Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Donor selection in pediatric kidney transplantation using DR and DQ eplet mismatching: A new histocompatibility paradigm

It is now appreciated that more HLA‐DR mismatching at the time of the first renal transplant is associated with higher degrees of sensitization, lower rates and longer times to retransplantation, and worse graft outcomes in children who are subsequently retransplanted. As such, our pediatric renal transplant program preferentially uses 0 or 1 HLA‐DR–mismatched kidneys and reserves 2 DR‐mismatched kidneys for recipients with an eminent need for a kidney. Based on a new HLA class II epitope matching strategy that is designed to minimize dnDSA production to DR and DQ antigens, we evaluated the prevalence of DR and DQ eplet mismatching for dd offers made to our pediatric wait‐listed candidates. Each candidate/dd pair were HLA‐DR (β1 and β3 and/or β5) and DQ (α1 and β1) allele typed by rSSO and were then evaluated for eplet mismatches by the HLAMatchmaker program. We evaluated 78 offers made to 16 children on our UNOS waiting list from 27 consecutive dd from 4/14/14 to 3/23/15. The data show that 40% (8/20) of the 1 DR‐mismatched dd offers and 64% (37/58) of the 2 DR‐mismatched offers were in the high‐risk category for both DR and DQ dnDSA development. Whereas only 15% (3/20) of the 1 DR‐mismatched offers and 5% (3/58) of the 2 DR‐mismatched offers were in the low‐risk category for both DR and DQ dnDSA development, 55% and 33% of the 1 DR‐ and 2 DR‐mismatched offers, respectively, had a favorable DQ eplet mismatch threshold. In summary, HLA class II eplet mismatching is common in potential pediatric transplant recipient/donor pairs. Additional study will be necessary to validate the DR and DQ eplet threshold levels in children and to determine whether eplet mismatching strategies in donor selection result in improved transplant outcome and decreased dnDSA production.
Performance of a novel miniature antenna implanted into the human trunk for medical telemetry applications

The performance of an implantable miniature planar dipole antenna designed for integration into wireless biomedical devices is investigated. The proposed antenna, exhibiting dimensions of 19.4 × 2.0 × 0.254 mm3, operates in the Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) frequency band (402-405 MHz). Numerical analysis with regard to antenna resonance and radiation characteristics is, initially, conducted inside a homogeneous 2/3 muscle-equivalent phantom. Based on the initial computational results, the dipole antenna is, subsequently, embedded into the trunk of two high-resolution anatomical models in order to assess the antenna functionality under specific implantation scenario. As shown, designed antenna is robust, allowing placement in different positions and demonstrating impressive bandwidth and resonance performance at a very small package. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) distribution and communication link estimation concerning the realistic tissue environment are, also, carried out.
Pharmacogenetic and Pharmacokinetic Dose Individualization of the Taxane Chemotherapeutic Drugs Paclitaxel and Docetaxel.

BACKGROUND The taxane drugs paclitaxel and docetaxel, widely used on cancer chemotherapy, are currently dosed mainly based on body-surface area. This approach is associated with wide interindividual variability in drug exposure, leading to suboptimal dosing for many patients. METHODS The available evidence supporting dose individualization strategies for paclitaxel and docetaxel were reviewed, focusing mainly on the application of therapeutic drug monitoring by a priori pharmacogenetic data or a posteriori drug measurements in biological fluids. The PubMed database was searched, in the period of 1987-2017, using the keywords pharmacogenetics, metabolic genotyping, dose individualization, therapeutic drug monitoring, personalized medicine, taxanes paclitaxel and docetaxel, either alone or in combination. RESULTS The current knowledge of pharmacology of the taxane drugs paclitaxel and docetaxel, mainly its pharmacokinetics and the proteins responsible for their biotransformation and transport, along with the genetic polymorphism responsible for variations in the activities of these proteins, opens new opportunities for dose selection for individual patients. CONCLUSION Considering the relation between systemic exposure to these drug and clinical responses, a posteriori TDM, with measurement of drug concentrations in plasma of treated patients, is currently the most straightforward approaches for dose individualization of paclitaxel and docetaxel.
High data rate acoustic link for Micro-ROVs, employing BICM-ID

This work addresses specific challenges posed by wireless communications for a Micro-Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The majority of research within this field has primarily focussed on reliable acoustic links for navigation purposes and low data rate communications for critical status updates (<;100bps). However, the feedback sent from the vehicle to the surface is often limited during operation with much of the data being retrievable only upon surfacing. This work focuses on producing a higher data rate link (<;80kbps) capable of reliable transmissions of sensor data from the vehicle, thus bridging the gap of current communication limitations. To minimise the overall system cost it is desirable to avoid the use of array receivers. This work uses a single element receiver, an adaptive equaliser structure paired with high order error correction codes and closed loop Doppler estimation. Results are presented from sea trial data processed in real time using a PC based receiver.
Reconstitution of TFIIH and Requirement of Its DNA Helicase Subunits, Rad3 and Rad25, in the Incision Step of Nucleotide Excision Repair (*)

Yeast TFIIH is composed of six subunits: Rad3, Rad25, TFB1, SSL1, p55, and p38. In addition to TFIIH, we have purified a subassembly of the factor that lacks Rad3 and Rad25 and which we refer to as TFIIHi. In the in vitro nucleotide excision repair (NER) system that consists entirely of purified proteins, we show that neither TFIIHi nor a mixture of purified Rad3 and Rad25 proteins is active in NER but that the combination of TFIIHi with Rad3 and Rad25 promotes the incision of UV-damaged DNA. These results provide the first evidence for a direct requirement of Rad3, Rad25, and of one or more of the TFIIHi subunits in the incision step of NER. The NER efficacy of TFIIH is greatly diminished or abolished upon substitution of Rad3 with the rad3 Arg-48 mutant protein or Rad25 with the rad25 Arg-392 mutant protein, respectively, thus indicating a role of the Rad3 and Rad25 DNA helicase functions in the incision of damaged DNA. Our results further indicate that the carboxyl-terminal domain kinase (CTD) TFIIK is dispensable for the incision of damaged DNA in vitro. These studies reveal the differential requirement of Rad3 DNA helicase and CTD kinase activities in damage-specific incision versus RNA polymerase II transcription.
Mitigation of subsynchronous oscillations by 48-pulse VSC STATCOM using remote signal

Series compensated power system may lead to a very unusual problem known as Subsynchronous Resonance (SSR). Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) controllers are widely applied to mitigate subsynchronous oscillations. The Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) is a shunt device of the FACTS family using power electronics to control power flow and improve transient stability on power grids. With the advent of Wide Area Measurement (WAM) technology, it is possible to measure the states of a large interconnected power system with synchronized Phasor Measurement Units (PMU). In this paper the concept of using remote signals acquired through PMU has been proposed to damp SSR. An auxiliary subsynchronous damping controller (SSDC) for a STATCOM using the remote accelerating power of generator signal as the stabilizing signal has been designed to damp subsynchronous oscillations. This paper deals with a cascaded multilevel converter model, which is a 48-pulse (three levels) source converter. The voltage source converter described in this paper is a harmonic neutralized, 48-pulse GTO converter. The IEEE Second Benchmark (SBM) model is considered for the analysis and the complete digital simulation of the STATCOM within the power system is performed in the MATLAB/Simulink environment using the Power System Blockset (PSB).
Unification of Bipedal Robotic Walking using Quadratic Program-based Control Lyapunov Function: Applications to Regulation of ZMP and Angular Momentum

This chapter presents how robotic bipedal walking control can unify locomotion, manipulation, and force-based tasks into a single framework via quadratic programs utilizing control Lyapunov functions. We introduce two common examples where the unifi cation can be applied: (1) ZMP-based pattern generation and locomotion, and (2) nonlinear dynamics with push recovery. Specifi cally, for ZMP-based pattern generation and locomotion, the proposed controller unifi es both model predictive control-based center of mass planning and locally exponentially stabilizating control Lyapunov functions. For nonlinear dynamics with push recovery, the proposed controller unifi es exponentially stabilizating control Lyapunov functions with centroidal angular momentum regulators. In both examples, unifi cation of multiple control tasks into a single framework via quadratic program has benefi ts in terms of feasibility of constraints, simultaneous treatment of control objectives, and robustness and extensibility of this approach to various applications. In both examples, the end result was a single quadratic program that can dynamically balance all of these disparate objectives. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. * Corresponding author: pilwonhur@tamu.edu Unifi cation of Bipedal Robotic Walking 299 This approach can be implemented as a single framework and allow for more holistic implementation of controllers on bipedal robotic walking.
Beyond the Billboard: The Facebook‐Based Application, Donor, and Its Guided Approach to Facilitating Living Organ Donation

Living donor solicitation can raise ethical concerns, regardless of the medium used: newspaper, television, pulpit, billboard or Internet. Moving the search for a living donor into the social media realm introduces the risk of unguided and coercive patient narratives as well as decoupling or even total absence of information that could aid the consent process. The Facebook application (app) for living donors, called Donor (restricted to patient use), aims to address these concerns in several ways: (i) by directing the patient's initial appeal to friends and family; (ii) by guiding the patient's narrative; and (iii) by providing a library of clinical, ethical and regulatory information that informs the consent process. In this paper, we explored these features and contrasted them with billboard solicitation activities and current independent social media efforts. We concluded that the proactive ethical design of the Donor app is a permissible way to help satisfy the shortfall of deceased donor livers and kidneys.
Gait analysis in patients after unilateral hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint pathology and the main cause of disability in elderly persons. Arthroplasty still remains the most effective treatment of OA. Routine post-operative patient assessment does not include an objective functional examination leading to conclusions regarding the need of further rehabilitation. This role is played by gait analysis performed in patients after arthroplasty. The aim of the study was to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of selected gait parameters in patients after unilateral cementless hip arthroplasty. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved a group of 16 patients who were examined before and after hip arthroplasty. Gait analysis was conducted before surgery and at least 6 months after the procedure. The Smart DX BTS system for spatial gait analysis was used. RESULTS The duration of the stance phase on the affected side was 63.8 [% gait cycle] and was significantly shorter (p<0.05) than the phase on the unaffected side, with a duration of 69.4 [% gait cycle]. After surgery, the duration of swing phase on the unaffected side increased (p<0.05) from 30.6 to 35.1 [% gait cycle]. A statistically significant change was also found in the double support phase (the arthrotic limb as the front limb), which was markedly shortened. The average length of a single and double step, cadence, average gait velocity, and the velocity of leg swing in the swing phase increased. The range of hip mobility increased in all planes, especially in the sagittal plane. CONCLUSION The space and time gait parameters with regard to the operated leg after hip arthroplasty indicate an improvement as compared with the baseline results; however, they do not reach the values found in healthy persons.
The Metabolic Costs of Reciprocal Supersets vs. Traditional Resistance Exercise in Young Recreationally Active Adults

Kelleher, AR, Hackney, KJ, Fairchild, TJ, Keslacy, S, and Ploutz-Snyder, LL. The metabolic costs of reciprocal supersets vs. traditional resistance exercise in young recreationally active adults. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 1043-1051, 2010-An acute bout of traditional resistance training (TRAD) increases energy expenditure (EE) both during exercise and in the postexercise period. Reciprocal supersets (SUPERs) are a method of resistance training that alternates multiple sets of high-intensity agonist-antagonist muscle groups with limited recovery. The purpose of this study was to compare the energy cost of SUPERs and TRAD both during and in the postexercise period. We hypothesized that SUPERs would produce greater exercise EE relative to the duration of exercise time and greater excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) than TRAD of matched work. Ten recreationally active, young men each participated in 2 exercise protocols: SUPER, followed 1 week later by TRAD matched within using a 10-repetition maximum load for 6 exercises, 4 sets, and repetitions. Participants were measured for oxygen consumption and blood lactate concentration during exercise and 60 minutes postexercise after each exercise bout. No significant differences were observed in aerobic exercise EE between trials (SUPER 1,009.99 ± 71.42 kJ; TRAD 954.49 ± 83.31 kJ); however, when expressed relative to time, the exercise EE was significantly greater during SUPER (34.70 ± 2.97 kJ·min−1) than TRAD (26.28 ± 2.43 kJ·min−1). Excess postexercise oxygen consumption was significantly greater after SUPER (79.36 ± 7.49 kJ) over TRAD (59.67 ± 8.37 kJ). Average blood lactate measures were significantly greater during SUPER (5.1 ± 0.9 mmol·L−1) than during TRAD (3.8 ± 0.6 mmol·L−1). Reciprocal supersets produced greater exercise kJ·min−1, blood lactate, and EPOC than did TRAD. Incorporating this method of resistance exercise may benefit exercisers attempting to increase EE and have a fixed exercise volume with limited exercise time available.
Detection of carboxypeptidases as taxonomic markers for Gram‐negative bacteria

The use of seven benzoyl‐ L‐amino acids for the detection of carboxypeptidase activities in strains of Gram‐negative aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria is reported. A simple overnight assay was designed using ninhydrin for the demonstration of the amino acid released by hydrolysis. Detection of carboxypeptidase activity was shown to have some taxonomic relevance within the Enterobacteriaceae; it was also useful for differentiation within the genus Acinetobacter and for distinction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens.
Constructionism, creativity and virtual worlds

Constructionism places an emphasis on the process of creating personally meaningful artefacts in order to explore, test and extend understanding. To achieve this, learners engage in a creative process in which they develop skills, generate and evaluate ideas and share their knowledge and understanding through the artefacts that they create. This paper explores this process through a distributed constructionist learning experience in a non-goal orientated virtual world with 24 learners. The stages of the creative process identified by Shniederman are used as a theoretical lens to examine codes and categories generated through constant comparative analysis of data, along with the original interviews, artefacts and learners’ reflections. The findings identify ways in which the features of the technology, the built environment and design of the learning experience influenced the creative process.
II. Yeast sequencing reports. Nucleotide sequence analysis of an 11·7 kb fragment of yeast chromosome II including BEM1, a new gene of the WD‐40 repeat family and a new member of the KRE2/MNT1 family

This paper reports the DNA sequence and analysis of an 11·7 kb segment localized on the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome II. This fragment contains one incomplete and five long and non‐overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) designated from centromere to telomere‐proximal side as: YBR1406, 1409, 1410, 1411, 1412 and 1413. YBR1406 corresponds to the 5′ end to PGI1 encoding phosphoglucoisomerase. YBR1410 encodes a polypeptide of 798 amino acids whose C terminus contains five repeats (WD‐40 repeat) similar to those found in the β‐subunits of G proteins and different yeast proteins such as Tup1, Prp4 and Cdc4. The higher similarity score is obtained with dTAFII80, a component of the RNA polymerase II transcriptional complex TFIID. YBR1411 encodes a polypeptide of 464 amino acids which belongs to the family of α‐mannosyltransferases: KRE2/MNT1, KTR1, KTR2, YUR1 and the product of previously sequenced ORF YBR1445. YBR1412 corresponds to BEM1. The two ORFs, YBR1409 and YBR1413, which do not exhibit significant similarity with any known coding sequences, define new genes. The sequence has been deposited in the EMBL Data Library under Accession Number Z21487.
Ethical Issues Surrounding Quality Improvement Activities: A Review

During the past 15 years, issues regarding the ethical conduct of quality improvement activities have emerged. Recently, many have called for regulation of quality improvement studies using institutional review boards. The author reviews the history of the human rights argument within the context of a relevant, newly released study by the Hastings Center and concludes with practical application of the study's findings.
Identification of the current generator underlying cholinergically induced gamma frequency field potential oscillations in the hippocampal CA3 region

Gamma frequency oscillations (30–100 Hz) are prominent in the hippocampal EEG signal during active network states. An intrahippocampal gamma generator has been identified in the CA3 region. To understand the mechanism of oscillation generation, both the rhythm and the current generators must be identified. While earlier work has elucidated mechanisms of rhythm generation, little attention has been given to identifying the CA3 gamma current generator. Here, we aimed to identify a current generator underlying cholinergically induced gamma frequency oscillations in vitro. To this end, we analysed the instantaneous fluctuations in the wavelet amplitude of the field potential oscillation recorded in the stratum pyramidale, and concomitantly recorded action potentials and synaptic input in individual, anatomically identified neurons. The data revealed that perisomatic inhibitory currents in pyramidal cells generated the majority of the field potential. Pyramidal cell action currents also contributed to the field. In contrast, we found no evidence that excitatory currents contribute significantly to the field oscillations in this model. The moment‐by‐moment analysis of the dynamics of the field potential presented here provides insight into the distinct contributions of synaptic and action currents to the EEG signal and sheds light on the changing balance of excitation and inhibition during cholinergically induced gamma frequency oscillations.
Load‐sensitive coupling of proton translocation and torque generation in the bacterial flagellar motor

The Salmonella flagellar motor consists of a rotor and about a dozen stator elements. Each stator element, consisting of MotA and MotB, acts as a proton channel to couple proton flow with torque generation. A highly conserved Asp33 residue of MotB is directly involved in the energy coupling mechanism, but it remains unknown how it carries out this function. Here, we show that the MotB(D33E) mutation dramatically alters motor performance in response to changes in external load. Rotation speeds of the MotA/B(D33E) and MotA(V35F)/B(D33E) motors were markedly slower than the wild‐type motor and fluctuated considerably at low load but not at high load, whereas the rotation rate of the wild‐type motor was stable at any load. At low load, pausing events were frequently observed in both mutant motors. The proton conductivities of these mutant stator channels in their ‘unplugged’ forms were only half of the conductivity of the wild‐type channel. These results suggest that the D33E mutation induces a load‐dependent inactivation of the MotA/B complex. We propose that the stator element is a load‐sensitive proton channel that efficiently couples proton translocation with torque generation and that Asp33 of MotB is critical for this co‐ordinated proton translocation.
28 GHz millimeter-wave measurements and models for signal attenuation in vegetated areas

This paper presents 28 GHz channel measurements in vegetated areas using a directional channel sounder. The measurement campaign was conducted in areas lined with trees similar to a vegetated residential environment on the campus of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. It was found that excess loss in vegetated areas is associated with a saturating trend with upper-bounded foliage attenuation at 28 GHz. From the measurement results, we presented 28 GHz foliage propagation models which are based on the ITU-R terrestrial model and the FITU-R-like frequency-dependent model. In addition, the proposed models were compared with several existing attenuation models which are applicable at 28 GHz. These results can be used when predicting path loss results through vegetated areas at 28 GHz. It is anticipated that by conducting and analyzing measurements in even more locations and environments it is possible to further understand the 28 GHz foliage propagation channels for future communication systems.
The Crystallization Age of Eucrite Zircon

Eucrites are a group of meteorites that represent the first planetary igneous activity following metal-silicate differentiation on an early planetesimal, similar to Asteroid 4 Vesta, and, thus, help date geophysical processes occurring on such bodies in the early solar system. Using the short-lived radionuclide 182Hf as a relative chronometer, we demonstrate that eucrite zircon crystallized quickly within 6.8 million years of metal-silicate differentiation. This implies that mantle differentiation on the eucrite parent body occurred during a period when internal heat from the decay of 26Al and 60Fe was still available. Later metamorphism of eucrites took place at least 8.9 million years after the zircons crystallized and was likely caused by heating from impacts, or by burial under hot material excavated by impacts, rather than from lava flows. Thus, the timing of eucrite formation and of mantle differentiation is constrained.