell line.
Prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus among blood donors in north‐eastern Brazil

Summary We tested 70 blood donors from Fortaleza (Ceara state, Brazil) for GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV/HGV) infection by polymerase chain reaction and detection of antienvelope antibodies. Twenty‐seven (38.6%) showed signs of an active or resolved infection. Sixty‐four percent of those with indications of other blood‐borne viral infections showed signs of GBV‐C/HGV infection also.
Robust H∞ filter design for uncertain linear systems with multiple time-varying state delays

The problem of robust H∞ filtering for continuous-time uncertain linear systems with multiple time-varying delays in the state variables is investigated in this paper. The uncertain parameters are supposed to belong to a given convex bounded polyhedral domain. The aim is to design a stable linear filter assuring asymptotic stability and a prescribed H∞ performance level for the filtering error system, irrespective of the uncertainties and the time delays. Sufficient conditions for the existence of such a filter are established in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which can be efficiently solved by means of powerful convex programming tools with global convergence assured. An example illustrates the proposed methodology.
Locating landmarks on high-dimensional free energy surfaces

Significance The problem of generating and navigating high-dimensional free energy surfaces is a significant challenge in the study of complex systems. The approach introduced represents an advance in this area, and its ability to generate and organize the key features of a high-dimensional free energy surface, i.e., its landmarks, with high efficiency impacts numerous problems in the materials and biomolecular sciences for which prediction of optimal structures is key. These include polypeptide and nucleic acid structure and crystal design and structure prediction. Moreover, as the algorithm targets the free energy surface, candidate structures can be ranked based on their relative free energies, which is not possible with algorithms that target only the bare potential energy surface. Coarse graining of complex systems possessing many degrees of freedom can often be a useful approach for analyzing and understanding key features of these systems in terms of just a few variables. The relevant energy landscape in a coarse-grained description is the free energy surface as a function of the coarse-grained variables, which, despite the dimensional reduction, can still be an object of high dimension. Consequently, navigating and exploring this high-dimensional free energy surface is a nontrivial task. In this paper, we use techniques from multiscale modeling, stochastic optimization, and machine learning to devise a strategy for locating minima and saddle points (termed “landmarks”) on a high-dimensional free energy surface “on the fly” and without requiring prior knowledge of or an explicit form for the surface. In addition, we propose a compact graph representation of the landmarks and connections between them, and we show that the graph nodes can be subsequently analyzed and clustered based on key attributes that elucidate important properties of the system. Finally, we show that knowledge of landmark locations allows for the efficient determination of their relative free energies via enhanced sampling techniques.
[Lung protective ventilation in elderly patients undergoing spinal operation in the prone position: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE To investigate effect of lung protective ventilation on respiration and circulation in elderly patients receiving spinal operation performed in the prone position. METHODS Sixty patients undergoing elective spinal surgery were randomized control group [with VT of 10 mL/kg (PBW) and RR of 10-12 /min] and test group [with VT of 6 mL/kg +RMs+PEEP: 5 cmH(2)O (PBW) and RR of 12-18 /min]. Recruitment maneuver was performed once every 30 min. HR, MAP, P(peak), P(Plat), PaO(2)/FiO(2), SpO(2), PaCO(2), WBC, NEUT%, CRP, VAS, pulmonary complications risk score, and clinical pulmonary infection score were recorded before the operation, upon entry in the operation room, at 5 min before and 30 min, 1 h, and 3 h after changing into the prone position, and at 1 day and 3 days after the operation. RESULTS Pulmonary complications risk score, HR, MAP, WBC, NEUT%, and PaCO(2) were all comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). P(peak) and P(plat) of the test group were lower than those of the control group after entering the operation room and at 5 min before and 30 min, 1 h, and 3 h after changing into the prone position (P<0.05). Compared with those in the control group, the oxygenation index at 1 day after the operation was significantly higher and CRP and postoperative clinical pulmonary infection score at 1 day and 3 days after the operation were significantly lower in the test group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Lung protective ventilation can reduce the risk of barotrauma, reduce lung inflammation, and improve postoperative oxygenation in elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery in the prone position without affecting intraoperative hemodynamics or causing CO(2) retention.
Clinical (Mis)Judgments of Quality of Life after Disability

Like most of the able-bodied, healthcare professionals significantly underestimate the quality of life of people with disabilities. However, unlike the beliefs of the general population, our misperceptions as clinicians have direct implications for the lives of people with disabilities, given our position and power in the healthcare system. In what follows, I explore possible causes for our systematic misperception in this area and trace out some of its implications. I begin with a review of the evidence of our misunderstanding.
A path planning framework for autonomous vehicles

In this paper we present a framework for path planning of autonomous vehicles in static environments which allows for rapid prototyping and evaluation. We achieve this by decoupling search based path planning into search on the one hand and expansion strategies on the other hand. Thus we are able to combine arbitrary sampling methods to discretize the search space with arbitrary heuristic search algorithms. Sampling methods and searches can be connected at design-time without the need to recompile the code. Other search algorithms and sampling methods that are programmed against our interfaces can be easily added and combined with existing search algorithms and sampling methods. Furthermore, the framework is capable of creating more complex planners, by adding further sampling/search combinations to planning pipelines. We show the strength of our approach by applying our framework to one particular path planning problem and evaluating three different planning pipelines.
The use of cytokines, fusion proteins and antibodies to treat cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma

ABSTRACT: It has long been known that certain immune augmenting therapeutics, particularly interferon alpha, can exert profound salutary effects on the clinical progress of patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma. Emerging evidence that the host immune response may play an important role in the control of this disorder has led to the clinical application of other cytokines including interleukin‐12 and interferon gamma. In this review, the authors will summarize current knowledge regarding the use of cytokines, fusion proteins and antibodies for the treatment of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma.
The NIH Stroke Scale Can Establish Cognitive Function after Stroke

Background: Cognitive impairment is an important but underrecognised consequence of stroke. We investigated whether a subset of items from the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) could yield valid information on cognitive status in a group of stroke patients. Methods: 149 stroke patients from the Göteborg 70+ Stroke Study were investigated after 18 months. We extracted 4 items corresponding to the NIHSS items on orientation, executive function, language and inattention. Scores on this subset of 4 NIHSS items (Cog-4) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were evaluated against a reference diagnosis of severe cognitive impairment. Results: The area under the receiver-operator curve (AUC) plotted for the Cog-4 scale against the diagnosis of severe cognitive impairment was 0.78; the MMSE had a slightly better diagnostic precision, with an AUC of 0.84. Making the executive task more difficult increased the precision of the Cog-4, raising the AUC to 0.81. Conclusions: A composite score based on 4 NIHSS items is almost as good as the MMSE in detecting severe cognitive impairment. Ideally, dedicated measures of cognition should be employed as a matter of course after stroke, but in their absence, the Cog-4 subscale provides an indication of cognitive functioning.
Two-Stage Cryocooling Design for Hybrid Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

New concept of two-stage cryogenic cooling system for full-scale hybrid superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is proposed and designed with an objective to significantly reduce the capital and operational costs. Even though we have developed and successfully tested a cryocooling system for 300 A level, it is not easy to scale up the same technology to 3¿/22.9 kV/2.5 kA level, mainly because of the heavy cost of GM or Stirling cycle coolers to cover the increased thermal load. It is proposed in this study to employ a large capacity of JT cooler for heat intercept at an intermediate location of current leads. The JT coolers with mixed refrigerant are very reliable and commercially available at an inexpensive price. Detailed cryogenic design of cryostat and heat intercept components is carried out in consideration of thermal characteristics of cryocoolers and electrical insulation. It may be concluded that the two-stage cooling with a JT cooler at 130 K and a GM cooler at 77 K is feasible in practice, and can significantly reduce the capital cost and power consumption.
OWL-SAIQL A Schema and Instance Query Language for OWL DL

Existing approaches for querying OWL DL do either only operate on syntactic constructs without taking into account the semantics of OWL or do only have a restricted access to the T-Box. We present OWL-SAIQL, the novel Schema And Instance Query Language for OWL DL, that is well suited for ontology extraction. We describe its syntax and provide a model-theoretic semantics for OWL-SAIQL. Furthermore, we explain a basic evaluation strategy for OWLSAIQL queries that is a suitable basis for optimization techniques known from database management systems. We illustrate the use of OWL-SAIQL with an example of ontology extraction and re-use.
Modified Neonatal Growth Assessment Score: a multivariate approach to the detection of intrauterine growth retardation in the neonate

The objective of this investigation was the development of a modified Neonatal Growth Assessment Score (mNGAS) for use in the evaluation of neonatal growth status. The growth of 74 fetuses at risk for intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) was followed longitudinally, beginning in the first or early second trimester. Rossavik growth models derived from data obtained in the second trimester were used to predict the weight (WT), crown‐heel length (CHL) and head(HC) abdominal (AC) and thigh circumferences (ThC) at birth, which were then actually measured within 24 h after delivery. These measurements were compared to age‐specific size curves and used to calculate sets of five growth potential index (GPRIi) values, which in turn were used to calculate five‐variable Neonatal Growth Assessment Scores (NGAS5). Neonates were initially classified as normal or IUGR on the basis of NGAS5, GPRIi, and anatomic measurements. A final classification based on principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis was carried out. The score obtained using the first principal component function was defined to be mNGAS51. The effectiveness of mNGASij values, determined from 1–4 GPRIi values, in separating normal and IUGR neonates was also evaluated.
Data fusion of surface meshes and volumetric representations

The term Data Fusion refers to integrating knowledge from at least two independent sources of information such that the result is more than merely the sum of all inputs. In our project, the knowledge about a given specimen comprises its acquisitions from optical 3D scans and Computed Tomography with a special focus on limited-angle artifacts. In industrial quality inspection those imaging techniques are commonly used for non-destructive testing. Additional sources of information are digital descriptions for manufacturing, or tactile measurements of the specimen. Hence, we have several representations comprising the object as a whole, each with certain shortcomings and unique insights. We strive for combining all their strengths and compensating their weaknesses in order to create an enhanced representation of the acquired object. To achieve this, the identification of correspondences in the representations is the first task. We extract a subset with prominent exterior features from each input because all acquisitions include these features. To this end, regional queries from random seeds on an enclosing hull are employed. Subsequently, the relative orientation of the original data sets is calculated based on their subsets, as those comprise the - potentially defective - areas of overlap. We consider global features such as principal components and barycenters for the alignment, since in this specific case classical point-to-point comparisons are prone to error. Our alignment scheme outperforms traditional approaches and can even be enhanced by considering limited-angle artifacts in the reconstruction process of Computed Tomography. An analysis of local gradients in the resulting volumetric representation allows to distinguish between reliable observations and defects. Lastly, tactile measurements are extremely accurate but lack a suitable 3D representation. Thus, we also present an approach for converting them in a 3D surface suiting our work flow. As a result, the respective inputs are now aligned with each other, indicate the quality of the included information, and are in compatible format to be combined in a subsequent step. The data fusion result permits more accurate metrological tasks and increases the precision of detecting flaws in production or indications of wear-out. The final step of combining the data sets is briefly presented here along with the resulting augmented representation, but in its entirety and details subject to another PhD thesis within our joint project.
CSMA/CN: carrier sense multiple access with collision notification

A wireless transmitter learns of a packet loss, infers collision, only after completing the entire transmission. If the transmitter could detect the collision early (such as with CSMA/CD in wired networks), it could immediately abort its transmission, freeing the channel for useful communication. There are two main hurdles to realize CSMA/CD in wireless networks. First, a wireless transmitter cannot simultaneously transmit and listen for a collision. Second, any channel activity around the transmitter may not be an indicator of collision at the receiver. This paper attempts to approximate CSMA/CD in wireless networks with a scheme called CSMA/CN (collision notification). Under CSMA/CN, the receiver uses PHY layer information to detect a collision and immediately notifies the transmitter. The collision notification consists of a unique signature, sent on the same channel as the data. The transmitter employs a listener antenna and performs signature correlation to discern this notification. Once discerned, the transmitter immediately aborts transmission. We show that the notification signature can be reliably detected at the listener antenna, even in the presence of a strong self-interference from the transmit antenna. A prototype testbed of 10 USRP/GNURadios demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of CSMA/CN
Magnetic Trapping of Spin-Polarized Atomic Hydrogen

We have confined over 5×1012 atoms of hydrogen in a static magnetic trap. The atoms are loaded into the trap by precooling with a dilution refrigerator. At operating densities near 1×1013 cm-3 the gas is observed to be electron- and nuclear-polarized in the uppermost hyperfine state. The long lifetime of the trapped gas (over 20 minutes) suggests that it is thermally decoupled from the wall and has evaporatively cooled to a temperature of about 41 mK. The residual decay of the gas density is consistent with spin relaxation induced by dipolar interactions between atoms.
Microprocessor-Based Optimal-Efficiency Drive of an Induction Motor

A method for improving the efficiency of a slightly loaded induction motor is suggested. It is based upon the optimal-efficiency slip tracking by adjusting the voltage to frequency ratio (V/f). It has adopted the converter-inverter fed induction motor drive system. All the control loops are implemented by the Z-80 microprocessor. By this method, 10 percent or more improvement is obtained at a quarter of the full load.
Assessment of medium-term cardiovascular disease risk after Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident: a retrospective analysis

Objective To assess the medium-term indirect impact of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and to identify whether risk factors for CVD changed after the accident. Participants Residents aged 40 years and over participating in annual public health check-ups from 2009 to 2012, administered by Minamisoma city, located about 10 to 40 km from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Methods The sex-specific Framingham CVD risk score was considered as the outcome measure and was compared before (2009–2010) and after the accident (2011–2012). A multivariate regression analysis was employed to evaluate risk factors for CVD. Results Data from 563 individuals (60.2% women) aged 40 to 74 years who participated in the check-ups throughout the study period was analysed. After adjusting for covariates, no statistically significant change was identified in the CVD risk score postaccident in both sexes, which may suggest no obvious medium-term health impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident on CVD risk. The risk factors for CVD and their magnitude and direction (positive/negative) did not change after the accident. Conclusions There was no obvious increase in CVD risks in Minamisoma city, which may indicate successful management of health risks associated with CVD in the study sample.
Key regulatory transcription factors involved in placental trophoblast development--a review.

Specification of the trophoblast cell lineage comprising the outermost epithelial cell layer of the blastocyst occurs early in development and is a prerequisite for implantation of the embryo and subsequent formation of the placenta, a multifunctional organ which is indispensable for the proper development of the fetus. Trophoblast stem cells of the placenta give rise to distinct highly differentiated trophoblast subtypes which build the functional units of the organ. These specialized cells assure anchorage of the embryo to the mother, establishing a vascular connection transporting nutrients and gases and expression of hormones that are required for the successful progression of pregnancy. Developmental processes of the trophoblast occur in a spatially and temporally highly organized manner. Despite these facts, little is known on the key regulatory factors which commit and differentiate trophoblast cells in humans. Recent studies in mice, however, provided evidence that various cell-type specific transcription factors play crucial roles in the developmental programme of the trophoblast. In this review we will focus on the function of these major regulatory factors in murine trophoblast/placental development and discuss the potential role of their homologues in the human system.