Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ontogenetic Trends in Gnostic Hand Function in 3- to 12-Yr.-Old Children

The intimate relation between the sensory and motor functions of the hands during object manipulation and exploratory touch, the well-known improvement in object handling and constructive performance in ontogenesis and the emergent laterality thereof, assume changes in morphognostic capabilities in children. In this study we tried to corroborate the hypothesis of Mesker that mature and lateralized finger-thumb opposition is preceded by a stage of two-sided manual form agnosia in preschool children, followed by acquisition of morphognosis of the fingers and, finally, the thumbs. This study examined the development of gnostic hand function in 290 children from 3 to 11 years of age who drew the outlines of a meaningless wooden object passively felt with each hand without visual control. Analysis showed a clear ontogenetic change across the two age groups of increasing morphognostic function: 48% of the 6-yr. -olds drew correctly what the fingers of both left and right hands had perceived (thumbs, 14%). Of the 11-yr. -olds 91% and 61% performed perfectly with the right and left hands, respectively. The fingers preceded the thumbs in reproduction by most children, and the correct reproduction by the left thumb precedes that of the right thumb. The ontogenesis of bimanual sensorimotor functioning is discussed in the light of cortical and callosal development.
THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR ASSESSMENT (DVSA): A TOOL FOR INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING WITH WOMEN EXPERIENCING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE

The Domestic Violence Survivor Assessment (DVSA) was developed to measure survivor movement toward a violence free life over time. This paper reports our testing of the validity and reliability of the DVSA. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 162) found a single factor explaining 66% of the variance. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that physical abuse severity, survivor and perpetrator substance abuse, economic and citizenship dependency, and children under 18 at home explained 10% of the variance p > . 05. A second model examined the strength of interventions for survivors, controlling for influencing factors; R2 was.24 (p < .001). The strongest interventions were individual counseling (p < .001) and resource referrals and other services (p < .05). The DVSA was found to have construct validity, sensitivity to change over time, and reliability. A county agency that adopted the DVSA evaluated its programs using the DVSA change scores and used this evaluation for program improvement.
Recent Contributions to the Ergodic Theory.

I. The Original Formulations. -Early in the kinetic theory of matter it was recognized that the replacement of mean values in time by mean values in phase-space is an indispensable operation. In order to justify this substitution, recourse was had by Boltzmann and Maxwell to their celebrated Ergodic Hypothesis, which states that, in the systems considered in the kinetic theory, each particular motion will pass, sooner or later, through every state of motion, or phase (combination of position and velocity), consistent with its energy; and (implicitly) that the length of time during which it exhibits a given set of phases is proportional to the relative abundance of the latter. In other words, each path-curve in phasespace passes through every point of its energy hypersurface, remaining in a given region of the latter for a length of time proportional to the extent (hypervolume) of the region. It was recognized by Boltzmann and Maxwell that account must be taken of all possible single-valued integrals of ordinary type, thus reducing the dimensionality of the phase-space. The extreme unlikelihood of the Ergodic Hypothesis, owing to the presence of special periodic motions, was pointed out by Kelvin. ' Its mathematical impossibility was apparent to Poincar6,2 who indicated the only possible direction of effective modification, namely, the later Quasi-Ergodic Hypothesis of P. and T. Ehrenfest:3 Let Q be the hypersurface in phase-space corresponding to the given value of the energy of the system, and suppose its extent to be finite. Then each non-exceptional path-curve in Q passes through every region of Q of positive volume, remaining there for an average time equal to the ratio of this volume to that of U. Furthermore, P. and T. Ehrenfest4 observed that even if the system is quasi-ergodic in the sense that everywhere dense path-curves exist, the mean time of sojourn along the path-curve through P in a given region M may vary discontinuously from path to path. For the detailed history of the qualifications and speculations, the reader is referred to the "Encyklopadie der Mathematischen Wissenschaften. "5 I
COMPACT SUPERCONDUCTING SYNCHROCYCLOTRONS AT MAGNETIC FIELD LEVEL OF UP TO 10 T FOR PROTON AND CARBON THERAPY

Based on brief analysis of accelerators widely used for proton-ion therapy and patient cure during last 20 years the feasibility and importance of compact superconducting synchrocyclotrons operating at magnetic field level up to 10 T is outlined. The main component of modern commercial facility for proton-ion therapy is an isochronous cyclotron with room temperature or superconducting coils accelerating protons up to 250 MeV as well as synchrotron accelerating carbon ions up to 400 MeV/A. Usually ions are delivered from accelerator into the treatment room by transport lines. Irradiation is done by system of pointed to the patient magnets, collimators, energy degraders which are attached to the rotating Gantry. To greatly reduce price of facility (almost one order of magnitude) and to simplify operational conditions of hospital personal it is proposed to provide iso-centric rotation of compact superconducting synchrocyclotron around the patient. Main physical and technical parameters are described in the paper.
Ethnic variation in cardiovascular disease risk factors among children and young adults: findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.

CONTEXT Knowledge about ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among children and young adults from national samples is limited. OBJECTIVE To evaluate ethnic differences in CVD risk factors, the age at which differences were first apparent, and whether differences remained after accounting for socioeconomic status (SES). DESIGN Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. SETTING Eighty-nine mobile examination centers. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2769 black, 2854 Mexican American, and 2063 white (non-Hispanic) children and young adults aged 6 to 24 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Ethnicity and household level of education (SES) in relation to body mass index (BMI), percentage of energy from dietary fat, cigarette smoking, systolic blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C [the difference between total cholesterol and HDL-C]). RESULTS The BMI levels were significantly higher for black and Mexican American girls than for white girls, with ethnic differences evident by the age of 6 to 9 years (a difference of approximately 0.5 BMI units) and widening thereafter (a difference of >2 BMI units among 18- to 24-year-olds). Percentages of energy from dietary fat paralleled these findings and were also significantly higher for black than for white boys. Blood pressure levels were higher for black girls than for white girls in every age group, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were highest for black and Mexican American girls and boys in every age group. In contrast, smoking prevalence was highest for white girls and boys, especially for those from low-SES homes (77% of young men and 61% of young women, aged 18-24 years, from low-SES homes were current smokers). All ethnic differences remained significant after accounting for SES and age. CONCLUSION These findings show strong ethnic differences in CVD risk factors among youths of comparable age and SES from a large national sample. The differences highlight the need for heart disease prevention programs to begin early in childhood and continue throughout young adulthood to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Are Traits That Experience Reinforcement Also Under Sexual Selection?

Where closely related species occur in sympatry, reinforcement may result in the evolution of traits involved in species recognition that are at the same time used for within‐species mate choice. Drosophila serrata lives in forested habitat on the east coast of Australia, and over the northern half of its distribution it coexists with a closely related species, Drosophila birchii. Here we show that the strength of reinforcing selection in natural populations is sufficient to generate reproductive character displacement along a 36‐km transect across the contact between sympatric and allopatric populations of D. serrata. The sympatric and allopatric populations display genetically based differences in male cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), while female CHCs changed with latitude across the contact. The directional changes observed in male CHCs between sympatric and allopatric regions were the same changes that were generated by experimental sympatry in the laboratory, providing direct evidence that the changes across the contact zone are due to the presence of D. birchii. We show that sympatric and allopatric females differ in preference for male CHCs and that females from allopatric populations prefer allopatric‐like male CHCs over sympatric‐like CHCs. Male attractiveness within D. serrata may therefore be compromised by reinforcing selection, preventing the spread of sympatric‐like blends to the area of allopatry.
A scattering model based approach to NLOS mitigation in TOA location systems

We present a novel approach for reducing the effect of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) error that inhibits accurate location of wireless mobile stations (MSs). The location algorithm is developed based on the distribution of times of arrival (TOAs) generated from multipath scattering models that have been published in the literature. By matching the statistics of the measured TOAs of several multipath arrivals with those produced by the scattering models, estimates of the line-of-sight (LOS) TOAs between each base station (BS) and the MS are obtained. The LOS TOAs can then be used in any traditional TOA location algorithm. The algorithm shows a significant improvement in location accuracy for a TOA system in NLOS environment.
Association of Fetuin‐A With Incident Fractures in Community‐Dwelling Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Fetuin‐A, a serum protein that regulates calcium mineralization, has been associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in several cross‐sectional human studies, suggesting a possible beneficial effect on clinically important measures of bone health. Fetuin‐A and incidence of subsequent fracture was assessed in 4714 men and women ≥65 years of age. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk of incident hip (hospital discharge ICD‐9 codes) and composite fracture (hip, pelvis, humerus, or proximal forearm; hospital discharge ICD‐9 codes and Medicare claims data). A total of 576 participants had an incident hip fracture (median follow‐up 11.2 years) and 768 had an incident composite fracture (median follow‐up 6.9 years). In unadjusted analyses, there was no association between fetuin‐A (per SD increase) and risk of hip fracture (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.05) or composite fracture (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.06). Results were not significantly changed after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Analyses modeling fetuin‐A in quartiles or within a subset with available BMD measures also showed no statistically significant association with risk of hip or composite fracture. Though fetuin‐A was positively associated with areal BMD in partially adjusted models (total hip: β, 0.013 g/cm2; 95% CI, 0.005 to 0.021; femoral neck: β, 0.011 g/cm2; 95% CI, 0.004 to 0.018; and lumbar spine: β, 0.007 g/cm2; 95% CI, 0.001 to 0.028), these associations were no longer significant after further adjustment for BMI and in final multivariate models. In this large sample of community‐dwelling older adults, a small positive association between fetuin‐A and areal BMD appeared attributable to confounding variables and we found no evidence of an association between fetuin‐A and risk of clinical fracture. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Ten‐year mortality amongst patients with a very small or unconfirmed acute myocardial infarction in relation to clinical history, metabolic screening and signs of myocardial ischaemia

Abstract. Karlson BW, Wiklund O, Hallgren P, Sjölin M, Lindqvist J, Herlitz J (Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden). Ten‐year mortality amongst patients with a very small or unconfirmed acute myocardial infarction in relation to clinical history, metabolic screening and signs of myocardial ischaemia. J Intern Med 2000; 247: 449–456.
Distributed tracking of a rigid formation for multi-agent systems

In this paper, two algorithms based on the rigidity matrix are proposed to control a formation of a multi-agent system. The objective is to drive all the agents to achieve a predefined formation while following a desired translational velocity under the constrains that the desired velocity is available to only a subset of the agents and the agents have only local interaction. The proposed control algorithms consist of a formation acquisition term which depends on a potential function and the rigidity matrix, and a velocity estimation term. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithms.
HYPERTHYROXINAEMIA: ABNORMAL BINDING OF T4 BY AN INHERITED ALBUMIN VARIANT

Two euthyroid subjects with high total concentrations of T4 in their sera have been studied (J.D.: T4, 170; T3, 1·90; rT3, 0·54 nmol/1. E.T.: T4, 185; T3, 1·63; rT3, 0·37 nmol/1). Concentrations of all three T4‐binding proteins were within normal limits in both cases. However, on reverse‐flow electrophoresis an abnormally large amount of thyroxine was found to travel with albumin. The three T4‐binding proteins in the sera of both patients were separated from each other by a novel affinity chromatographic method using dye‐Sepharose conjugates. Affinity constants for T4 binding to TBG and to prealbumin from both patients were normal. The albumin preparations were further purified and shown by physical and immunochemical techniques to be uncontaminated by other proteins. Scatchard plots of the binding of T4 to each of these pure albumins revealed two components, one having a normal affinity constant (J.D., 1·8 ± 105 lmol−1 and E.T., 2·3 × 105 lmol−1), the other having a raised affinity constant (J.D., 5·4 × 106 lmol−6 and E.T., 5·8 × 106 lmol−1). Extrapolation of the plots showed that the high affinity components comprised 66% (J.D.) and 54% (E.T.) of the total purified albumin. The raised affinity and high concentrations of the variants thus account for the raised total T4 concentrations in the patients. The presumed amino acid substitution in the albumins may be different in the two patients since the affinities for rT3 differ. Some methods for the estimation of free T4 levels give misleading results in the presence of these albumin variants. In the course of two episodes of illness, patient J.D. manifested large falls in serum T4 levels which could only be accounted for by reduced carriage of T4 by the abnormal and conventional binding proteins. Many cases reported in the literature as partial peripheral resistance to thyroid hormone may be examples of similar albumin variants.
An essential non-Watson-Crick base pair motif in 3'UTR to mediate selenoprotein translation.

The SECIS element is an RNA hairpin in the 3'UTR of selenoprotein mRNAs required for decoding UGA selenocysteine codons. Our experimentally derived 2D structure model for the SECIS RNA revealed the conservation of four consecutive non-Watson-Crick base pairs, with a central G.A/A.G tandem. The present study was dedicated to gaining insight into the role of this quartet of base pairs. The effects of mutations introduced into the SECIS quartet of the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) cDNA, an enzyme with selenocysteine in its active center, were reported in vivo by the GPx activity. The detrimental consequence of an all-Watson-Crick mutant quartet disclosed the paramount importance of the non-Watson-Crick base pairs for GPx activity. Next, structure probing established that base pair changes in the central G.A/A.G tandem, predicted by the model to be structurally unfavorable, effectively led to local opening of the helix at the quartet. A concomitant abolition of GPx activity was observed, arising from translational impairment of full-length GPx. In contrast, an isosteric base pair replacement in the tandem did not affect base pairing in the quartet, leading to an almost wt GPx activity. Collectively, the data provided conclusive evidence for the functional relevance of these non-Watson-Crick base pairs in vivo, thus identifying a noncanonical RNA motif crucial to SECIS function in mediating selenoprotein translation. Within the quartet, the prominent requirement for the central G.A/A.G tandem is highlighted, our previous structural model and the mutagenesis data presented here strongly arguing in favor of a sheared arrangement for the G.A base pairs. The SECIS RNA is therefore another member to be added to the growing list of RNAs containing building blocks of non-Watson-Crick base pairs, required for structure and/or function.
Climate, soil, and vegetation: 7. A derived distribution of annual water yield

The average annual soil moisture balance, as derived from the mechanics of storm and interstorm soil moisture movement and from the statistics of the climatic variables, is used to define the average annual soil moisture. This soil moisture is used in the equation for average annual yield to give a first-order approximation of the annual precipitation yield function. This function is used to transform the cumulative distribution function (cdf) of annual precipitation into the cdf of annual yield, and application is made in a subhumid and in an arid climate. The derived yield frequency function is seen to be sensitive to the soil and vegetal properties. Proper selection of these parameters brings close agreement with observed streamflow-frequency and suggests the model's utility for parameterizing drainage basins with respect to effective average soil and vegetal properties.
Identification of Amino Acid Residues Contributing to the ATP-binding Site of a Purinergic P2X Receptor*

P2X receptor subunits have intracellular N and C termini, two membrane-spanning domains, and an extracellular loop of about 280 amino acids. We expressed the rat P2X2receptor in human embryonic kidney cells, and used alanine-scanning mutagenesis on 30 residues with polar side chains conserved among the seven rat P2X receptor subunits. This identified a region proximal to the first transmembrane domain which contained 2 lysine residues that were critical for the action of ATP (Lys69 and Lys71). We substituted cysteines in this region (Asp57 to Asp71) and found that for S65C and I67C ATP-evoked currents were inhibited by methanethiosulfonates. At I67C, the inhibition by negatively charged ethylsulfonate and pentylsulfonate derivatives could be overcome by increasing the ATP concentration, consistent with a reduced affinity of ATP binding. The inhibitory action of the methanethiosulfonates was prevented by pre-exposure to ATP, suggesting occlusion of the binding site. Finally, introduction of negative charges into the receptor by mutagenesis at this position (I67E and I67D) also gave receptors in which the ATP concentration-response curve was right-shifted. The results suggest that residues close to Ile67 contribute to the ATP-binding site.
Aprotinin revisited: formulation, characterization, biodistribution and therapeutic potential of new aprotinin microemulsion in acute pancreatitis

Abstract The aim of this study was to develop aprotinin-loaded microemulsion (MA) for intravenous administration and evaluate the biodistribution and therapeutic potential of developed formulation in acute pancreatitis models in rats. Phase diagrams were constructed to identify microemulsion region and the optimal microemulsion was evaluated for physicochemical properties and treatment effect in rats, and comparisons made with the solution of aprotinin (SA). To evaluate the biodistribution of the drug by gamma scintigraphy aprotinin was radiolabeled with 99mTc radionuclide. Mild and severe acute pancreatitis was induced in rats by subcutaneous injections of cerulein and introductal infusion of 3% sodium taurocholate into the bile-pancreatic duct, respectively. In addition, serum amylase and pancreatic tissue myeloperoxidase activities were measured to evaluate the pancreatic damage. According to gamma scintigraphy and biodistribution studies, accumulation times and distribution of 99mTc-MA and SA were different. While MA was highly uptake by reticuloendothelial system, SA was mostly excreted by kidneys and bladder. Compared with the mild acute pancreatitis group, treatment with MA significantly decreased the serum amylase activity and pancreas myeloperoxidase activity. Furthermore, the protease inhibitor molecule aprotinin has therapeutic potential in acute pancreatitis. Finally, MA may be suggested as a promising alternative for treatment of acute pancreatitis.
Association between interleukin-6 −174G/C polymorphism and the risk of Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis

Background: The −174G/C polymorphism in interleukin 6 (IL-6) gene has been extensively investigated for association to Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, results of different studies have been inconsistent. The objective of this study is to assess the relationship of IL-6 −174G/C polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk by using meta-analysis. Methods: All eligible case–control studies were searched in PubMed and EMBASE. Odds ratios (ORs) with the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association. Results: A total of 5316 cases and 10 757 controls in 21 case–control studies were included. Obvious heterogeneity among studies was detected, and no significant association was observed between the IL-6 −174G/C polymorphism and AD risk. After exclusion of three studies, the heterogeneity disappeared and significant association was observed between the polymorphism and AD risk in Asians (CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 0.5; 95%CI, 0.33–0.75) but not in Caucasians. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that the −174G/C polymorphism of IL-6 gene would be a protective risk factor for AD in Asians. To further evaluate gene-to-gene and gene-to-environmental interactions between polymorphisms of IL-10 gene and AD risk, more studies with large groups of patients are required.