Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AS A METHOD OF DIAGNOSING LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY IN A CHEETAH ( ACINONYX JUBATUS

Leukoencephalopathy is a recently described disease of cheetahs characterized by white matter degeneration in specific areas of the brain. A 12-year-old male cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) presented with progressive hind-limb ataxia and incoordination of 22-month duration. Magnetic resonance imaging was utilized as a diagnostic technique. The regions of interest were defined as brain and spinal cord. Images produced by magnetic resonance did not show changes in the intensity of the cerebral white matter consistent with a chronic degenerative process. The absence of clear lesions on the MRI implies a final diagnosis can not be made until the animals' signs worsen, and a follow up MRI shows unequivocal lesions, or until C.N. S. lesions can be detected postmortem by means of histopathology. The animal's chronic neurologic signs, apparent occasional blindness, and slow recovery from anesthesia, associated with severe neurologic signs during recovery, indicate it will remain a strong clinical suspect of leukoencephalopathy. Should the animal in this case be found positive, it would suggest that the disease may be suspected clinically before magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic option. Verh.ber. Erkrg. Zootiere (2003) 41. MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AS A METHOD OF DIAGNOSING LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY IN A CHEETAH (ACINONYX JUBATUS) Schulz J1, Hammond EE, Haymon M2, Ramis A3, Martorel l J3, Agu i la r RF1 Audubon Zoo-Audubon Nature Institute, 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA Children’s Hospital of New Orleans-Magnetic Resonance Unit, 200 Henry Clay Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA Departament de Medicina i Cirugia Animal, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Catalunya, SPAIN Su mmary Leukoencephalopathy is a recently described disease of cheetahs characterized by white matter degeneration in specific areas of the brain. A 12-year-old male cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) presented with pro gressive hind-limb ataxia and incoordination of 22-month duration. Magnetic resonance imaging was utilized as a dia gnostic technique. The regions of interest were defined as brain and spinal cord. Images produced by magnetic resonance did not show changes in the intensity of the cerebral white matter consistent with a chronic degenerative process. The absence of clear lesions on the MRI implies a final dia gnosis can not be made until the animals’ signs worsen, and a follow up MRI shows unequivocal lesions, or until C.N. S. lesions can be detected postmortem by means of histopathology. The animal’s chronic neurologic signs, apparent occasional blindness, and slow recovery from anesthesia, associated with severe neurologic signs during recovery, indicate it will remain a strong clinical suspect of leukoencephalopathy. Should the animal in this case be found positive, it would suggest that the disease may be suspected clinically before magnetic resonance imaging is a dia gnostic option.
Vitamin D intake and risk of CVD and all-cause mortality: evidence from the Caerphilly Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract Objective Prospective data on the associations between vitamin D intake and risk of CVD and all-cause mortality are limited and inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between vitamin D intake and CVD risk and all-cause mortality in the Caerphilly Prospective Cohort Study. Design The associations of vitamin D intake with CVD risk markers were examined cross-sectionally at baseline and longitudinally at 5-year, 10-year and >20-year follow-ups. In addition, the predictive value of vitamin D intake for CVD events and all-cause mortality after >20 years of follow-up was examined. Logistic regression and general linear regression were used for data analysis. Setting Participants in the UK. Subjects Men (n 452) who were free from CVD and type 2 diabetes at recruitment. Results Higher vitamin D intake was associated with increased HDL cholesterol (P=0·003) and pulse pressure (P=0·04) and decreased total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol (P=0·008) cross-sectionally at baseline, but the associations were lost during follow-up. Furthermore, higher vitamin D intake was associated with decreased concentration of plasma TAG at baseline (P=0·01) and at the 5-year (P=0·01), but not the 10-year examination. After >20 years of follow-up, vitamin D was not associated with stroke (n 72), myocardial infarctions (n 142), heart failure (n 43) or all-cause mortality (n 281), but was positively associated with increased diastolic blood pressure (P=0·03). Conclusions The study supports associations of higher vitamin D intake with lower fasting plasma TAG and higher diastolic blood pressure.
Chromogenic identification of genetic regulatory signals in Bacillus subtilis based on expression of a cloned Pseudomonas gene.

A method to isolate fragments of DNA that promote gene expression in Bacillus subtilis is described. The system is based on production of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase [CatO2ase; catechol:oxygen 2,3-oxidoreductase (decyclizing), EC 1.13. 11.2] encoded by the Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid gene xylE. The gene was transferred to aB. subtilis/Escherichia coli plasmid vector to construct pTG402. Although xylE is functionally expressed in E. coli, CatO2ase is not detected in B. subtilis unless a fragment of DNA capable of promoting gene expression is ligated into a cleavage site on pTG402 upstream from xylE. Fragments of chromosomal DNA from B. subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, and E. coli are shown to promote xylE gene expression in B. subtilis. The special feature of the system is the method of detection: colonies of cells that express xylE become yellow within seconds after selection plates are sprayed with catechol, a colorless substrate that is converted by CatO2ase to the yellow product, 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. The complete nucleotide sequence of xylE is presented. Strong complementarity between the ribosome binding site and 16S rRNA suggests that xylE mRNA translation in B. subtilis may commence at the same site as that recognized by P. putida. Identity of CatO2ase produced in B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. putida support the hypothesis. Our sensitive color assay offers an approach to develop plasmid gene expression vectors for a wide variety of host organisms.
Striatal Restricted Adenosine A2 Receptor (RDC8) Is Expressed by Enkephalin but Not by Substance P Neurons: An In Situ Hybridization Histochemistry Study

RDC8 has been recently cloned and characterized as an adenosine A2 receptor. This receptor is expressed exclusively by medium‐sized neurons of the striatum as demonstrated by in situ hybridization. We have now studied the relationship of this receptor with three major components of the rat caudate‐putamen: enkephalin, substance P, and choline acetyltransferase. Our results demonstrate that the adenosine A2 receptor is expressed exclusively by the enkephalinergic striatal subpopulation but not by the substance P‐containing or cholinergic neurons.
Aerodynamic and Thermal Characteristics of Running Apparel

The aerodynamic drag associated with three types of commercially available running apparel (SS: nylon singlet and shorts; L: lycra/nylon bodysuit and RS: nylon rainsuit) and two bodysuits of newly developed stretchable, water vapour permeable fabrics (T and K) was measured in a wind tunnel on a human -1 mannequin at four velocities (4.7, 7.1, 8.8 and 9.7 m*sec ). Commercially available running apparel provided consistently higher drag than the T and K bodysuits. Under all conditions the high sheen and tight fit of the K fabric allowed drag reductions of between 17.5 and 7.4% at running speeds. At sprint speeds a hood over the hair was responsible for 6 of the 7.4% reduction in drag noted with the K suit. It is estimated that reductions in drag of this size provide real time savings of between 1.05% in the marathon to 2.75% in the lOOm dash. A field trial of the K suit with 16 male subjects (E age: 22 yr) revealed a significant (p .025) decrease in lOOm running time amounting to a time saving of 1.17% at a velocity of -1 7.43 m-sec . The thermal properties of the SS, L and K suits and a suit of stretchable, membrane porous fabric (B) were investigated at 0 environmental temperatures of 0 and 25' C subsequent to the aerodynamic study. Six male, middle distance runners performed 30 minute runs on a treadmill at a pace requiring approximately 80% of maximum oxygen 1 uptake against a fan generated wind of 4.2 mosec . Oxygen uptake kinetics, heart rate, sweating rate, core and skin temperature and perceived exertion were recorded. At 25 OC, the K suit retained 23.5 and the B suit 9.1 times as much sweat as SS apparel (p L .01). Both suits were
Optical quantum circuit combining tailored optical nonlinearities

We report our recent experimental demonstration of a KLM CNOT gate[1], a photonic quantum circuit to combine two efficient ‘artificial’ nonlinear elements. This experimental demonstration[2] confirms the first step in the KLM ‘recipe’ for all-optical quantum computation, and should be useful for on-demand entanglement generation and purification. We will also report our activities toward the realization of nonlinear sign shift gate using diamond nano-crystals coupled to a microsphere cavity[3].
Performance of a predistorter based on Saleh model for OFDM systems in HPA nonlinearity

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is an attractive technique for wireless communication applications. However, it suffers from high nonlinear distortion in nonlinear devices such as high power amplifiers (HPA) due to large peak to average power ratio (PAPR) of the OFDM signals. A predistorter based on inverse of the Saleh model is proposed to compensate for the nonlinearity. In this paper, we investigate the BER performance of an OFDM system in a nonlinear environment with and without the use of the proposed predistorter. Optimum values of amplifier output back off (OBO) are calculated for different scenarios and effect of modulation order and number of subcarriers on system performance are studied. Results show that use of predistorter can significantly enhance the system performance by reducing the needed OBO and increasing HPA power efficiency. Other simulations were performed to investigate the effect of modulation order and number of subcarriers on the system performance.
The adoption and use of business intelligence solutions in Australia

The global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems industry blossomed in the 1990s automating back office operations. These systems have now become essential infrastructure for many companies. These companies are now extending these transaction-based systems to support more strategic and complex decisions. Accordingly, the ERP vendors have developed a range of solutions focusing on Business Intelligence (BI) in various functional areas. However, the question must be asked is there an evolutionary nature to the adoption and use of these various solutions similar to that which occurred with ERP systems. This paper adopts a two pronged research methodology to investigate the adoption of BI solutions in Australian companies. The first methodology involved a web-based survey to identify BI implementation patterns. This was then expanded upon using a case study approach. The research identified an evolutionary maturity to how BI solutions are adopted in Australian companies.
EEG Recording in Rodents, with a Focus on Epilepsy

This unit describes the materials, methods, and analytical techniques available for the study of electrical activity of neural tissue in rodents in both homeostatic and disease states, with emphasis on epileptogenesis. A table containing a list of suppliers of relevant materials and equipment is also provided. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 49:6.24. 1‐6.24. 24. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tracking of vehicles on nearside lanes using multiple radar sensors

Tracking overtaking vehicles is an integral aspect of Lane Change Assistant Systems. For this, in this work, a set of six radar sensors is mounted on a test vehicle. As the sensors generate spatially extended measurements from different parts of the vehicles, the estimation of position and velocity of the surrounding vehicles leads to an extended target tracking problem. This is especially the case when a vehicle is located on a nearside lane. A method for tracking these targets is proposed, under the assumption that a target vehicle comprises a random number of reflection centers located on a rectangular structure. To estimate the existence of a reflector in combination with the vehicle target state, the Joint Integrated Probabilistic Data Association Filter (JIPDA) is applied.
The Assessment of Organizational Mindfulness Processes for the Effective Assimilation of IT Innovations

Organizations deploy information technology (IT) in an effort to improve their decision-making and action capabilities. However, few organizations are fully successful in their efforts to assimilate IT innovations. Scholars have begun to argue that collective mindfulness, or an elevated state of collective alertness toward expectations and changes in the organizational context, is a key factor in the management of IT innovations. This study proposes an instrument and method for assessing the degree to which an organization is mindful. A set of scales for assessing organizational mindfulness processes were developed, refined, and validated. These scales were then used as the basis for an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model that can be used by researchers and managers to facilitate awareness, assessment, and development of collective mindfulness. In addition, the assessment model was tested in a real setting to illustrate how this tool can be used in practice within an organization.
In vitro study of bacterial growth inhibition in concentrated sugar solutions: microbiological basis for the use of sugar in treating infected wounds

The use of sugar for the treatment of infected wounds was investigated in in vitro experiments with bacteria pathogenic to humans, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. Studies showed that solutions of appropriate sugar concentration incubated at pH 7.0 and 35 degrees C were lethal to the bacterial species studied. On the basis of these results, it is proposed that an important function of sugar in the treatment of infected wounds is to create an environment of low water activity (aw), which inhibits or stresses bacterial growth.
The latency-related gene of bovine herpesvirus 1 encodes a product which inhibits cell cycle progression

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) establishes a latent infection in the sensory ganglionic neurons of cattle. The exclusive viral RNA expressed in a latent infection is the latency-related (LR) RNA, suggesting that it regulates some aspect of a latent infection. During the course of a productive infection, alphaherpesviruses induce certain events which occur during cell cycle progression. Consequently, we hypothesized that a BHV-1 infection might induce events in neurons which occur during cell cycle progression. In agreement with this hypothesis, cyclin A was detected in neurons of trigeminal ganglia when rabbits were infected. Neuronal cell cycle progression or inappropriate expression of cyclin A leads to apoptosis, suggesting that a viral factor inhibits the deleterious effects of cyclin A expression. The BHV-1 LR gene inhibited cell cycle progression and proliferation of human osteosarcoma cells. Antibodies directed against cyclin A or the LR protein coprecipitated the LR protein or cyclin A, respectively, suggesting that the two proteins interact with each other. We conclude that LR gene products inhibit cell cycle progression and hypothesize that this activity enhances the survival of infected neurons.
A practice of the intrusion prevention system

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is the most difficult to prevent on Internet. It occupies the network bandwidth or systems resources or both, to cause a system not to provide normal services to legal users, and even worse it crashes the whole system. Some researchers propose the source- end defense method trying to block the attack packets before they enter the Internet backbone. In this paper, we design an intrusion prevention system to realize the source-end defense method. The packets are categorized into three types: normal, suspicious and attack packets. The attack packets are blocked before they enter the Internet. The bandwidth of the suspicious packets is restricted and the IP header is attached with a signature made by their edge router. When a victim confirms the suspicious packets with an attack action, it finds out the source of the attack by the signature on the packets and then informs their edge router to block such packets.
Population comparison of two clinical approaches to the metabolic syndrome: implications of the new International Diabetes Federation consensus definition.

In 2005, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released a consensus clinical definition of the metabolic syndrome for worldwide use that included central obesity as a prerequisite (1). The IDF definition varied from the earlier Third Report of the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) panel definition with broader criteria for waist circumference, HDL, and fasting plasma glucose (2). The impact of these changes to the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, in particular the use of differing values for defining central obesity, has not been studied. Our aim was to compare these two definitions for the distribution and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in a representative biomedical population study of predominantly European adults from Adelaide, South Australia (population 1.2 million) (3). Individuals aged ≥18 years from households selected at random from the electronic white pages directory were eligible. Of the eligible sample of 8,213, a total of 5,850 (71%) completed the initial interview. Of these, 4,060 (69%) attended the clinic for the biomedical examination (3). Respondents completed surveys and underwent clinic assessment, including measurement of blood pressure height, weight, waist, and fasting glucose and lipid levels (3). The study was approved by the institutional ethics committees of the North West Adelaide Health Service, …
Uptake of Varicella Vaccination Among Young Children in the United States: A Success Story in Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities

OBJECTIVE. To examine uptake of varicella vaccine, a live attenuated vaccine licensed in 1995 and recommended in 1996 for routine vaccination of US children 12 to 18 months of age. METHODS. Data were for 178616 children (19–35 months of age) and were collected in the 1997 to 2004 National Immunization Survey. The main outcome measures were estimated varicella vaccine coverage from 1997 to 2004, coverage among susceptible children (ie, those without a history of varicella disease), racial/ethnic disparities, risk factors for nonvaccination, missed opportunities to vaccinate simultaneously with other recommended vaccines, and projected increases in coverage after elimination of missed opportunities for simultaneous vaccination. RESULTS. Varicella vaccine coverage rates increased from 26% in 1997 to 87% in 2004. State-specific coverage rates increased 44 to 80 percentage points and were >80% in 42 states and >90% in 13 states by 2004. Coverage among susceptible children increased from 62% in 1999 to 88% in 2004. From 1998 onward, no statistically significant differences in coverage were found between white and black children, whereas Hispanic children had higher coverage rates than white children in 1998 to 2001 and 2004. Risk factors for undervaccination included living in the Midwest region, living in a household with >1 child, living in nonmetropolitan areas, living below the poverty level, having a mother who did not have a college degree, and having public providers. If missed opportunities for simultaneous vaccination had been eliminated, then coverage rates would have increased from 58% to 94% in 1999 and from 87% to 96% in 2004. CONCLUSIONS. Uptake of varicella vaccine has been steady and is an example of successful elimination of racial and ethnic disparities. Additional focus should be placed on reducing missed opportunities for simultaneous vaccination, improving coverage in rural areas and the Midwest region, and closing remaining gaps related to maternal education, provider type, and multiple-children households.
Beta-galactosidase is inactivated by intermolecular disulfide bonds and is toxic when secreted to the periplasm of Escherichia coli

The wild-type LamB-LacZ hybrid protein inhibits the export machinery upon induction when assayed by biochemical and genetic techniques, a phenotype referred to as hybrid protein jamming. This hybrid protein also renders cells sensitive to growth in the presence of the inducer maltose, presumably because of the jamming. We constructed a new version of this fusion by adding alkaline phosphatase, encoded by phoA, to the C terminus of the LamB-LacZ hybrid protein. This tripartite protein, LamB-LacZ-PhoA, is as toxic to cells as the hybrid LamB-LacZ; however, it does not jam at temperatures greater than 33 degrees C. Extreme C-terminal sequences of LacZ function as a critical folding domain and are therefore responsible for stabilizing the LacZ structure. To determine if this region of LacZ is important for jamming, we recombined a late nonsense mutation (X90) onto the hybrid construct. We found the toxicity of this new hybrid, LamB-LacZX90, to be nearly identical to that of the full-length protein, but it also does not jam the secretion machinery. This suggests that jamming is caused by LacZ folding. We found no inhibition of secretion in the tripartite and X90 fusion strains at 37 degrees C, suggesting that the toxicity of the new fusions is novel. Under these conditions, the tripartite and X90 fusion proteins form disulfide-bonded aggregates with high molecular weights in the periplasm. Accordingly, we believe that LacZ disrupts some essential function(s) in the periplasm.
Versatile Dual-Mode Class-AB Four-Quadrant Analog Multiplier

— Versatile dual-mode class-AB CMOS four-quadrant analog multiplier circuit is presented. The dual translinear loops and current mirrors are the basic building blocks in realization scheme. This technique provides; wide dynamic range, wide-bandwidth response and low power consumption. The major advantages of this approach are; its has single ended inputs; since its input is dual translinear loop operate in class-AB mode which make this multiplier configuration interesting for low-power applications; current multiplying, voltage multiplying, or current and voltage multiplying can be obtainable with balanced input. The simulation results of versatile analog multiplier demonstrate a linearity error of 1.2 %, a -3dB bandwidth of about 19MHz, a maximum power consumption of 0.46mW, and temperature compensated. Operation of versatile analog multiplier was also confirmed through an experiment using CMOS transistor array.